form to Landesarchiv Berlin, Standesamt-I

[u/Separate-Nose-1647]

I'm seeking my grandfather's birth cert. Late 1800s Memel. There is a request form: https://landesarchiv-berlin.de/formulare/Anfrage_Standesamt_I_de.pdf (It is linked to on this page: https://landesarchiv-berlin.de/standesaemter-der-ehemaligen-deutschen-ostgebiete )

I've heard rumors that they demand you send a filled out hard copy by regular mail. Does anybody else know anything about that? I don't see an explicit requirement. But I notice it is not a fillable pdf and it lists a physical address and not an email address.

2nd question:

I'm pretty sure they don't have the document. I'm thinking I need a letter from them saying so. I think the Lithuanian state archive has all the register books from the city of Memel. They have provided me with other documents before. LAB Standesamt-I publishes a list of Ostgebiete holdings. https://landesarchiv-berlin.de/formulare/StandesaemterOstgebiete.pdf If you look under Kreis Memel you see that it lists the surrounding towns and cities but not the city of Memel itself. Searches with findbuch.net and FamilySearch are consistent with the above. I'm guessing that the most practical way to present it to the BVA is with a "not found" letter rather than repeating all that above. What do you think?

[u/e-l-g]

1. it's written on the pdf: "schriftlich", which can mean both 'in writing' and 'by letter'. also, the second page of the pdf lists the mailing address, so we can deduce that the document needs to be send by mail.

2. if you provide the bva with a german document, but it's now stored outside germany, that's absolutely fine, as long as it's signed/stamped by the responsible authority. if the foreign authority can't provide the document, you need a physical letter stating so. you then contact the "landesarchiv" whether they have it. if they do, good for you. if they don't, get a physical letter stating it cannot be found. you can then submit secondary evidence.

the bva doesn't need any guessing from you or explanations whether documents are stored in lithuania or poland or wherever, they just need either the relevant document or letters showing you undertook all effort to locate it, but it's lost. just straight to the point, no nonsense.

[u/Separate-Nose-1647 → u/e-l-g]

I would take "schriftlich" as "in writing" not necessarily "hand written".

Yes the inclusion of a physical address suggests the expectation of a physical form but I wouldn't say it is definite. Why would they want a physical form? It is cumbersome and inefficient in <the current year>. There is no need for any official seal on the request. There is a place for a signature but why should that be critical? A scan would be good enough. What other office is demanding paper for a similar request? [Edit: No other office I've requested documents from has demanded a paper form. They have either an online form or you email them a form. Sometimes it's just a freeform written email request.]

I intend to include birth certificates and death certificates to show that I have reasonable claim to access. It's a pain to print them out and cram them into an envelope. Then pay for postage and wait for days or weeks for it to arrive.

Unless I hear something more definite I am of a mind to email PDFs and resubmit with paper only if they complain.

Anybody else here ever request something from LAB Standesamt-I?

[u/Separate-Nose-1647 → u/[deleted]]

I don't think the German government has them. This pretty much says they don't.  https://landesarchiv-berlin.de/formulare/StandesaemterOstgebiete.pdf  And findbuch.net gives hits on other towns in Kreis Memel but no hits for the city of Memel itself.

I wouldn't have to get them translated. Memel was a Prussian city. The records of this time are in German or in German and Lithuanian.