Hessen
I. Genealogical Societies in Hessen
The Three Major Genealogical Societies in Hessen
Gesellschaft für Familienkunde in Kurhessen und Waldeck e.V.
Society for the former Kurhessen (Electoral Hesse) and Waldeck
Hessische familiengeschichtliche Vereinigung e. V.
Society for the former Großherzogtum Hessen (Grand Duchy of Hesse)
Familienkundliche Gesellschaft für Nassau und Frankfurt e. V.
Society for the former Herzogtum (Duchy) of Nassau and Reichstadt (Imperial) City of Frankfurt
These three societies established a cooperation, the Arbeitsgemeinschaft der familienkundlichen Gesellschaften in Hessen in 1948. It is the publisher of the genealogical journals Hessische Familienkunde (HFK) and the Hessische Ahnenlisten (HAL).
The Darmstadt society, the HfV, started its own quarterly publication of the Hessische Genealogie, see below, starting in 2018.
All three Hessen societies are members of the Deutschen Arbeitsgemeinschaft Genealogischer Verbände (DAGV). See: Members # 7, #9, and #26.
The DAGV accepts requests for research assistance. Iquiry point.
II. Archives of Hessen
The Church Archives of Hessen
A. The Catholic Church Archives of Hessen
The three Catholic Church Bistümer (dioceses) in Hessen and their archives do not match today’s civil jurisdictions. Hessen today is served by the Bistum of Mainz, Fulda, Limburg, and Paderborn.
The Bistum Mainz shows a map of their Dekanaten (districts) and the Gemeinden (parishes) of those districts.
The Bistumarchiv Fulda has released its records on Matricula.
The Bistum Limburg shows the location of their parishes: Bistum Limburg (bistumsatlas.de)
The Erzbistumarchiv Paderborn has released some of its records to Matricula Bestände | Matricula Online (matricula-online.eu)
If you know your village or town, consider a request directed to a particular parish for assistance in locating their church books for a particular time frame.
Family History Centers can often also help with locating Catholic Church records. See https://www.familysearch.org/help/fhcenters/locations/ or online at Germany Genealogy • FamilySearch
B. The Protestant Church Archives of Hessen
The church books of the first two archives of the Hessen Evangelische Kirchen (Protestant churches) listed below, which are mergers of the several historical state churches in Hessen, are available on Archion: www.archion.de , with some exceptions. An English/German tab is at the top right. The parishes are Lutheran or Reformed in doctrine. The church books go back to the end of the 1600’s in many cases. Records beyond 1875 are not available. Archion is a subscription site sponsored by the Evangelische Kirche Deutschland (The Protestant Church of Germany). See: Price list - Archion
1. Landeskirchliches Archiv Kassel
The archive of the Evangelische Kirche von Kurhessen-Waldeck (EKKW) is:
Lessingstr. 15 A
34119 Kassel
For their listing of the parish church books filmed see: http://www.archiv-ekkw.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Best%C3%A4nde%C3%BCbersicht-Kirchenb%C3%BCcher-EKKW.pdf
2. Zentralarchiv der Evangelischen Kirche in Hessen und Nassau
The archive of the Evangelische Kirche in Hessen und Nassau (EKHN) is:
Ahastrasse 5 A
64285 Darmstadt
For a listing of their church book holdings see: Zentralarchiv der Evangelischen Kirche in Hessen und Nassau (findbuch.net) They note their website is a work in progress.
3. Evangelische Archivstelle Boppard
This the archive of the Evangelische Kirche im Rheinland (EKiR):
Mainzer Str. 8
56154 Boppard
The Protestant records of the former Rheinhessen (Rhine Hesse) are now in the jurisdiction of the EKiR. These records have been slow to be released by the local parish boards to Archion, but the pace is picking up. At the same time, the church records of Rhein-Hessen are included in the EkiR branch archive of Düsseldorf, in Boppard. See: Kirchenbuecher_Boppard_2021-09-01.pdf (archiv-ekir.de)
Some Rheinhessen church records are also included at the Landesarchiv Speyer. See next:
4. The Landesarchiv Speyer
Otto-Mayer-Strasse 9,
67346 Speyer
The Rheinland-Pfalz Landesarchiv in Speyer includes Rheinhessen church books. This reflects Rheinhessen’s assignment to the newly formed State of Rheinland-Pfalz in 1946. For a list of their church book holdings, see: Landesarchivverwaltung Rheinland-Pfalz | Kirchenbuchverzeichnis (landeshauptarchiv.de)
Family History Centers can often also help with locating Protestant Church records. For locations see: https://www.familysearch.org/help/fhcenters/locations/ or online at Germany Genealogy • FamilySearch
The State Archives of Hessen
The State Archive of Hessen is found in three locations: Wiesbaden, Marburg an der Lahn, and Darmstadt. See: Über uns | Hessisches Landesarchiv (hessen.de)
1. Hessisches Hauptstaatsarchiv
Mosbacher Str. 55
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is named the Hauptstaatsarchiv (Main Archive). This archive preserves the documentation of the former Herzogtum (Duchy) Nassau, the Landgrafschaft (Landgraviate or County) Hessen-Homburg, the former Reichsstadt (Imperial City) Wetzlar, the present Regierungsbezirk (Governmental District) Wiesbaden and the former Reichsstadt Frankfurt.
2. Hessisches Staatarchiv Marburg
Friedrichsplatz 15
Marburg
The archive in Marburg preserves the documentation of the former Landgrafschaft Hessen-Kassel and its constituent predecessors. In 1806, the Landgraviate was given the status Kurfürstentum or Kurhessen.
