Suhr Parish, Aargau, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Suhr, Aargau, 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 Suhr is in the Aarau district and the Aargau canton. It is located in the lower Suhr valley.

Suhr (as of 2006) has an area of 10.6 km² (4.1 square miles). The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 29.9% - agricultural purposes
 * 44.4% - forested
 * 25.2% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 0.5% - non-productive

History
In 1045, Suhr was first mentioned by the name of Surah. Suhr is in the Aarau district and the Aargau canton.

Until 1810, the municipality of Suhr included the communities of Buchs and Rohr.

The population history of Suhr is: 1764 - 680 inhabitants 1803 - 1,039 inhabitants 1850 - 1,422 inhabitants 1900 - 1,808 inhabitants 1950 - 3,737 inhabitants 1975 - 7,433 inhabitants 1980 - 7,096 inhabitants 1990 - 7,751 inhabitants 2000 - 8,259 inhabitants 2020 - 10,724 inhabitants

Per the 2000 census:
 * 29.0% were Roman Catholic
 * 44.7% were Swiss Reformed Church
 * 0.19% were Christian Catholic Church

Since the Middle Ages, Suhr was the center of a parish. In 965, Oberentfelden separated from the parish. In 1300, Gränichen separated from the parish. After the Reformation, Aarau separated in 1528, Untermuhen separated in 1543, and Rupperswil separated in 1681. In 1798, the Suhr parish included Suhr, Buchs (until 1946), Rohr (until 1946), Hunzenschwil (until 1959), and Unterentfelden (until 1959). In the 8th century, a parish church was built. In 1495, it was rebuilt. In 1994, it was restored. In 1953, the Catholic parish was founded. In 1961, the Church of the Holy Spirit was consecrated.

Church Records
The parish of Suhr is ancient. After the Reformation, the parish included Aarau (until 1568), Untermuhen (until 1543), Rupperswil (until 1681), Buchs (until 1946), Rohr (until 1946), Unterentfelden (until 1959), and Hunzenschwil (until 1960).

Original church records are located onsite at the Suhr municipal archive. Microfilm copies of the following church records are available onsite at the Aargau State Archives:
 * Baptisms 1610-1640 (organized by location)
 * Baptisms 1641-1683 (organized by location)
 * Baptisms 1684-1704, marriages 1708-1743; burials 1710-1713, 1725-1743 (organized by location)
 * Baptisms 1705-1743; burials 1706-1709 (organized by location)
 * Baptisms 1744-1789 (organized by location)
 * Baptisms 1789-1816, organized by location:
 * Buchs: baptisms 1789-1816; baptisms non-resident citizens 1837-1874
 * Hunzenschwil: baptisms 1789-1816; baptisms non-resident citizens 1850-1874
 * Rohr: baptisms 1789-1816; baptisms non-resident citizens 1852-1875
 * Suhr: baptisms 1789-1816; baptisms non-resident citizens 1820-1874; banns 1846-1852
 * Unterentfelden: baptisms 1789-1816; baptisms, marriages, burials non-resident citizens 1836-1874
 * Baptisms 1837-1836
 * Baptisms 1837-1863
 * Baptisms 1864-1875
 * Marriages, burials 1743-1752
 * Marriages 1751-1799
 * Marriages 1800-1816; banns 1810-1845
 * Marriages 1817-1852
 * Marriages 1853-1874
 * Marriages 1874-1875
 * Marriages, non-resident citizens 1817-1867
 * Marriages, non-resident citizens 1867-1875
 * Burials 1751-1799
 * Burials 1800-1816
 * Burials 1817-1856
 * Burials 1857-1875

Post-1875 church records are found onsite at the Suhr parish church office.

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

The following censuses are available from FamilySearch for Aarau:
 * 1837 (images 112-140)
 * 1850: Form A (images 444-477)
 * 1850: Form B (images 478-479)

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

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

Libraries and archives
State Archives of Aargau

Societies
Genealogical-Heraldic Society of Bern (GHGB)