Thursday, June 25, 2009

Question About German Military Records

Has anyone done extensive research into German records? While looking through the transcription of my ancestor's marriage record, I came across a reference to military discharge papers. Apparently, when my ancestor got married, he had present his military discharge to the civil authorities when he got married. My ancestor married in 1857, and at the time, the city, Trippstadt, where he married was a part of the Kingdom of Bavaria. Does anyone know why he would have had to present his discharge papers at the time of his marriage?

Of course, I am also interested in the particulars of his military service. Does anyone know where I can obtain the records of his military service?

Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

2 comments:

Henk van Kampen said...

Don't know about Germany, but in Holland at that time a man could only marry if he had completed his (obligatory) military service, or with permission of his commander. Nearly all Dutch marriage acts of the 19th century have a similar reference to military discharge papers.

I expect the situation in Bavaria was the same at the time.

Gini said...

I think Henk is correct but not 100%. My Mother was born and raised in Augsburg, Germany very near Bavaria, my father was in the Army, they were not able to marry because of his active military status and because of the war at the time they wanted to get married. I will ask her again, she is pretty knowledgeable about some of these things.