The treasure hunt in the official archive: Dr. Bölsker and the church records!

The treasure hunt in the official archive: Dr. Bölsker and the church records!

In the heart of Vechta, Dr. Verena Bölsker took over the management of the official archive on July 1, 2024 and immediately embark on an exciting journey. With a clear goal in mind - the documentation and access to the history of the Catholic Church in the Oldenburger Land - she took on the challenge, modernized the archive and explored and usable for family researchers.

A highlight in Bölsker was the unexpected find of a church book from the 17th century, which was discovered in a parish. The oldest entries of the church records in the official archive date from 1613, but it is remarkable that in addition to valuable documents, numerous centuries -old information is also promoted to the public. Under her predecessor Wilhelm Baumann, who has shaped archive work for over four decades, an impressive foundation could be laid.

digitization: a big step

The digitization of an extensive inventory of church records is a central aspect of Bölsker's work. Together with Dirk Unterbrink, she took over the preparation for the online presence of the church records. A total of 1,376 church records have been digitized so far, 391 from the period before 1900 and 985 from the period from 1900 to 2012. These increasingly accessible sources for family researchers are a big profit. You can now be viewed free of charge in the online database "Matricula", which also includes church records from Austria and Poland. This harbors new opportunities for research and discovering family stories, reports Bishopric .

The first digital recording of the church records began in 2009 by the archive of the Bishop's Münster official. Although some books are only partially visible online, users have access to 432 church records from 50 parishes. Each book is equipped with an information sheet that attributes the parish, the book number and other decisive details. This makes research easier, even if the inspection is subject to certain protective deadlines.

an archive in growth

The official archive is growing steadily. Around 700 moving boxes with files are currently waiting for their processing. Bölsker relies on a committed team of eight permanent employees who are supported by students. Provisional jobs have now been replaced by a newly furnished office space in order to create a more efficient work environment. The archive's library includes over 30,000 volumes and has recently been enlarged, which offers the basis for even better research work.

The oldest certificate in the archive dates from 1317 - an impressive document that impressively represents the long history of the official. Despite the challenges that the air conditioning in the magazine brought to Bölskiers, those responsible quickly acted and procured a replacement system.

look into the future

The archive team is planning further exciting projects for the coming years under Bölsker's management. This includes the revision of the user regulations, the optimization of the submission of archive goods, a new arrangement of the magazines and the establishment of a digital media archive. These projects should not only make access to the archive easier, but also to further consolidate the importance of the officials archive as an important research center.

In summary, it can be said that Dr. Verena Bölsker and her team in the Vechta officials archive are a great opportunity for research into church history and family stories in the Oldenburg region. All the more we can look forward to the upcoming developments and the further digitization of the church records, which will not least benefit the family researchers. The archive, which was visited 767 times for research purposes last year, has a lot to offer - also for the future!