Flerden Parish, Graubünden, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Flerden / Flearda 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
Flerden is a municipality in the Viamala Region in the canton of Graubünden. Before 2017, the municipality was situated in the Thusis sub-district, of the Hinterrhein district, after 2017 it was part of the Viamala Region. It includes the haufendorf (an irregular, unplanned and quite closely packed village, built around a central square) of Flerden on the inner Heinzenberg at an elevation of 1,234 m (4,049 ft). Flerden (as of 2006) had an area of 6.1 km2 (2.4 sq mi). The land use was divided up as follows:
 * 54.6% - agricultural purposes
 * 30% - forested
 * 3.6% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 11.7% - unproductive land

History
In 1156, Flerden was first mentioned by the name of Flirden. The Flerden municipality is in the Graubünden canton.

The population history of Flerden is: 1808 - 148 inhabitants 1850 - 122 inhabitants 1900 - 109 inhabitants 1950 - 150 inhabitants 1960 - 132 inhabitants 1970 - 105 inhabitants 1980 - 128 inhabitants 1990 - 158 inhabitants 2000 - 160 inhabitants 2020 - 247 inhabitants

Saint-Léonard chapel was mentioned in 1466. Spiritually, Flerden depended on Hohenrätien and, then from 1505, on the parish of Saint-Gall in Portein. The Reformation took place in 1530-40.

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 family history center near you.

Reformed
After the Reformation, Flerden was part of the parish of Sarn until 1670, when it became independent. Church records begin in 1681. Earlier records can be found in Sarn. The following volumes are available on FamilySearch:


 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1681-1821
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1817-1840
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1837-1875

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

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