> Translation of article <5eiQJLdjbaB@harz.shn.com> of > heinz@harz.shn.com (Heinz Bredthauer), translated by Jim Eggert: > > I took the following information from a brochure for the users of the > Lutheran Church Archive in Hannover. As this information is of > general interest, perhaps someone will translate it into English. > > I have not yet visited this archive and thus cannot give any more > information about it at this time. In any case, before you visit > these facilities you should telephone first, because the number of > user seats is limited. > > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > > 1. Church register office of the Lutheran City Church Union > (Kirchenbuchamt des Ev.-luth. Stadtkirchenverbandes) > Hildesheimer Str. 165/167 > 30173 Hannover > Tel. +49-511-9878-55 > Fax +49-511-9878-660 > Business hours: Monday to Thursday 8:30AM - 3:30PM > Friday 8:30AM - 1:00PM > > Holdings: > The church register office owns the church registers of more than > 70 church parishes of the city church union o f Hannover and also > films of these church registers. They are completely indexed and > partially computerized. > In addition the church register office has microfilm of the older > church registers of all church parishes of the Lutheran state > church of Hannover. The church registers were filmed since the > beginning of their keeping to the year 1852. In a few cases the > films (microfiches) also contain civil registers and alphabetical > indexes. > 2. State church archive of Hannover (Landeskirchliches Archiv Hannover) > Am Steinbruch 14 > 30449 Hannover > Tel. +49-511-1241-755 /-758 > Fax +49-511-4583444 > Business hours: Monday - Thursday 8:00AM - 3:30PM > Friday 8:00AM - 2:00PM > or by appointment > > Holdings: > The documents on the pastorate officeholders, visitations, and > properties of individual church parishes are predominately from the > 18th and 19th century. From the 19th and 20th century, in addition > to documents from the central state archives (consistories, general > superintendants), the archive owns numerous documents of state > church establishments and church associations. These holdings are > augmented by bequests of important church personalities and by > collections. Especially important among the collections are the > documentation of the suppression of the church [by the Nazis] and > the collection of photographs. The archive maintains as a > permanent loan the records of the United Lutheran Church of Germany > (Vereinigte Ev.luth. Kirche Deutschlands) and numerous documents > from the Middle Ages owned by the church parishes. > > +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > > Heinz > -- > Heinz Bredthauer, Spitzerfurth 15, D-25355 Barmstedt, Tel. +49-4123-6302 > heinz@harz.shn.com > > translated: > -- > =Jim eggertj@ll.mit.edu (Jim Eggert) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Subject: Re: Kirchenbuecher der Ev.-luth. Landeskirche Hannover 2. > Date: 29 Jan 1995 06:00:58 GMT >> > Translation of article <5eiQJeVUbaB@harz.shn.com> by > heinz@harz.shn.com (Heinz Bredthauer): > > I took the following article from the publication Archive in > Niedersachsen (Archives in Lower Saxony) (Nr. 11/1994, pages 26/27). > This archivists informational publication appears irregularly (about 1 > volume per hear) and is distributed gratis. Requests for it are to be > directed to the editor: > Dr. Dieter Poestges > c/o Nieders. Hauptstaatsarchiv > Am Archiv 1 > 30169 Hannover > Perhaps a member of the committee can translate this report into English. > > Beginning of the article: > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > On the History and Use of Microfiche of Church Registers in the > Lutheran State Church of Hannover Author: M.Wojte > =========================================================================== > Zwei Wege stehen seit einiger Zeit demjenigen offen, der mit berechtigtem > Interesse, in der Regel zum Zwecke der Familienforschung, Einsicht in > eines der etwa 20.000 vor 1875 entstandenen Kirchenbuecher aus einer der > Kirchengemeinden der Ev.-luth Landeskirche Hannovers begehrt. > > For some time, two paths have been open to those who have allowed > interests (normally for the purposes of genealogical research) to > examine any of the approximately 20,000 church registers before 1875 > of the church parishes of the Lutheran State Church of Hannover > (Ev.-luth Landeskirche Hannovers). > > The traditional way leads directly to the original church registers, > which are kept and maintained at their place of origin, in the parish > offices of the church parishes, or in one of the 24 church register > offices. This way has become ever more difficult, as genealogy has > become an interest to an ever growing number of people, but the > capacity of the church offices has not increased, but rather shrunk to > save personnel costs. On the other hand the requirement to monitor > the users is indispensible. The opportunities to use the archives in > the parish offices are in most cases restricted to a few hours in the > week. Special user rooms are not present, use must in all cases take > place in the work area of the parish secretary. The limit of > reasonable burden can in some cases be reached quickly and lead > to irritation on both sides. This problem has made desirable a second > way of examining the records. The groundwork for this is the filming > of the records made for reasons of security from 1965 to 1976 under > the auspices of the Union in the State Archive of Lower Saxony in > Bueckeburg. Included were among other things the church records up to > the year 1852, but not the name indices, card indices, or other aids > prepared subsequently. > > In order to counter the decay of the original church registers, which > are in ever increasing need of restoration, the State Synod of the > Hannover State Church decided to make funds available to convert the > films in Bueckeburg, each 30 m long, from 35 mm format to 16 mm format > and to make from these 5-row jacketed microfiches. After the > conversion of the film was completed, a genealogical research office > in the church record office in Hannover received in 1989 duplicates of > these master fiches. These duplicates can be examined in the church > record office in Hannover, Hildesheimer Str. 165/167, 30173 Hannover, > tel. 0511/9878553. There are ten readers and a reader-printer for > use. Another 14 genealogical offices, in Aurich, Goettingen, and > Stade, etc., were set up as regional reading rooms in 1991/1992. They > offer the microfiche of the church registers from their area (two to > six church districts) and are run by associates of the main office. > > Since 1991 further filming has been planned, which will include the > church registers from 1853 to 1875, all name indices and other aids, > as well as those books whose previous filming was inadequate (about > 10%). This filming is direct to master fiches without an intermediate > step (49 pictures) and makes a very good or optimal readability. > Duplicate copies of these microfiches will be made available to the > church record office in Hannover and to each of the regional > genealogical research offices. > > To date the church records to 1875 from the regions of Hannover, > Goettingen, Hildesheim, and Hameln-Pyrmont have been filmed > completely. The filming of the remaining church registers is planned. > > M. Wojte > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > End of the article > > P.S. These microfiches can also be viewed in a few church register > offices, for example in Osterode am Harz. As they only have one or > two readers there, a reservation is recommended. > > P.P.S. These microfiches are neither sold nor lent, but can only be > examined in the aforementioned offices. > > Heinz > -- > Heinz Bredthauer, Spitzerfurth 15, D-25355 Barmstedt, Tel. +49-4123-6302 > heinz@harz.shn.com > > translated: > -- > =Jim eggertj@ll.mit.edu (Jim Eggert)