Identifying church site among multiple churches where baptism took place

john_m

I would like to visit the actual church in Hohenacker, Waiblingen, Germany where Georg Christoph Mergenthaler married Maria Magdalena Wagenblast on 16 January 1753. See: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/KLVD-186. My problem is distinguishing which one of the 2 (and maybe 3) current Lutheran churches located close to each other was the site of the wedding. All appear to have been functioning Evangelical (Lutheran) churches in 1753. See: https://www.neustadt-hohenacker-bittenfeld-evangelisch.de/

This leads me to a question about how Family Search online church records are labeled: Are filmed records attributed to 1) individual churches or 2) to a parish as a whole? If to the parish, how can I identify the church?

Are there any documents that describe how Lutheran parishes in Württemberg changed, adding churches, merging with other parishes, etc between 1600-1900? Or any other historical aids available? Meyers Gaz tells me that between 1871-1918 there were protestant churches at the same places that now have churches, but it doesn't give me information about each of the churches.

I appreciate any help I can receive on this general problem of matching online information to specific church sites.

Many thanks -- john mergendoller

Áine Ní Donnghaile

In my experience, the labeling of churches/parishes on FamilySearch is inconsistent. There doesn't seem to be a standard, possibly due to changing boundaries and borders. Sometimes records are attributed to the wrong county within the country.

I would suggest better information might be obtained by contacting church offices in the area. There is likely an archivist or historian who could give you better information.

Good luck and Gute Reise!

Áine Ní Donnghaile

There are other folks who have more knowledge about German research than I do. I would suggest you post your query in the Germany Research Group https://community.familysearch.org/en/group/88-germany-research

john_m

Thank you, Áine!

jm

john_m

Áine - Your answer got me thinking.

Any suggestions for identifying a Stuttgart area archivist/historian? I'm in California, and would like to communicate with someone before I arrive in Germany this fall.

Thanks again.

jm

Áine Ní Donnghaile

This information may be useful, if a bit dated. http://www.kinquest.com/degenealogy/stuttgart.php

MaureenE123

The marriage record is https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NCT6-ZR9 which shows that the indexed record is taken from

Digital Folder Number 101902068 Microfilm Number 1056972

which has a catalogue entry https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/296901 Perhaps if you scroll though the relevant microfilm there may be pages which indicate the name of the church, or you might be able to work this out from the name of the minister who produced the record.

Unfortunately, unless you are a LDS church member, or know someone who is, I don't think you will be able to access the relevant film.

I am not a LDS Church member, and the restriction wording is see for the microfilm is "To view these images do one of the following: You may be able to view this image by visiting one of our partners' sites or the legal record custodian (fees may apply)". My understanding is that this is the wording which shows when LDS church members are able to view the digitised microfilm on their home computers, but Non church Member do not have access to the records.

The catalogue entry says Mikrofilme aufgenommen von Manuskripten im Evangelischen Landeskirchenamt Stuttgart. This perhaps is in the link from Áine under the heading Lutheran Church Archives and Library for Wuerttemberg, current website https://www.archiv.elk-wue.de/ email archiv@elk-wue.de

john_m

Thank you @MaureenE123