Innerthal Parish, Schwyz, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Innerthal 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, Innerthal has an area of 50.2 km2 (19.4 sq mi). The municipality is situated on Wägitalersee, a reservoir in the upper Wägital.

The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 34.9% - agricultural purposes
 * 34.1% - forested
 * 0.4% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 30.6% - non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains)

History
The first mention of Innerthal was in 1259 as Wegental. Innerthal was known as Hinterwäggithal until 1888.

The population history of Innerthal is: 1850 - 302 inhabitants 1900 - 363 inhabitants 1930 - 223 inhabitants (after the power plant was built) 1950 - 210 inhabitants 1990 - 151 inhabitants 2000 - 167 inhabitants

Until 1785, the mother church of Hinterwäggithal also consisted of Vorderwäggithal (Vorderthal), erected as an independent parish in 1816. The old village of Innerthal was lost when the power plant was built with over 100 people having to relocate. In 1924, it was submerged after the construction of the dam and the power station. A new collective, with the parish church, cure, and school, was formed above the northeast bank of the artificial lake, at an altitude of 915 m., and in 1988, obtained a new town hall.

Surrounding parishes
Einsiedeln Glarus (GL) Muotathal Näfels (GL) Oberurnen (GL) Schübelbach Unteriberg Vorderthal

Church Records
The parish of Innerthal, known as Hinterwäggithal until 1888, is ancient. Records are available from 1653 for baptisms, and 1683 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 Innerthal.

Civil Registration
Civil registration began in 1876. Innerthal 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 Innerthal 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