Unable to view records from Brenner archive (from Germany)
Since some days, i am not able to open records from the Brenner archive.
Example:
Johann Georg Würflein
Birth: December 14, 1741
Place of birth: Rüdern
Household ID: 0001152534
Document: 004815534
Image: 417
But also a lot more. To be honest, i could not find any photo/ record of the Brenner archive what could be displayed.
Always the same error message:
„Recording restricted.“
„Recording not available.“
(I opened the same weeks ago without any issues.)
Best regards from Middle Franconia, Germany
Michael
Answers
-
I would be very happy if you can fix the bug before holidays. Our families also get together at Christmas. Mans thanks in advance, Michael
0 -
@Michael53220 it is possible that FS has been obliged recently to restrict these records - a lot of countries have tweaked their relevant regulations lately. @SerraNola can you shed any light please?
0 -
@Michael53220 I am not connected with FamilySearch
The FamilySearch catalogue entry is https://www.familysearch.org/en/search/catalog/koha:346818
The catalogue pages I looked at all gave a "Location" as Granite Mountain Record Vault.
We have previously been told through this Community that images of records from the Granite Mountain Record Vault are currently NOT VIEWABLE AT ALL , for an indefinite period. As far as I am aware, it is not a bug.
See this previous post I made 30 October 2025
https://community.familysearch.org/en/discussion/comment/610802/#Comment_610802, which links through to another topic https://community.familysearch.org/en/discussion/181545/films-located-in-granite-mountain-vault , at the time you could view that (2nd) topic, at the time I am writing now I get the message "Permission Problem You don't have permission to do that".
0 -
Yes, the microfilm in the Granite Vault cannot be accessed. All of the contents of the Vault have been digitized for future access.
When I attempt to access the digitized record, I receive "Due to copyright restrictions, this book cannot be viewed online." Going through, https://search.worldcat.org/title/866785873 I see the following.
Recent changes in the laws of this country may have required permission changes in how the FamilySearch catalog and other information are obtained and viewed by the public. The first suggestion I can offer at this time is to keep trying to access the records over time, as the permissions may change in the future. Remember that the 1920s to current are not normally allowed because of privacy restrictions.
Other resources for German records may be found at:
Key Resources for German Genealogy
Category Website/Resource Description Church Records Archion.de A subscription-based site focused solely on German Protestant church records from over 25 different archives. Matricula Online Offers free access to Catholic church records from across central Europe, including Germany. General & Commercial Ancestry.com A major commercial site with dedicated German collections, including civil records and passenger lists. MyHeritage.com Offers DNA testing and a large database of records from European archives, including German collections. Archives & Government Bundesarchiv (Federal Archives) The official German federal archives, useful for military and other government records. Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (German Digital Library) Provides access to cultural and historical documents from various German institutions. Regional/State Archives Germany's 16 states have their own regional archives (e.g., Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg) which hold local civil records. Gazetteers & Tools MeyersGaz.org An online, searchable gazetteer of the German Empire (1871-1912) that helps pinpoint specific towns and jurisdictions. CompGen (genealogy.net) A massive volunteer-run German genealogy portal with a wiki, forums, and databases like the Historical Gazetteer (GOV) and a gravestone database. Kartenmeister A database specifically for towns east of the Oder and Neisse rivers (now mostly in Poland). Emigration German Emigrants Database A searchable database of emigrant names, including details on origin and destination. German Roots Provides lists of German emigrants who left from ports like Bremen and Hamburg. You may also want to contact the original Archives that hold the records if it is still possible to go directly to the source. (You will find the archive listed in the catalog record.)
0 -
@Michael53220 - it seems to me that there are two sources of restrictions. Firstly there are the privacy rules, which are highly unlikely, if taken in isolation, to apply to someone born in 1741. Secondly, there are copyright restrictions, which will be in place for a number of years. @sc woz identified a copyright restriction and they could certainly be applicable to someone born in 1741 because the literary work might be very recent.
The unfortunate thing is that it's not always clear whether a restriction is due to privacy or copyright. Indeed, it's also not clear whether the restriction has been put in place in error, or is correcting a previous error, or is as a result of changing legislation.
Several of us have been suggesting that FamilySearch put some announcement platform in place, though in fairness, the list of announcements might end up large and complex.
2 -
Thanks for the overview. I already use most of the mentioned resources.
However, the Brenner Archive is unique when it comes to finding descendants/ancestors of a line once they have changed church districts.
At that time, Thomas Brenner's team had a unique overview of the church records in Middle Franconia.In my opinion - There is no truly effective alternative to this.
(The original archive in Ansbach is less than 20 km from where I live, but there is a big difference between leafing through the folders on site and searching online by name in a fraction of the time.)
0 -
@mandyshaw1
I am familiar with the regulations here in Germany. Only a tiny fraction would violate them.
The retention periods in Germany are
80 years for the marriage register and the civil partnership register, 110 years for the birth register
and 30 years for the death register. After that, anyone with a legitimate interest, which explicitly includes family researchers and genealogists, has the right to access the records.So it doesn't really make sense to block the entire archive.
Too bad...that was FamilySearch's absolute USP...
0 -
@adrien bruce1
I completely agree with you. Information about changes would be very helpful.
Competent support would also be helpful. The support contact referred me to the forum or the feedback button (via smileys). That is a complete failure of competence on the part of support. Sorry for being so direct... it's a German habit. :)
1 -
@Michael53220 it's also possible that it is a purely contractual issue between FS and the record custodian, or that they have discovered privacy issues with a few images in a specific set and have as a result needed to block that whole set temporarily.
0 -
Upon reviewing the catalog entries for this collection, it is evident that the films are organized by surname rather than by date. These records comprise genealogical data assembled by Tobias Brenner following World War I and exist as family group sheets, each logically containing various dates. Of the 764 DGS listed in the catalog, more than 200 are fully accessible. For instance, DGS 4815534, which contains family group sheets for Wittmann-Wörlein, is restricted, whereas DGS 4815526, including records for Wick-Wiedmann, remains unrestricted. This inconsistency indicates problems with access rights for specific films.
This collection was acquired by FamilySearch in the 1950s, transported to Salt Lake City for microfilming, and subsequently, the original documents were transferred to the Ansbach Archive in 1988. As noted in previous threads, the updates currently being implemented by FamilySearch are NOT driven by changes in privacy laws. However, since most of these films have records with some dates extending into the 1930s, it is possible that FamilySearch intended to restrict the entire collection to more fully comply with existing laws.
I will make inquiries regarding this matter on Monday during FamilySearch's regular office hours.
2 -
@Michael53220 This collection has been found to have DGS date range errors, which explains why some are restricted and others are not. It has been sent in for metadata correction.
2 -
Many thanks.
Will the entire archive be checked or only the folder I specified?My question is whether I should/must report each incorrect record individually, and if so, to whom?
E.g.
Folder 004815324
Record 636
has the same problem.1 -
@Michael53220 Yes, the entire Brenner Collection was sent to our metadata team. Inaccurate place names were also found so it all needs to be reviewed and corrected.
1
