Freienbach Parish, Schwyz, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Freienbach Parish, Schwyz, Switzerland, ancestry, family history, and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, parish census, civil census, family history, area history, and military records.



Geography
As of 2006, Freienbach has an area of 13.8 km2 (5.3 sq mi). The municipality is situated on Lake Zurich and stretches from the lake (elevation 406 m (1,332 ft)) to the Etzel mountain (elevation 1,098 m (3,602 ft)). It includes the villages of Freienbach, Pfäffikon (not to be confused with Pfäffikon in the canton of Zurich), Wilen, Bäch, Hurden (located on the Seedamm) and the two islands of Lützelau and Ufenau (Ufnau).

The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 40.7% - agricultural purposes
 * 23.8% - forested
 * 31% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 4.5% - non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains)

History
The first mention of Freienbach was in 972 as Friginbach.

The population history of Freienbach is: 1743 - 1198 inhabitants 1850 - 2058 inhabitants 1900 - 2270 inhabitants 1950 - 3950 inhabitants 1970 - 8429 inhabitants 2000 - 13055 inhabitants

In 965, Emperor Otto I donated the land rights over Freienbach to Einsiedeln Abbey, which built a tower in Pfäffikon around 1250. Spiritually, Freienbach initially belonged to the parish of Ufenau, then was erected as an independent parish in 1308. The chapel of Pfäffikon was consecrated in 1132, that of Freienbach in 1150, and the current parish church of St. Adalrich was built in 1672-1674. The village of Freienbach was set on fire in 1443, during the Zurich war, which enabled the Confederates to dislodge the Austrians and the Zurich residents. In 1762, the Abbey of Einsiedeln had the Leutschen house built on its wine estate, a superb building with cellars and a press. The municipal administration is situated in Pfäffikon.

Surrounding parishes
Altendorf Einsiedeln Feusisberg Hombrechtikon (ZH) Jona (SG) Rapperswil (SG) Richterswil (ZH) Stäfa (ZH) Wollerau

Church Records
The parish of Freienbach was established in 1308. Records are available from 1641 for baptisms, and 1642 for marriages and burials.

Digital copies of the church records can be accessed onsite at the Schwyz State Archives. The archive has an online inventory of the records for Freienbach.

Civil Registration
Civil registration began in 1876. Freienbach belongs to the Ausserschwyz civil registration district. Records are only available in Switzerland. For further information, contact the civil registry office at:

Zivilstandsamt Ausserschwyz Unterdorfstrasse 9 Postfach 140 CH - 8808 Pfäffikon

Tel: +41 55 416 93 00

email: [mailto:zivilstandsamt@Freienbach.ch zivilstandsamt@freienbach.ch]

Duplicate civil registration registers are located at the Schwyz State Archives. Additionally, the archive has a partial inventory of its holdings. The following records are viewable in person:


 * Births before 1900
 * Marriages before 1930
 * Deaths before 1960

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

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

Libraries and archives
State Archives of Schwyz

Societies
Zentralschweizerische Gesellschaft für Familienforschung

Historischer Verein des Kantons Schwyz