The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-01-08
Getting Married in Germany.

This time | was bound to make sure
work, and so, with the best information
could procure, started off for the civil
bureau (StandeS Anat) to ascertain pre-
cisely what was required.
upon what business do you conner
demanded the pompous servant at the
| door.
81 am an American citizen and want
to know how to get married in Ger
many" L faltered.
He opened the door of the main office
and shouted, Elm Herr Amerikanner
wishes to marry himselfr' and then
showed me into large and well-filled
waiting-room to take my turn, every
occupant of which gazed fixedly at me
without winking for some minutes. One
thin, dark, wiry man IN soiled linen
and bright yellow kid gloves had drop
ped in to announce the death of his third
wife. A trembling young mother was
sharply reprimanded for letting the
legal third day pass before announcing
the death of her child. A somewhat
seedy clerk had come, with a radiant
face, to announce the birth of boy
fourteen hours old, and to be called
Johannes Conrade Hermann Degener-
meister. A servant-girl and her lover
were waiting in one corner-she red
and giggling, he erect, dignifed and tact
turn as head-waiter-tO be made man
and wife. had plenty of time to OBJ
serve, for nearly an hour passed before
my turn came. At length was shown
into long room. with half a dozen
clerks at one end, who twisted their
necks, adjusted their glasses, and gazed
and listened with open-mouthed won
der.
81 wish to get married in the very
simplest and quickest way" Isaid, pre-
senting my passport. " VIII you please
tell me how to do itP"
eli is extremely simple" said the
officer. eve must have certificate of
your birth (GebertSShetn) signed by the
burgomaster of the town in which you
were born, and with its seal and wit
messed in due form. Your certificate of
baptism (TautScheim) should also be
sent, to guard against all error, sealed
and witnessed by the present pastor or
the proper church officers. These must
be presented here by each of the con-
tracing parties, with their passports as
the first STEP"
| carefully noted this, and he pro-
ceeded
"The parents, if living, should certi-
fly to their knowledge and approval of
the marriage. We must also be satisfied
that there is no obstacle, legal, moral,
or otherwise, to it; whether either of
you have been married before, and if so
whether there are children, and if so
their names and ages. The parents
names should be in full; also their resi-
dence, occupation, age and place of
birth should of course be given for rec
ord here.'
begged for another scrap of paper
and made further notes.
"When we have these here in this
desk,' he continued, patting fondly that
piece of furniture, then either we can
publish the bans [4altgebot] by posting
a notice of your intention in the RGth-
hGus for fourteen days, or else you can
have it printed in the journal of the
place where you reside in America and
bring us copy here as evidence that it
has actually appeared. After the ex-
piration of this time you can be married
in this office"
"Must it be hereP" I queried.
"Of course" he said. This is the
only place which the law now recog-
nizes. Poor people are content with
civil marriage only, but all who. move
in good society SO from here to the
church for religious ceremony"
SIS it not possible to shorten the
timer" timidly ventured to inquire.
"We had made all the arrangements
for an earlier day and are seriously in
commoded by the delay. 1 did not
know the requirements. 1t takes four
weeks to hear from America and then
two weeks more here and You do
not, perhaps, exactly understand. and
yet hardly know how to explain. But
there is really haste. We are pressed
for time"
"Haste? Pressed for time?" he re-
peated. perhaps l do not understand.
am sorry, but it cannot possibly be
sooner. You think we are slow in Ger
many. True, but we are sure. We re-
quire our people to take time to think
over the'matter beforehand and divorce
with us is far from being the easy mat
ter have heard it is in America. -
atlantic Monthly.
.