Klosters Parish, Graubünden, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Klosters 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 former municipality of Klosters (Romansh: Claustra) is in the Klosters sub-district of the Prättigau/Davos district and the Graubünden canton. It is located at the top of the Prättigau valley. It consists of the villages of Serneus and Klosters, plus sections of Äuja, Dorf, Monbiel, Platz, and Selfranga

Klosters (as of 2016) has an area of 219.8 km² (84.87 square miles). The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 24.7% - agricultural purposes
 * 19.5% - forested
 * 1.6% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 54.2% - non-productive

History
In 1222, Klosters was first mentioned by the name of ecclesiam sancti Iacobi. In 1436 as zuo dem Closter. Klosters (Romansh: Claustra) is in the Prättigau/Davos district and the Graubünden canton. After 2017, Klosters became part of the Prättigau/Davos Region.

In 1865, Klosters-Serneus was created through the merger of the formerly independent municipalities of Serneus and Klosters. Until 1873, Klosters-Serneus was known as Klosters. Klosters merged into the Klosters-Serneus municipality on 1 January 2016. Other municipalities merged include: In 2021, the municipality name was shortened to Klosters.
 * Klosters-Serneus
 * Saas im Prättigau

The population history of Klosters is: 1850 - 1,302 inhabitants 1860 - 1,372 inhabitants 1870 - 1,473 inhabitants 1880 - 1,529 inhabitants 1888 - 1,529 inhabitants 1900 - 1,555 inhabitants 1910 - 1,719 inhabitants 1920 - 2,136 inhabitants 1930 - 2,558 inhabitants 1941 - 2,774 inhabitants 1950 - 2,978 inhabitants 1960 - 3,181 inhabitants 1970 - 3,534 inhabitants 1980 - 3,487 inhabitants 1990 - 3,542 inhabitants 2000 - 3,890 inhabitants 2010 - 4,650 inhabitants 2015 - 4,537 inhabitants 2020 - 4,416 inhabitants

Per the 2000 census:
 * 23.0% were Roman Catholic
 * 66.5% were Swiss Reformed Church
 * 2.72% were Orthodox Church
 * 0.33% were Other Christian Church

In 1482, the parish church of Saint-Laurent in Saas im Prättigau was mentioned. In 1526, the Reformation was adopted. In 1921, a Catholic church was built. It was rebuilt in 1963.

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.

Reformed
Klosters embraced the Reformation in 1527 and became a separate parish. Church records begin in 1714. The following volumes are available on FamilySearch:
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1714-1736
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1736-1793
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1793-1833; emigration 1804
 * Baptisms 1834-1872
 * Baptisms 1872-1875; index to baptisms 1834-1875; baptism extracts 1809-1850
 * Marriages, burials 1834-1875

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

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