🇩🇰 Danish Emigrant’s Proof of Military Registration (1900): A Conscription Document for Immigration to America
A rare 1900 Danish military conscription registration document for emigrant Kristian Johannes Jansen, required before his departure to the U.S. Explore how military service impacted emigration, affecting genealogy, history, and immigration policies.
📝 Danish Emigrants' Proof of Registration for Military Service – 1900: A Key Immigration & Military Document
This 1900 Proof of Registration for Military Service belonging to Kristian Johannes Jansen is an important historical document that illustrates how military conscription laws impacted Danish emigrants before they left for America. It serves as both a military record and an immigration artifact, offering insight into the obligations and challenges faced by young men emigrating from Denmark in the early 20th century.
For teachers, students, genealogists, and historians, this document provides a valuable case study on European military conscription, immigration policies, and personal records of emigrants. It is particularly useful in understanding how Danish emigrants navigated their legal responsibilities before embarking on their journey to the United States.
Proof of Registration for Inclusion in the Roll for Kristian Johannes Jansen, a Danish Emigrant to America. He Was Obligated to Fulfill His Conscription Into Danish Military Service. It Was Required to Be Kept by Him. GGA Image ID # 15670ec61a
Danish emigrant carried this document when he later immigrated to the United States in April 1903. It was proof of where he registered for conscription into military service.
Indtegningsbevis om Optagelse i Lægdsrullen af / Proof of Registration for Inclusion in the Roll for:
Fulde Navn/Full Name: Kristian Johannes Jansen
Fødselsaar og Fødselsdag/Date of Birth: 14 July 1882
Fødested/Birthplace: Jessleo Layse Borjlusien Horret???
Faders eller Moders Navn og Livsstilling/Father's or Mother's Name and Position: Garsharant Jews Kristian Jeusen???
Anmeldt/Reviewed: 1899
Naar og hvor optaget i Rullen/ When and where recorded in the Roll:
Aar. Maaned. Dag./Year Month Day: 1900-01-01
Udskrivningskreds/Printing Circuit: 5
Lægd. 508
Bogstav/Letter: F
Nr./No. 13
Lægdsbestyrerens Underskrift/Signature of County Manager: Illegible
Naar og hvor optaget i Rullen/ When and where recorded in the Roll:
Aar. Maaned. Dag./Year Month Day: 1900-01-17
Udskrivningskreds/Printing Circuit: 5
Lægd. 521
Bogstav/Letter: F
Nr./No. 60
Lægdsbestyrerens Underskrift/Signature of County Manager: Illegible
Anm. Dette Bevis bør omhyggeligt bevares og, da det stedse skal værnepligtiges eget Værge, maa det ikke afgives til nogen civil eller militær Myndighed eller vedlægges noget Andragende. Det skal medbringes, naar den værnepligtige fremstiller sig for Sessionen eller møder hos Udskrivningschefen, lægdsforstanderen eller Lægdsmanden. Afgår den Værnepligtige ved Døden, forinden han er udslettet af Rullen, bedes dette Bevis afgivet til Lægds Bestyreren (i Kjøbenhavn: Udskrivning Schefen, i Købstæderne: Lægdsforstanderen, paa Landet: Lægdsmanden) ledsaget af Attest om Dødsfaldet.
Note. This evidence should be carefully preserved, and since it must always be the guardian's guardian, it must not be handed to any civil or military authority or attached to any petition. It must be brought with you when the conscript officer prepares for the Session or meets with the Deputy Chief, the Deputy General, or the Lieutenant. If the conscience departs at death, before the roll obliterates him, this proof must be submitted to the Deputy Manager (in Copenhagen: Deputy Manager, in the Towns: Deputy Prosecutor, in the country: the Deputy) accompanied by the Certificate of Death.
Terms and Conditions, Proof of Registration for Military Service, 6 March 1869, Part 1 of 2. GGA Image ID # 1fb46b9c4a
Terms and Conditions, Proof of Registration for Military Service, 6 March 1869, Part 2 of 2. GGA Image ID # 1fb4d2ea27
📜 Why This Document Is Important in Immigration & Military History
🛂 1. Military Conscription & Emigration in Denmark
✔ In Denmark, all young men were required to register for military service before they could emigrate.
