Stansstad, Nidwalden, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Stansstad, 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 the 2004/09 survey, Stansstad has an area of 9.07 km2 (3.50 sq mi). The municipality also includes Kehrsiten, Obbürgen, Fürigen, and the hamlet of Rotzloch, at the foot of the Bürgenstock, on the narrow lake between Lake Alpnach and Lake Lucerne.

The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 32.6% - agricultural purposes
 * 49.6% - forested
 * 15.4% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 2.4% - unproductive land

History
The first mention of Stansstad was in 1160 as Stansstad. In 1199, it was mentioned as in littore Stannis.

Stansstad was established as a municipality in 1850 from Stans.

The population history of Stansstad is: 1850 - 778 inhabitants 1900 - 851 inhabitants 1950 - 1318 inhabitants 1970 - 2469 inhabitants 2000 - 4325 inhabitants

As a forerunner of the political community that has existed since 1850, Ürte documents have been found from the 13th century. Around 1420, it divided from the corporation of users of Stans to unite with the Ürte of Kehrsiten and in 1480 with that of Obbürgen. A first Saint-Christophe chapel is attested in Stansstad in 1502. The parish church, dedicated to the Holy Family, was built in 1942-1943. Spiritually, the municipal territory was included in Stans until the foundation of the parishes of Stansstad in 1958 and Obbürgen in 1973, Kehrsiten remaining linked to Stans.

Surrounding parishes
Alpnach (OW) Ennetbürgen Ennetmoos Hergiswil Horw (LU) Meggen (LU) Stans Weggis (LU)

Church Records
Stansstad was established as an independent parish in 1958. Before 1958, Stansstad belonged to the parish of Stans. The parish records for Stans begin in 1581.

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. Stansstad 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 Stansstad 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)