Vaud Canton, Switzerland Genealogy

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

History
At the beginning of the 15th century the land was occupied by troops from Bern. By 1536 the area was completely annexed. Reformation was started. The Bernese occupiers were not popular among the population. In 1723, a revolt against Bern, in protest at what was seen as a denial of political rights of the French-speaking Vaudois by the German-speaking Bernese. In 1803, Vaud joined the re-installed Swiss confederation and in spite of Bernese attempts to reclaim Vaud, it has remained a sovereign canton ever since. In the 19th century, the canton of Vaud was an outspoken opponent of the Sonderbund Catholic separatist movement, which led to what is called the Sonderbund War. The current constitution dates from 14 April 2003, replacing the one from 1885. Vaud is a French speaking canton. 

Research Tools

 * Switzerland, Canton of Vaud Land and Property Records (FamilySearch Historical Records), online collection
 * Vaud, Family pages by surname