preface

Preface

The "Edict about the conditions of the Jewish fellow-believers in the Kingdom of Bavaria" enacted in 1813, marks an essential step on the laborious path of the emancipation of the Jews who had in most cases ended up in the kingdom of Bavaria together with the newly acquired territories since 1806. Especially the "Juden-Matrikel" (registers by administrative divisions) compiled according to §§ 2 and 3 of this ordinance, mark the most relevant connection between the former names of circumcision and new fixed family names. Therefore, they are a central source for genealogical research worldwide, because of the voluntary or compulsory emigration of the Jews from Germany during the 19th and 20th centuries. Moreover, the registers not only comprise the Jewish population of an administrative, later called government division, but they also give an account of the socio-economic facts by giving details of their occupation and livelihood. The fundamental, as well as nationwide significance of the information offered, is self-explanatory.

Making this source accessible follows from the tradition of the Bavarian archives service, that has always understood information from the public and engagements in publications of important historical sources as a challenge, of course under observance of the framework of data- and personality protection. This also applies to the Genealogical Society in Franconia (registered society), that is also committed to providing accessibility of sources significant for genealogy.

Simultaneously, this project stands for a successful cooperation between a public archives and a society organized according to civil law. In this connection the participants agreed that the joining of the individual potentials would lead to synergies enabling successful means of historical and genealogical research, even in times of restricted state budgets.

Both partners strove to make the registers of the Bavarian government divisions of Middle, Upper and Lower Franconia available and present them by means of modern information technology. The limitation to Franconia results in restrictions of the mandate of the Genealogical Society in Franconia according to its statutes.

The historical introduction was provided by Gerhard Rechter as head of the Nuremberg state archives where the register published is kept. But the project would not have been brought about without the completely voluntacy engagement of Mr. Edgar Hubrich and Mr. Wilhelm Veeh. We are especially obliged to them.