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Switzerland Church Records: Difference between revisions
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''For information about records for non-Christian religions in Switzerland, go to the [[Switzerland Religious Records|Religious Records]] page.'' | ''For information about records for non-Christian religions in Switzerland, go to the [[Switzerland Religious Records|Religious Records]] page.'' | ||
==Overview== | ==Overview== | ||
Church records (parish registers, church books) are an important source for genealogical research in Switzerland before civil registration began. They recorded details of baptisms, marriages, deaths and burials. The vast majority of the population was mentioned. In addition, church records can contain financial account books | Church records (parish registers, church books) are an important source for genealogical research in Switzerland before civil registration began. They recorded details of baptisms, marriages, deaths and burials. The vast majority of the population was mentioned. In addition, church records can contain financial account books (they record charges for toll bells, fees for masses for the dead, and so on), lists of confirmation, penance register, communion lists, lists of members and family books. | ||
You will need to know the religion of your ancestors, as different religions kept separate records. The main religious division in Switzerland was between Catholics (''Katholische'' or ''Catholique'') and Reformed Protestants (''Reformierte'' or ''Réformée''). Catholic records are usually written in Latin or the local language, while other records will be written in the local language. | You will need to know the religion of your ancestors, as different religions kept separate records. The main religious division in Switzerland was between Catholics (''Katholische'' or ''Catholique'') and Reformed Protestants (''Reformierte'' or ''Réformée''). Catholic records are usually written in Latin or the local language, while other records will be written in the local language. | ||
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===History=== | ===History=== | ||
The area now known as Switzerland was introduced to Christianity in the 300s. The Catholic Bishopric of Basel was established in 346. The area fully converted to Christianity by the 600s. The Old Swiss Confederacy was Catholic until the Reformation of the 1520s, which split the confederation into Protestant and Catholic cantons. <br> | The area now known as Switzerland was introduced to Christianity in the 300s. The Catholic Bishopric of Basel was established in 346. The area fully converted to Christianity by the 600s. The Old Swiss Confederacy was Catholic until the Reformation of the 1520s, which split the confederation into Protestant and Catholic cantons. <br> | ||
The Protestant Reformation led to the need for recording who was baptized in a particular religion. In Switzerland, the Reformation was begun in Zürich in the 1520s by Huldrych Zwingli, and quickly spread throughout the confederacy. The Counter-Reformation began in the 1540s and led to forcible conversion of some areas back to Catholicism. Eventually, each | The Protestant Reformation led to the need for recording who was baptized in a particular religion. In Switzerland, the Reformation was begun in Zürich in the 1520s by Huldrych Zwingli, and quickly spread throughout the confederacy. The Counter-Reformation began in the 1540s and led to forcible conversion of some areas back to Catholicism. Eventually, each canton was allowed to establish which religion it would follow, and all residents were required to belong to the established religion. This means that until recently, most cantons adhered to one specific denomination and virtually all residents of the canton belonged to that denomination. | ||
===Denominations=== | ===Denominations=== | ||