Ludwigshafen, Germany, Marriages, 1876-1924

About this collection

This collection contains marriage records and name directories from Ludwigshafen covering the years 1876 up to and including 1924. Ludwigshafen is situated on the left (west) bank of the Rhine opposite the city of Mannheim. It is located about 12 miles north of Speyer and about 15 miles north-west of Heidelberg in the Rhine-Neckar region in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Ludwigshafen is one of the independent cities in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate which was established in 1946.

Ludwigshafen, named in honor of King Ludwig I of Bavaria, was elevated in 1859 to the status of "independent city" and since 1882 is officially named Ludwigshafen "on the Rhine." The city is well known as the home of the chemical company BASF. During the time period of this collection, Ludwigshafen belonged, until 1918, to the Kingdom of Bavaria. In addition to Ludwigshafen the collection includes records from another eight communities with records from varying time periods.

Beginning on January 1, 1876, birth, marriage and death records in the former German Empire were created by local registry offices. The collected records are arranged chronologically and usually bound together in the form of yearbooks. These are collectively referred to as "civil registers." Complementary alphabetical directories of names may also have been created. While churches continued to keep traditional records, the State also mandated that the personal or marital status of the entire population be recorded.

What you can find in the records

Marriage records were created using preprinted forms that were filled in by hand by the registrar. Depending on the individual form or on the formulations used by the registrar, you may find:

• Sequential or Certificate Number
• Marriage Date
• Groom: Last name, Given names, Denomination, Birthdate and Birthplace, Residence/Address as well as details about his Parents and their Place of residence
• Bride: Last name, Given names, Maiden Name, Denomination, Birthdate and Birthplace, Residence/Address as well as details about her Parents and their Place of residence
• Witnesses
• Signatures

The name directories are arranged alphabetically according to the last name of the spouse. They are bound either as separate chronological volumes or together with their respective marriage registers. They contain the following details:

• Sequential number
• Last Names and Given Names of the spouse
• Occupation, Residence
• Cross reference to marriage register
• Notes, e.g. Denomination

More about using this collection

Each document has a front and back. These are displayed one ofter the other. Additional events from the life of the couple were sometimes recorded later on in the margins. These notes, sometimes referred to as "narration," can contain very useful information but they have not been indexed. As a result, information from the notes will not found via the search form. Under "Browse this collection,” select the Civil Registration Office and then the time period for the register desired. When name directories are available for a registry office, they are displayed and selectable in the Year Range list. However, when a name directory forms part of a register itself, it can be accessed within that register by selecting the desired time period.