Discerning Patterns in Austrian Marriage Record Entries
Marriage entries in Austrian Catholic church records can best be understood by dissecting them into basic structures. No one pattern exists for all marriage entries in every time period, parish, or for every priest, but isolating fundamental elements can be a very helpful place to begin extracting accurate information. Here is a basic marriage entry pattern prior to 1784:
Date
Groom
Location of Groom
Father of Groom
Mother of Groom
Connector
Bride
Father of Bride
Location of Bride or her Father
Mother of Bride
Witness(es) of Groom
Witness(es) of Bride
As you will see from the following pre-1784 examples, this pattern varied based on a couple of key circumstances: 1) when the groom was a widower, 2) when the bride was a widow, 3) when the priest neglected to record some information, or 4) when he chose to add additional information. The amount of data which constituted a complete marriage entry appears to have varied dramatically during various time periods and according to the priest's preferences. My purpose is not to present a complete transcription or translation of the samples below, but rather to illustrate a few examples of various patterns.
Before you start, here are a few very simple tips:
1. Look for a connector (mit, Cum, etc.). This will help you separate the groom's family from the bride's family.
2. Look for the key words "Sohn" and "Tochtor." These will help you determine if the other listed family members are parents.
3. Look for the key word "Wittib" in its many forms including the Latin "vidua" & "viduus." In the case of the bride, it will help you identify her deceased husband so that you do not mistake him for the bride's father. In such instances, the bride's recorded surname will be that of her deceased husband rather than her maiden name. It will also notify you that previous marriages exist for the widower and/or widow that will likely provide additional information.
4. Marriage entries will often identify whether parents of both the bride & groom are still alive or are deceased. This can provide a helpful parameter when searching for the death entries of each parent. Key words are provided further down this webpage that may assist in this effort.
5. Tracking the name and location of witnesses might assist you in linking families in some circumstances. They may help illuminate familial patterns and provide clues that could be helpful in your research. For example, it is not uncommon to see the same witnesses listed in multiple family record entries, particularly in baptismal records. This obviously does not constitute proof of relationship, but it may provide helpful clues that can be substantiated using other sources.
 |
2 October Hans Samper (groom) of Jacob Samper (father) & Eva (mother) [Segment ends with word "Sohn"] mit [with] (connector) Maria Holzerin (bride) of Simon Holzer (father) & Elisabeth (mother) [Segment ends with word "Tochter"] Witnesses Groom with locations Witnesses Bride with locations [Locations of bride & groom at time of marriage not recorded] |
 |
10 _______ Andreas Nagl (groom) von [from] location of Paul Nagl (father) & Susanna (mother) [Segment ends with word "Sohn"] [no connector] Margaretha (bride) of Ambros Leidinger (father) zu [at] location & Anna Maria (mother) [Segment ends with word "Tochter"] Witnesses Groom with locations Witnesses Bride with location |
 |
1672 Udalricus Schweinögger (groom) widower ex [from] location [As a widower, the groom's parents were not recorded] [no connector] Regina (bride) widow [of] Michael Gißrindel (deceased husband) ex [from] location [As a widow, the bride's deceased spouse not her parents were recorded] Witnesses [not distinguished between bride & groom] with locations |
 |
29 July Georg Pöckhstainer (groom) von [from] location of Colman Pöckhstainer (father) von [from] location Elisabeth (mother) [Segment ends with word "Sohn"] mit [with] (connector) Barbara (bride) of Elias Wilhelm (father) vocation zu [at] location Catharina (mother) [Segment ends with word "Tochter"] Witness Groom with vocation & location Witnesses Bride with vocation & locations |
 |
2 February
1683 Thomas Hanpökh (groom) Udalric Hanpökh (father) zu [at] location et [and] Anna (mother) (no connector) Maria (bride) Thomas Zänkhel (father) zu [at] location et [and] Ursula (mother) Witnesses Groom with vocation & location Witnesses Bride with location |
 |
24 May Gabriel Holzabfel (groom) of Gröger Holzabfel (father) & Eva (mother) "Sohn" zu [at] location Cum [with] (connector) Barbara (bride) of Philib Hueber (father) zu [at] location & Maria (mother) [Segment ends with word "Dochter"] Witnesses [not distinguished between bride & groom] with vocations & locations |
 |
6 October 1693 Paul Clammer (groom) of Michael Clammer (father) location & Anna Maria (mother) [Segment ends with word "Sohn"] Cum [with] (connector) Anna Schrämbl (bride) widow of Mathias Schrämbl (deceased husband) No location [Entry ends with word "Wittib." or widow] No witnesses 3 November 1693 |
 |
Germbs:
(marriage location) 18 June Bernhardt Frükh (groom) of Georg Frükh (father) zu [at] location Eva (mother) [Segment ends with word "Sohn"] mit [with] (connector) Maria (bride) widow of Andre Langthaller (deceased husband) von [from] location [Segment ends with word "Wittib."] Witnesses and locations
|
Note that one hundred years later, the same pattern is discernable:
 |
3 July Johan Pöhm (groom) of Maximilian Pöhm (father) zu [at] location, Anna Maria (mother) mit [with] (connector) Maria Anna Pöhmin (bride) of Simon Pöhm (father) zu [at] location, Anna Maria (mother) Witnesses and locations |
This basic pattern appears to have been the norm with some variation until about 1784 when record keeping reforms were implemented throughout the Catholic Church in Austria.
(Special thanks to the Sankt Pölten Catholic Diocese Archives for use of these marriage record samples.)
You will discover that a number of additional key words or phrases were frequently used in marriage record entries. These will assist you to better understand some of the more the subtle details contained in these entries:
| adhuc | still, as yet (i.e. adhuc in vivis - still alive) |
| ambo | both (i.e. ambo p.m. - both individuals are deceased) |
| at mater dicit | then the mother said (i.e. who father of her child is) |
| alda | all from there |
| alhier | all from here (this place or parish) |
| auch | also (i.e. auch ledig Standes - also single) |
| beede/beide | both (i.e. beede ledig Standes - both single status) |
| Braut | bride |
| Copulirt/copulati | those married |
| cum | with |
| des | of (i.e. Wolf Böhm des Johann Böhm) |
| et | and |
| ex | from, out of |
| hinterlassen | leave behind/left behind (i.e. widow) |
| incerto | not for certain (i.e. father's name) |
| ledig Standes/LSt: | single status (unmarried) |
| nescitur | not known (i.e. nescitur pater - father not known) |
| noch | still, yet (i.e noch ledig Standes - still single) |
| noch in leben | still alive (i.e. describing parents of bride/groom) |
| p.m. | post mortem/individual is deceased (i.e. parent) |
| p.p.m.m. | two individuals are deceased (i.e. both parents) |
| seelig (seel) | deceased |
| Sohn | son |
| soluta | single (female) |
| solutus | single (male) |
| sponsa | fiancé (female) |
| sponsus/sponsi | fiancé (male) |
| testes | witnesses |
| Tochter/Dochter | daughter |
| ud (und) | and |
| ux. (uxor) | wife |
| vidua/viduus | widow/widower |
| vivis | living |
| von | of |
| weiland | late; deceased |
| Wittwe/Wittib/Wittwer | widow/widower |
| zu | at, to |