Quelleninformationen

Lettland, Geburten, Heiraten und Todesfälle, 1854-1939 [Datenbank online]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2022.

Ursprüngliche Daten: Latvia Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1854-1909. Riga, Latvia: Latvijas Arhivi, 2020.

Lettland, Geburten, Heiraten und Todesfälle, 1854-1939

Diese Sammlung enthält Bilder von verschiedenen Kirchenregistern aus Lettland.

About the Latvia Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1854-1909

General collection information

This collection contains images of various church records from Latvia between the years of 1854 and 1909. The records include births, marriages, and deaths for Lutherans, Roman Catholics, Russian Orthodox, Old Believers, and Baptists. They may be written in Latvian, Russian, German, or Latin.

Using this collection

Records in this collection may include the following information:

Date and place of birth, baptism, confirmation, marriage, or death

Age when the event occurred

Names of parents

Names of spouses

Spouse's birth date and place

Names of spouse's parents

Under "Browse this collection," use the dropdown menu to choose a "church or item," and then click the link under "description."

Here are some common words and phrases in several languages that may help you in your research:

Latvian key words:

Dzimšanas is Latvian for "birth."

Kristības is Latvian for "baptism."

Laulības is Latvian for "marriage."

Nāvi is Latvian for "death."

Apbedīšana is Latvian for "burial."

Baznīca is Latvian for "church."

Vārds un uzvārds is Latvian for "name and family name."

Šeit or dzīvo is Latvian for "residence."

Vecums is Latvian for "age."

Dēls is Latvian for "son."

Meita is Latvian for "daughter."

Tēvs is Latvian for "father."

Māte is Latvian for "mother."

Vīrs is Latvian for "husband."

Sieva is Latvian for "wife."

Russian key words:

Pождение is Russian for "birth."

Kрещение is Russian for "baptism."

брак is Russian for "marriage."

смерть is Russian for "death."

захоронение is Russian for "burial."

Церковь is Russian for "church."

Имя и фамилия (Imya i familiya) is Russian for "Name and surname."

Проживает (prozhivayet) is Russian for "resides."

Лѣта is Russian for "age."

Сын (Syn) is Russian for "son."

Дочь (Doch') is Russian for "daughter."

Муж (Muzh) is Russian for "husband."

Жена (Zhena) is Russian for "wife."

Отец (Otets) is Russian for "father."

Мать (Mat') is Russian for "mother."

Latin words/phrases common in religious text:

Nomen is Latin for "name."

Renatus est is Latin for "was baptized" or "reborn."

Natus est is Latin for "was born."

Conjuncti sunt is Latin for "were married." Copulati sunt or intronizati sunt may also be used.

Mortuus est is Latin for "died." Obitus est, defunctus est, or denatus est may also be used.

Filia is Latin for "daughter."

Filius is Latin for "son."

Mater is Latin for "mother."

Pater is Latin for "father."

Uxor is Latin for "wife."

Vir is Latin for "husband."

German words common in religious text:

Getauft is German for "baptized."

Geburt is German for "birth."

Ehe is German for "marriage."

Tod is German for "death."

Tochter von is German for "daughter of."

Sohn von is German for "son of."

Mutter is German for "mother."

Vater is German for "father."

Ehefrau is German for "wife."

Ehemann is German for "husband."

Additional German key words:

Familien u. Borname is German for "family and birth name."

Geb. am is German for "born on."

Alter is German for "age."

Wohnt is German for "resides."

Church registers offer the possibility of tracing milestones in an ancestor’s life from birth to death, especially if they attended the same church for a long time. Depending on when the government began keeping vital records, church records may be the only place to find your ancestor's birth, marriage, and death information. Knowing the church your ancestor attended may lead to church histories that provide interesting details about your ancestor's religious life.

If you can't find your ancestor in these church records, you can try to find them in the Latvian census between the years of 1854 and 1897: Latvia Census and Resident Registers, 1854-1897

Collection in context

These records were created by officials at various churches in Latvia. The collection includes images of documents in their original form, making them high quality primary sources. The original documents are housed at the Latvia National Archives.

Lutheran was the traditional Christian denomination of Latvia when the records in this collection were created. However, Latvia also had a substantial population who identified as Roman Catholic or Russian Orthodox and smaller groups of Jews, Old Believers, and Baptists. When these records were created between the years of 1854 and 1909, churches were the only keepers of vital records in Latvia. Civil registration of births, marriages, and deaths began in 1922.

Bibliography

Ancestry.com. Latvia Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1854-1909. Accessed April 12, 2022.https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/61883/.

Morton, Sunny Jane. "The Genealogist’s Guide to Church Records." Family Tree. Accessed April 12, 2022. https://www.familytreemagazine.com/records/church/church-records-genealogy-workbook/.