Ardez Parish, Graubünden, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Ardez / Steinsberg 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 former municipality of Ardez is in the Sur Tasna sub-district of the Inn district and the Graubünden canton. It is located on the left bank of the Inn river in the lower Engadin valley. Ardez includes the village of Ardez and the Bos-cha and Sur En hamlets.

Ardez (as of 2006) has an area of 61.4 km² (23.7 square miles). The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 29.7% - agricultural purposes
 * 20.0% - forested
 * 0.8% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 49.5% - non-productive

History
In 840, Ardez was first mentioned by the name of Ardezis. It was known by the German name of Steinsberg into the 19th century. Ardez is in the Inn district and the Graubünden canton.

Ardez merged into the Scuol municipality on 1 January 2015. Other municipalities merged include:
 * Ftan
 * Guarda
 * Scuol
 * Sent
 * Tarasp

The population history of Ardez is: 1835 - 599 inhabitants 1850 - 586 inhabitants 1900 - 612 inhabitants 1910 - 1,005 inhabitants 1950 - 541 inhabitants 1960 - 480 inhabitants 1970 - 491 inhabitants 1980 - 383 inhabitants 1990 - 393 inhabitants 2000 - 401 inhabitants 2014 - 427 inhabitants

Prior to 1209, the fortified church Saint-Lucius was established. The former parish of Ardez included Ardez, Guarda, Lavin, Susch and Galtür all located in the Paznaun valley. In 1538, the Reformation was adopted. In 1576, the church was reconstructed.

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

Reformed
Ardez was established as a Reformed parish in 1538. Church records begin in 1800. The following volumes are available on FamilySearch:
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1800-1837
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1838-1875

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

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