Oldenburg Society for Family Research
The Oldenburg Society for Family Research has been founded in 1927 as a sub-group of the Oldenburg Historical Society
(Landesverein für Geschichte, Natur- und Heimatkunde e.V.).
The scope of activity of the society is genealogical research , with particular emphasis on the area of the former grand
duchy of Oldenburg. Around 1800 in this area were 78 lutheran parishes and 29 catholic parishes, the latter ones
concentrated in the southern part of the dukedom, within the counties of Cloppenburg and Vechta. See
list of parishes for details on each of the church communities.
Committee:
Advisory board:
Services of the society:
- Presentations:
During the months from October to April of every year there are 6 lectures
or presentations on genealogical or local historical subjects. To the attendees
these lectures provide insights and ideas for their own genealogical research.
These lectures and presentations are given on Saturdays, at 4 p.m. at the
‚Kulturzentrum PFL’, Peterstr. 3 in Oldenburg. For details see:
OGF-Lectures
- Publications:
For our members we publish a genealogical journal ‘Oldenburgische
Familienkunde’ . In this journal we cover a broad scope of research
summaries, details on new genealogical sources and other subjects of common
interest to society members. The ‘Oldenburgische Familienkunde’
is published in 4 books per year. Sometimes 2 books are combined into a
double-issue. We have regularly published for over 40 years. Most of the
books are still available. See list of available publications:
OGF-publications.
- Archive:
Our library as well as many research results of our members are located at
the Staatsarchiv Oldenburg, Damm 43. They can be consulted there during office
hours (ask for: Bestand OGF). In order to prepare for a productive use of
the archive, we have prepared a book titled ‚Bücherverzeichnis
OGF’ . It contains 5000 titles, with ancestry charts, descendency charts
and other genealogical material included. You can order this book for
17,50 € plus 1,50 € postal charges.
- Conversion of church registers:
The original church records of our area are very old. Many of them are in
a critical condition and all of them are difficult to read. A team of volunteers
is working on converting the original church records into computer files.
Mr. Dierk Feye, Fichtenstr. 8, 26315 Varel, is coordinating the activity
of the different team members. A lot still needs to be done. Whoever wants
to contribute to this work is asked to contact Dierk Feye (E-mail:
DierkFeye@web.de).
Membership:
Genealogical sources for the Oldenburg area:
- The church records are located as follows.
- For the parishes of the Oldenburg Lutheran Church (Ev.-luth. Oldenburgische Landeskirche):
- the original records are kept at the office of the local parishes. (only in a few exceptions,
these originals have been given to the state archive). Records begin in some parishes as early
as 1573 (Blexen) or 1578 (Eckwarden). In most cases records start during the 17th century.
- Mikrofiches of all church records, up to approx. 1810, are stored in the archive of the church
council. ( ev.-luth. Oberkirchenrat, Philosophenweg 1, 26121 Oldenburg, Tel. 0441-7701-0). They
can be consulted there during office hours. Please reserve time in advance.
- Copies of all church records after 1800 (for the Jever area after 1825) are stored at the state
archive. (Staatsarchiv Oldenburg, Damm 43, 26135 Oldenburg, Tel. 0441-9244-100 ). They can be
consulted there during office hours.
- For the parishes of the catholic church.
- Copies of all church records of the Oldenburger Münsterland (the southern
part of Oldenburg, the counties Cloppenburg and Vechta), are kept at the
archive of the Bischöflich Münstersches Offizialat, Bahnhofstr.6, 49377 Vechta,
Tel. 04441-872-0. They can be consulted there during office hours. Records for
these parishes start in general during the 17th century.
- Civil records about birth, marriage and death of all persons regardless
of religion are maintained at the public community offices since 1876. Questions
have to be directed to the community office, where the looked for person
had its residence.
Other information resources for genealogists
- Oldenburg State Archive
- A lot old documents can be found in the Oldenburg State Archive. You’ll find there medieval
documents, tax registers, fire insurance records and many other items which have been recorded in
ancient times within the area of the dukedom Oldenburg.
- Other historical or genealogy related societies:
Besides the Oldenburg genealogical Society ( Oldenburgische Gesellschaft für Familienkunde) there are
the following groups doing genealogical research within the area of the former duchy of Oldenburg:
- Jeverländischer Altertums- und Heimatverein e.V., Arbeitsgemeinschaft
Familiengeschichtsforschung
Heino Albers
Geschwister-Scholl-Str.4
26419 Schortens
- Heimatverein Herrlichkeit Dinklage
Familienkundlicher Arbeitskreis
Hauptstr. 41
49413 Dinklage
- Familienkundlicher Arbeitskreis im Heimatbund für das Oldenburger
Münsterland
Biggeseestr. 3
49661 Cloppenburg.
- Mailinglists
For people interested in Oldenburg genealogy the most relevant mailinglists
are listed below. For more lists please have a look at:
http://www.genealogy.net/gene/misc/tips-d.html#mail.
- OGF-l@genealogy.net
This mailing list is open only for members of the Oldenburg genealogical Society. To participate
in this list, please select page http://list.genealogy.net/mailman/listinfo/OGF-L. If you are a member of the OGF,
the list administrator will enable your access.
- oldenburg-l@genealogy.net
To participate in this bilingual mailinglist (englisch/german) at genealogy.net, just drop a mail to:
oldenburg-L-request@genealogy.net
with the text: subscribe in the message body.
- FamNord@genealogy.net
To use this open german speaking mailinglist at genealogy.net (which is dealing
with the entire north german territory) please send an e-mail to
famnord-request@genealogy.net
with the text subscribe in the message body.
Last update: 28. April 2009 (eh)
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