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

Click for a geographical map of Appenzell, including Rehetobel.

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
Aach Achwies Ausserkaien Bärstang Berg Blatten Büchschwendi Ettenberg Gigeren Habset Halden Häusern Hinterhabsath Hofmühle Holden Ob dem Holz Kaien Kastenloch Kleinenbuch Kohlrüthy Kressau Langenegg Lobenschwendi Lochersebne Michlenberg Midegg Mühlenberg Nasen Neuschwendi Nord Oberach Obergaden Oberkaien Ochsenbühl Rehetobel Robach Rohschwende Sägholz Sonder Sonhalden Städeli Unteraach Vorderhabsath Weid Zelg

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

Church Records
The parish of Rehetobel was established in 1669 from the parish of Trogen. 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.

The following family books were created for the parish of Rehetobel, and unless otherwise noted are located in the Cantonal Archive in Herisau, Switzerland:

Volume 1 (1733) - household visitation book Volume 2 (1734) - non-citizen residents' register Volume 3 (1773) - household visitation book Volume 4 (1791) - household visitation book Volume 5 (1802) - household roll Volume 6 (1806) - household roll Volume 7 (1806) - family register; microfilmed by the Family History Library Volume 8 (1810) - household roll Volume 9 (1813) - household roll Volume 10 (1822) - household visitation book, in the rectory in Rehetobel Volume 11 (1830) - non-citizen resident family register Volumes 12-13 (1835) citizen family register, in the rectory in Rehetobel Volume 14 (1869) - Descendancy charts of pastor Johannes Oertle Volume 15 (1876) - citizen family register, in the rectory in Rehetobel

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:

Bänziger (extinct) Bodmer (extinct) Egger Ehrbar (extinct) Eugster Fässler Graf Haas (extinct) Herzig (extinct) Kast Kellenberger Kern Kessler (extinct) Knechtle (extinct) Lanker Locher Lutz Meier Messner (1812 from Germany) Oertle Rechsteiner Rohner Schläpfer Schmid Schoch (extinct) Schweizer (extinct) Signer (1866) Sonderegger Spiess (extinct) Sturzenegger Tanner (extinct) Tobler Walser Zürcher (extinct)

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

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