There are language guides and query letters in many languages at http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/Education/frameset_education.asp?PAGE=education_publications.asp ----- Original Message ----- From: <Posnsrch@aol.com> To: <SWITZERLAND-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 22, 2005 12:44 PM Subject: [SWITZ] Re: Record Help-finding Swiss records > > Hi to Barbara and a number of other listers, > > I hope that I was not misleading when I stated that "I got my full family > genealogy - back to 1600 - for $50." But I did. I did send extra money > for > their children's nursery as a thank you, and promised to send the ship > information when I found it, to add to their history. > > Now, THIS MAY NOT WORK FOR YOU IN YOUR CANTON. > > To tell my story: my great grandfather and his family were born and raised > in small towns in the very teen canton of GLARUS (maybe 20 miles long and > less > than 5 miles wide), nestled in the center of Eastern German-speaking > Switzerland. GLARUS is also the name of the capital city in the canton of > GLARUS. > > I googled GLARUS, GLARUS, on the web, found an address, emailed a query, > and > for $50 the records office would send me all that they had on my family. I > followed their directions and mailed a money order to the suggested > address. > (note: I did this a number of years ago, so if yours are from Glarus, go > ahead > and google for the correct address.) > > NOW, AS FOR MANY OF YOU, your families may NOT have come from the canton > GLARUS. So I would suggest to you that you google YOUR canton, find some > kind of > address (there will be at least one on one of the sites I am sure) and > either write or email to that address. > > All records are kept by each canton. There is no central place (National > Archives) for records that I know of. As far as my experience goes, you > MUST > query the canton that your family is from. And maybe not all cantons will > search > for you... > > It helps a great deal to have the canton AND THE TOWN THAT YOUR FAMILY > CAME > FROM. I don't know as they will do research...mine just sent records. > > All of Switzerland's cantons kept excellent church and state records, and > we > who have roots there are quite lucky that so much is still intact. Whether > your canton has an easy procedure for you to procure your records, is > unknown > by me. > > My query was in both German and English, because I had no idea if they > could > speak English. > > YOUR query may have to be in French or Italian, depending on what part of > Switzerland your ancestors are from. (East spoke German, South Italian, > and West > side speaks French). There is no common "Swiss" language. > > Since you should write your query in both English and another language, > check out the translation free programs that are on the web. (google the > term > "free translations") > > I had used AltaVista but there are a number of better translation > programs > on the web now, so see which one is easiest for you to use. > > I sent my letter in both English and the German translation. (Yes, for you > who speak German or your ancestor's language, I am sure that it was a very > rough translation, and they may have chuckled a little when they read it! > I also > know that citizens of other countries are very tolerant when I at least > try > to speak their language, rather than to be arrogant and expect them to > speak > mine.) > > Hope this helps!! > > > Nellie, a 68-yr-old root digger > _http://www.militaryindexes.com/worldwartwo/_ > (http://www.militaryindexes.com/worldwartwo/) > WWII index - free for today > _http://www.militaryindexes.com/worldwarone/_ > (http://www.militaryindexes.com/worldwarone/) > WWI - free until 25 Nov 2005 > > > ==== SWITZERLAND Mailing List ==== > Resource Site > http://www.rootsweb.com/~chewgw > >