Rheinland-Pfalz genealogy relates to the study of family history in the modern-state of Rheinland-Pfalz, also known as the Rheinland-Palatinate, which lies in western Germany. Approximately 4.1 million residents live in Rheinland-Pfalz.[1]
Rheinland-Pfalz shares a border with three countries: France, Belgium, and Luxembourg. It is located next to the German states of Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, and North Rhine-Westphalia, with Saarland tucked in its southwest corner. Prior to World War II, the area that is Rheinland-Pfalz today was part of the former territories of Prussia, Hesse, and Bavaria. The capital of Rheinland-Pfalz is Mainz, which is the largest city in the state.
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History of Rheinland-Pfalz
Originally settled by Celtic and Germanic peoples, the Rheinland-Pfalz territory was incorporated into the Roman Empire in the 1st century, belonged to Frankish kingdoms, and later was under the influence of Bavaria, Prussia, Hesse, and France.[2]
Religiously, the region has both Roman Catholic and Protestant ties going back centuries.
Rhineland-Palatinate is home to dozens of castles, perhaps most famously Eltz Castle (Burg Eltz) which dates back to the 12th century.[3]
An influx of Swiss, Austrian, and French people settled in Rheinland-Pfalz following the Thirty Years War (1618-1648). Religious persecution in the 1600s and 1700s led to thousands of people from Rheinland-Pfalz to flee for North America, establishing Huguenot, Mennonite, and Quaker populations.[4]
After the Napoleonic Wars, the Rheinland was divided up into Prussia, Bavaria, Hesse-Darmstadt, and Nassau.[2] The present-day state was created after World War II in 1947.[5]
Geography of Rheinland-Pfalz
Rheinland-Pfalz is known for a fertile landscape that makes it ripe for agriculture and vineyards, which drive the production of wine.[6] It is mostly with flat with some small mountain ranges, valleys and lakes, and forests.
Winemaking in Rheinland-Pfalz goes back to the Romans. At various points it has been known as "Charlemagne's cellar" and even the "German Tuscany", with more than 22,000 vineyards.[7]
The Pfälzerwald (Palatinate Forest) is a nature park located in the southern part of Rheinland-Pfalz, along the border with France, with an estimated 7,000 kilometers of marked hiking trails.[8]
The Moselle, Rhine, Saar and Lahn rivers flow through Rheinland-Pfalz, as well as dozens of other waterways and tributaries.
Administrative Districts
Rheinland-Pfalz breaks down into 24 districts (Landkreise) and 12 independent cities. The districts are:
| Ahrweiler | Donnersbergkreis | Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis |
| Altenkirchen | Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm | Rhein-Lahn-Kreis |
| Alzey-Worms | Germersheim | Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis |
| Bad Dürkheim | Kaiserslautern | Südliche Weinstraße |
| Bad Kreuznach | Kusel | Südwestpfalz |
| Bernkastel-Wittlich | Mainz-Bingen | Trier-Saarburg |
| Birkenfeld | Mayen-Koblenz | Vulkaneifel |
| Cochem-Zell | Neuwied | Westerwaldkreis |
The five largest cites are Mainz, Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Koblenz, Trier, and Kaiserslautern.
Rheinland-Pfalz surnames
Notable people from Rheinland-Pfalz
The following well-known people were from Rheinland-Pfalz:
- Betty Amann, actress
- Hermann Anschütz-Kaempfe, inventor & engineer
- Franz Buchner, pathologist
- Johannes Gutenberg, inventor, typographer & engineer
- Karl Juchheim, pastry chef & businessman
- Matthias Koeberlin, actor
- Dominik Meffert, tennis player
- Friedrich Trump, businessman
- Hans Wagner, sculptor & painter
- Bruce Willis, actor & producer
Types of records
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A large number of Rheinland-Pfalz families can be found in the following MyHeritage databases:
Church records for Rheinland-Pfalz can be found online at Archion.de. This includes records from Bistumsarchiv Speyer (Catholic), Landesarchiv Speyer (Lutheran & Reformed), Landeshauptarchiv Koblenz (Catholic & Protestant), Zentralarchiv der Evangelischen Kirche der Pfalz (Evangelical), and Archiv der Mennonitischen Forschungsstelle (Mennonite). These archives can also be consulted or visited in person to do research.
Family books for multiple parishes in Rheinland-Pfalz are digitized online at genealogy.net, accounting for hundreds of thousands of individuals, including:
- Dierbach
- Erlenbach bei Kandel
- Freckenfeld
- Klingenmünster
- Minfield
- Niederwambach
- Steinweiler
- Winden/Pfalz
Search Meyers Gazetteer for a town or village of interest in Rheinland-Pfalz to learn the district office (BA) and civil registration office (StdA) which can be helpful to track down civil records. Look for locations listed with "Pfalz", which is the Regierungsbezirk for Rheinland-Pfalz.
Explore more about Rheinland-Pfalz genealogy
- Researching German Ancestors on MyHeritage by James Beidler on MyHeritage
- Borders, Maps and Gazetteers for German Genealogists by Legacy Family Tree Webinars
- Ask The Expert – German Records by Daniel Horowitz on MyHeritage
- Fussgoenheim, Mutterstadt & Palatinate Families During the Thirty Years War by Roberta Estes at DNA-Explained
- Pfalz, Not Bavaria by Gamber Net
References
- ↑ Germany: Rheinland-Pfalz. CityPopulation.de. https://www.citypopulation.de/en/germany/cities/rheinlandpfalz/
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 History of Rhineland-Palatinate, Britannica Encyclopedia. https://www.britannica.com/place/Rhineland-Palatinate/History
- ↑ Proud castles and palaces, Rhineland-Palatiante. Entdecke Deutschalnd. https://entdecke-deutschland.de/en/bundeslaender/rheinland-pfalz/romantic-castles-and-locks/
- ↑ Short History of Emigration from Rhineland-Pfalz (Palatinate) to America, Palatinate Chapter, NSDAR. https://palatinatedar.org/short-history-of-emigration-from-rhineland-pfalz-palatinate-to-america/
- ↑ Rheinland-Pfalz, Die Landesregierung. https://www.rlp.de/en/
- ↑ Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz), Lifestyle. IAmExpat.de. https://www.iamexpat.de/lifestyle/german-federal-states/rhineland-palatinate-rheinland-pfalz
- ↑ Chǎteau Monty, Pfalz region. https://chateaumonty.com/pfalz-region/
- ↑ Pfälzerwald. Die Pfalz.https://www.pfalz.de/de/pfalz-entdecken/die-regionen/pfaelzerwald