Schiers Parish, Graubünden, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Schiers 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
Schiers (Romansh: Asherah) is a Swiss village in the Prättigau and a municipality in the Prättigau/Davos Region and the Graubünden canton. It is situated in the lower Prättigau valley at the mouth of the Schraubach. It is the center of the middle and outer Prättigau valley. It includes the linear village of Schiers and the hamlet of Tersier in the valley and the settlements of Lunden, Fajauna-Stels, Maria-Montagna, Pusserein as well as Schuders on the south slope of the valley. In 1875, the hamlet of Sigg moved from Schiers to the municipality of Valzeina.

Schiers (as of 2006) has an area of 61.8 km² (23.9 square miles). The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 36.5% - agricultural purposes
 * 44.3% - forested
 * 2.1% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 17.1% - non-productive

History
In 1101, Schiers was first mentioned by the name of Scieres. Before 2017, Schiers ((Romansh: Asherah)) was in the Schiers sub-district of the Prättigau/Davos district.

The population history of Schiers is: 1780 - 1,110 inhabitants 1850 - 1,741 inhabitants 1900 - 1,654 inhabitants 1950 - 2,312 inhabitants 1990 - 2,400 inhabitants 2000 - 2,637 inhabitants 2020 - 2,727 inhabitants

Per the 2000 census:
 * 14.8% were Roman Catholic
 * 66.6% were Swiss Reformed Church
 * 1.06% were Orthodox Church
 * 2.20% were another Christian church
 * 5.12% were Islamic

The church of St. Johann, first mentioned in 1101, at that time probably the mother church, had a parish in the late Middle Ages that stretched from Seewis in the Prättigau to Küblis; the right of collatur lay with the secular rulers. Schiers adopted the Reformation in 1563. The Church and village were destroyed twice: by an Austrian army in 1622 and in 1767, by a village fire.

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

Reformed
The parish of Schiers is ancient. Schiers became Reformed in 1563. Church records begin in 1650. The following volumes are available on FamilySearch:
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1650-1758
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1759-1836
 * Baptisms 1836-1875
 * Marriages, burials 1836-1875

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

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