The content will provide brief information about ancestor research in Denmark, the structure of archives and methods to searching. To find your ancestor, you are welcome to use my advice, aid and tools for the time and area that I have coverred. My sources is fare from complete, the information either becourse the research, translation or knogledge is not completed. Among my plans for the future I would like to make resources available online, but yet I don't know how to do it. In the meantime, please use E-mail for your inqueries. I am not highly skilled in English, so please forgive any errors or misinterpretation.
Structure of the original archive foundations in Denmark.
The original historic archive foundations are mainly stored in The Danish National Archive, "Rigsarkivet". This archive collect and keep document archive foundations of government and church authorities and institutions as well of an large collections of archives from private persons and organizations. The oldest archives date back to the 12th century and the most recent are less than 10 years old. Some of the original archive foundations from county, municipal and church institutions remain in one of the four provincial archives located in that
area the historic material is related to. These are
Zealand, Lolland-Falster and Bornholm" in Copenhagen
Funen" in Odense
Northern Jutland" in Viborg
Southern Jutland" in Aabenraa
The census records before 1787 is only sporadic available (1762 and some local census) in local archives. The preserved original census records from 1787, 1801, -34, -40 -45, -50, -60, -70, -80,
1885
, -90,
1895, 1901, -06, -11, -16, -21,
(1925
, -30, -40, -50) remain in the national archive in Copenhagen. Later Census 1960 and 70 in yet restrictet.
Some census (1901, -06, -11, -16 and -21) might soon be available on microfiche or 35mm film at all the Danish archive. The records are now avalable for sale.
Census 1801 are available on CD. Not all data but many are allready digitalized and available at the Internet - but the available data will grow fast in the first year of the 21. century.
These two foundations of church- and censusrecords are the main tools to ancestor search, but they need in some cases supplied with other, such as records of
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Court officers notes
Municipal, Manorial or Guild registry
Military personnel and activity
Royal or Government announcement, letters or accounts
, -90,
1895