Lavin Parish, Graubünden, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Lavin 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 village and former municipality of Lavin is in the district of Inn in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. It is located on the left bank of the Inn river.

Lavin (as of 2006) has an area of 46.2 km² (17.8 square miles). The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 19.9% - agricultural purposes
 * 18.3% - forested
 * 0.6% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 61.2% - non-productive

History
In the 12th century, Lavin was first mentioned by the name of Lawinis.

Lavin merged into the Zernez municipality on 1 January 2015. Other municipalities merged include:
 * Susch
 * Zernez

The population history of Lavin is: 1835 - 359 inhabitants 1850 - 367 inhabitants 1900 - 249 inhabitants 1950 - 242 inhabitants 1970 - 155 inhabitants 1990 - 184 inhabitants 2000 - 174 inhabitants 2014 - 221 inhabitants

Lavin was part of the church of Ardez until 1325, then was dependent on Susch. It has been a separate parish since 1422. The Reformation was adopted in 1529. The construction of today's church was around 1500.

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 some church records are available on FamilySearch. These records have a restriction for use only at a FamilySearch center near you.

Reformed
Lavin became an independent parish in 1422; in 1529 it became Reformed. Church records begin in 1629. The following volumes are available on FamilySearch:
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1754-1855
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1837-1876

The following volumes are only available on microfilm at the Graubünden State Archives:
 * Family register 1837

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

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