Rona Parish, Graubünden, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Rona / Roffna 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
In 1998, the villages of Rona and Tinizong were merged into the municipality of Tinizong-Rona as well as the Ober-Rona (Romansh: Ruegnas) on a terrace and Unter-Rona (Romansh: Rieven) along the banks of the Gelgia. The former municipality of Tinizong-Rona is in the Sursés sub-district of the Albula district and the Graubünden canton. It is located along the route to Julier Pass.

Tinizong-Rona (as of 2006) has an area of 54.3 km² (21.0 square miles). The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 32.5% - agricultural purposes
 * 25.8% - forested
 * 1.1% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 40.6% - non-productive

History
In 1330, Rona was first mentioned by the name of Rouenam. In German, it is Roffna. Rona was mentioned as Rouvena in 1377 and as Rogna in 1412. In 1998, the villages of Rona and Tinizong were merged into the municipality of Tinizong-Rona as well as the Ober-Rona (Romansh: Ruegnas) on a terrace and Unter-Rona (Romansh: Rieven) along the banks of the Gelgia. Tinizong-Rona is in the Albula district and the Graubünden canton.

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

The population history of Tinizong-Rona is: 1850 - 544 inhabitants (131 in Rona) 1900 - 496 inhabitants (88 in Rona) 1950 - 530 inhabitants (121 in Rona) 1960 - 470 inhabitants 1970 - 409 inhabitants 1980 - 332 inhabitants (29 in Rona) 1990 - 339 inhabitants (58 in Rona) 2000 - 369 inhabitants 2014 - 320 inhabitants

In 1444, a first church is mentioned Spiritually, Rona was part of Tinizong. In 1907, Rona became its own parish. In 1663, the current Saints-Antoine-et-Léonard church was erected.

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 some church records are available on FamilySearch. These records have a restriction for use only at a FamilySearch center near you.

Catholic
Rona belonged to Tinizong until 1907. Church records begin in 1838. See Tinizong for earlier records. The following volumes are only available on microfilm at the Graubünden State Archives:
 * Baptisms, burials 1838-1879; marriages 1838-1881; confirmations 1846-1858 (includes Tinizong until 1861)
 * Baptisms 1838-1883; marriages 1838-1887; burials 1838-1879; confirmations 1846-1903 (includes Tinizong until 1861)

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

The following censuses are available from FamilySearch for Rona:
 * 1835
 * 1838
 * 1848
 * 1850 (enumerated with Mulegns)
 * 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 Rona 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)