Where can I find a German birth (death, baptismal) certificate?
Depending on when and where in the German-speaking world your ancestors were born, married or died, the records may be in a church archive or a civil registry (Standesamt). Also remember that Germany was not even a unified country until 1871. For a personal account of just such a search, including sample documents, see German Roots: A Personal Search. Our Germanic Genealogy Guide also offers more about such matters.
