I am looking for an NCO or a private soldier (period 1820–1868)

For the period from 1820 to 1868 the following preliminary information is requisite: surname, first name, military unit, (approximate) year of discharge. Additional data such as year and place of birth etc. may be helpful, particularly if you have to deal with very common surnames.

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Prior to the introduction of universal conscription in 1868, the military did not on a regular basis record the (exact) date of birth of a soldier oe the names of the soldier’s parents.

From November 1820 onwards every regiment was required to draw up and keep a special data sheet (“Grundbuchsblatt”) for every single soldier in which the man’s entire military career as well as a possible marriage and children were documented.

Indices in loose alphabetical order indicate volume (“Heft”) and page of the respective “Grundbuchsblatt”.

These indices can be searched online (for all regiments lumped together).

Abgangsklasse I: soldiers transferred or assigned to the reserve
Abgangsklasse II: officers and superior personnel such as regimental chaplains, military judges, regimental surgeons, regimental accountants
Abgangsklasse III: discharged soldiers (from sergeant downwards) and subaltern personnel

The “Grundbuchsblätter” are available online.

You may narrow your query down by entering ‘Grundbuchblätter Infanterie 001’, ‘Grundbuchblätter Artillerie Regiment 02’, ‘Grundbuchblätter Kavallerie Dragoner’ etc.

For the specific microfilm numbers of individual regiments see the respective entries in our “Archival Information System”.