Haldenstein Parish, Graubünden, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Haldenstein / Lantsch sut 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 former municipality of Haldenstein is in the Plessur Region and the Graubünden canton. It is situated north of Chur and on the left bank of the Rhine River. It includes the haufendorf (an irregular, unplanned and quite closely packed village, built around a central square) village of Haldenstein and the hamlets of Batänja (formerly: Sewils) and Berg. The former municipality's boundaries were the Rhine and then up the Calanda mountain from the river to the border with the canton of St. Gallen.

Haldenstein (as of 2006) has an area of 18.6 km² (7.2 square miles). The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 25.6% - agricultural purposes
 * 53.9% - forested
 * 2.1% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 18.4% - non-productive

History
In 1149, Haldenstein was first mentioned by the name of Lanze In 1370, it was also mentioned as Lentz inferior. Before 2017, Haldenstein was in the Fünf Dörfer sub-district of the Landquart district and the Graubünden canton. After 2017, Haldenstein became part of the Plessur Region.

Haldenstein merged into the Chur municipality on 1 January 2021.

The population history of Haldenstein is: 1803 - 349 inhabitants 1850 - 492 inhabitants 1900 - 464 inhabitants 1950 - 521 inhabitants 1990 - 677 inhabitants 2000 - 808 inhabitants 2019 - 1,090 inhabitants

From 1436, Haldenstein was part of the monastery of St. Luzi in Chur. The church, listed in the mid-12th century, was replaced by a new building in 1732; it is the only St. Gereon's Church in the Diocese of Chur. Around 1616, Haldenstein adopted the Reformation.

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
Haldenstein originally belonged to a cloister in Chur; in 1616 it became Reformed. Church records begin in 1741. Earlier records are likely found in Chur. The following volumes are available on FamilySearch:


 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1741-1844
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1845-1876

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

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