Morschach Parish, Schwyz, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Morschach 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, Morschach has an area of 20.8 km2 (8.0 sq mi). The municipality is situated on a glacier moraine above the Lake of Lucerne. It includes the village of Morschach and the summer and winter resort at Stoos.

The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 52.3% - agricultural purposes
 * 36.2% - forested
 * 2.9% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 8.6% - non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains)

History
The first mention of Morschach was in 1261 as Morsacho.

The population history of Morschach is: 1850 - 462 inhabitants 1900 - 518 inhabitants 1950 - 587 inhabitants 2000 - 958 inhabitants

Morschach belonged to the Nidwasser district of the old country of Schwyz. The first church was constructed as early as the 9th century. In 1302, the parish of Morschach was separated from the large parish of Schwyz. Today's parish church of St. Gallus dates from 1509 and was refurbished in 1718-20. From 1869 up to the Great Depression, it was a world-famous resort. Morschach has become a major resort again since the Swiss Holiday Park opened in 1982.

Surrounding parishes
Ingenbohl Muotathal Riemenstalden Seelisberg (UR) Sisikon (UR) Schwyz

Church Records
The parish of Morschach was established in 1302. Records are available from 1705 for baptisms, 1669 for marriages, and 1618 for 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 Morschach.

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

Zivilstandsamt Innerschwyz Herrengasse 17 CH - 6431 Schwyz

Tel: +41 41 819 07 14

email: [mailto:zivilstandsamt@gemeindeschwyz.ch zivilstandsamt@gemeindeschwyz.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 Morschach 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