Hönig & Müller Genealogy Service

Genealogy research
in Bohemia and Moravia regions of former Austrio-Hungarian Empire

After “thirty years war” all people in the country were registered and so called "Registers according to belief" were elaborated in 1650/1651. The records show names, professions and religious belief. Other notable collection of records that dates also back to 17th century is so called Tax Roll (1654). Both records collection give very good picture on demographic structure of country population after long-term devastating war.

Catholic vital records (birth/marriage/death) were started soon after; note that Protestant religion was strictly forbidden till the Tolerance Patent. Special Lutheran and other evangelic church records were thus kept lately. The vital records are in very good shape. It is open to public till the years about 1900. The marriage records often show the dwelling place so migration of the families can also be traced. The records were written by neogothic “kurent” script till approx. 1870. We can provide the reading guides and the German dictionaries.

Parish agenda (distinct from vital records) represent valuable source of family data, often also can substitute if vital records are missing (caused by fire and other causes). Parish records often show lists of whole families within diferent period of time. Another interesting collections are parish school records kept ussually since 1840. School records show the parents, social status, birth years, and the marks. Very special part of parish records collection represent parish chronicles summarizing all singificant events in the village/town including family events within the centuries.

Landlord agenda show lists of peasants, farmers, their duties incl. taxation, the property and owners lists, several contracts, permission to leave, passport details, and also court agenda and other interaction of with the landlord office.

Citizen Censuses were kept within 1857-1930, the campaignswere kept approx. every ten years. The Census is fomred by list of houses and the inhabitants, their age, profession, their nationality, notes on migration. Citizen Register Cards (alias Police Register cards) were kept by police departments within 1914-1955. Each A5 card show several family details incl. birth date and place, family members, dwelling adress, migration, etc. All mentioned records (and others) provide multilayer family data forming a picture of living people with their business, daily agenda, family interactions, and the role in local community.