Anna, After 20 years of searching I FINALLY found the canton that carries my Grandmothers first husbands information as well as my Step-aunts birth certificate. Elated, and in joyous stupor I write to request applications and today I received a letter back in French which pretty much translates to no, we cannot help you! "Nous accusons réception de votre lettre dy 3 janvier 2000 et vous faisons part que, par lettre du 21 decembre 1999 concernant votre grand-mére et votre tante vu qu'il s'agissait-lá de trés anciennes données. Par contre, nous devons vous informer que la loi sur la protection des données, notamment l'article 29 de l'ordonnance fédérale sur l'état civil, prescrit que toute personne a le driot de connaître les données qui concernent son prope état civil. Paul Ludwig Zurkinden, originaire de Fribourg, n'étant pas de parenté avec vous-même, nous ne pouvons pas vous communiquer les renseignements demandés. De ce fait, nous n'avons pas continué les recherches concernant la famille Zurkinden-Morel. Nous regrettons de ne pas pouvoir vous donner de plus amples renseignements et vous prions d'agréer, Madam, l'assurance de notre considération distinguée." I just wrote off to the Swiss Consulate asking for their assistance and enclosing copies of my Grandmothers birth certificate and all kinds of other copies I stuffed into the bulding envelope. Yes, I am ticked off. When Fribourg sent me the first letter giving me information they didnt ask for proof of my direct descendency. They dangle the carrot and say here is the info .. now you cant have it. Shalori Anna Rufer wrote: > Sorry for bringing this up again, but I have been stewing over it for the > past week. > Am I the only one upset about the access changes to these very important > records, or perhaps being a newbie since December I missed previous > discussion on the subject? > > ----Original Message----- > From: Seelentag Wolfhart Dr. KSSG_RO <wolf.seelentag@kssg.ch> > To: SWITZERLAND-L@rootsweb.com <SWITZERLAND-L@rootsweb.com> > Date: Wednesday, 12 January 2000 09:42 > Subject: [SWITZ] New Swiss Civil Registration Ordinance (was : Request of > records from Benken, St. Gallen) > > >To get information on deceased people you have to get a permission from the > >cantonal Civil Registry Office > >Now - to get this permission, you have to prove that you are a direct > >descendant ! -((. Prove means - have a chain of > >documents from your birth certificate to your parents' marriage certificate > >to .... the person you want information about. If you get the permission - > >there is a fee (sfr 50 for St.Gallen - this might be different in other > >cantons). With this permission you are now allowed to approach the local > >Civil Registration Office and ask for a Familienschein - see > >http://swiss.genealogy.net/intro-e.htm > >for which the fee will usually be in the sfr 25 ... 50 range (depending on > >the number of entries, i.e. mainly the number of children). > > SO - you must PAY for certificates of proof, in order to PAY to receive > permission, in order to PAY for the information required! > THAT IS BEUROCRACY AT ITS MOST ABSURD!!! > Now, don't get me wrong, I don't mind (in fact I expect to have to) paying > in the course of my research, but this is paying THREE times for ONE lot of > data. > What was the reason behind this? > I can only imagine it was 1) revenue gathering or 2) to prevent people from > having reasonable access to their own family records - which in my mind is > inherantly wrong. > > Are there Genealogical Societies in Switzerland, and if so did they fight to > prevent this from going ahead? If no one has made a fuss about it - they > should have! > > In addition: > >Nobody will get any information on living people : you are supposed to > >contact these people themselfes > > What about information about yourself? In New Zealand the privacy laws give > you the permission, in fact the RIGHT to access, view, and if necessary to > correct any information held about yourself. > When I send updates about our family to the local Swiss embassy here in New > Zealand I assume it gets into the Rufer Family Register in Münchenbuchsee > correctly. Surely I have the right to view our page and/or receive a copy of > the information to confirm it is there, and correct. > > What do others think? > Regards, Anna - from Putaruru, New Zealand > > . > > ______________________________ > > ==== SWITZERLAND Mailing List ==== > Support RootsWeb! Help provide FREE genealogical resources on the > Internet: http://www.rootsweb.com/rootsweb/how-to-subscribe.html -- No person is your friend who demands your silence or denies your right to grow.-Alice Walker