Switzerland, Basel City, Local Citizenship Requests - FamilySearch Historical Records

SwitzerlandBasel (Land) Canton

What is in the Collection?
This is a collection of extracts of requests of citizenship in the city of Basel, Switzerland. Each individual entry may include place of birth, previous place of residence, occupations, and related individuals. This collection includes an alphabetical index by last name, which provides last name, given name, and page number. These records are part of the Nachlaß F. Weiss-Frei Collection kept in the city archives of Basel, Switzerland. alanced by an inflow of foreigners, particularly from Germany, Italy, and Austria. The communes and cantons were and are responsible for naturalization matters. Most of the foreigners came from neighboring France and Germany, while others came from Italy and other nearby countries. In order for foreigners to have the civil rights to live and work in Switzerland, they needed to apply for citizenship.

For a list of records by dates currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

This collection of citizenship requests from the City of Basel covers the years 1348-1798.

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How Do I Search the Collection?
To search by image:

⇒Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒Select the "Item of interest" category which takes you to the images

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination.

The most important information one can take from this record is the place of origin of the immigrant, but it is first necessary to know the place where the person requested his/her citizenship and when he or she did so.

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * Use the age in the citizen to find an approximate birth year to begin your search in church or civil records.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have moved, been recruited or lived nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify. Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual. This compiled list can help you identify possible relations that can be further verified by researching vital records indexes in the country.
 * When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Save a copy of the image or transcribe the information. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details such as a title, an occupation, or land ownership. Add this new information to your records of each family. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors.
 * Church Records often were kept years before government records were required and are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900.

I Can't Find Who I'm Looking for, What Now?

 * Switch to a different record collection. Depending on the time period, either Civil Registration records or Church Records may be more useful.
 * While searching, it is helpful to know such information as the ancestor’s given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence and age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as an ancestor and that the ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.
 * Keep in mind that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist during the periods our ancestors lived in. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images. Pay special attention to how the name should have been pronounced and try variations on the pronunciation.
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well.
 * Search the indexes and records of local genealogical societies.

Citing this Collection
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