Stralsund was given to the settlement in the wake of the German eastward expansion in 1234 between the notice of princes Wizlaw I. the city charter to Rostock or. Lübeck model. The area was at that time mainly by Slavs besiedelt.Im 14. Century was regarded as an important Hanseatic city of Stralsund already, equal to Lübeck.

This city will be people like the Christian reformer Ketelhodt, or John Knipstro linked. Here lived Johannes Aepinus, Zutfeld Wardenberg, or Nicodemus Tessin. (See database)

The manuscript of the book so far oldest citizen, which is one of the most precious treasures of Stralsund city archive, includes 158 Parchment of Leaves 31 cm height and 23 cm wide and firmly bound in the finest pigskin. It contains entries from the years 1319-1571.

In this volume are the recordings of the new citizens to 1348 recorded. The civil registry is mainly for local historical research of importance, it is also an important source for genealogical research. At the same time, it is a treasure trove for the historical development of people- and family name.

It is instructive to observe, as from the genitive of the patronymic, from physical or mental peculiarities, of information on the origin and home, from the terms of the trade – have been added to the names of persons – gradually fixed surnames originated.

Those:

• Ebeling, Robert: The oldest Stralsunder Bürgerbuch 1319-1348, From the series of publications of the Historical Commission for Pomerania, Bd. 1, Issue 2, Szczecin: Herrcke & Lebeling, 1926

Other literature:

• Francke, Otto: The Verfestungsbuch the city of Stralsund, Hall 1875

• F. Fabricius: The oldest book of city Stralsundische 1270-1310, on behalf of the council and the civil Collegium of the city, Berlin: Weber, 1872
• Ebeling, Robert: The second Stralsundische City Paper 1310-1342, published by the Historical Society Rügisch-Pomeranian to Greifswald and Stralsund, 1903