Reichenburg Parish, Schwyz, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Reichenburg Parish, Schwyz, Switzerland, ancestry, family history, and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, parish census, civil census, family history, area history, and military records.



Geography
As of 2006, Reichenburg has an area of 11.6 km2 (4.5 sq mi). The municipal area extends from the southern edge of the Linth plain (411 m) to over the Austock (1489 m) and has the cantons of St. Gallen and Glarus as borders. The original Strassendorf stretched towards the Linth Canal in the 20th century.

The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 56.5% - agricultural purposes
 * 34.3% - forested
 * 7.7% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 1.5% - non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains)

History
The first mention of Reichenburg was in 1300 as Richenburg.

The population history of Morschach is: 1850 - 967 inhabitants 1900 - 911 inhabitants 1950 - 1318 inhabitants 2000 - 2787 inhabitants

Documented in 1300 as a fortified castle, the territory of Reichenburg then belonged partly to Hartmann, mayor (Meier)from Windegg, part to Einsiedeln Abbey. In 1370, Hartmann's property was taken over by the Einsiedeln monastery, whose rule over Reichenburg lasted until 1814. Since then, Reichenburg has been part of the March district. Spiritually, Reichenburg was separated in 1498 from the mother parish of Tuggen; the parish church of Saint-Laurent was dedicated in 1500, an ossuary constructed in 1600 (today Chapel of Peace); and a new church was built in 1884-1885 on the castle hill.

Surrounding parishes
Benken (SG) Bilten (GL) Schübelbach

Church Records
The parish of Reichenburg was established in 1498. Records are available from 1614 for baptisms, 1670 for marriages, and 1688 for burials.

Digital copies of the church records can be accessed onsite at the Schwyz State Archives. The archive has an online inventory of the records for Reichenburg.

Civil Registration
Civil registration began in 1876. Reichenburg belongs to the Ausserschwyz civil registration district. Records are only available in Switzerland. For further information, contact the civil registry office at:

Zivilstandsamt Ausserschwyz Unterdorfstrasse 9 Postfach 140 CH - 8808 Pfäffikon

Tel: +41 55 416 93 00

email: [mailto:zivilstandsamt@Freienbach.ch zivilstandsamt@freienbach.ch]

Duplicate civil registration registers are located at the Schwyz State Archives. Additionally, the archive has a partial inventory of its holdings. The following records are viewable in person:


 * Births before 1900
 * Marriages before 1930
 * Deaths before 1960

Surnames
The following surnames held citizenship in Reichenburg prior to 1875:

Related sources
The town's website (in German) can be found here.

Libraries and archives
State Archives of Schwyz

Societies
Zentralschweizerische Gesellschaft für Familienforschung

Historischer Verein des Kantons Schwyz