Familienbuch

The family book was in Germany a kind of register that subsequently following a marriage between January 1, 1958 to December 31, 2008 by the registrar, before the marriage took place, or for marriages that were closed before, on request, was created.

Content

Upon application of the Family Code, the identities of the spouses ( name, occupation, place and date of birth and marriage, possibly belonging to a religious community ), the name and (last ) were registered place of residence of the parents of the spouses and the nationality of the spouses.

The family book was continued by the registrar by the entry of changes ( death, divorce, name change, etc.) and of common children. Until 23 February 2007, the family book was sent in procession to the registry office of the new residence. From 24 February 2007, the registry office marriage was responsible for the continuation of the family book. From 1 January 2009, the family books are in the new electronic register of civil status ( here: marriage register) transferred.

Existence of a family book

A family book was created for all marriages in the former West Germany between 31 December 1957 and 1 January 2009. Furthermore, it was applied to all marriages in the new federal states between 2 October 1990 and 1 January 2009. At the request of the spouses, their parents or children a family book was created when the marriage ( a) between 31 December 1957 and 3 October 1990 was held in the new federal states or ( b ) took place abroad and a spouse or a einzutragendes child of German nationals, asylum seekers and recognized refugees was foreign.

For closed after January 1, 2009 marriages no family books are created.

Entries

Was registered in the family book, upon the occurrence of the following events at home, automatically:

• The change of name (for example, by notice to the married name, resumption of the birth name after dissolution of the marriage by death or divorce, public name change )
• The change of legal affiliation or non-affiliation to a church, religious society or ideological community
• The change of nationality
• Divorce or annulment of marriage
• The death of the spouse, their declaration of death or judicial declaration of death time
• Remarriage or establishment of a civil partnership
• Any other change of civil status (eg adoption)
• The children of both spouses; children stillborn or died in childbirth be entered only at the request of the spouses
• The children adopted jointly by the spouses as a child
• The adopted children of a spouse of the other spouse
• Marriage, establishment of a civil partnership or death of the aforesaid children
• Change of civil status or the name of the children to their marriage, establishment of a civil partnership or death

Entered one of the above cases in the country, automatically received the registrar's office, which leads the family book, a message.

Joined the event abroad, the company was registered in the family book only after sending an appropriate entry basis ( deed, judgment, etc.) by the participants. Basically been incurred prior cases original documents or certified photocopies thereof were for registration abroad, possibly with a basis of a sworn interpreter made ​​German translation needs.

A copy of the family book was most likely at the registry office where the marriage was contracted to receive (especially for all the family books which were changed after 24 February 2007). Should it not be there to receive, it was probably at the registry office at the current or last common residence of the spouses. When divorced before 1 July 1998 marriages, it was probably at the registry office, was reported in the district where the husband at the time of the divorce legal force with primary residence. If one or both spouses are deceased, had probably the registry office in whose area the surviving spouse has the primary residence or last had, the family book.

Family Book and civil partnership

With the establishment of a civil no family book was created, also not if the life partners have a common child due to a stepchild adoption. However, the family book for civil unions still special significance had: Often, subsequent changes in the personal status of the authority before which the partnership has been established, were not indicated, for example, a subsequent declaration to the adoption of a common name or the dissolution of the partnership. A partnership deed therefore often did not contain updated information. The family book but was now continued for a child up to the first marriage and for a widowed or divorced spouse up to an eventual remarriage.

So Was there a family book for the marriage of the parents or of a previous marriage of a life partner, the partnership had to be stated therein. Other person level changes such as name changes, cancellation of the partnership or death of a life partner were also listed. If a partner was noted as a child or former spouse in a family book, the current civil status could be removed at any time with respect to the partnership from the family register.

In several states, the partnership records were kept by the competent authority, where it is different, in which cases this register is updated.

Reform of personal law

On 9 November 2006, the German Bundestag passed the Personal Law Reform Act ( PStRG ). The Federal Council has approved the law on 15 December. In place of the civil status were introduced with effect from 1 January 2009 electronic register of civil status. Result, the state hopes to cost savings, since printing and paper costs account for; Moreover, it is the faster information processing between the authorities. Through this reform, the family books be abolished, some of their functions to fulfill in the future marriage and the birth register. The family books are to be sent to 31 December 2013 the Registry Office, which leads the marriage entry for marriage. There they are as marriage entries, from which marriage certificates are issued, continued.

Family book in other countries

Family records are kept mostly in continental Europe and in East Asian countries, however, are not in the countries of the English-speaking area such family books available. For example, Great Britain, Ireland or the United States do not know a family book.

Swell

• Personal status law ( Germany )