Stein Parish, Appenzell, Switzerland Genealogy

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Geography
Stein has an area of 9.4 square kilometers (3.6 square miles). The area is used thusly:

68.3% agriculture 22% forest 8.3% settlement 1.4% non-productive

Click for a geographical map of Appenzell, including Stein.

History
The parish of stein separated from Hundwil in 1749. It was named after the Uf Stein section of the nearby river, where the new church was to be built. Because of a shortage of water, the church was built at its current location.

In 1794, the population was 1,777. By 1818, it had fallen to 1,367, steadily rising from this point to 1,666 in 1850 and 1,957 in 1888.

Locations within Stein
Alpberg Au Aurn Berg Bisersweid Blindenau Boden Brand Bruggli Egg Farnbühel Gmeind Gmeinwerk Gmeinwies Grub Grunholz Gschwend Haasen Hagtobel Halden/Halten Hargarten Horgenbühel Kobel Kochegg Langenegg Lenggern List Mettlen Nord Rämsen Reuthe Schachen Schadleren Schnadt/Schnärth Sonder Stein Stöcken Störgel Störglerbad Untere Grub Wädlen Weilen Weitenau Wies Wilen Würzen Zweibrücken

Surrounding Parishes
Herisau Hundwil Sankt Gallen (Sankt Gallen) Schlatt-Haslen (Appenzell-Innerrhoden) Teufen

Church Records
The protestant parish of Stein was established in 1749 from the parish of Hundwil. Records held by the Family History Library include baptisms (Taufen), marriages (Heiraten), and deaths (Tote) from 1716-1885.

The following family books (Familienbuch) were created for Stein.

Volume 1 (1660) - family registry of citizens (begun about 1790), held at the Cantonal Archive in Herisau Volume 2 (19th century) - family registry of non-citizen residents, held at the Cantonal Archive in Herisau Volume 3 (1823) - family registry of citizens, held at the rectory in Stein

Genealogies
(see here for article describing Swiss compiled genealogies)

The following genealogies have been researched for Stein families:

Bondt family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 193,469)Frehner family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 128,007; see also FHL Film 193,471) Grubenmann family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 193,473) Hug family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 193,475) Hugener family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 193,475)Müller family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 128,042 and 128,043) Schmid family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 1,181,674; see also FHL Film 193,483) Signer family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 193,484) Stricker family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 193,485)Theiler family, by Rosa Holzer (FHL Film 1,183,641) Zuberbühler family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 128,036) Zürcher family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 1,181,672; see also FHL Film 193,488)

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

Zivilstandsamt Hinterland App. A. Rh. Poststrasse 6 CH - 9102 Herisau

Tel: +41 71 354 54 35

Email: [mailto:zivilstandsamt@herisau.ar.ch zivilstandsamt@herisau.ar.ch]

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

Berweger Bischofberger (extinct) Bondt Breitenberg Bruderer Egger (extinct) Engler Enz (extinct) Eugster (extinct) Fässler Fitze Frehner (extinct) Früh Grubenmann Hafner Hofstetter Holderegger Hug Hugener Iller Kern Kessler (extinct) Klarer Knöpfel Koller (extinct) Küng Mettler (extinct) Metzger Mötteli (extinct) Müller Oertle Reifler Ringeisen Rohner (extinct) Schefer Schirmer (extinct) Schläpfer Schmid Schneider Signer Stark Staub (extinct) Steingruber (extinct) Stricker Theiler Vogel (extinct) Waldburger Weiss (extinct) Wettach Widmer Zülle Zuberbühler (extinct) Zürcher

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

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