Valchava Parish, Graubünden, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Valchava / Valcava 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 Valchava (German: Valcava) is in the Val Müstair of the canton of Graubünden Switzerland. It includes the linear village of Valchava above Santa Maria Val Müstair and the alpine settlements of Chaunt and Valpaschun.

Valchava (as of 2006) has an area of 16.7 km² (6.4 square miles). The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 46% - agricultural purposes
 * 33.9% - forested
 * 1.4% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 18.7% - non-productive

History
In 1331, Valchava was first mentioned by the name of Valchava. Until 1943, Valchava was known as Valcava.

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

The population history of Valchava is: 1850 - 208 inhabitants 1900 - 218 inhabitants 1950 - 252 inhabitants 2000 - 202 inhabitants 2008 - 203 inhabitants

The church already existed in 1418. In the 1530s, the Reformation was adopted. Valchava had its own pastor through 1783-1870. The Catholic Church was dedicated in 1896.

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
Valchava had its own priest between 1783-1870; records may be found in Fuldera or Santa Maria Val Müstair. Church records begin in 1837. The following volume is available on FamilySearch:
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1837-1875

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

These censuses enumerated Valchava and Valpaschun separately.

The following censuses are available from FamilySearch for Valchava and Valpaschun:

Valchava


 * 1835
 * 1838
 * 1848
 * 1850
 * 1850, form C

Valpaschun


 * 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 Valchava 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)