Teufen Parish, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Switzerland Genealogy

Guide to Teufen Parish, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Switzerland ancestry, family history, and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.



Geography
Teufen is part of the Mittelland district. Teufen has an area of 15,3 square kilometers (5.9 square miles). The area is used thusly:

55.4% agriculture 29.8% forest 14% settlement .8% non-productive

Click for a geographical map of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, including Teufen.

History
Teufen (Tiuffen), from 'in the deep', was first mentioned in 1272. By 1300 the area had five farms. In 1525, during the protestant reformation in Switzerland, the parish decided to become protestant.

Surrounding Parishes
Click for a map showing Teufen in relation to the rest of Canton Appenzell Ausserrhoden.

Bühler Sankt Gallen (Sankt Gallen) Schlatt-Haslen (Appenzell Innerrhoden) Speicher Stein

Church Records
The parish records for Teufen are now available online from the Appenzell Ausserrhoden State Archives. They are organized by volume. Click here to access these records.

The protestant parish of Teufen was established as its own parish in 1479. Records available at the Family History Library include baptisms (Taufen) 1597-1875, marriages (Heiraten) 1634-1875, and deaths (Tote) 1653-1875.

Some Catholic records exist for Teufen; these holdings include baptisms (Taufen), marriages (Heiraten), and deaths (Tote) for 1853-1875.

A family register (Familienbuch) for Teufen was compiled in 1830 and available at the Cantonal Archive in Herisau, Switzerland. This book contains individuals from the 1700s.

Genealogies
(see here for article describing Swiss compiled genealogies)

The following genealogies have been researched for Teufen families:

Frehner family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 128,007; see also FHL Film 193,471) Graf family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 193,473) Grubenmann family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 193,473) Hörler family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 193,474) Iller family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 193,475) Künzler family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 1,183,714) Lutz family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 127,973; see also FHL Film 193,478) Müller family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 128,042 and 128,043) Näf/Naef/Neff family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 128,035; see also FHL Film 193,480) Niederer family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 127,965; see also FHL Film 193,480) Rutz family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 193,482) Schoch family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 127,986; see also FHL Film 193,483) Schoch family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 128,009; see also FHL Film 193,483) Signer family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 193,484) Sturzenegger family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 193,485); see also here Tobler family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Films 193,485 and 193,486) Walser family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 193,486) Zellweger family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 128,008; see also FHL Film 193,488) Zuberbühler family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 128,036)

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

Zivilstandsamt Mittelland A.Rh. Postfach 144 CH - 9055 Bühler AR

Tel: +41 71 791 70 91

email: [mailto:za@buehler.ar.ch za@buehler.ar.ch]

Surnames
The following surnames held citizenship in Teufen prior to 1875:

Related Sources
The town's website (in German) can be found here.

Societies and Libraries
Cantonal Archive of Appenzell Ausserrhoden (in German)