Church Records and other records in Canton St.Gallen
Similar to the situation in canton Bern (see here) Swiss residents can view church records for canton St.Gallen on familysearch only from Family History Centres. There are two differences to Bern: familysearch does not indicate that the records can be viewed on the State Archive website - but there are also good news: the files on the State Archive web site are identical to the files on familysearch, i.e. same image quality. The State Archives applies stricter privacy rules than familysearch: so some records not available at the State Archive might be available on familysearch.
There are other good news as well, however: in addition to church records, also "Bürgerregister" (follow the link on the bottom for an explanation) are online with the State Archive. To find what you are looking for, it is recommended to use https://kb.ghgo.ch/ instead of the State Archive search: https://kb.ghgo.ch/ searches both, church registers and "Bürgerregister" at the same time, plus gives additional information. If you don't speak German, just copy&paste the explanations to https://www.deepl.com/translator (much better than google!) - or just click on "Abfrage" and see what happens 😉. The search does a character-by-character full-text search:
Just typing "weiss" already tells you that for the Weisstannen Bürgerregister you have to go to Mels - link provided. For church records you'll find the exact years covered incl. an index, where ("Aufnahme" = frame) a certain type of record starts. But there is more information:
The death register 1742-1808 has not been filmed and consequently is not available online: it may be viewed (with appointment) at the Widnau Parish Archive. If you are researching one of the larger families of the city of St.Gallen, you may even search for the surname:
This tells you that e.g. Zollikofer are found in Stemmatologia Sangallensis - with a direct link to the relevant volume. There is also a baptismal register sorted by family with many Zollikofer baptisms during 1740-1811.
Based on Stemmatologia Sangallensis (which was continued as "Bürgerregister") issues of a "Bürgerbuch" were printed - at roughly 10-year intervals from 1829 until 2000. Some issues are available online: 1829, 1854, 1868-1901. These cover the time period from the end of the "original" Stemmatologia (which is online) until 1900. Keep in mind that only citizens (not inhabitants) of the "old" city of St.Gallen (without the surrounding communities, now merged with St.Gallen) are included.
For several reformed parishes in (what is now) canton St.Gallen, but then under the rule of Zürich "Bevölkerungsverzeichnisse" (census data) exist from the 17/18th centuries - unfortunately not online to my knowledge (should you find some, let us know!) - you have to visit the State Archive in Zürich.
Finally, let me mention Geneal-Tree, a gedcom database especially strong for families in canton St.Gallen. The "Erweiterte Suche" allows to define extensive search criteria.
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Whilst the example in Council minutes Chur 1889: transcription, translation and background explanations is coming from Graubünden, not St.Gallen, it may also be of more general interest:
1) It deals with a one-page handwritten text and provides a line-by-line transcription (gives you a chance to practise reading the script) plus a translation - with a few terms which cannot be just translated, but need further explanation.
2) If you scroll down you'll find some explanations, which also apply to the situation in canton St.Gallen: basic rules of Swiss citizenship, difference between "Bürgergemeinde / Bürgerort" and "politische Gemeinde", differences between "Zivilstandsregister", "Bürgerregister", "Familienbuch", "Familienregister". Terms one should be familiar with if researching in Switzerland.
Kommentare
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Maybe these questions can be answered?
- Can you confirm that all the microfilms of the church records that are in the cantonal state archives were made by the Mormon Churches back in the 1970s?
- Is it correct that copies of the microfilms are stored in the cantonal state archives and the originals are in Salt Lake City?
- I am wondering if the St. Gallen church records are viewable online, why are they still blocked on Familysearch online?
- The church records of the canton of Bern can be viewed online
https://www.query.sta.be.ch/archivplansuche.aspx?ID=37
- I wonder why are the church records of the canton of Bern still blocked on Familysearch online?
https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/761681?availability=Family%20History%20Library
- The church records of the canton of Lucerne can be viewed online at Familyserach
https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/57060?availability=Family%20History%20Library
- Why are other church records on Familysearch from other cantons, for example Zurich, still blocked?
https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/366776?availability=Family%20History%20Library
- Why doesn't Familysearch unlock all Swiss church records, why are there such differences between the individual cantons?
