Thusis Parish, Graubünden, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Thusis / Tusáun 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 Thusis (Italian: Tosana, Romansh: Tusàn) is in the Viamala Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. It is located in the center of the Hinterrhein valley at the confluence of the Hinterrhein and Nolla rivers. Thusis is also situated at the end of the Viamala canyon. It includes the village of Thusis and, since 1875, includes Übernolla.

Thusis (as of 2006) has an area of 6.8 km² (2.6 square miles). The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 18% - agricultural purposes
 * 58.2% - forested
 * 15.2% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 8.6% - non-productive

History
In 1156, Thusis was first mentioned by the name of Tosana. Before 2017, Thusis (Italian: Tosana, Romansh: Tusàn) is in the Thusis sub-district, of the Hinterrhein district, and the Graubünden canton. After 2017, Thusis became part of the Viamala Region. The town was destroyed by more than 10 fires and after the one of 1845, it had to be rebuilt.

Thusis merged into the Thusis municipality on 1 January 2018. Other municipalities merged include:
 * Mutten

The population history of Thusis is: 1629 - 542 inhabitants 1850 - 769 inhabitants 1900 - 1,281 inhabitants 1950 - 1,616 inhabitants 2000 - 2,717 inhabitants 2010 - 2,791 inhabitants 2018 - 3,217 inhabitants 2020 - 9,453 inhabitants

Per the 2000 census:
 * 39.9% were Roman Catholic
 * 40.3% were Swiss Reformed Church
 * 4.93% were Orthodox Church
 * 1.69% were another Christian church
 * 3.53% were Islamic

Spiritually, Thusis belonged to St. Johann auf Hohenrätien; the chapel of Our Lady is attested in the mid-15th century. A new building was built in 1491. The formation of the parish with the branch churches of St. Albin in Carschenna above Sils and St. Florin in Masein was in 1505. The adoption of the Reformation was in 1525.

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
First established in 1505, the parish of Thusis became Reformed in 1525. Thusis includes Rongellen. Church records begin in 1601. The following volumes are available on FamilySearch:
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1606-1836 (burial gap 1729-1734)
 * Baptisms, confirmations 1837-1875
 * Marriages, burials 1837-1875

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

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