Diepholz, Germany, Births, 1874-1899

About this collection

This collection contains birth records from Diepholz covering the years 1874 up to and including 1899. Diepholz, "Deefholt" in Low German, is situated 40 miles sothwest of Brememn and is the administrative center of the district of the same name in the German state of Lower Saxony. The city was chartered in 1380. Diepholz Castle with its round tower is a city landmark whose foundations were laid as part of a 10th century moated castle. During the time period of this collection, Diepholz belonged to the Prussian Province of Hanover. Also included are the communities of Aschen and St. Hülfe.

Beginning on October 1, 1874, local registry offices were made responsible for creating birth, marriage and death records in the former Prussian provinces. The collected records are arranged chronologically and usually in bound yearbook form which are collectively referred to as "civil registers." Occasionally, alphabetical directories of names were also 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

Births records were created using preprinted forms that were filled in by hand by the registrar. In each record the date of a birth usually differs from the date it was registered. Depending on the individual form or on the formulations used by the registrar, you may find:

• Sequential or Certificate Number
• Registration Date
• Informant: Occupation, Given Names, Last Name, Maiden Name, Residence/Address, Denomination
• Mother: Given Names, Last Name, Maiden Name, Spouse, Denomination, Residence/Address
• Child: Birth Date, Time of Birth, Sex, Given Names
• Signatures

More about using this collection

Each record comprises one page. Additional events from the life of the child 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. The “Informant” was often a midwife or the child's father.