Müstair Parish, Graubünden, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Müstair / Münster 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 village and former municipality of Müstair (German: Münster) is in the Val Müstair municipality in the district of Inn in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. It is a long linear village and is the lowest and largest village in the Val Müstair and is also the most eastern village in Switzerland.

Müstair (as of 2006) has an area of 77.7 km² (30.0 square miles). The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 24.1% - agricultural purposes
 * 21.1% - forested
 * 0.6% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 54.1% - non-productive

History
In the early 9th Century, Müstair was first mentioned by the name of monasterium Tuberis. Until 1943, Müstair was known as Münster.

Müstair merged into the Val Müstair municipality on 1 January 2009. Other municipalities merged include:
 * Fuldera
 * Lü
 * Santa Maria Val Müstair
 * Tschierv
 * Valchava

The population history of Müstair is: 1835 - 513 inhabitants 1850 - 475 inhabitants 1900 - 599 inhabitants 1950 - 776 inhabitants 2000 - 745 inhabitants 2008 - 748 inhabitants

In contrast to the other valley communities, Müstair did not adopt the Reformation. The Capuchins were in charge of the pastoral care of the village from 1696; their hospice was constructed in 1709.

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

Catholic
Müstair remained Catholic during the Reformation. Church records begin in 1615. The following volumes are available on FamilySearch:
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1785-1875

The following volumes are only available on microfilm at the Graubünden State Archives:
 * Baptisms, marriages 1615-1661; burials 1620-1661
 * Baptisms 1662-1706; marriages 1662-1709; burials 1662-1734; confirmations 1682-1705
 * Baptisms 1704-1800; marriages 1709-1800; confirmations 1738-1767
 * Baptisms 1704-1800; marriages 1709-1800; confirmations 1729-1794
 * Burials 1734-1837
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1800-1837; confirmations 1805-1832
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1838-1875; confirmations 1838-1870


 * Baptism index 1740-1896
 * Family register 1700s; banns 1834-1880
 * Family register 1700s; Status animarum 1762

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

The following censuses are available from FamilySearch for Müstair:
 * 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 Müstair 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)