British Military Hospital (BMH)

BMH 1995
BMH 1995
BMH 2008
BMH 2008

For almost 40 years, there was a British Military Hospital (BMH) in Iserlohn. 
Since the 1950s, several hundred children of members of the Canadian and British armed forces came into the world at BMH Iserlohn. Their parents were stationed at nearby bases and lived in Iserlohn and the surrounding towns such as Hemer, Deilinghofen, Soest, Werl, Senden or Dülmen. It was officially closed in 1994.

By law, the birth of a child at a BMH had to be notified to the local Registry Office if one of parents was a German citizen. Sometimes the parents registered the birth voluntarily even though both parents were Canadian and/or British citizens. The Registry Office in Iserlohn keeps all the birth records it has ever registered, even for British and Canadian children.

Birth certificate:

  • Your can obtain either a
    • Birth certificate in German (= "Geburtsurkunde") or
    • Birth certificate in several languages including English and French (= "Internationale Geburtsurkunde") or
    • Copy of the entry in the births register (="beglaubigter Ausdruck aus dem Geburtsregister").
  • You can only obtain entries in the births register at the Registry Office of the town in which you were born. Hence, Iserlohn maintains the entries for those who were born at the British Military Hospital in Iserlohn (regardless of where your parents were living at that time).

Marriage certificate:

  • Your can obtain either a
    • Marriage certificate in several languages including English and French (= "Internationale Eheurkunde") or
    • Copy of the entry in the marriages register (="beglaubigter Ausdruck aus dem Eheregister").
  • You can only obtain entries in the marriage register at the Registry Office of the town in which you were married. Hence, Iserlohn maintains the entries for those who were married at its Registry Office.

Death certificate:

  • Your can obtain either a
    • Death certificate in German (= "Sterbeurkunde") or
    • Death certificate in several languages including English and French (= "Internationale Sterbeurkunde") or
    • Copy of the entry in the deaths register (="beglaubigter Ausdruck aus dem Sterberegister").
  • You can only obtain entries in the deaths register at the Registry Office of the town in which the deceased died. Hence, Iserlohn maintains the entries for those who have died in Iserlohn, regardless of where they were living before they died.

Civil partnership certificate:

  • For a registered relationship between two people of the same sex, you can obtain a civil partnership (civil union) certificate in German (=Lebenspartnerschaftsurkunde").
  • You can only obtain the entry for a civil partnership at the Registry Office of the town in which the civil partnership was registered. Hence, Iserlohn maintains the entries for those who signed the civil partnership document at its Registry Office (from 2001 onwards).

How to obtain a certificate:

  • You can visit the relevant Registry Office and obtain a certificate. You will need to bring your ID card or passport and pay the necessary fee.
    Alternatively:
  • You can apply by post. At the bottom of this page, you find a link which opens a pdf file containing the relevant form.
    Please fill in the form and print it out. Then send the completed form with a copy of your passport or ID card and the required fee to the local Registry Office. Payment can be made by the following methods:
    The easiest way is to go to your bank and convert your currency into euro banknotes. 
    Another option is to pay the fee by banker's draft (i.e. a cheque issued by your bank) payable in euros; the draft must be drawn on a German bank, or a German branch of a foreign bank. Personal cheques are not accepted.

    Please send your payment to the Registry Office at the following address:

    Standesamt Iserlohn
    Postfach 2462
    58634 Iserlohn
    GERMANY

    As soon we receive your application form and payment, the certificate will be forwarded to you.

Further Questions

  • If you have any questions about the procedure or obtaining your certificate from the Registry Office in Iserlohn, please email the following address: standesamt(at)iserlohn.de
    Please include your email adress or a daytime phone number, and we will contact you as soon as possible.

Form