Abstract Note
The article discusses German archival laws and regulations relevant to the digitization and online publication of historical registers of vital records and other genealogical sources. Using the example of policies developed by the Personenstandsarchiv (Civil Status Archives) of the state of Hesse, Germany, the article considers problems of privacy protection, blackout periods, and the differences between access to archival materials in the archives' reading rooms and in an Internet database. Comparisons with regulations in other German states are also made.