I have read that soldiers were not allowed to marry until they were discharged, or until they posted a bond large enough to support a family in the event that he was killed in battle. This led to many couples living together and bearing children before marriage (“German Marriage Customs, Laws and Records” @ www.genealoger.com/german/ger_marriage.htm.)
Was it the general practice for such unwed soldier-fathers to inform the (Catholic) church where their illegitimate child was being baptized of their fatherhood as recorded in the case of my great-grandfather, Billafingen, Hohenzollern, 1829?
I posted an electronic image of his his baptismal record on the FamilySearch Community Germany Genealogy Research Group website. The translation was done for me by Marion Wolfert (posted @
https://community.familysearch.org/s/question/0D74V000008D5W4/detail?language=en_US&s1oid=00D30000001b00H&s1nid=0DB30000000TNLA&emkind=chatterCommentNotification&s1uid=0053A00000DuZEQ&emtm=1601259157538&fromEmail=1&s1ext=0 on 28 Sept. 2020).
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