Hello,
yes, it is true that people leaving the 'state' of Oldenburg had to register
with local authorities.
However, it is estimated, that more than half of all emigrants left the
country without registration.
Furthermore, many of those registration files have not survived the times. A
reasonably complete set of files is available for the time of 1869 - 1930 at
the State Archive in Oldenburg, Bestand 136.
Regards
Gerold Diers (Oldenburg Genealogical Society)
Thank you, Gerold. Was there any record kept of people moving from, for example, Vechta to Bremerhaven seeking employment, or if they moved from Oldenburg to Prussia or Hannover, which would have been, as I understand it, essentially different "nations?"
-rex