Birth registers for Berlin are available from 1874 to 1899 on Ancestry.com. Areas which became part of greater Berlin in 1920 are also included.
Berlin civil registers of births are recorded on pre-printed forms. They contain the following items:
Certificate Number
Place where the certificate is issued (usually the registry office)
Day, month and year of registration
Name, occupation and address of the person reporting the birth (this is often the father; however, other family members may report the birth and sometimes the midwife [Hebamme] reports it).
Married name, maiden name, religion, marital status, and address of the mother
Date of birth of the child
Gender of the child
Given name(s) of the child (if the name of the child was not known at the time of registration, the term "noch nicht" may be entered. It may be added as a note in the margin when it becomes available.
Note: Stillborn children are entered in the death registers
Civil Registration__Birth Form
Words in bold italics indicate the wording on the preprinted form.
Translation appears in brackets [ ].
Comments and explanations are in parenthesis ( ).
Nr. [Number of the document]
Berlin, am (day and month) 18__ (Year) (Note: This is the date of recording not the birth date).
Vor dem unterzeichneten Standesbeamten erschien heute, der Persönlichkeit nach
(Identity is established by the papers presented to the registrar, such as a marriage certificate, military papers, etc. ) anerkannt or bekannt [known]
[Appeared today before the civil registrar the individual known by the papers presented] or [known] (such as a midwife who is known to the registrar).
(Full name of the informant—person appearing before the registrar as well as descriptive words such as occupation and status—married, widowed, etc. Note: The person who appears is usually the father or other relative; however, it might be the midwife [Hebamme], or even the mother.
Wohnhaft zu [living at] (name of the city and, in the case of Berlin, the street address is given)
evangelischer [Lutheran], katholischer (Catholic), mosaischer,[Jewish] Religion, und zeigt an, dass von der [and reported that from] (Married name of the mother is given and her maiden name follows the words “geborene”) [born] (seiner Ehefrau) [his wife]
Note: If the mother is the one who reports the birth, then she will indicate she bore the child and that she is the “Ehefrau” [wife of] (name of father).
evangelischer [Lutheran], katholischer [Catholic], mosaischer, [Jewish] Religion.
Wohnhaft [living] (Usually it will say “bei ihm”[with him] if the father is the one reporting the birth, or it may say “wie angegeben” [as stated]).
zu (place birth, often in the residence of the couple)
am [Day and month] des Jahres [Year]
Tausend acht hundert [thousand eight hundred (exact year is added) ( Nach or Vor is added) mittags [evening or morning] (The actual birth date is given here).
um (time) Uhr [hour], ein Kind (insert “männ or weib”)lichen Geschlechts geboren worden sei, welches die Vornamen (given names of the child are entered here) erhalten habe
[a child of male or female sex was born and has received the given names]
(Comments may be entered here; for example words may have been deleted from the form, the midwife may make a statement that she was present at the birth, etc.)
Vorgelesen, genehmigt, und [read, approved and] unterschrieben [signed]
(Signature of the declarant)
Der Standesbeamte
[Signature of the Registrar]
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Civil Registration__Birth
Red words indicate the wording on the preprinted form.
Blue words provide the translation of the form or German phrase
Notes clarifying the document have also been given.
Nr. [insert number of document]
Berlin, am [insert day and month] [Year]
Vor dem unterzeichneten Standesbeamten erschien heute, der Persön=
lichkeit nach [papers may be presented to the registrar that distinguish this person from others, such as a marriage certificate, military papers, etc. ] anerkannt/or bekannt.
Translation: Appeared today before the civil registrar the individual known or established (by the papers presented].
Note: The person who appears is usually the father; however, it might be another relative or the midwife [Hebamme], or even the mother. This informant is usually described by occupation or status (such as carpenter, widow, or husband).
Wohnhaft zu [living at] [name of the town or city and, in the case of Berlin, the street address]
[evangelischer [Lutheran), katholischer(Catholic), mosaischer,(Jewish)] Religion, und zeigt an, dass von der [and reported that from] [married name of the mother is given as well as her birth name. Her birth name is preceded by the word “geborene” [born]
Note: If the mother is the one who reports the birth, then she will indicate she bore the child and that she is the “Ehefrau” [wife of] (name of father).
evangelischer [Lutheran), katholischer (Catholic), mosaischer, (Jewish)] Religion.
Wohnhaft zu [living at] [Usually it will say “bei ihm” [with him] if the father is the one reporting the birth, or it may say “wie angegeben” (as stated)].
Am [Insert the day and month] des Jahres
Tausend acht hundert [in the year thousand eight hundred [exact year is given] [Nach or Vor] mittags [afternoon or morning]
[Insert hour] Uhr [hour], ein Kind [insert “männ or weib” lichen
Geschlechts geboren worden sei, welches die Vornamen
erhalten habe [a child of male or female gender was born and has received the given names] [given name(s) of the child is inserted].
Vorgelesen, genehmigt und [read , approved and ] [unterschrieben] signed.
[insert signature of the declarant].
Der Standesbeamte
[Signature of the Registrar]