The Federal Archives explain holdings useful for research on individuals, including administrative and military material within their remit. Read the collection guidance and prepare a request with identity, dates and context to help the service locate relevant records.
Visit the official resource ↗Coverage and access
- Resource type
- Catalogue and guidance
- Filter by territory
- Germany
- External link review
- — Official page consulted
Collections to search
Federal and personal files; no civil or church registers.
A workflow for this portal
Determine whether you need a federal file or a local register. Prepare names, birth date and place, subject and known documents. Identify the local repository for civil or church records.
Access and copies
A description may lead to a reading room or an order. Check item access and copying conditions before travelling.
Institutional reference page
Bundesarchiv ↗The review covers the guidance page, not every image or ordering service.
What you can research here
Bundesarchiv is not a central register of all people. Civilian personal holdings concern administrations and especially the twentieth century; ordinary civil and parish registers are not held there. Name search does not cover all subject files.
Prepare a focused search
For births or marriages, identify the local repository, Standesamt or church archives. For federal files, describe role, administration, place and dates and use the enquiry form, not just a list of names.
Institutional reference page ↗ ·
Official guidance consulted; individual records and full collection coverage have not been verified.
Sources & references
- Bundesarchiv ↗ (Resource review date : )