Rehetobel Parish, Appenzell, Switzerland Genealogy

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Geography
Rehetobel is located south of the mountain Gupf. The village enjoys the longest hours of sunshine in Switzerland on average. It has an area of 6.7 square kilometers (2.6 square miles). The area is used thusly:

53.9% agriculture 35.2% forest 10.9% settlement

History
Rehetobel was settled in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The name was first mentioned in 1463 as an das Rechtobel. The church was built in 1669, when Rehetobel became independent from Trogen. On 9 April 1796, the village was destroyed in a fire; the church was saved. The church was destroyed in another fire on 28 June 1890, and another one was built in 1892.

The population of Reute was 1,643 in 1743. By 1813 the population had grown to 1,860 but fell by 1818 to 1,587. By 1850 it had increased to 1,984.

Locations within Rehetobel
Ausserkaien Bärstang Blatten Büchschwendi Ettenberg Gigeren Habset Ob dem Holz Kaien Lobenschwendi Michlenberg Midegg Nasen Neuschwendi Ochsenbühl Rehetobel Robach Sägholz Städeli

Surrounding Parishes
Eggersriet (Sankt Gallen) Grub Heiden Speicher Trogen Wald

Church Records
The parish of Rehetobel began in 000. Records held by the Family History Library include baptisms (Taufen), marriages (Heiraten), and deaths (Tote) 1669-1875; confirmations (Konfirmanden) 1770-1859; and divorces (Scheidungen) 1758-1787.

A family book (Familienbuch) was created in 1806, and contains entries into the 1700s.

Genealogies
(see here for article describing Swiss compiled genealogies)

The following genealogies have been researched for Speicher families:

Frehner family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 128,007) Graf family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Films 193,472 and 193,473) Lutz family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 127,973; see also FHL Film 193,478) Schoch family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 128,009; see also FHL Film 193,483) Signer family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 193,484) Sturzenegger family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 193,485)

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

Zivilstandsamt Vorderland Appenzell Ausserrhoden St. Gallerstrasse 9 Postfach 13 CH - 9038 Rehetobel

Tel: +41 71 878 70 20

email: [mailto:jeannette.eisenhut@rehetobel.ar.ch jeannette.eisenhut@rehetobel.ar.ch]

Surnames
The following surnames held citizenship in Rehetobel prior to 1875:

Egger Eugster Fässler Graf Kast Kellenberger Kern Lanker Locher Lutz Meier Messner (1812 from Germany) Oertle Rechsteiner Rohner Schläpfer Schmid Signer (1866) Sonderegger Sturzenegger Tobler Walser

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