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For general information see FAQ.preussen
NB: This faq.brandenburg emphasizes East Brandenburg (Neumark).
Q1: Where is Brandenburg?
Q2: What was Brandenburg's recent history?
Q3: What were the administrative areas of Brandenburg?
Q4: What were the court districts in Brandenburg province before 1900?
Q5: How do I find locations and maps for Brandenburg before 1945??
Q6: Are there web sites of interest to Brandenburg researchers?
Q7: Is there a listserv for Brandenburg family researchers?
Q8: When were civil registers introduced?
Q9: What books discuss hints and sources for East German searchers?
Q10: What about Mennonites in Brandenburg province?
Q11: What German archives are available for Brandenburg?
=======================================
Q1: Where is Brandenburg?
A1: Brandenburg was a Prussian province. Its capital until 1920
was Berlin (pronounce: berr-LEEN),later Potsdam (pronounce:POTS-dum).
Q2: What was Brandenburg's recent history?
A2: The province was created in 1816 of the former Mark Brandenburg
and included the Mittelmark,Uckermark,Prignitz, most of Neumark,
some areas of Schlesien, Sachsen (Niederlausitz) and of the grand duchy of Posen.
Brandenburg East of the Oder and Neisse rivers was cleansed of its
ethnic German population and given to Poland in 1945.
The Western powers were silent on the ethnic cleansing.
Q3: What were the administrative areas of Brandenburg?
A3: In 1900 the province of Brandenburg had the following districts
and Kreise (counties): * marks total or partial loss to Poland in 1945.
Berlin
Regierungsbezirk (district) of Potsdam with 18 Kreise (counties):
Angermünde,Beeskow-Storkow,Brandenburg-Stadt,Charlottenburg,
Jüterbog-Luckenwalde,Niederbarnim,Oberbarnim,Osthavelland,
Ostprignitz,Potsdam-Stadt,Prenzlau,Ruppin,Spandau-Stadt,Teltow,
Templin,Westhavelland,Westprignitz,Zauch-Belzig.
Regierungsbezirk (district) of Frankfurt an der Oder with 20 Kreise
(counties): *Arnswalde,*Frankfurt(Stadt),*Friedeberg,*Guben(Stadt)
*Guben-Land,Kalau,*Königsberg,Kottbus(Stadt),Kottbus-Land,
*Krossen,*Landsberg-Stadt,*Landsberg-Land,Lebus,Lübden,Luckau,
*Oststernberg,*Soldin,*Sorau,Spremberg,*Weststernberg,
*Züllichau-Schwiebus,*Forst-Stadt(1897).
(The Neumark covered the Kreise of Soldin, Königsberg, Landsberg,
Friedeberg, Arnswalde, Krossen, Züllichau, Kottbus
and in Pommern: Dramburg, Schivelbein)
Each Kreis was headed by the Landrat who presided over the Landratsamt.
The Landratsamt records are deposited in Berlin and the Polish archives
with published brief inventories.
The Landrat was in charge of passport and emigrations matters and reported
to the district Regierung who in turn gave data to the provincial Oberpräsidium in Berlin.
Q4: What were the court districts in Brandenburg province before 1900?
A4: The highest provincial court was the Oberlandesgericht in Berlin.
The lower courts (Landgerichte) and lowest courts (Amtsgerichte) were
http://www.jura.uni-sb.de/laenderberichte/brandb.htm
Landgericht Berlin with Amtsgericht Berlin I
Landgericht Berlin II with (15) Amtsgerichte:
Alt-Landsberg,Berlin II,Bernau,Charlottenburg,Königs-Wusterhausen,
Köpenick,Liebenwalde,Mittenwalde,Nauen,Oranienburg,Rixdorf,Spandau,
Straußberg,Trebbin,Zossen.
Landgericht Frankfurt an der Oder with (11) Amtsgerichte:
Beeskow,Wendissch-Buchholz,Drossen,Frankfurt,Fürstenwalde,Müncheberg,
Reppen,Seelow,Sonnenburg,Storkow,Zielenzig.
Landgericht Guben with (10) Amtsgerichte:
Forst,Fürstenberg,Guben,Krossen,Pförten,Schwiebus,Sommerfeld,
Sorau,Triebel,Züllichau.
