Degen Parish, Graubünden, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Degen / Igels Parish, Graubünden, Switzerland, ancestry, family history, and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, parish census, civil census, family history, area history, and military records.



Geography
The former municipality of Degen (German: Igels) was in the district of Surselva in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. It was located in the Lugnez sub-district of the Surselva district. It was on a terrace about 200 m (660 ft) above the Glenner valley floor. It included the village of Degen and the hamlets of Rumein und Vattiz.

Degen (as of 2006) has an area of 6.8 km² (2.6 square miles). The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 78.1% - agricultural purposes
 * 10.9% - forested
 * 4% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 7% - non-productive

History
In 840, Degen was first mentioned by the name of Higenae/Egenae. It was officially known as Igels until 1983.

Degen merged into the Lumnezia municipality on 1 January 2013. Other municipalities merged include:
 * Cumbel
 * Lumbrein
 * Morissen
 * Suraua
 * Vignogn
 * Vella
 * Vrin

The population history of Degen is: 1808 - 232 inhabitants 1850 - 255 inhabitants 1900 - 214 inhabitants 1950 - 323 inhabitants 2000 - 247 inhabitants 2011 - 235 inhabitants

Ecclesiastically, Degen, Rumein and Vattiz were part of the valley church of Pleif (Vella) from 1345 until the parish of Degen began in 1891. The Marienkirche (hall church with a trapezoidal underpinned apse) probably dates from the 8th century. The high altar was consecrated in 1491 and the current building in 1504. Since the end of the 13th century, Degen also included the Saint-Sébastien chapel.

Church Records
Original church records are held in the local municipal archive or civil registration office. Microfilm copies are available at the Graubünden State Archives.

Digital images of church records are available on FamilySearch. These records have a restriction for use only at a FamilySearch center near you.

Catholic
The parish of Degen has existed since at least 1345, but was part of the parish of Vella. Church records begin in 1838. See Vella for earlier records. The following volumes are available on FamilySearch:
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1838-1900

Census
(See here for information regarding Graubünden census records.)

The following censuses are available from FamilySearch for Degen:
 * 1835
 * 1838
 * 1848
 * 1850
 * 1850, form C

Civil Registration
Civil registration began in 1876.

Duplicate civil registration registers are located at the Graubünden State Archives. The following records are available:
 * Both A and B registers are available through 1916-1917 and are open without restriction.
 * Family registers are available from at latest 1860 through 1910; these records are viewable but require permission to access. For more information, contact the State Archive.

Surnames
The following surnames held citizenship in Degen prior to 1875:

Related sources
The town's website (in Romansh and German) can be found here.

Libraries and archives
State Archives of Graubünden

Societies
Rätische Vereinigung für Familienforschung (RVFF)

Società Genealogica della Svizzera italiana (SGSI)