Vals Parish, Graubünden, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Vals / Val 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.

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 some church records are available on FamilySearch. These records have a restriction for use only at a family history center near you.

Catholic
Vals became an independent parish in 1345. Church records begin in 1629. The following volumes are only available on microfilm at the Graubünden State Archives:
 * Baptisms 1631-1778; marriages 1631-1816; confirmations 1716-1804
 * Burials 1631-1787
 * Baptisms 1778-1818
 * Baptisms 1778-1816; marriages 1818-1838; burials 1816-1875; confirmations 1819-1830
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1842-1875; confirmations 1844-1875

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

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