Marmorera Parish, Graubünden, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Marmorera / Marmels / Murmarera 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 Marmorera (Romansh: Murmarera / German: Marmels) is in the Surses sub-district of the Albula district and the Graubünden canton. It is located on the eastern shore of the Marmorera Lake.

Marmorera (as of 2006) has an area of 19.0 km² (7.3 square miles). The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 35.6% - agricultural purposes
 * 23.0% - forested
 * 1.0% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 40.4% - non-productive

History
In 840, Marmorera was first mentioned by the name of ad Marmoraria. Marmorera (Romansh: Murmarera / German: Marmels) is in the Albula district and the Graubünden canton. Until 1902, Marmorera was known as Marmels. Until 1950, it was a linear village on the road from Septimer to Julier but was destroyed and flooded when the Marmorera dam was construction. It was rebuilt on the east shore of Marmorera Lake.

Marmorera merged into the Surses municipality on 1 January 2016. Other municipalities merged include:
 * Bivio
 * Cunter
 * Mulegns
 * Riom-Parsonz
 * Salouf
 * Savognin
 * Sur
 * Tinizong-Rona

The population history of Marmorera is: 1850 - 156 inhabitants 1900 - 143 inhabitants 1920 - 100 inhabitants 1941 - 94 inhabitants 1950 - 140 inhabitants 1960 - 28 inhabitants 1970 - 27 inhabitants 1980 - 27 inhabitants 1990 - 38 inhabitants 2000 - 49 inhabitants 2010 - 43 inhabitants 2014 - 31 inhabitants

Spiritually, Marmorera has always been part of the Bivio parish. The church was dedicated to Saint Florin from Graubünden.

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.

Catholic
Even today, Marmorera is still part of the parish of Bivio, although it first had priests in 1631. Church records begin in 1688; earlier records may be found in Bivio. The following volumes are available on FamilySearch:
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1688-1837
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1838-1875

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

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