Landgericht Kottbus with (12) Amtsgerichte:
Dobrilugk,Finsterwalde,Kalau,Kirchhain,Kottbus,Lieberose,Lübben,
Lübbenau,Luckau,Peitz,Senftenberg,Spremberg.,
Landgericht Landsberg an der Warte with (15) Amtsgerichte:
Arnswalde,Bärwalde,Berlinchen,Driesen,Friedeberg,Königsberg,
Küstrin,Landsberg,Lippehne,Neudamm,Neuwedell,Reetz,Soldin,
Woldenburg,Zehden
Landgericht Neuruppin with (15) Amtsgerichte:
Fehrbellin,Gransee,Havelberg,Kremmen,Kyritz,Lenzen,Lindow,
Meyenburg,Neuruppin,Perleberg,Pritzwalk,Rheinsberg,Wittenberge,
Wittstock,Wusterhausen.
Landgericht Potsdam with (11) Amtsgerichte:
Baruth,Beelitz,Belzig,Brandenburg,Dahme,Jüterbog,Luckenwalde,
Potsdam,Rathenow,Treuenbrietzen,Werder.
Landgericht Prenzlau with (12) Amtsgerichte:
Angermünde,Brüssow,Eberswalde,Freienwalde,Lychen,Oderberg,Prenzlau,
Schwedt,Strasburg in der Uckermark,Templin,Wriezen,Zehdenick.
The whereabouts in Poland of the records for the Landgerichte and
Amtsgerichte is unknown. Some are deposited in the archives AP Gorzow
Wielkopolski (Landsberg).
Any land holding usually means that there were and often still
are today deed and mortgage records (Grund- und Hypotheken-Acten) which
were administered by the Amtsgericht. They usually start with a land
title history (=tituli possessionis) going back 50 or more years from the beginning of the first deed book.
Legal basis for these land records is the Prussian Hypotheken-Ordnung of
1783 which initially applied to crownlands only.
The court at that time was called Domainen-Justiz-Amt (until 1806),
Land- or Stadt-Gericht (1806-1849), Kreisgericht (1849-1879),
Amtsgericht (after 1879).
Additional records are Erbrezesse, Erbvergleiche (probates),
Vormundschaftsakten (Guardianships), Pupillenakten (orphan records), last testaments and wills, Erbscheine.
A remarriage of a widower/widow was always documented in the Amtsgericht
stating in detail the estate rights of surviving children as well as
rights and duties of parents and step parents. This is a source at the
Amtsgericht which is widely unknown and untapped (and unfilmed by the LDS).
If you are looking for records which describe the life and tribulations
of your ancestors, you cannot miss looking at the court records.
.
The Acta of the Driesen court (Amtsgericht) in Brandenburg (Neumark) have also survived the times with deeds and additional information at the Polish
State Archives in Szczecin (Stettin) today.
Current LDS filming project:
* Brandenburg -- This is another sizable project involving
Amtgericht court records:
* Brandenburg and Berlin Amtgerichte - While there are a fair number
of church records on microfilm for Berlin and the province of
Brandenburg, virtually no court records have been available on
microfilm until this project recently came on line. Started in
1993, this involves an extensive amount of court records. Filming
continues at this time.
For research of estates the estate directories
(Güteradreßbücher)
list the owners and economic information (acreage, lifestock etc.):
Handbuch des Grundbesitzes im Deutschen Reiche.
I. Das Königreich Preußen - Provinz Brandenburg
1st ed. Berlin 1879
2nd ed. Berlin 1885
3rd ed. Berlin 1896
4th ed. Berlin 1903
5th ed. Berlin 1910
Niekammers Landwirtschaftliches Güter-Adreßbuch.
Band 1: Provinz Brandenburg
1st ed. Leipzig 1907
2nd ed. Leipzig 1914
3rd ed. Leipzig 1923
4th ed. Leipzig 1929
Q5: How do I find locations and maps for Brandenburg before 1945??
A5: An atlas is usually not the best tool to locate small towns or
villages. Maps of scales 1:25,000 (Meßtischblatt) or 1:100,000
(Karte des Deutschen Reiches and Kreiskarten) and gazetteers
(Ortsverzeichnis) are.
Topographical Maps (Meßtischblätter 1:25000) may also be
purchased from
Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie
Richard-Strauß-Allee 11
60958 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
For maps for sale in the US see
http://www.genealogyunlimited.com
For Ost-Brandenburg the above institute sells the following 1:100.000 maps:
Arnswalde, Crossen, Forst, Friedeberg, Landsberg, Oststernberg, Soldin,
Sorau and Stadtkreis Forst.
Großblätter are available for:
Frankfurt/Oder, Guben, Königsberg/Neumark, Meseritz, Schwerin/Warthe,
Weststernberg, Züllichau-Schwiebus.
