Maienfeld Parish, Graubünden, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Maienfeld / Maiavilla 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 municipality of Maienfeld (Romansh: Maiavilla) is in the Landquart Region and the Graubünden canton. It is located on the right side at the junction between the Walenstadt lake road and the old military and commercial transit axis of the Rhine Valley. Maienfeld includes the boroughs of Bovel, Rofels, and St. Luzisteig.

Maienfeld (as of 2004/09) has an area of 32.33 km² (12.48 square miles). The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 43.1% - agricultural purposes
 * 31.9% - forested
 * 5.8% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 19.2% - non-productive

History
In 831, Maienfeld was first mentioned by the name of Lupinis. The name changed over the following centuries and included Magenza, Lopine, Maging, and Magen zu Luppinis. In 1295, the name finally became Maienvelt. Maienfeld (Romansh: Maiavilla) is in the Landquart Region and the Graubünden canton.

The population history of Maienfeld is: 1850 - 1,232 inhabitants 1860 - 1,301 inhabitants 1870 - 1,301 inhabitants 1880 - 1,201 inhabitants 1888 - 1,227 inhabitants 1900 - 1,240 inhabitants 1910 - 1,331 inhabitants 1920 - 1,430 inhabitants 1930 - 1,426 inhabitants 1941 - 1,488 inhabitants 1950 - 1,568 inhabitants 1960 - 1,488 inhabitants 1970 - 1,542 inhabitants 1980 - 1,716 inhabitants 1990 - 1,990 inhabitants 2000 - 2,368 inhabitants 2010 - 2,555 inhabitants 2015 - 2,767 inhabitants 2020 - 3,029 inhabitants

Per the 2000 census:
 * 29.1% were Roman Catholic
 * 58.4% were Swiss Reformed Church
 * 0.84% were Orthodox Church
 * 1.35% were another Christian church
 * 1.48% were Islamic

A "tithe church", belonging to the abbey of Pfäfers, is documented in Lupinis around 840. The parish church of Maienfeld (dedicated to Saint Amand according to a document of 1105) was a subdivision of Sankt Luzisteig. The city adopted the Reformation in 1529.

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.

Reformed
The parish of Maienfeld is ancient. It became Reformed in 1529. Church records begin in 1720. The following volumes are only available on microfilm at the Graubünden State Archives:
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1720-1826
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1827-1859
 * Baptisms 1837-1875
 * Baptisms 1859-1875
 * Baptisms 1837-1880
 * Confirmations 1763-1848
 * Confirmations 1849-1858
 * Marriages, burials 1837-1875
 * Marriages, burials, confirmations 1859-1875

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

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