Pfeffingen Parish, Basel-Landschaft, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Pfeffingen Parish, Basel-Landschaft, 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 municipality of Pfeffingen (Swiss German: Pfäffige) is in the Arlesheim district and the Basel-Landschaft canton. It is located on the route over the Platten pass and on a terrace that runs along the eastern edge of the Blauenkette.

Pfeffingen (as of 2009) has an area of 4.9 km² (1.9 square miles). The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 32.0% - agricultural purposes
 * 52.7% - forested
 * 14.3% - settled (buildings or roads)

History
In 1156, Pfeffingen was first mentioned by the name of Fefingen. Pfeffingen (Swiss German: Pfäffige) is in the Arlesheim district and the Basel-Landschaft canton.

The population history of Pfeffingen is: 1771 - 47 homes 1820 - 250 inhabitants 1850 - 270 inhabitants 1860 - 273 inhabitants 1870 - 315 inhabitants 1880 - 287 inhabitants 1888 - 297 inhabitants 1900 - 347 inhabitants 1910 - 375 inhabitants 1920 - 406 inhabitants 1930 - 467 inhabitants 1941 - 416 inhabitants 1950 - 429 inhabitants 1960 - 515 inhabitants 1970 - 935 inhabitants 1980 - 1,289 inhabitants 1990 - 1,612 inhabitants 2000 - 2,027 inhabitants 2021 - 2,430 inhabitants

Per the 2000 census:
 * 44.1% were Roman Catholic
 * 34.0% were Swiss Reformed Church
 * 0.35% were Orthodox Church
 * 0.10% were Christian Catholic Church
 * 2.86% were Other Christian Church

Pfeffingen was the religious center of Birseck. In 1322, the Saint-Martin church was mentioned. Until 1803, the Pfeffingen parish included Aesch. Until 1841, the parish included Duggingen and Grellingen. Until 1511, the parish included Himmelried, Nenzlingen and Reinach.

Church Records
The parish church was first mentioned in 1322. The area was Reformed between 1527 and 1589. The parish of Pfeffingen included the municipalities of Nenzlingen until 1622; Aesch until 1803; Duggingen until 1837, and Grellingen until 1845.

Most original parish records for Pfeffingen are only available onsite from the Pfeffingen parish office. The 9 volumes of records include:
 * 1673-1961 Baptisms at Pfeffingen parish office
 * 1665-1961 Marriages at Pfeffingen parish office
 * 1665-1961 Burials at Pfeffingen parish office - with gaps
 * 1672-1961 Confirmations at Pfeffingen parish office - with gaps

Some parish records for Pfeffingen are available online from the Basel-Landschaft State Archive. The 3 volumes of digitized records include:
 * 1830-1876 Baptisms at Basel-Landschaft State Archive
 * 1840-1872 Marriages at Basel-Landschaft State Archive
 * 1840-1876 Burials at Basel-Landschaft State Archive

Census
(See here for information regarding Basel-Landschaft census records.)

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

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

Libraries and archives
State Archives of Basel-Landschaft

Societies
Genealogical-Heraldic Society of Region Basel (GHGRB)