Swiss Society of Genealogical Studies
The SSGS does not undertake any kind of genealogical research and it is not liable for the correctness and completeness of the given information. However, it provides for free:
- brief information about a family surname, the names of the communities in which families by that name maintain rights of citizenship and references to any known genealogical publications concerning a specific family.
- addresses of professional genealogists, and/or genealogical/heraldic societies and similar institutions where further inquiries may be made.
- brief notes and/or recommendations concerning possible additional research.
A good answer primarily depends of your knowledge about the Swiss community of origin (also called place of citizenship) of your test person (see text below).
Questioner
Surname:
First name:
Address:
E-mail-address:
Test person
Surname:
First name:
Swiss place of origin (or at least canton):
Place of birth (village or town:
Date of birth (or baptism)
Place of death:
Date of death:
Surname of spouse:
First name of spouse:
Place of origin of spouse (or canton):
Date of birth of spouse (or baptism):
Date of death of spouse:
Date of wedding:
Place of wedding:
Swiss community of origin or place of citizenship
Swiss citizenship is based on inherited rights maintained in a specific community in Switzerland. It is/was in that community where an ancestor and all of his ancestors and descendants held rights of citizenship even though they perhaps never lived there. Swiss citizens are primarily citizens of their Swiss community of origin, in second line citizens of the canton of their Swiss community origin and only in third line citizens of Switzerland.
Regardless of the place of residence, or the places of birth, christening, marriage, divorce, death or burial, the registration of those vital events should have been recorded in the parish registers and/or citizens’ registers of the said place or community of citizenship.
This community, the corresponding civil registry office and state (cantonal) archives are the most important record depositories for undertaking research concerning an entire clan. If the community of citizenship is known, it is generally possible to identify an emigrant ancestor in the records of the community and thereafter to determine his relationship to the other persons within that clan.
Research for the time before about 1875
Due to the concerning parish books which are mostly kept by the State Archives of the concerning Swiss community of origin.
Research for the period of about 1875 to about 1900
The registers with the Swiss citizens born as of 1875 are kept by the registry offices of the concerning Swiss community of origin. The look at these registers requires a permission of the canton of the concerning Swiss place of origin. It is granted to researchers only up to the people born about 1900. In this case you should hire a professional genealogist of the SSEG.
Research for the period of about 1900 to this day
Because of the protection of privacy data exclusively the registry office of the appropriate Swiss community of origin is responsible for information about persons who were born after approximately 1900
