Census Records & Enumeration
A closer look at a census record
On February 1, 1845 census were held for both Kingdom of Denmark as well as the duchies of Schlweswig, Holstein and Lauenburg. In this census the citizens place of birth where recorded for the first time, thus leaving valueable information to be found by modern day family historians.
In the census of 1845 enumerators were asked to record names and age etc. according to household (each farm, house or individual family) recording every person in a pre-printed form. The 1845-census consisted of the following categories or fields:
- address: village, place name or name of farm/house as well as entry no.
- name of every person in the household
- age of every person in the household
- marital status; married/unmarried, widow/widower
- position in the household / the relationship to the head of the household
- place of birth (parish and county)
- employment status; trade/profession/status and/or place in the family
Notes on Enumeration Fields / Categories
As mentioned, the demographic data from Scandinavia are of very high quality and the few discrepancies that may be found are often unimportant for researcher. In general, the census returns are an invaluable guide to birthplaces, occupations etc. This article contains some notes on some of the individual enumeration fields (or categories) which the family historian should be aware of when researching the Danish censuses:
Example: census details for Christen Jensen Buch (1792-1844) from the census of 1834 (FT-1834). The name of the farm is ''Skivdal'', however this is not recorded in the census.
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- Place of residence
- Name
- Gender
- Age
- Position in the household
- Marital status
- Profession, occupation or trade
- 1st or 2nd marriage?
- Place of birth / Last residence
- Religious community
- Infirmities, mentally or physically handicapped
- Age at first marriage
- Other fields / categories
Enumeration Dates of Danish Censuses
Censuses have been held in the Kingdom of Denmark at various intervals: 1767, 1787, 1801, 1834, 1840, 1845, 1850, 1855, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890, 1901, 1906, 1911, 1916 and 1921. Additional censuses were held in 1885 and 1895 for Copenhagen and Frederiksberg only. Censuses in the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein began in 1803 and were thereafter held in 1835, 1840, 1845, 1855 and 1860.
Most censuses were taken on February 1. The following list indicates the official enumeration dates for the various census lists and the areas they cover. The Danish word for census is Folketælling and each census is therefore often referred to as FT-1801 and FT-1845 etc.
Census Lists - An Introduction to the Danish Censuses
The censuses provide snapshots of all the households in Denmark, Schleswig and Holstein at various intervals from 1769 onwards and have therefore become one of the prime sources of genealogical information. The recorded names, ages, trades and family relations offer many clues for further research in parish registers etc.
Read more: Census Lists - An Introduction to the Danish Censuses
The Danish Censuses in Details
The following list containes details of the various census lists and will tell you what areas they cover and which enumeration fields are included in the records.
Although the first census was taken August 15, 1769, it has been left out in the following list since most of this census has been lost and only provides overall statistical information of little value to the family historian.
