Canton Geneva (GE)

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GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION:

- The surface area of the canton is 277 km2 (without the lake 249 km2), with about 360.000 inhabitants, at an altitude of 373,3m

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DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:

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HISTORY:

- The name, Geneva, was for the first time set down in writing - and thus inscribed in history's pages - by the hand of Julius Caesar in his scribes in his "Commentaries on the Gallic Wars" 58 BC.

- The coat of arms of Geneva are the Eagle (of the Holy German Empire) and the key (of Saint-Peter, insignia of the bishopric) symbolize Geneva's becoming a free city in 1032, subject only to the nominal sovereignty of the Emperor and the material power of its Bishop.

- In 1536, the People of Geneva accepted the Reformation and decreed that public instruction would be obligatory (3 years later, Jean Calvin consolidate the Reforme and turned Geneva to the rank of the Protestant Rome. He founded the Academy, promoted to the rank of University in 1873)

- In December each year, Genevans commemorate the valiant deeds of their ancestors who, during the night of the 11 to 12 December 1602, succeeded in repulsing the soldiers of the Duke of Savoy stealing up under cover of darkness to scale their walls.

- The 1st of June 1814, Geneva was taken into the Federal Alliance. Delivered from the occupation by the French (Geneva was occupied since 1798 and was free on 31st of December 1813) it became the 22nd swiss canton.

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GENEALOGICAL AND HISTORICAL SOCIETIES:

The local genealogical society is
SOCIÉTÉ GENEVOISE DE GÉNÉALOGIE

If you have questions about genealogical research in Kanton Geneva you may contact

Just keep in mind, that all these volunteers are amateur genealogists, answering your questions in their spare time.
==> please give them sufficient time to respond <==

You are further invited to discuss your questions with other researchers interested in canton Geneva on the "Genealogieforum Geneva" (dialogue in German or French). The archive is open to visitors to read; in order to be able to respond or start a new thread, however, registration (free of charge) is required. When posting, please, keep in mind that only topics related to Geneva should be placed here; for topics related to other regions, please, change to the corresponding canton or to the forum for Switzerland in general (dialogue in German or French).

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OTHER USEFUL ADDRESSES:

Archives and Libraries :
State Archives of Geneva
Rue de l'Hôtel-de-Ville 1
Case Postale 3964
CH-1211 Genève 3

City Archives of Geneva (since 1848)
Palais Eynard
Rue de la Croix-Rouge 4
CH-1211 Genève 3

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NON-GENEALOGICAL PAGES ON THE CANTON

1. Official Home Page of Canton

2. Home Pages of Tourist Offices and the like :

3. Private Pages on Kanton :

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GENEALOGICAL INFORMATION

1. Family Pages

2. Sources

"Protestants Genevois" by Jaques-Augustin Galiffe (1776-1853), nearly all of which have French Huguenot origins.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY AND LITERATURE

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MISCELLANEOUS

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This provisional page is maintained by Wolf W. Seelentag (text by Michel Hutin). / Last updated 03 January 2018.
Please forward any comments and/or additions to this webpage to the WebMasterCH.