Lutzenberg Parish, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Switzerland Genealogy

Guide to Lutzenberg Parish, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Switzerland ancestry, family history, and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.



Geography
Lutzenberg is located in the former district of Vorderland. It is the smallest parish in Appenzell-Ausserrhoden. The parish consists of two hamlets, Haufen-Brenden and Wienacht-Tobel. The church is located outside of the parish.

Lutzenberg has an area of 2.3 square kilometers (0.89 square miles). The area is used thusly:

55.5% agriculture 25.1% forest 19.4% settlement

Click for a geographical map of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, including Lutzenberg.

History
Lutzenberg was first mentioned in 1634. It belonged to the political parish of Kurzenberg (then a part of the church parish of Thal, which was disbanded in 1666. It remained part of the church parish of Thal, to which it belongs today. In 1667, the population was 518. By 1734, Lutzenberg had 847 residents, which fell to 700 by 1813. In 1850, Lutzenberg had a population of 908.

Surrounding Parishes
Click for a map showing Lutzenberg in relation to the rest of Canton Appenzell Ausserrhoden.

Eggersriet (Sankt Gallen) Heiden Rheineck (Sankt Gallen) Rorschacherberg (Sankt Gallen) Sankt Margrethen (Sankt Gallen) Thal (Sankt Gallen) Walzenhausen Wolfhalden

Church Records
Lutzenberg was never its own parish, but belonged to the parish of Thal, which was united with the parish of Rheineck until 1716. Records after 1716 for the Lutzenberg portion of Thal are available online from the Appenzell Ausserrhoden Cantonal Archives. They are organized by volume. Click here to access these records.

Family books (Familienbuch) of Lutzenberg are available in the rectory of Thal:

Volume 1 (1834) - household visitation book Volumes 2-3 (1840) - family register

A family book created about 1740 has been microfilmed by the Family History Library.

Census Records
Census records, taken by the Zürich Synod, exist for Lutzenberg. The census are enumerated under the parish of Thal for the following years:

Genealogies
(see here for article describing Swiss compiled genealogies)

The following genealogies have been researched for Lutzenberg families:

Lutz family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 127,973; see also FHL Film 193,478) Niederer family, by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 127,965; see also FHL Film 193,480) Sturzenegger family (notes only), by Julius Billeter (FHL Film 193,485)

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

Zivilstandsamt Vorderland Appenzell Ausserrhoden St. Gallerstrasse 9 Postfach 13 CH - 9038 Rehetobel

Tel: +41 71 878 70 20

email: [mailto:jeannette.eisenhut@rehetobel.ar.ch jeannette.eisenhut@rehetobel.ar.ch]

Duplicate civil registration registers are located at the Appenzell Ausserrhoden State Archives. Duplicate registers include Both A and B registers as well as Family registers. The records are restricted for 120 years from the date of the event. The following volumes are available in person at the Appenzell Ausserrhoden State Archives:

Register A
 * Births volume 1 (1876-1894)
 * Births volume 2 (1894-1915) (restricted until 2036)
 * Births volume 3 (1916-1928) (restricted until 2049)
 * Births volume 4 (1929-1966) (restricted until 2087)


 * Marriages volume 1 (1876-1913) (restricted until 2034)
 * Marriages volume 2 (1914-1928) (restricted until 2049)
 * Marriages volume 3 (1929-1966) (restricted until 2087)


 * Deaths volume 1 (1876-1905) (restricted until 2026)
 * Deaths volume 2 (1905-1928) (restricted until 2049)
 * Deaths volume 3 (1929-1966) (restricted until 2087)

Register B
 * Births 1876-1911 (restricted until 2032)
 * Marriages 1876-1911 (restricted until 2032)
 * Deaths 1876-1911 (restricted until 2032)

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

Related Sources
The town's website (in German) is located here.

Societies and Libraries
Cantonal Archive of Appenzell Ausserrhoden (in German)