The Emperor’s New Code – German Records under Napoleon’s Rule (SGGS Meetings and Events)
Presented by Ute Brandenburg. The French Revolution brought sweeping changes to governance and record-keeping through the Napoleonic Code, introducing standardized civil registration in 1798 and creating some of the richest genealogical records researchers can encounter. Researchers may also face the challenges — and surprises — of the French Revolutionary Calendar and unfamiliar record formats.
Although many German regions returned to church records after Napoleon’s defeat, areas west of the Rhine continued using the French civil system until civil registration was introduced across the German Empire in 1874/1876.
This engaging presentation offers practical strategies for locating and interpreting Napoleonic civil records in Germany while exploring how these records compare to contemporary church registers.