For German-Polish place name dictionary, see
http://www.calle.com/world/poland/index.html
http://www.atsnotes.com/other/gerpol.html
Historical maps:
Bliss, Winfried: Die Plankammer der Regierung Frankfurt/Oder.
Spezialinventar 1670 bis 1870. 1978.
(An inventory of the map collection in GStA.PK in Berlin-Dahlem.
The village maps often list names of the peasants).
Q6: Are there web sites of interest to Brandenburg researchers?
A6: Here is a sampling of web sites:
+ Neumark Genealogical Research Homepage
http://members.aol.com/MCTeichert/Neumark.html
+ Information on German archives:
http://www.bawue.de/~hanacek/info/darchive.htm
http://www.germany.net/teilnehmer/100.110994/index.htm
+ Landesarchiv Berlin:
http://www.kulturbox.de/landesarchiv
+ Evang. Zentralarchiv Berlin:
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/eza
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/eza/eza3e.htm
+ Information on Wends/Sorbs:
http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/harrisfarm/wendish.htm
Stiftung Martin-Opitz-Bibliothek Herne.
(ehemals Bücherei des deutschen Ostens)
Inhalt: Über die Bibliothek. Die Martin-Opitz-Bibliothek....
e-mail: charly@charly.ping.de
http://w3g.med.uni-giessen.de/~geneal/kp/fome/andere/mob.html
Herder -Institut Marburg e.V. Gisonenweg 5 - 7, 35037 Marburg/Lahn
Telephon: 06421/184-0, Telefax: 184-139
e-mail: herder@mailer.uni-marburg.de....
http://www.uni-marburg.de/herder-institut/bibliohp.html
http://w3g.med.uni-giessen.de/~geneal/kp/fome/andere/herdermb.html
http://www.uni-marburg.de/herder-institut/klassi.html
Amtsgericht Potsdam:
http://www.amtsgericht-potsdam.org/
Genealogival sources:
http://www.feefhs.org/s&f/kbak-ae.html Sources A-E
http://www.feefhs.org/s&f/kbak-fg.html Sources F-G
http://www.feefhs.org/s&f/kbak-hk.html Sources H-K
http://www.feefhs.org/s&f/kblz-lo.html Sources L-O
http://www.feefhs.org/s&f/kblz-ps.html Sources P-S
http://www.feefhs.org/s&f/kblz-tz.html Sources T-Z
Berlin and Brandenburg libraries:
http://www.sbb.spk-berlin.de
http://www.ub.fu-berlin.de/
http://www.kulturbox.de/zlb/
http://www.ub.fu-berlin.de/index.html
http://www.fh-brandenburg.de/bibliothek/www.htm
http://www.fh-potsdam.de/~ BiB/bio_home.htm
http://www.bbaw.de/index.html
Q7: Is there a listserv for Brandenburg family researchers?
A7: For a mailing list for anyone with a genealogical interest
in Brandenburg see
Brandenburg-L (English & German)
* http://list.genealogy.net/mailman/listinfo/brandenburg-l
Neumark-L (German only)
* http://neumark.genealogy.net
A more general list is PRUSSIA-ROOTS-L@rootsweb.com
To subscribe send the word "subscribe" (without the
quotes) as the only text in the body of a message to
PRUSSIA-ROOTS-L-request@rootsweb.com (mail mode) or
PRUSSIA-ROOTS-D-request@rootsweb.com (digest mode).
Q8: When were civil registers introduced?
A8: Civil registers of births,marriages,deaths were introduced in
October 1874. The Civil registry office is called Standesamt.
Before this time, the Lutheran church records (1815-1874) or special
Dissidenten-Register (1847-1874) served as official registers, and a
duplicate copy was deposited at the local court (Amtsgericht).
Most Standesamt (Polish: Urzed Stanu Cywilnego) records remained in the
old offices and were taken over by the Polish authorities in the areas annexed by Poland in 1945.
They are listed in the Gazetteer of Polish People's Republic Localities.
The full title is SPIS MIEJSCOWOSCI POLSKIEJ RZECZYPOSPOLITEJ LUDOWEJ,
published in Warsaw 1968, and on LDS microfilm #844,922.
Prior to 1874, the church records (Kirchenbücher) of the official
churches (Evangelic and catholic) served as recognized documents for the
purpose of proving one's birth, marriage, and death and had to meet
certain standards of accuracy and completeness. Members of minor
(unregcognised) churches had to record their vital statistics with the
pastor of the official churches.
