Gais Parish, Appenzell, Switzerland Genealogy

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Geography
Gais is located in the district of Appenzell Mittelland district. Gais has an area of 21.2 square kilometers (8.2 square miles). The area is used thusly:

49.1% agriculture 44.3% forests 6.2% settlement .4% non-productive

History
The village of de Gais was first mentioned in 1272 as part of the Abbey of St. Gall. By the 1300s, Gais was operating as an independent community. By the 1400s the town was allied with Appenzell, and one of the most important battles of the Appenzell Wars, the battle of Stoss Pass, took place in Gais. In 1667, the population was 1,870; by 1850, the population had risen to 2,470 and by 1900 was at 2,854.

Surrounding Parishes
Altstätten (Sankt Gallen) Appenzell (Appenzell-Innerrhoden) Bühler Eichberg (Sankt Gallen) Rüte (Appenzell-Innerrhoden) Schlatt-Haslen (Appenzell-Innerrhoden) Trogen

Church Records
The parish of Gais has existed since the fourteenth century. Records held at the Family History Library include baptisms (Taufen) 1594-1875, and marriages (Heiraten) and deaths (Tote) 1620-1875.

Family books (Familienbuch) from the 19th century, found in four volumes, are available at the Cantonal Archive in Herisau, Switzerland.

Genealogies
(see here for article describing Swiss compiled genealogies)

The following genealogies have been researched for Gais families:

Frehner family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 128,007; see also FHL Film 193,471) Holderegger family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 193,474) Kern family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 193,476) Kürsteiner family, by John Schiess Müller family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Films 128,042 and 128,043) Näf/Nef family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 128,035; see also FHL Film 193,480) Preisig family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 128,084) Schiess family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 128,044) Schiess family, by John Schiess Schmid family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 599,106; see also FHL Film 193,483) Zellweger family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 128,008) Zuberbühler family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 128,036)

Civil Registration
Civil registration began in 1876. Gais belongs to the Mittelland Appenzell civil registration district. Records are only available in Switzerland. For further information, contact the civil registry office at:

Zivilstandsamt Mittelland A.Rh. Postfach 144 CH - 9055 Bühler AR

Tel: +41 71 791 70 91

email:[mailto:za@buehler.ar.ch za@buehler.ar.ch]

Surnames
The following surnames held citizenship in Gais prior to 1875: Auer Bischofberger (extinct) Biser Bodenmann (extinct) Bruderer Eisenhut Engler (extinct) Enz (1873 from Herisau) Fitzi Frehner Gingg Gmünder Gross (extinct) Grunholzer Haas Heierli Heim Hofstetter Holderegger Höhener Jakob Kern Kessler (extinct) Knechtli Koller Krüsi Küng Kürsteiner Laich/Leich (1815) Langenegger Lanker Lendenmann/Lindenmann Mädler (extinct) Menet Mösli Nagel Oberteufer (extinct) Preisig Rechsteiner Rösch (extinct) Scheuss Schiess Schläpfer Schmid Sonderegger Walser Weiler (extinct) Weishaupt Wetter Wick Widmer Willi Wirth (extinct) Zellweger Zuberbühler Zürcher

Related Sources
The town's website (in German) can be found here.

Societies and Libraries
Cantonal Archive of Appenzell-Ausserrhoden (in German)