Poschiavo Parish, Graubünden, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Poschiavo / Puschlav 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 municipality of Poschiavo (Italian: Poschiavo, Lombard: Pusciaaf, German: Puschlav, Romansh: Puschlav) is in the Bernina Region and the Graubünden canton. It is located in the Val Poschiavo, one of the four valleys of the Italian Graubünden, where the official language is Italian. The other valleys of Poschiavo are Val Bregaglia, Mesolcina, and Calanca. It includes the village of Poschiavo and numerous hamlets. Poschiavo has its own lake which is located to the south of the village called Lago di Poschiavo. Poschiavo (as of 2006) has an area of 191 km² (74 square miles). The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 19.8% - agricultural purposes
 * 32.1% - forested
 * 1.8% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 46.2% - non-productive

History
In 824, Poschiavo was first mentioned by the name of in Postclave. In 1140, Poschiavo was mentioned as de Pusclauio. Poschiavo (Italian: Poschiavo, Lombard: Pusciaaf, German: Puschlav, Romansh: Puschlav) is in the Poschiavo sub-district of the Bernina district and the Graubünden canton. After 2017, Poschiavo became part of the Bernina Region.

The population history of Poschiavo is: 1850 - 2,888 inhabitants 1860 - 2,742 inhabitants 1870 - 2,890 inhabitants 1900 - 3,102 inhabitants 1910 - 3,676 inhabitants 1950 - 4,034 inhabitants 1980 - 3,294 inhabitants 2000 - 3,225 inhabitants 2005 - 3,487 inhabitants 2020 - 3,441 inhabitants

Per the 2000 census:
 * 86.0% were Roman Catholic
 * 8.8% were Swiss Reformed Church
 * 0.28% were Christian Catholic
 * 0.43% were another Christian Church

The baptistery of Poschiavo is first mentioned in 824 and then in 1286 as the mother church of San Vittore. In 1497-1503, it was transformed and in 1690, raised to the rank of a collegiate church. Brusio was part of the Pieve Poschiavo from around 1400, but broke away from the mother church in 1501. The reformed community of Poschiavo, which appeared around 1550, had to flee from persecution in 1623 and was only able to return and build a church after the arbitration of the Three Leagues in 1642 on the coexistence of the two denominations. In 1824-1825, the reformed public school was established and then followed in 1830 by the Catholic Menghini Institute. The community schools remained divided by denomination until 1967.

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
The Catholic parish of Poschiavo is ancient. Church records begin in 1594. All of the following volumes are available on microfilm at the Graubünden State Archives: Volumes with an asterisk (*) are also available on FamilySearch:
 * Baptisms 1594-1613
 * Baptisms 1614-1617; marriages 1614-1648
 * Baptisms 1642-1650*
 * Baptisms 1651-1658*
 * Baptisms 1658-1674
 * Baptisms 1674-1713
 * Baptisms 1713-1765*
 * Baptisms 1765-1799
 * Baptisms 1800-1827*
 * Baptisms 1827-1872*
 * Baptisms 1873-1875*
 * Baptisms 1876-1907


 * Marriages 1649-1672; burials 1649-1658
 * Marriages 1672-1723
 * Marriages 1724-1819*
 * Marriages 1819-1875*
 * Marriages, confirmations 1876-1907


 * Burials 1659-1682
 * Burials 1682-1779*
 * Burials 1779-1837*
 * Burials 1838-1875*
 * Burials 1876-1907


 * Status animarum 1697, 1706, 1713, 1717
 * Status animarum 1730, 1737, 1780, 1796
 * Status animarum 1804
 * Status animarum 1848-1885
 * Status animarum 1913


 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1874-1875 (La Prese)*

Reformed
A Reformed church was first established in Poschiavo in 1550. Church records begin in 1627. The following volumes are only available on microfilm at the Graubünden State Archives::
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1627-1687
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1687-1724
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1725-1794
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1795-1831
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1832-1837
 * Baptisms 1837-1921
 * Marriages, burials 1829-1857
 * Burials 1829-1857
 * Burials 1857-1909

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

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