Schleswig and Holstein, Denmark and Schleswig-Holstein, Prussia, Germany, Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1597-1959

About this collection

This collection contains parish registers and documents recording the congregational life of some communities in what is now Ostholstein in Schleswig-Holstein. The oldest of these church records are from the community of Süsel and date to as early as 1597. However, many records begin in the 18th century. The records for most of the collection end in the 1950s.

The district of Ostholstein was established in 1970 as part of a district reorganization. The capital is Eutin. Ostholstein lies north of the city of Lübeck with Lake Plön to the west and the Baltic Sea to the east. Eutin was granted its city charter in 1257 and in 1803, as part of the Principality of Lübeck, was given to the Duchy of Oldenburg. After the Greater Hamburg Act of 1937, the region was annexed by the Province of Schleswig-Holstein which, in turn after World War II, became the State of Schleswig-Holstein.

In addition to the City of Eutin, the following communities or parts thereof are included: Ahrensbök (including Gnissau), Bosau, Gleschendorf, Malente, Neukirchen, Rensefeld, Stockelsdorf (including Curau), Süsel and West-Ratekau.

In addition to births, marriages, and deaths, these parish registers also contain some confirmations and marriage banns. For some communities, there are also some cemetery records, logs, accounts or other documents of congregational life available. These, however, have not been indexed and this information cannot be retrieved using the search form.

What you can find in the records

Events in the original church registers are recorded in the handwriting of the local pastor. Depending on the time period and on the individual formulations used, you may generally find the following details in these records:

For Births:

• Child: Given Names, Birthdate, Time of Birth, Legitimacy/Illegitimacy, Baptism, Witnesses
• Parents: Father's Given Names, Last Name, and Profession/Trade; Mother's Given Names, Maiden Name and Profession/Trade; Parents' residence

For Confirmations:

• Confirmation Date, Last Name, Child's Given Names, Birthplace, Birthdate, Baptism Date, Parents, Residence

For Marriages:

• Groom: Given names, Last Name, Occupation, Residence, Birthdate and Birthplace, details about his Parents
• Bride: Given names, Last Name, Maiden Name, Occupation, Residence, Birthdate and Birthplace, details about her Parents
• Date and Place of Wedding

For Deaths:

• Deceased: Given Names, Last Name, Maiden Name, Occupation/Trade, Age, Spouse/Parents, Death place, Time of Death, Cause of Death, Date of Funeral

More about using this collection

Under "Browse this collection,” select the relevant City or District. Then, noting the specific content of a book, select the desired year-range. For some communities, name directories may exist. The sequence of birth, marriage or death records may not be consistent. In the church books, entries about the same persons may often be found on preceding or succeeding pages.

Updates:
4 May 2020: Changes were made to the browse and place data to correct place names. No new records were added.