Switzerland Civil Registration

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Switzerland

Civil Registration

Definition

Civil registration is the government record of births, marriages, and deaths. These civil registers are kept by the Zivilstandesamt of each political community.

Time Coverage

Nationwide civil registration began on 1 Jan 1876. Several cantons began keeping records earlier.

• Pre-1876 civil registration records are also available for the following cantons:
  • Fribourg, beginning in 1849
  • Genève: 1798
  • Neuchatel: 1825
  • Vaud: 1821
  • Valais: 1853.

Originally the Zivilstandesamt kept two separate sets of books: A-registers [records of births, marriages, and deaths occurring in the community] and B- registers [births, marriages, and deaths of community citizens that occurred outside the community]. In 1928, the B-registers were discontinued and replaced by Familienregister [family registers] kept by the civil registrar. This volume consists of a separate page for each married couple and their children. Entries may include the couple’s parents’ names and notes about occupation, emigration, or other unusual circumstances.

Bürgerbücher or Bürgerrodel [Citizens’ Books] were kept by some communities as early as the 1820s and contain about the same information as found in the modern Familienregister. In most cases these books have not been microfilmed. Requests for information concerning ancestral families may be obtained by writing to the appropriate Zivilstandesamt.

Type of Information Given in Civil Registration Records

Birth registers:  name, date and place of birth of child;  names, residence and occupation of the parents.

Marriage registers:  names, ages, residences occupation of bride and groom; date and place of marriage, names, residence, occupation of parents; names of witnesses and person who performed the ceremony.

Death registers:  name of deceased, age, sometimes place of birth, date and place of death, occupation, name of surviving spouse, name and residence of informant, cause of death, sometimes names of parents, sometimes names of children.

A wiki article describing an online collection is found at:
Switzerland, Canton Bern Civil Registration (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Accessing the Records

• Access to records less than 100 years old is generally restricted to direct-line relatives.
• An up-to-date Excel file with contact information for civil registration offices nationwide can be downloaded at: Addresses for Civil Registration (Zivilstandesamt) Offices (.pdf)
• Consult the Language Map of Switzerland, and then write your request in the appropriate language:
  • Germany Letter Writing Guide
  • Italy Letter Writing Guide
  • French Letter Writing Guide

Online Civil Registration Records

• 1792 - 1876 - Switzerland, Bern, Civil Registration, 1792-1876 at FamilySearch — index and images