Melchnau Parish, Bern, Switzerland Genealogy

Europe Switzerland Bern  Melchnau parish

Geography
The parish covers over 9 square miles and had a population of over 3600 people in 1850. Melchnau shares a 6 mile border with Luzern canton on its east. The significance of this is that Luzern was a Catholic canton, and prior to the 1848 Federal constitution, the canton’s were separated by a religious divide. Literally, people living in a Swiss reformed canton were not allowed to settle in a Catholic canton and vice versa. Even in the 1840’s there was conflict in the region over religion. After the 1848 constitution there was slow and small changes in religious demographics, even today Melchnau is about 70% Swiss reform.

Surrounding Parishes
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Melchnau Gemeinde
It consists of about 4 square miles and had a population of about 1500 in 1850.

Surnames
The community or gemeinde of Melchnau was the heimat or ancestral home for over 20 different surnames. The Register of Swiss Surnames provides the surnames associated with every gemeinde or community in Switzerland. The register provides correct spellings for surnames and place names.

Locations
A google map that shows the villages in Melchnau centuries old.

Genealogies
There are numerous compiled genealogies that have been created since 1900; however, they need to verified by researching the parish registers since it has been proven that a percentage of them are inaccurate.

The following genealogies have been researched for Melchnau families:
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Church Records
There is an article describing the challenges of using the online collection and a general description of the records. i.e. Taufen, Heiraten, Toten, Auswärtige, and Ausbürger. Melchnau registers are available on microfilm, CD, or online. The German Word List has many of the words you will find in the registers.
 * available for loan at Family History Centers
 * Melchnau registers on CD at Picton Press available for purchase
 * Melchnau online registers can be view at Family History Centers around the world, and by members of the supporting organization, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, from home computers. ................................................................................................................ The parish registers for Melchnau were recorded in the following volumes, as numbered by the Cantonal Archive of Bern:

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

Societies and Libraries
Cantonal Archive of Bern