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

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

In the heart of Vechta, Dr. Verena Bölsker took over the management of the official archives on July 1, 2024 and immediately embarked on an exciting journey. With a clear goal in mind - documenting and making the history of the Catholic Church in the Oldenburg region accessible - she took on the challenge of modernizing the archive and making it researchable and usable for family researchers.

A highlight of Bölsker's first year was the unexpected discovery of a 17th century church register discovered in a parish. Although the oldest entries in the church records in the official archives date back to 1613, it is noteworthy that in addition to valuable documents, numerous centuries-old information is also made available to the public. An impressive foundation was laid under her predecessor Wilhelm Baumann, who shaped the archive work for over four decades.

Digitalization: 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, including 391 from before 1900 and 985 from the period from 1900 to 2012. These increasingly accessible sources are a great benefit for family researchers. They can now be viewed free of charge in the online database “Matricula”, which also includes church records from Austria and Poland. This presents new opportunities for research and discovery of family histories, reports Diocese of Münster.

The first digital recording of church records began in 2009 by the archives of the Episcopal Münster Office. Although some books are only partially viewable online, users have access to 432 church records from 50 parishes. Each book comes with an information sheet identifying the parish, book number and other crucial details. This makes research even easier, even if access is subject to certain protection periods.

A growing archive

The official archives are constantly growing. There are currently around 700 moving boxes with files waiting to be processed. Bölsker relies on a dedicated team of eight permanent employees who are supported by students. Temporary workstations have now been replaced by a newly furnished office space to create a more efficient working environment. The archive's library contains over 30,000 volumes and has recently been expanded, providing the basis for even better research work.

The oldest document in the archive dates from 1317 - an impressive document that impressively represents the long history of the officialdom. Despite the challenges that air conditioning in the warehouse brought with it after Bölskier took office, those responsible acted quickly and procured a replacement system.

Looking into the future

The archive team under Bölsker's leadership is planning further exciting projects for the coming years. This includes revising the user regulations, optimizing the delivery of archive material, rearranging the magazines and setting up a digital media archive. These projects are intended not only to make access to the archive easier, but also to further consolidate the importance of the official archive as an important research center.

In summary, the work of Dr. Verena Bölsker and her team in the Vechta Official Archives represent a great opportunity for research into church history and family stories in the Oldenburger Land. We can all the more look forward to the coming developments and the further digitization of church records, which will not least be of great benefit to family researchers. The archive, which was visited 767 times for research purposes last year, has a lot to offer - also for the future!