Daily AncestorNottaufe
A Nottaufe was an emergency baptism, given by a layperson when a newborn was in danger of dying before a pastor could come.
Catholic, Lutheran and some other churches allowed any Christian to baptize a dying child in an emergency. The church book then notes Nottaufe or notgetauft, often with the name of the person who baptized the child.
A Nottaufe entry is a strong hint that the child was weak at birth, so look for a burial entry in the following days. If the child lived, the baptism still counted, and later records treat the child as baptized.
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Daily Ancestor. "Nottaufe." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/german/nottaufe. Last checked 2026-10-28.