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Let me begin with your last question:
- Why doesn't Familysearch unlock all Swiss church records, why are there such differences between the individual cantons?
To avoid a misunderstanding: I am doing genealogy and use online resources wherever they are available free. I cannot speak for familysearch, and the following are my personal explanations.
When the church records were filmed, obviously contracts were required (who does / pays what? how are the results to be used? …) - and these had to be agreed by familysearch and the copyright holders. Copyright holders could be Church Administrations (catholic Bistum or reformed Landeskirche) or State Archives. Different partners = potentially different rules.
The original contract with St.Gallen included the right for familysearch to make the information available at their Family History Centres - and film copies for the State Archive. I would assume that in other cantons the conditions were similar.
Now - nobody considered in the 1970ies that these films would be digitized and made available on the internet - so no conditions for that were fixed. To make the digitised records available at FHCs would still be covered (just different technology with the same result) - but to make the files available free on the internet requires updated contracts. When there is no such contract (yet) records may not be viewed freely.
- Can you confirm that all the microfilms of the church records that are in the cantonal state archives were made by the Mormon Churches back in the 1970s?
Most of them are: a few records were missed at the time and filmed more recently by the State Archive. Also all the "Bürgerregister" were filmed/digitized by the State Archive.
- Is it correct that copies of the microfilms are stored in the cantonal state archives and the originals are in Salt Lake City?
Yes - at least for St.Gallen - copies of all films are kept at the State Archive.
- I am wondering if the St. Gallen church records are viewable online, why are they still blocked on Familysearch online?
I assume the (new) contract with the State Archive included handing over copies of the digital records - which then were re-organised by the Archive - and that the files would not be available freely from familysearch. Possibly the Archive argued - if we do all this additional work, we want it to be used (without competition). As the records are available freely and (due to re-organisation) easier to use, I don't mind at all.
- The church records of the canton of Bern can be viewed online
Other canton = other rules 😉. Bern is special as Lewis Rohrbach (Picton Press) digitized the films himself to be sold on CD. The corresponding contract included (to my knowledge) that Picton Press had the sole right to distribute the CDs - but the Bern State Archive would get all rights once Picton Press stopped to do so. So after the closure of Picton Press the Archive put these files online - but they are old digitisations with inferior quality (as compared to what you see on familysearch).
- I wonder why are the church records of the canton of Bern still blocked on Familysearch online?
Likely because there is no contract allowing them to unblock them.
- The church records of the canton of Lucerne can be viewed online at Familysearch
Obviously the Luzern copyright holders didn't want to take over the files for their own servers (like St.Gallen), and instead allowed familysearch to unblock the files.
- Why are other church records on Familysearch from other cantons, for example Zurich, still blocked?
No contract to allow familysearch to unblock them. Just don't ask me why this is the case.
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Thank you for the answers. In case someone from MyHeritage is reading along. Is there an official contact address for Familyserch, which is responsible for the contracts between the state archives and for putting church books online? My concern is to motivate the state archives to make representations to Familysearch so that more Swiss church registers can be unlocked? The canton of Zurich, for example, would allow its books to be unlocked.
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"The canton of Zurich, for example, would allow its books to be unlocked."
What is the source of this information? All I know is that the City Archive is making their records available onlein on their own server: https://www.stadt-zuerich.ch/prd/de/index/stadtarchiv/bestaende/pfarrbuecher.html.
"My concern is to motivate the state archives to make representations to Familysearch so that more Swiss church registers can be unlocked?"
This is definitely worth a try - might be frustarting, however: I have given up with Thurgau 😡.
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I spoke to the ZH state archive some time ago. They wouldn't mind if the church books were unlocked on Familysearch. Another researcher received the same reply via email.
The State Archives Zurich are digitizing all church registers again anyway. But the Church's helpful censuses will not be digitized, they will remain online only on Familysearch.
Exactly, the Zurich City Archive has digitized the church books of Zurich City.🙂
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