Gersau Parish, Schwyz, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Gersau 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, Gersau has an area of 14.4 km2 (5.6 sq mi). Nestled in a sunny recess in the lee of the south face of Rigi Mountain, Gersau is in a self-contained location. The Rigi-Hochfluh and Gersauerstock peaks to the north, protect it from cool winds and the winds are further moderated by Lake Lucerne to the south. This produces a mild climate, and as a result, Gersau is known in the region as the Riviera of Lake Lucerne and in which Sweet Chestnut trees thrive. Gersau could only be reached by water or over the Gätterli pass from Lauerz until the mid 19th Century. It has been the only municipality in the District of Gersau since 1817. The Beckenried–Gersau car ferry links Gersau with Beckenried, located on the opposite bank of Lake Lucerne.

The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 40.3% - agricultural purposes
 * 52.4% - forested
 * 5.7% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 1.7% - non-productive (rivers, glaciers or mountains)

History
The first mention of Gersau was in 1064 as Gersouwe.

The population history of Gersau is: 1774 - 1000 inhabitants 1850 - 1585 inhabitants 1870 - 2270 inhabitants 1880 - 1775 inhabitants (decline of silk industry) 1900 - 1887 inhabitants 1910 - 2263 inhabitants (new heyday of the silk industry) 1950 - 1890 inhabitants 2000 - 1934 inhabitants

The Muri monastery in Freiamt, which received the Gersau farm as a gift from the Counts of Lenzburg, is the earliest known spiritual landowner. The farmers and fishermen of Gersau had to pay tithing to the monastery of Muri as court and church people. The monastic estates gradually came into the hands of the Habsburgs, but in 1333, jurisdiction and rights was given to the hands of Lucerne nobles. In 1390, Gersau bought its freedom and became a free, non-pledgeable municipality. During the years 1433-1817, it has been a free republic and since 1817, the only municipality in the district of the same name.

Surrounding parishes
Arth Beckenried (NW) Buochs (NW) Emmetten (NW) Ennetbürgen (NW) Ingenbohl Lauerz Vitznau (LU)

Church Records
The parish of Gersau is ancient. Records are available from 1627 for baptisms, marriages, and 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 Gersau.

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

Zivilstandsamt Innerschwyz Herrengasse 17 CH - 6431 Schwyz

Tel: +41 41 819 07 14

email: [mailto:zivilstandsamt@gemeindeschwyz.ch zivilstandsamt@gemeindeschwyz.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 Gersau 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