Visby Stadsförsamling Parish, Gotland, Sweden Genealogy

Guide to Visby Stadsförsamling Parish, Sweden ancestry, family history, and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

History
Visby is a locality and the seat of Gotland Municipality in Gotland County, on the island of Gotland. Visby is also the sole county seat in Sweden only accessible by boat and air and is also the episcopal see for the Diocese of Visby. The Hanseatic city of Visby is arguably the best-preserved medieval city in Scandinavia and since 1995, it has been on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. Among the most notable historical remains are the 3.4 km (2.1 mi) long town wall that encircles the town center, and a number of church ruins. During the 11th Century Sankt Clemens parish was created from Sankt Per parish. During the 1500's Sankt Clemens was combined with Visby Stadsförsamling. This parish was known as Sankta Maria in medieval times. Before 1810 the parish was called Visby parish. Between 1811-1935 the parish was known as Visby stadsförsamling. Between 1936-1986 the name was Visby. Since 1986 the official name is Visby domkyrkoförsamling. 

Place Names
To see what kind of place it is you will need a Swedish Gazetteer.


 * Surrounding Parishes

Census Records

 * Sweden Household Examination Records (Husförhörslängder)--explanation of this church record which is functionally the census of Sweden.
 * Sweden Household Examination Books, 1840-1947, ($), index and images. Also on Ancestry.com ($), Arkiv Digital ($), and SVAR at Riksarkivet.

Online Database Church Records
The easiest way to access the Swedish Church Records is through the internet, using these five sites (see links to specific collections below). Four of these sites require a subscription for access.


 * at FamilySearch.
 * MyHeritage.com ($),
 * Ancestry.com ($),
 * Arkiv Digital ($), and
 * SVAR at Riksarkivet.

Help Using ArkivDigital: Online Databases for Sweden

 * These lessons will teach you how to use ArkivDigital:
 * ArkivDigital: Explore Your Swedish Heritage

FamilySearch Library Records
Click Sweden, Gotland Records for a full listing of microfilmed records (some digitized online) at the FamilySearch Library, that may be digitized. Check back occasionally to see if your records have become available. In the meantime, some of them might be available at a FamilySearch Center near you. Click on "Places within Sweden, Gotland" and then select your parish.

Military Records

 * Sweden Military Records
 * Central Soldiers Register Instructions Search Engine

Related Sources
Sweden Online Genealogy Records Ask the Community

Help Reading Swedish Records

 * You do not have to be fluent in Swedish to read these records! They have a limited vocabulary: mother, father, born, bride, groom, married, etc. The rest of the content will be names, dates, and places, which do not need translation.
 * This Swedish Word List covers typical terms found in the records.
 * Swedish Historical Dictionary Database, SHDD: This interactive dictionary allows you to enter a word in the search box and receive the translation.
 * Feast Day Calendar (Moveable) and Feast Day Lists (Fixed and Moveable) will help you translate dates written in feast day form.
 * Sweden surnames are patronymic and change every generation, so carefully study Sweden Names, Personal.
 * For help with reading the column headings found in more recent records, see [[Media:Swedenish Par Reg and Exam headings.pdf|Swedish Parish Register and Household Exam Roll Headings]].
 * Instructions, document examples, and translations are given for Reading Swedish Birth and Christening Records 1717, 1752, 1771, 1792, 1803, 1834, 1854.

Help Reading Old Handwriting

 * Reading Gothic Handwriting for Swedish Genealogy, Lesson 1
 * Spelling and Phonetics for Swedish Genealogy, Lesson 2 — Names, dates, and key genealogical words
 * Reading Gothic Handwriting for Swedish Genealogy: Put It All Together, Lesson 3
 * Birth and Christening Records for Swedish Genealogy
 * Scandinavian Handwriting
 * Scandinavian Handwriting, part 3 - No part 2 available

Help With Research Objectives and Strategies

 * First find the birth and baptism record of your ancestor. Once you know his date and place of birth and his parents' names, you can locate the family in the Household Examination Records.
 * Search every Household Examination Record that your ancestor appears on (from birth to death). You will pick up valuable clues along the way, find children who died young, and establish correct family member relationships.
 * All birth, marriage, or death dates found in Household Examination Records need to be verified in the actual birth, marriage, or death records.
 * Pay attention to relationship titles, occupations, military status, and remarks. See word list for Vocabulary for Household Examination Records.
 * Dates are written in the European order of day, month, and year.

See Sweden Research Strategies for locating various records in specific time periods.