Forget scrolling microfilm—your family’s records are likely online.
While reviewing the last time I wrote about Danish genealogy for Family Tree Magazine in preparation for my article on that topic in the October-November 2019 issue, I was struck by how many Danish records are now online. Originally, my article referenced the various records available on microfilm. Now, however, most of those resources have been digitized and many of them are even searchable. In fact, when I was researching my cousin’s Danish ancestors, I was able to go back hundreds of years without ever having to squint at old-fashioned microfilm. Let’s take a quick tour of some of the key records you can click on:
The free FamilySearch site has led the way in digitization and indexing, with an extensive, searchable collection of Danish church records, baptisms, and marriages, along with some burials; the church records database is linked to the original images. Many other Danish church books can be browsed here. You can also browse church books at the free Danish national archives; most of the pages are in Danish, as are those in another free online collection at <ao.salldata.dk>. Over on Ancestry, subscribers can search databases of baptisms (two collections, Denmark, Select Baptisms, 1618-1923, and Denmark, Births and Christenings Index, 1631-1900s), marriages and estate records. MyHeritage has collections of church records, censuses, baptisms, marriages, and burials, which largely mirror the free FamilySearch databases. It’s the best source for confirmation records, however.
Births/baptisms—On FamilySearch, you can search either the separate baptisms collection or the much larger church records collection. Because it’s linked to images, the “Denmark Church Records, 1484-1941” database is usually the best place to start; you may also reveal other records about your ancestor in the same search.
Marriages—You can start in FamilySearch’s Denmark Marriages collection, but success in the larger church records collection will also lead you to images.
Burials—FamilySearch has a relatively small collection of Denmark Burials, not linked to images. Your best bet is probably to start with the general church records collection
Probate— FamilySearch has a searchable index of more than 230,000 Danish probate records spanning 1674 to 1851; results are transcripts but are also linked to images of the index cards. FamilySearch and Ancestry (above) have browseable collections of 2.6 million Danish estate records online spanning 1436 to 1964.
Military—The Danish National Archives has online levying rolls at <www.sa.dk/ao-soegesider/en/collection/theme/3>.
Directories—You can view a complete collection of digitized Copenhagen directories, from 1770 through 2008, for free online at <bibliotek.kk.dk/node/5814>; the site is in Danish, but relatively easy to figure out.