Arosa Parish, Graubünden, Switzerland Genealogy

Description: Guide to Arosa / Arosen 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 Arosa is in the Schanfigg sub-district of the Plessur district and the Graubünden canton. It is located on the Southeast slope of the Weisshorn mountains and at the bottom of the upper Schanfigg valley.

Arosa has an area of 42.6 km² (16.4 square miles). The land use is divided up as follows:
 * 42.0% - agricultural purposes
 * 15.2% - forested
 * 3.1% - settled (buildings or roads)
 * 39.7% - non-productive

History
In 1330, Arosa was first mentioned by the name of Araus. In 1383, it was known as Orossen. In 1428, it was known as Arosa. Arosa is in the Plessur district and the Graubünden canton. Until 1851, Arosa was part of the Davos municipality politically. After 2017, Arosa became part of the Plessur Region. In 1883, Arosa was established as a health resort. In 1900, it gradually developed as a winter resort.

Arosa merged into the Arosa municipality on 1 January 2013. Other municipalities merged include:
 * Calfreisen
 * Castiel
 * Langwies
 * Lüen
 * Molinis
 * Peist
 * St. Peter-Pagig

The population history of Arosa is: 1550-1750 - 125 inhabitants 1850 - 52 inhabitants 1900 - 1,071 inhabitants 1930 - 3,466 inhabitants 1941 - 1,980 inhabitants 2000 - 2,771 inhabitants 2020 - 3,162 inhabitants

Per the 2000 census:
 * 41.1% were Roman Catholic
 * 41.5% were Swiss Reformed Church
 * 3.9% were Orthodox Church
 * 0.6% were Other Christian Church

In 1384, the church of Langwies was built. In 1492, the Bergkirchli church was established. In 1520, Arosa separated from the Langwies parish. In 1528, the Restoration was adopted. From 1907 to 1909, the English church, the Protestant church, and the Catholic church were built. In 1935, the Notre-Dame church was built.

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
Arosa was originally part of the parish of Peist, but by 1649 it had its own priest. Church records begin in 1663. The following volumes are only available on microfilm at the Graubünden State Archives:
 * Baptisms 1663-1698
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1701-1817
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1701-1899

The following volumes are available on FamilySearch:
 * Baptisms, marriages, burials 1834-1899

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

The following censuses are available from FamilySearch for Arosa:
 * 1835 (enumerated with Davos)
 * 1838 (enumerated with Davos)
 * 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 Arosa 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)