Samedan Parish, Graubünden, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Samedan / Samaden 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 and town of Samedan (German: Samaden) is in the Maloja Region and the Graubünden canton. It is located in the Upper Engadine on the Inn, in the middle of the Upper Engadine. It includes the village of Samedan and the hamlet of Punt Muragl, the upper section of the Val Bever as well as an exclave that includes nearly the entire Val Roseg, a valley surrounded by the highest mountains of the canton: Piz Bernina, Piz Scerscen and Piz Roseg.

Samedan (as of 2004/09) has an area of 113.8 km² (43.94 square miles). The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 15.5% - agricultural purposes
 * 9.7% - forested
 * 1.9% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 72.9% - non-productive

History
In 1139, Samedan was first mentioned by the name of Samaden. In 1334, it was mentioned as Semeden. Then in 1367, as Semaden, in 1498, as Sumada, and in 1527, as Sameden. Until 1943, Samedan was known as Samaden. Before 2017, Samedan (German: Samaden) was in the Oberengadin sub-district of the Maloja district in the central Oberengadin valley and the Graubünden canton. After 2017, it became part of the Maloja Region.

The population history of Samedan is: 1850 - 412 inhabitants 1860 - 516 inhabitants 1870 - 690 inhabitants 1880 - 754 inhabitants 1888 - 843 inhabitants 1900 - 967 inhabitants 1910 - 1,293 inhabitants 1920 - 1,500 inhabitants 1930 - 1,783 inhabitants 1941 - 1,427 inhabitants 1950 - 1,685 inhabitants 1960 - 2,106 inhabitants 1970 - 2,574 inhabitants 1980 - 2,553 inhabitants 1990 - 2,875 inhabitants 2000 - 3,069 inhabitants 2013 - 3,007 inhabitants 2020 - 2,923 inhabitants

In 2000: 49% - were Reformed 39% - were Catholic

It was one of the three old major parishes of the Upper Engadine. In 1491, the late Gothic church of St. Peter was added to the Romanesque tower. In 1551, the Reformation was adopted. The chapel of St. Sebastian, which was demolished in 1914, was first mentioned in 1501, as was the chapel of St. Anthony, on the site of the current evangelical parish church. From 1860, the Catholic community grew, which led to the Catholic Herz-Jesu-Kirche being built in 1911.

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
Samedan became Reformed in 1551. Church records begin in 1629. The following volumes are available on FamilySearch:
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1639-1806
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1806-1837
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1837-1875

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

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