✔ This Proof of Registration ensured that emigrants like Kristian Johannes Jansen had been accounted for in the military system, even if they later left Denmark.
✔ Failure to register could result in legal consequences or difficulties when traveling abroad.
Why This Matters for Immigration History:
✔ Many Danish emigrants still had military obligations in their home country, meaning they were technically liable for service even after moving abroad.
✔ Some emigrants were required to return for mandatory military training if they wished to reclaim their Danish citizenship.
✔ This document provided official proof of compliance with Danish military laws, which could be required when dealing with legal or travel issues.
🛳 2. How This Document Was Used by Emigrants
📜 The Proof of Registration for Inclusion in the Roll was an official record that emigrants were expected to carry when they left Denmark and arrived in America.
✔ It recorded their name, birthdate, birthplace, and registration details, ensuring that they could be identified if needed.
✔ The document specifically states that it must be carefully preserved and not handed over to civil or military authorities unless required.
✔ If the conscript died abroad, the document was supposed to be submitted along with a certificate of death to remove their name from the military rolls.
💡 Why This Matters for Genealogists & Historians:
✔ This type of military record can provide vital clues for researching Danish ancestry, particularly if an emigrant’s birthplace, family details, or military status are unknown.
✔ If your ancestor emigrated from Denmark, they may have had to carry a similar document before departing for America.
✔ This document reflects the bureaucratic processes that emigrants had to follow, shedding light on the official requirements that shaped the migration experience.
📝 3. Kristian Johannes Jansen: A Danish Emigrant’s Story
📜 This document belonged to Kristian Johannes Jansen, born 14 July 1882.
✔ He registered for military service in 1900, fulfilling Denmark’s conscription requirements before emigrating to America in April 1903.
✔ His Proof of Registration lists multiple entries, suggesting that he may have changed locations or transferred military rolls before leaving Denmark.
💡 Why This Is an Important Immigration Story:
✔ Many European emigrants left their home countries partly to escape mandatory military service.
✔ Others fulfilled their registration but never returned for military training, becoming permanent residents in their new country.
✔ This document captures the moment when a young Danish man made the transition from being a subject of Denmark to becoming an emigrant in America.
📸 Noteworthy Images & Their Significance
📜 1. Proof of Registration for Military Service – 1900
👉 An original military document carried by a Danish emigrant, showing his legal obligations before emigrating to America.
📜 2. Terms & Conditions for Military Service Registration (March 6, 1869, Part 1 & 2)
👉 A fascinating look at the legal framework surrounding military conscription and how it applied to emigrants.
🔎 How This Document Helps Teachers, Students & Genealogists
📚 For Teachers & Students:
✔ Provides a firsthand example of Danish military regulations affecting emigration.
✔ Connects European conscription laws with immigration history, showing how state policies influenced migration.
✔ A great primary source for classroom discussions on military service, immigration, and bureaucracy in 19th-century Europe.
🔎 For Genealogists & Family Historians:
✔ Offers clues about an ancestor’s birthplace, legal status, and military registration before emigration.
✔ If your ancestor left Denmark around this time, they likely had to register for military service before departing.
✔ May lead to further military records that could help trace an emigrant’s origins in Denmark.
📝 For Historians & Researchers:
✔ Provides evidence of how European countries tracked their citizens even after they emigrated.
✔ Highlights the intersection of military policy and migration, a crucial factor in 19th and early 20th-century history.
✔ Offers insight into the bureaucratic process involved in leaving one’s home country for a new life abroad.
📖 Final Thoughts: Why This Article Matters
The 1900 Danish Proof of Military Registration is a rare and valuable immigration document that reveals how military obligations influenced emigrants before they left Europe. For many, this document represented a legal hurdle that had to be cleared before they could seek a new life in America.
💡 This article is essential reading for anyone researching Danish ancestry, European emigration laws, and the bureaucratic processes that shaped global migration.
📜 A compelling historical record, this document reflects the complex relationship between military duty, national identity, and the pursuit of freedom through immigration.