Church book Guide:
Kirchenbücher, Kirchenbuch-Duplikate und Standesamtsregister
der ehemals brandenburgischen Kreise, Königsberg, Soldin,
Landsberg, Arnswalde, Friedeberg, Ost- und Weststernberg,
Crossen, Züllichau-Schwiebus, Guben und Sorau o:stl. der Neise),
Schwerin, Meseritz, Bomst
Bestandsverzeichnis 2000
304 Seiten, Festeinband, 1 Kartenbeilage, Preis 49,- DM + Versandk.,
ISBN 3-9803515-5-6
Bestellungen an:
Druckerei Verlag G. Grüneberg, Finkenbergstr. 6, 19309 Lenzen (Elbe)
Q9: What books discuss hints and sources for East German searchers?
A9: Wegweiser für Forschung nach Vorfahren aus den Ostdeutschen und
Sudetendeutschen Gebieten sowie aus den deutschen Siedlungsräumen
in Mittel-,Ost- und Südosteuropa (AGoFF-Wegweiser):
Verlag Degener &Co, 91413 Neustadt, Germany (1991 and later)
(The out-of-print English edition is being revised presently)
Germanic Genealogy (by Edward R.Brandt et alii), 2nd edition.
1997, St.Paul MN, 517 pp.,1st edition, 1995.
W.Krallert: Atlas zur Geschichte der deutschen Ostsiedlung,
Velhagen &Klasing, Bielefeld-Berlin-Hannover 1958.
Q10: What about Mennonites in Brandenburg province?
A10: The Prussian census gives the following numbers for Mennonites
in the two Brandenburg districts:
1821 1828 1831 1837 1849 1861
-----------------------------------------------------------
Potsdam 42 6 2 10 15 17
Frankfurt/Oder 280 238 231 31 13 2
Most Mennonites lived in Kreis Friedeberg, Amt Driesen in the
Neumark in Brenkenhoffswalde, Franztal and Neu-Dessau who
emigrated in 1834 to Deutsch-Wymyschle in Poland and to Volhynia
and to Gnadenfeld,Russia.
see: Mennonite Life, April 1969 p.83-86;
Goertz,A.:Mennoniten im Neumärkischen Amt Driesen,Brandenburg,
in:Ostdeutsche Familienkunde 1996 p.277-283
Goertz,A.: Aus den Grund- und Hypotheken-Akten des Neumärkischen
Amtes Driesen.Erbzinsgut Neu-Dessau, Kr.Friedeberg, in:
Ostdeutsche Familienkunde 1999, p.260-272
Goertz, A.: Mennonites in Amt Driesen of the Neumark,
Brandenburg, in: Mennonite Family History (Morgantown PA),
2001, p. 47-51.
Goertz, A.: Aus den Praestations-Tabellen des Neumärkischen
Amtes Driesen, in: Ostdeutsche Familienkunde 2001, p.17-25.
Q11: What German archives are available for Brandenburg?
A11: There is the Landeshauptarchiv in Potsdam and the
Geh. Staatsarchiv in Berlin-Dahlem with the Brandenburg records
in the Hautabteilung X (X HA):
HA. X Brandenburg
(selective listing of records)
Rep. 1 Oberpräsident der Provinz Brandenburg
Rep. 2 A Kurmärkische Kriegs- und Domänenkammer zu Potsdam
Rep. 2 B Regierung zu Potsdam
Rep. 3 B Regierung zu Frankfurt a. d. Oder
Rep. 4 B Oberlandesgericht zu Frankfurt a. d. Oder
Rep. 5 A Stadtgerichte (Belzig, Bernau, Brandenburg a. d. Havel,
Driesen, Nauen, Oranienburg, Perleberg, Prenzlau, Schwiebus, Spandau)
Rep. 5 B Justizämter (Biesenthal, Fehrbellin, Gramzow, Liebenwalde,
Löcknitz, Oranienburg, Potsdam, Rüdersdorf)
Rep. 5 C Patrimonialgerichte (Gerichtsamt Tauchel)
Rep. 5 D Kreisgerichte (Berlin, Frankfurt a. d. Oder, Potsdam, Spandau, Wriezen)
Rep. 5 E Amtsgerichte (Altlandsberg, Angermünde, Arnswalde, Bärwalde,
