Fribourg Canton, Switzerland Genealogy

Guide to Fribourg canton ancestry, family history and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, parish registers, and military records.

Getting Started
If you are new to Swiss research, you should watch this introductory course. Then study the articles on church records and civil registration, as almost all of your research will be in those two record groups.
 * Introduction to Swiss Research
 * Switzerland Civil Registration
 * Switzerland Church Records

History
The town was founded in 1157 by Berthold IV, Duke of Zähringen. Its name is derived from German frei meaning free and Burg meaning burg. When the treaty with Bern was renewed in 1403 the leaders of the city began a territorial acquisition, in which they gradually brought more nearby land under their control. This laid the ground-work for the Canton of Fribourg. By 1442 the city had control of all the land within about 12 miles, on both sides of the Saane. During the Reformation, Fribourg remained Catholic, although it was nearly surrounded by the Protestant Bern. This led to repeated conflicts over religion in border regions, and in areas controlled jointly by Fribourg and Bern. The city was a major centre of the Counter-Reformation. The invasion of Switzerland by French troops in 1798 lead to the downfall of Fribourg when it capitulated to the French on 2 March and relinquished leadership of its lands. Its leadership was followed by a new and more liberal constitution. Fribourg was part of the 1845-1847 Sonderbund, this was a separate alliance of Catholic cantons attempting to secede from Switzerland. Since 1848, the new national constitution and the amendment to the Canton constitution has guaranteed every citizen the right to vote. Fribourg is a French and German speaking canton. 

Civil Registration
Civil registration began in Aargau Canton in 1876. To understand the records available, read the Wiki article, Switzerland Civil Registration.
 * Addresses for Civil Registration (Zivilstandesamt) Offices (.pdf)
 * You will be able to write your request in German with the help of the German Letter Writing Guide.

Online Census Records

 * 1811 - at FamilySearch — images
 * 1818 - at FamilySearch — images
 * 1831 - at FamilySearch — images
 * 1834 - at FamilySearch —index and images
 * 1836 - at FamilySearch — images
 * 1839 - at FamilySearch — images
 * 1842 - at FamilySearch — images
 * 1845 - at FamilySearch — images
 * 1850 - at FamilySearch — images
 * 1860 - at FamilySearch — images
 * 1870 - at FamilySearch — images
 * 1880 - at FamilySearch — index and images

FamilySearch Microfilmed/Digitized Records
Several parish records have been microfilmed and are currently being digitized. Eventually, all of them will be digitized, so check back frequently. These records may have a restriction for use only at a Family History Center near you.

Instructions:
 * 1) Click on Switzerland, Fribourg FamilySearch Catalog.
 * 2) Open the list "Places within Switzerland, Fribourg". Select your town.
 * 3) A list of record categories will open up. Click on "Church records".
 * 4) A list of available records will appear. Click on the record title you are interested in searching.
 * 5) Scroll down to the list of microfilm numbers. Some combination of these icons will appear at the far right of the microfilm listed for the record. FHL icons.png. The magnifying glass indicates that the microfilm is indexed. Clicking on the magnifying glass will take you to the index. Clicking on the camera will take you to an online digital copy of the microfilm.

Writing for Church Records

 * You will be able to write your request in German with the help of the German Letter Writing Guide.

Reading the Records

 * Reading French Handwritten Records
 * Lesson 1: The French Alphabet
 * Lesson 2: Key Words and Phrases
 * Lesson 3: Reading French Records

Search Strategy
This search strategy will help you determine what to write for. Limit tour requests to just one of these steps at a time. Once you have established that the parish is cooperative and perhaps more willing to do more extensive research (for a fee), you might be able to ask them for more at a time.
 * Search for the relative or ancestor you selected.
 * When you find his birth record, search for the births of his brothers and sisters.
 * Next, search for the marriage of his parents. The marriage record will have information that will often help you find the birth records of the parents.
 * You can estimate the ages of the parents and determine a birth year to search for their birth records.
 * Search the death registers for all known family members.
 * Repeat this process for both the father and the mother, starting with their birth records, then their siblings' births, then their parents' marriages, and so on.
 * If earlier generations (parents, grandparents, etc.) do not appear in the records, search neighboring parishes.