Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Switzerland

What Is in This Collection?
This collection contains Catholic and Lutheran church records of baptism, marriage and burial from Switzerland.

Reading These Records
These records are written in German and Latin. For help reading these records see: FamilySearch Learning Center videos:
 * German Language and Languages
 * German Genealogical Word List
 * Germany Handwriting
 * Latin Genealogical Word List
 * German Paleography Seminar

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Baptism
 * Child's name
 * Parent's names
 * Witness' names
 * Birth date
 * Birth place
 * Baptism date
 * Parent's residence
 * Father's occupation
 * Child's legitimacy

Marriage
 * Names of the bride and groom
 * Parent's names
 * Marriage date
 * Marriage place
 * Date of banns
 * Residence of bride and groom
 * Occupations

Burial
 * Deceased's name
 * Death date
 * Death place
 * Burial date
 * Burial place
 * Deceased's age
 * Deceased's residence
 * Deceased's occupation
 * Cause of death
 * Name of spouse or parents

Inventory
For a list of all the titles included in this Historical Records publication see Switzerland, Catholic and Lutheran Church Records - Inventory

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * Approximate date of the event

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * If available, check the image for additional information
 * Analyze the entry to see if it provides additional clues to find other records of the person or their family

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * The person may be recorded with an abbreviated or variant form of their name
 * Try searching by surname only

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Switzerland.
 * Switzerland Record Finder
 * Switzerland Research Tips and Strategies

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.