A distant cousin just forwarded this to me; it comes from a facebook group called:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Germany.Prussia.AustroHungary.Denmark.Russia.Swiss/?ref=share
From my cousin: "They cover all areas that speak or have spoken German as boundaries change. They also try to help with small translations. As it's a private group people wanting to join will have to answer 3 questions. Once their request has been submitted it doesn't take long for approval."
Randy Conrad, the author of the post, gave permission for the following information to be shared:
As so many people left the south-west of Germany which is the state of Baden-Württemberg today (formerly Baden, Hohenzollern and Württemberg), I would like to provide some general info and links for those of you who are just beginning with their researches in that region.
A wonderful source are the so-called “Standesbücher”. Those are copies (Zweitschriften) of the church books (evangelical, catholic and Jewish). They cover a period from 1810-1870 and have all been digitalized. So you can do your researches online.
Here is a link for Nordbaden (the north of Baden) , Generallandesarchiv Karlsruhe:
[https://www2.landesarchiv-bw.de/ofs21/olf/struktur.php?bestand=12390](https://www2.landesarchiv-bw.de/ofs21/olf/struktur.php?bestand=12390)
and Südbaden (the south of Baden) – Staatsarchiv Freiburg:
[https://www2.landesarchiv-bw.de/ofs21/olf/struktur.php?bestand=10028](https://www2.landesarchiv-bw.de/ofs21/olf/struktur.php?bestand=10028)
Kopies of catholic church books 1806-1878 – Staatsarchiv Ludwigsburg:
[https://www2.landesarchiv-bw.de/ofs21/olf/struktur.php?bestand=18750](https://www2.landesarchiv-bw.de/ofs21/olf/struktur.php?bestand=18750)
Personenstandsregister of Jewish communities/parishes in Württemberg, Baden and Hohenzollern – Hauptstaatsarchiv Stuttgart:
[https://www2.landesarchiv-bw.de/ofs21/olf/startbild.php?bestand=5632](https://www2.landesarchiv-bw.de/ofs21/olf/startbild.php?bestand=5632)
The church books of evangelical parishes in Württemberg are housed in Landeskirchlichen Archiv in Stuttgart:
[https://www.archiv.elk-wue.de/](https://www.archiv.elk-wue.de/)
After 1870 the so-called “Personenstandsregister” (civil registers) were introduced in Baden (1870), Hohenzollern (1874) and Württemberg (1876).
“Personenstandsregister” are usually housed in the local archives (Kommunalarchive, Stadtarchive). Those that are still data procted are still in the civil registration offices (Standesamt) of the town/city where the person was born, got married or died. As anywhere in Germany the birth records are protected for 110 years, marriage records for 80 years and death records for 30 years.) If, however you are a direct descendant and, for instance search for your grandmother, you have access to those records also.
Many of the records for Baden are also available on Ancestry (if you pay for a membership) and for free on family search. Here is the link:
[https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1395660](https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1395660)