Guarda Parish, Graubünden, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Guarda 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 Guarda is in the Sur Tasna sub-district of the Inn district and the Graubünden canton. It is located on the left bank of the Inn river. It is on a terrace above the river. Guarda includes the linear village of Guarda (above the valley) and the Giarsun settlement (on the valley floor).

Guarda (as of 2006) has an area of 31.5 km² (12.2 square miles). The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 35.5% - agricultural purposes
 * 12.5% - forested
 * 0.7% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 51.4% - non-productive

History
In 1160, Guarda was first mentioned by the name of Warda. Guarda is in the Inn district and the Graubünden canton.

Guarda merged into the Scuol municipality on 1 January 2015. Other municipalities merged include:
 * Ardez
 * Ftan
 * Scuol
 * Sent
 * Tarasp

The population history of Guarda is: 1850 - 280 inhabitants 1900 - 245 inhabitants 1950 - 193 inhabitants 1980 - 134 inhabitants 1990 - 165 inhabitants 2000 - 144 inhabitants 2014 - 155 inhabitants

In 1494, Guarda separated from the Ardez parish to form its own parish. Its Gothic church was built at that time. In 1529, the Reformation was adopted.

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 FamilySearch center near you.

Reformed
Guarda became Reformed in 1529. Church records begin in 1761. The following volumes are available on FamilySearch:
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1761-1872
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1837-1876

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

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