Switzerland, Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Switzerland

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains images of original church records (christenings, marriages, burials, etc.) from various cantons of Switzerland for the years 1277-1992. The images for the canton of Bern can only be viewed at the Family History Library, FamilySearch Centers, and by members of the supporting organization, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Images for Basel-Stadt and Schaffhausen are unrestricted and can be viewed by all users. Original records are maintained in Basel-Stadt, Bern, and Schaffhausen State Archives.

In Switzerland, a parish was an ecclesiastical jurisdiction consisting of many villages and hamlets, with one of the villages designated as the main parish town. Evangelical Church records began as early as the mid to late 1500s in Switzerland; most church records, however, began in the late 1600s. Church records continue to be kept in the present day. Event types were often compiled in separate volumes, for instance, baptisms in one volume and marriages in another. In smaller parishes, however, event types were intermixed and grouped into a volume according to year range. When this is the case, the baptisms, marriages, and burials for one year (e.g. 1785) were grouped together before the baptisms, marriages, and burials for the next year (e.g. 1786), and so on. For a list of records by localities and dates currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

Church records were created to record church sacraments associated with life events (e.g. baptism after birth, burial after death) and those who had received these ordinances. The church records also served as official (civil) records. Church books are one of the most reliable and accurate family history sources. Accuracy in the records is, however, dependent upon the accuracy of the informant’s knowledge coupled with the priest recording the information correctly. Ages, birth dates, and birth places recorded in marriage and death entries have a higher probability of being inaccurate.

The following records may be included in this collection:
 * Taufen (baptisms)
 * Taufenregister (baptism index)
 * Ehen (marriages)
 * Ehenregister (marriage index)
 * Eheverkündigungen (marriage announcements)
 * Eheverkündigungenregister (marriage announcement index)
 * Familienbuch (family book)
 * Familienbuchregister (family book index)
 * Konfirmanden (confirmations)
 * Konfirmandenregister (confirmation index)
 * Toten (deaths/burials)
 * Totenregister (death index)

Reading These Records
These records are written in German. For help reading these records see: FamilySearch Learning Center videos:
 * German Language and Languages
 * German Genealogical Word List
 * Germany Handwriting
 * German Paleography Seminar

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Baptism
 * Names of the child, parents, and witnesses or godparents
 * Date and place of birth
 * Date of baptism (sometimes even the time of birth and baptism)
 * Residence and religion of the parents
 * Occupation of the father and the other males listed
 * Whether the child was legitimate or illegitimate

Marriage
 * Names of the bride, groom, their parents (usually the fathers) and witnesses
 * Date and place of marriage and marriage proclamations or banns
 * Residence of the bride, groom, and their parents
 * Occupation of groom and other males listed

Burial
 * Names of the deceased (sometimes along with names of deceased’s spouse and/or deceased’s parents)
 * Date and place of death and burial
 * Age and residence
 * Cause of death

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * Approximate date of the event

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the age to find an approximate birth year to begin your search in church or civil records
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have moved, been recruited or lived nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify. Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual. This compiled list can help you identify possible relations that can be further verified by researching vital records indexes in the country
 * Church Records often were kept years before government records were required and are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Switch to a different record collection. Depending on the time period, either Civil Registration records or Church Records may be more useful
 * While searching, it is helpful to know such information as the ancestor’s given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence and age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as an ancestor and that the ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times
 * Keep in mind that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist during the periods our ancestors lived in. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images. Pay special attention to how the name should have been pronounced and try variations on the pronunciation
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Switzerland.
 * Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.

Suíça, Registros de Igreja (Registros Históricos do FamilySearch)