Medel (Lucmagn) Parish, Graubünden, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Medel (Lucmagn) / Medels im Oberland 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 Medel (Lucmagn) is in the Surselva Region and the Graubünden canton. It is situated in the Medelserrhein river basin and includes the long Medel Valley, which connects Upper Graubünden with the canton of Ticino. It includes a number of settlements that include: Curaglia (main village), Soliva, Mutschnengia, Platta, Drual/Matergia, Pardé, Fuorns, and S. Gions. The municipality also includes about 50 abandoned farmhouses and summer herding camps, including Pali, Biscuolm and Casura. Until 1943 Medel (Lucmagn) was known as Medels im Oberland.

Medel (Lucmagn) (as of 2006) has an area of 136.2 km² (52.6 square miles). The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 17.8% - agricultural purposes
 * 14.9% - forested
 * 0.6%% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 66.8% - non-productive

History
In 1315, Medel (Lucmagn) was first mentioned by the name of de valle Mederis. Until 1943 Medel (Lucmagn) was known as Medels im Oberland. Medel (Lucmagn) is in the Disentis sub-district of the Surselva district and the Graubünden canton. After 2017, Medel (Lucmagn) became part of the Surselva Region.

The population history of Medel (Lucmagn) is: 1850 - 609 inhabitants 1900 - 536 inhabitants 1950 - 614 inhabitants 1960 - 835 inhabitants 2000 - 470 inhabitants 2020 - 344 inhabitants

The 1338 St. Martin's valley church in Platta was a branch of the parish of St. Johann (S. Gions) in Disentis. In 1454, it became autonomous and in 1500, it became a parish. In 1642, Curaglia built the curatorial chaplaincy of St. Nicholas. The Disentis Abbey maintained hospices in S. Gagl (extended in 1261), S. Gions, and S. Maria on the pass (built in 1374).

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.

Catholic
Medel (Lucmagn) became a parish in 1500. Church records begin in 1697. The following volumes are only available on microfilm at the Graubünden State Archives:
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1697-1837
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1837-1875
 * Family book, 19th/20th centuries

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

The following censuses are available from FamilySearch for Medel (Lucmagn):
 * 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 Medel (Lucmagn) 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)