Baruth, Beelitz, Beeskow, Belzig, Berlin, Berlinchen, Bernau,
Brandenburg, Br|ssow, Buchholz, Calau, Cottbus, Crossen, Dahme,
Doberlug, Driesen, Drossen, Eberswalde, Finsterwalde,
Forst, Friedeberg, Fürstenberg, Fürstenwalde, Genthin,
Gransee, Guben, Havelberg, Jüterbog, Kirchhain, Königsberg,
Königs Wusterhausen, Kremmen, Küstrin, Kyritz,
Landsberg a. d. Warthe, Lenzen, Liebenwalde, Lieberose,
Lindow, Luckau, Luckenwalde, L|bben, Lübbenau, Lychen,
Meyenburg, Mittenwalde, Müncheberg, Nauen, Neudamm,
Neuruppin, Neuwedell, Oderberg, Oranienburg, Peitz, Perleberg,
Potsdam, Prenzlau, Pritzwalk, Rathenow, Reetz, Reppen,
Rheinsberg, Rüdersdorf, Schwedt, Schwiebus, Seelow,
Senftenberg, Soldin, Sommerfeld, Sonnenburg, Sorau,
Spremberg, Storkow, Strasburg, Strausberg, Templin,
Tirschtiegel, Trebbin, Treuenbrietzen, Triebel,
Vietz, Werder, Wittenberge, Wittstock, Woldenberg, Wriezen,
Wusterhausen, Zehden, Zehdenick, Zielenzig, Zossen,
Z|llichau)
Rep. 5 E Amtsgerichte (Meseritz, Unruhstadt)
Rep. 5 F Landgerichte (Berlin, Cottbus, Frankfurt a. d. Oder, Guben,
Landsberg a.d.Warthe, Neuruppin, Potsdam, Prenzlau)
Rep. 5 F Landgericht zu Meseritz
Rep. 5 H Arbeitsgerichte (Berlin)
Rep. 5 N Erbgesundheitsgerichte (Cottbus, Landsberg a. d. Warthe,
Prenzlau; dazu Schweidnitz)
Rep. 6 A Dltere Kreisbehvrden (Prignitz, Ruppin, Uckermark, Zauche)
Rep. 6 B Landratsdmter (Beeskow-Storkow, Kalau, Königsberg/Neumark,
Cottbus, Niederbarnim, Ostprignitz, Sorau,
Westhavelland, Westprignitz, Zauche-Belzig)
Rep. 6 B Kreis Bomst
Rep. 6 B Kreis Meseritz
Rep. 6 C Kreisaussch|sse (Ober- und Niederbarnim, Königsberg/Neumark, Teltow)
Rep. 7 Domänen- und Rentdmter (Belzig, Bernstein, Bvtzow, Chorin,
Cottbus-Peitz, Dahme, Friedrichsthal, Fürstenwalde, Grimnitz,
Jüterbog, Köpenick, Neustadt a. d. Dosse,
Zechlin, Zinna, Zossen)
Rep. 8 Städte und Ortschaften (Bärwalde, Bernau, Brandenburg,
Cottbus, Gransee, Kalau, Kyritz, Lenzen, Mittenwalde, Mohrin,
Müncheberg, Pritzerbe, Alt-Ruppin, Seelow,
Strausberg, Templin, Treuenbrietzen, Züllichau)
Rep. 9 Johanniterorden, Aufschwörungstafeln
Rep. 10 Stifter, Klöster und Kirchen (Domstift
Havelberg, Komturei Lietzen)
Rep. 15 A und B Oberförstereien (Havelberg, Zechlin)
Rep. 15 D Andere Forstbehvrden (Forsträte zu Altruppin, Oranienburg,
Rheinsberg, Ruppin; Forstmeister zu Berlin, Rheinsberg;
Holzschreiber zu Altruppin; Bauinspektor zu Zehdenick)
Rep. 16 Kleine Erwerbungen
Rep. 17 Oberamtsregierung der Niederlausitz zu L|bben
Rep. 19 Steuerräte (Eberswalde, Kyritz, Potsdam)
Rep. 20 Gouvernement zu Berlin
Rep. 24 Generalkommission (Landeskulturamt) zu Frankfurt a. d. Oder
For pre-1806 Mahllisten, Praestations-Tabellen see
HA II Generaldirektorium
Abt. 13 Neumark
Abt. 13 a v. Brenkenhoffsche und Schützsche
Meliorations- und Pensionssachen in Pommern und der Neumark
Abt. 13 b v. Brenkenhoffsche Meliorations- und Pensionssachen im
Netzedistrikt
Abt. 14 Kurmark
Brandenburg Landeshauptarchiv in Potsdam:
http://www.landeshauptarchiv-brandenburg.de/netcms.aspx?PageID=42&NavI
e-mail: poststelle@blha.brandenburg.de
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