The Marburg Archive is also the location of the records of the Hessian soldiers who fought in the American Revolutionary War. They were contracted in units to the British by the Landgrave of Hessen-Kassel and others. The HETRINA website (with English tab) allows a search for a specific Hessian soldier.
3. Hessisches Staatarchiv Darmstadt
Karolinenplatz 3
Darmstadt
The archive in Darmstadt preserves the documentation of the former Landgrafschaft Hessen-Darmstadt and its predecessors. This Landgrafschaft was raised to be the Groβherzogtum Hessen, (Hessen-Darmstadt) in 1806, and existed until 1919.
The Bestände (holdings) of all three Hessian state archives are accessed through one website. See:
https://arcinsys.hessen.de/arcinsys/start.action Online registration is necessary to use the holdings. Once registered (English tab), the user may search the holdings, make a list of documents of interest, and make a request to view these documents on a particular day in the respective archives. Collections from many other archives, for example city archives in Hessen, are also held by them. The Hessen Archives no longer have a photo ban, with some restrictions.
The Hessen Landesarchiv includes an introduction to family research at their archives in both German and English. See: Familienforschung im Hessischen Landesarchiv | Hessisches Landesarchiv (hessen.de)
III. Genealogical websites for Hessen
The Verein für Computergenealogie (often called compgen) has a Hessen portal: http://wiki-de.genealogy.net/Hessen A language tab is in the left margin for some compgen pages.
Their database GOV is a historical gazetteer of place names. A search box allows direct access to the records available for each place and time, and modern maps:http://gov.genealogy.net/search/index
The tab OFB leads to Ortsfamilienbücher (OFB), here called Online Heritage Books. http://ofb.genealogy.net/ These OFBs have been excerpted from church book records by volunteers. The top right margin includes a list of gedrückten Ortsfamilienbücher (printed OFBs) and where they can be ordered.
For an extensive listing of European archives with location search box, see: HOME - Archives Portal Europe
Once the name of a village, town or city of origin is known, its location in Germany or former German jurisdictions is best found on Meyers Gazetteer. The search box can be used with wildcards. Every location in existence in the Deutsche Reich (German Empire) of 1871 – 1918 is included. This online gazetteer is based on the original print edition of 1912. A historical and modern map have been added. See: www.meyersgaz.org
A map of Rheinhessen and links to its villages, see: https://www.regionalgeschichte.net/rheinhessen/staedte-doerfer.html
Familysearch includes Hessen in its Research wiki. See: https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Germany_Genealogy See “Provinces, Kingdoms, and Duchies of the German Empire”.
Ancestry includes many Hessen records. Access is free at most public libraries. See: https://www.ancestry.com/search/ Public trees can be consulted, see: https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1030/
Professional researchers specializing in Hessen are found on the International German Genealogy Partnership website. See: https://iggp.org/cpage.php?pt=146
IV. Printed Books and Articles on Hessen
The GGS collection of Germanic Genealogy Books is located at the Minnesota Genealogy Center Mendota Heights, MN. The collection includes:
- Social History of Hesse: Roman times to 1900 by Heinemeier
- Atlantic Bridge to Germany Vol 2: Hessen, Rheinland-Pfalz by Hall
- Map Guide to German Parish Registers: Kingdom of Prussia, Grand Duchy of Hessen Vol 1 by Hansen
- Map Guide to German Parish Registers: Kingdom of Prussia, Province of Hessen-Nassau I Vol 2 by Hansen; Map Guide to German Parish Registers: Kingdom of Prussia, Province of Hessen-Nassau II Vol 3 by Hansen
Check the Library for more information.
GGS Journal articles on the topic Hessen include:
- Winter 2000, 3:4:15, Floersch, Gene. “Persistence and Internet Connections”
- Spring 2004, 7:1:14, Kroehler, Ralph. “From Hesse-Darmstadt to Kroehler Furniture"
- Fall 2004, 7:3:22, Quie, Gretchen, “A Baron, a Castle and the Renitenz”
- Spring 2005, 8:1:9, Turnbull, Cliff, “In Search of Andrew Amthauer”
- Summer 2012, 15:2:21, Kline, Dick, “The Company They Kept”
- Fall 2014, 17:3, 5, Turbes, Donna, “Spotlight on Hesse”
- Summer 2017, 20:2:8, Vornlocker, Bob, “Roehrig Descendent”
V. History of Hessen
For online information of the Landesgeschichtliche Informationssystem Hessen (LAGIS) see: Hessian Regional History Information System (LAGIS) : LAGIS Hessen (lagis-hessen.de)
VI. Maps of Hessen (Hesse)
Hesse topographical map
Topography of Hessen
1400s Hessian states
Hessen States consolidated by the early1400s - Landgrafschaft Hessen, Grafschaft Ziegenhain, Grafschaft Nassau, Erzbistum Mainz, Abtei Fulda, etc.
1789 Hessian states
Landgrafschaft Hessen-Kassel, Landgrafschaft Hessen-Darmstadt and
Fürstentümer Nassau and other principalities in 1789
1803 Hesse
1815 Hesse
Hesse after 1815:
Kurfürstentum Hessen-Kassel, Großherzogtum Hessen-Darmstadt,
Herzogtum Nassau, and others
1871 – 1918: Das Deutsche Reich / The German Empire
Links to Further Maps
Regierungsbezirke (Districts of Government) and Kreise (Counties) 2003:
Rail Transportation:
