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Swiss citizenship is kept on three levels: the nation, the canton, and the '''"Heimatort," or home community'''. For most people, citizenship was inherited, and residency was not a requirement. The home community was charged with keeping track of its citizens. Therefore, if a birth, marriage, or death of a citizen took place in another parish, notice of the event was often sent to the Heimatort. The information may have been entered in the regular parish register or a special section reserved for “auswärtige Bürger” [out-of-town citizens]. | Swiss citizenship is kept on three levels: the nation, the canton, and the '''"Heimatort," or home community'''. For most people, citizenship was inherited, and residency was not a requirement. The home community was charged with keeping track of its citizens. Therefore, if a birth, marriage, or death of a citizen took place in another parish, notice of the event was often sent to the Heimatort. The information may have been entered in the regular parish register or a special section reserved for “auswärtige Bürger” [out-of-town citizens]. | ||
Because Swiss citizenship was time-consuming and costly to move, '''most kept their ancestral citizenship no matter where they moved'''. | Because Swiss citizenship was time-consuming and costly to move, '''most kept their ancestral citizenship no matter where they moved'''. | ||
*[http://www.hls-dhs-dss.ch/famn/?lg=e '''Register of Swiss Surnames'''] is a list of all surnames in Switzerland as of 1962 and where they held citizenship. This registry is invaluable in locating towns of origin. | |||
To learn how to use the Register of Swiss Surnames, check out the "How to" Guide. First, read through the [[Media:1-Register_of_Swiss_Surnames-Instruction.pdf|'''Instruction''']]; Then test your knowledge with the short [[Media:2-Register_of_Swiss_Surnames-Assignment.pdf|'''Assignment''']] - the [[Media:3-Register_of_Swiss_Surnames-Answer_Key.pdf|'''Answer Key''']] is provided to check your answers. | To learn how to use the Register of Swiss Surnames, check out the "How to" Guide. First, read through the [[Media:1-Register_of_Swiss_Surnames-Instruction.pdf|'''Instruction''']]; Then test your knowledge with the short [[Media:2-Register_of_Swiss_Surnames-Assignment.pdf|'''Assignment''']] - the [[Media:3-Register_of_Swiss_Surnames-Answer_Key.pdf|'''Answer Key''']] is provided to check your answers. | ||
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