Bistumsarchiv Trier
Jesuitenstraße 13c
54290 Trier / Germany
The Diocesan Archive documents church life and secures legally relevant records. Its inventory reaches back more than 1000 years and includes deeds, files, and official books as well as collections of photographs, maps, plans, seals and more. Due to political upheavals around 1800 and the ensuing secularization, many older documents were lost or transferred to state archives. With the new formation of the diocese in 1821, the stock grew and survived the two world wars. The archive is responsible for the preservation of the official documents of the Episcopal Ordinariate, the parish archives and further institutions subject to the diocesan bishop.
Today, the diocese basically includes the north-west of Rhineland-Palatinate - except for the districts Westerwald and Rhein-Lahn - and the Saarland without the district Saarpfalz.
The approximately 6,000 church books from 812 parishes of today’s diocese Trier form a separate portfolio. It consists of a permanent loan of the Koblenz State Archive (Landeshauptarchiv) and of deposits from the parishes themselves. According to the Church Archive Order the protection periods cover 120 years for baptisms and 100 years for marriages and deaths.
First of all, about 2,000 church books from 350 parishes with the initials A to K are made available online. They include baptism, marriage and death records from the 16th to the early 20th century.
The Diocesan Archive Trier has put in comprehensive groundwork to support genealogical research: Thus, additional information on temporary incorporations and notes on registry offices responsible have been provided for further research beyond the church book data.
Church records that are still subject to protection are not available online.
The following are published:
The Diocesan Archive keeps over 6,000 church books. In view of this large number, their complete digitization will take up some more time. As a consequence, the range of digitial church records is extended continuously and step by step.
As a public archive, the Diocesan Archive Trier is open to all scientifically and historically interested users. Please find further information on the use of the diocesan archive on its website: Nutzungshinweise | Bistumsarchiv Trier