Certificates in the Prussian Rhine Province 19th and 20th century (Code civil, Code Napoléon)are available at Civil registers (Standesamt), City or State Archives

The Code Civil was introduced by Napoléon in Prussia in 1807, first in the western part of what is today Germany. That means you not only have the church records but also the civil registers. This is a great advantage, because the religion does not matter (descendants often don’t even know which makes the research in Parishes so difficult).

Do you know that the marriage certificates in the 19th century in Prussia, especially in the Rhine Province, reveal a lot more data than you would expect?

Bride and groom:
name, age, place of birth, religion, profession, place of residence

Their parents:
name, age, if dead or alive, place or residence, profession of father

Witnesses:
name, age, place of residence, profession, relationship to bride or groom

certificates handed in:
birth records of bride and groom
death records of parents revealing birth dates also
death records of grandparents revealing birth dates also

You will find most of these records in your ancestors marriage certificates, less in birth certificates. Thus , if you are lucky, the certificates reveal two or three generations and the relationship of people to each other.

For a period of time these certificates were written in French.

If your ancestors came from the former Prussian Rhine Province (Rheinland) (today Northrhein-Westfalen, Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhine_Province

and you need help I can assist you. I live in the area, English is my second language and French my third.

Please contact me at byriga@aol.com