Serneus Parish, Graubünden, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Serneus 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 Serneus is in the Klosters sub-district of the Prättigau/Davos district and the Graubünden canton. It is located at the top of the Prättigau valley.

History
In 1475, Serneus was first mentioned by the name of Serneyss. Serneus is in the Prättigau/Davos district and the Graubünden canton.

In 1865, Klosters-Serneus was created through the merger of the formerly independent municipalities of Serneus and Klosters. Until 1873, Klosters-Serneus was known as Klosters.

In 1479, the chapel of Saint Sebastian was founded. The chapel belonged to the parish of Saas im Prättigau. It returned to the parish of Klosters during the Reformation. In 1723, a Protestant parish was built and later united again with the Klosters parish in 1975.

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
Serneus belonged to Klosters until it became an independent parish in 1723. Church records begin in 1689. The following volumes are available on FamilySearch:
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1689-1827
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1834-1875

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

The following censuses are available from FamilySearch for Serneus:
 * 1835
 * 1838
 * 1848 (includes list of immigrants to America)
 * 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 Serneus 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)