Emmetten Parish, Nidwalden, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Emmetten Parish, Nidwalden, 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, Emmetten has an area of 25 square kilometers (9.7 sq mi). The municipality is situated along the cantonal highway between Beckenried and Seelisberg on both sides of the Egg crossing over the edge of Lake Lucerne.

The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 37.9% - agricultural purposes
 * 45.8% - forested
 * 2.6% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 13.7% - rivers, glaciers or mountains

History
The first mention of Emmetten was about 1160 as Empnoten.

Emmetten was formed in 1850 as a district municipality.

The population history of Emmetten is: 1743 - 378 inhabitants 1850 - 659 inhabitants 1860 - 603 inhabitants 1880 - 632 inhabitants 1900 - 593 inhabitants 1950 - 680 inhabitants 2000 - 1184 inhabitants

In 1150, Emmetten was first documented in an Urbar of Engelberg Abbey. In 1348, Ürte Emmetten and Beckenried divided from Buochs and Ennetbürgen, and in 1732 it also divided from Beckenried. In 1367, a branch chapel of the Buochs parish church was constructed. Emmetten has been a separate parish since the 1454-90 controversy, probably also de jure (legally recognized) since 1593. The Saint-Jacques church was built in 1479, refurbished in 1614-15 because of an earthquake, and replaced in 1932-33. In 1710, the new ossuary was built. In 1741, The baptismal and mortuary registers were lost in the fire in the vicarage.

Surrounding parishes
Beckenried Gersau (SZ) Ingenbohl (SZ) Isenthal (UR) Seelisberg (UR)

Church Records
Church records for Emmetten begin in 1622/1741.

These church records can be accessed onsite on microfilm at the Nidwalden State Archives. The archive does not undertake family research for private researchers, but the archive will provide a list of local researchers.

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

Zivilstandsamt Nidwalden Marktgasse 3 Postfach 1244 CH - 6371 Stans

Tel: +41 618 72 60

email: [mailto:zivilstandsamt@nw.ch zivilstandsamt@nw.ch]

Duplicate civil registration registers are located at the Nidwalden State Archives. The following records are viewable in person:
 * Births before 1900
 * Marriages before 1930
 * Deaths before 1960

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

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

Libraries and archives
State Archives of Nidwalden

Societies
Zentralschweizerische Gesellschaft für Familienforschung (in German)