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Schweiz, Schaffhausen Kirchenbücher 1540-1875

Record Description
Event types were often compiled in separate volumes, for instance, baptisms in one volume and marriages in another. In some parishes, however, event types were intermixed and grouped into a volume according to year range. When this is the case, the baptisms, marriages, and burials for one year (e.g. 1785) were grouped together before the baptisms, marriages, and burials for the next year (e.g. 1786), and so on.

Records in this online collection can be browsed by locality (Ort) first, then by event type, and then chronologically. The event types are given in German: Taufen, Ehen, Tote (Baptisms, Marriages, Deaths). Name indexes (Namenverzeichnis) and event indexes (e.g. Ehenregister) are included when available. A variety of record formats are contained within these records.

In Switzerland, a parish was an ecclesiastical jurisdiction consisting of many villages and hamlets, with one of the villages designated as the main parish town.

Swiss church records are typically in German or Latin. Regional dialect affects the spelling of some German words and the use of vocabulary words. For example, in Schaffhausen, Gatte is used for groom and Gattin for bride, instead of Bräutigam for groom and Braut for bride.

Translation Help: These records are in German. For more help with reading the records see the following resources:
 * Switzerland Language and Languages
 * German Word List

Record Content
Baptism records usually include:
 * Names of the child, parents, and witnesses or godparents
 * Date and place of birth
 * Date of baptism (sometimes even the time of birth and baptism)
 * Residence and religion of the parents
 * Occupation of the father and the other males listed
 * Whether the child was legitimate or illegitimate

Marriage records usually include:
 * Names of the bride, groom, their parents (usually the fathers) and witnesses
 * Date and place of marriage and marriage proclamations or banns
 * Residence of the bride, groom, and their parents
 * Occupation of groom and other males listed

Burial records usually include:
 * Names of the deceased
 * Sometimes names of deceased’s spouse and/or deceased’s parents were included
 * Date and place of death and burial
 * Age, residence, and house number where event occurred
 * Cause of death

Searching the Collection
To browse the collection by image: ⇒Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒Select the "Record Type" category ⇒Select the "Record Description" category which takes you to the images.

Information to Search For

 * Given names and nicknames
 * Names of spouses
 * Variant spellings of names
 * Other identifying information such as location and date of the event
 * If there is an index, remember that indexes may contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.

After Finding Your Ancestor

 * carefully evaluate each piece of information given to find new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors.
 * Use these Schaffhausen church records to identify ancestors (individuals, their parents, and their spouses) and make family connections.
 * Use the birth date, age, and place of birth to find birth records and parents' names
 * Use the parent’s birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family

Tips

 * There may be some variation in the information given from one record to another.
 * Search the records of nearby localities.
 * Occupations listed can lead you to employment records or other types of records such as military records.
 * Compile a list of marriage entries for others who have the same surname as the bride or groom. These other individuals may be children, siblings, parents, or other relatives of the bride and groom the were also married in the same place or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Church books are the one of the most reliable and accurate family history sources. Accuracy in the records is, however, dependent upon the accuracy of the informant’s knowledge coupled with the priest recording the information correctly. Ages, birth dates, and birth places recorded in marriage and death entries have a higher probability of being inaccurate.

Related FamilySearch Historical Records

 * Switzerland, Fribourg, Census (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Switzerland, Schaffhausen, Stein am Rhein, Church Records and other Miscellaneous City Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Related Wiki Articles

 * Switzerland
 * Switzerland Websites
 * Switzerland Church Records

Related Websites

 * Switzerland Historic Maps
 * Schaffhausen Stadtarchiv
 * Switzerland GenWeb Project