Switzerland, Schaffhausen, Directories, Emigration, and Genealogies - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
The genealogies in this collection cover material starting as early as 1460 and go through about 1900. The city directories vary in the years covered (1865-1952); most are for the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Record History
This collection includes city directories (various directories from 1865 to 1952) and compiled genealogies for the Schaffhausen area. The three compiled genealogies are especially valuable; they compile vital information (names, dates, and places) for Schaffhausen families and arrange this data by surname. Persons seeking information about a particular ancestor can look up the ancestor by surname and likely will add multiple generations to their pedigree.

Why This Record Was Created
City directories were created to enumerate the households in the Schaffhausen area. The genealogies were compiled from the available vital records to collect information about Schaffhausen families.

Record Reliability
City directories are fairly reliable sources for a person’s address. Other information found in the entries (for example, the wife’s surname or the occupation of the householder) is only as reliable as the person who provided the information. Compiled genealogies include information usually extracted from original records; however, sometimes the data is from personal memory. In any case, the data is only as reliable as the original source (records or memory) and should be corroborated with other available records.

Record Description
Some bleed-through of the ink may be found on pages of this collection, which may make reading the records difficult.

Record Content
Key genealogical facts found in most of the city directories include: • Householder’s surname and given name • Householder’s street and number • Householder’s occupation • In later records, the maiden name of householder’s wife

Key genealogical facts found in most of the genealogies include: • Husband’s name and vital information (birth, marriage, and death) • Wife’s maiden name and vital information (birth and death) • Children’s names with vital information, sometimes including “see also” references to other pages in the genealogies • Sometimes data for several generations of people

How to Use the Record
City directories are arranged by year and then within the year, separated alphabetically by the first letter of the surname. Earlier city directories are in Gothic typeface; later directories are in Roman typeface. To use a city directory, search for the surname of your ancestor in the main directory and in the business section (he might have owned a business in the area).

Genealogies are arranged by genealogy type (Bartenschlager Harder, Bartenschlager, or Bartenschlager-Bäschlin), then by the first letter of the surname, and finally alphabetically by surname. The beginning of each volume usually has a register or Inhalt, which is a list of the names covered. Page through to find the surname you want. There is usually a title page for the surname with the family crest before the data begins. The data is divided on a page by families; the father or husband appears first with his vital information, followed by the wife and her vital information, and then the children are enumerated. Sometimes you will find “see also” references that direct you to more information about the person. For example, “v. S. 34” means “see page 34,” or “vid. Pag. 59” means “see page 59.” These genealogies are handwritten using the old German script and may at times be difficult to read. Abbreviations and symbols are also used heavily throughout the genealogies. The language used is Swiss German (for example: Junÿ equals Juni or June and Julÿ equals Juli or July).

Sources of This Collection
This is a collection of digital copies of original records housed at Schaffhausen Stadtarchiv, Fronwagplatz 24, CH 8200 Shaffhausen, Switzerland.

Related Websites
The Schaffhausen Stadtarchiv’s website can be found at http://www.stadtarchiv-schaffhausen.ch/.

Related Wiki Articles
Switzerland Genealogy

How to Cite Your Sources
Instructions for citing this source can be found at: Cite Your Sources (Source Footnotes)