Donat Parish, Graubünden, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Donat / Donath 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 Donat (Romansh: Donat) is in the Schams sub-district of the Hinterrhein district and the Graubünden canton. It is located at the bottom of the Schamserberg and on the left bank of the Posterior Rhine. It is a linear village with sections of Tscharviof, Tarvisch, and Curscheglias. It also includes parts of Pazen and Farden.

Donat (as of 2006) has an area of 4.7 km² (1.8 square miles). The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 39.9% - agricultural purposes
 * 51.9% - forested
 * 2.6% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 5.6% - non-productive

History
In mid-12th century, Donat was first mentioned by the name of ad Anede. The German name of Donath was the official name until 2002. Donat (Romansh: Donat) is in the Hinterrhein district and the Graubünden canton. After 2017, Donat became part of the Viamala Region.

On 1 January 2003, the municipalities of Donath and Patzen-Fardün merged. At that same time, the municipality names were converted back to Romansh as follows -
 * Donath becoming Donat
 * Patzen became Pazen
 * Fardün became Farden

Donat merged into the Muntogna da Schons municipality on 1 January 2021. Other municipalities merged include:
 * Casti-Wergenstein
 * Lohn
 * Mathon

The population history of Donat is: 1835 - 167 inhabitants 1850 - 188 inhabitants 1900 - 128 inhabitants 1950 - 118 inhabitants 2000 - 133 inhabitants 2010 - 209 inhabitants 2019 - 201 inhabitants 2020 - 203 inhabitants

Spiritually, Donat belonged to the Saint-Martin church in Zillis. In 1463, the chapel of Saint George was mentioned. In 1530, the Reformation was adopted. In 1627, a parish was created with Donat and the villages in the lower Schamserberg. In 1863, the village of Zillis was included.

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.

Reformed
Originally belonging to the parish of Zillis, the community, along with Casti, Clugin, Farden, and Pazen, formed a Reformed parish in 1647. Church records begin in 1686. The following volumes are available on FamilySearch:


 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1686-1824
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1824-1837
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1837-1875

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

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