Canton Uri (UR)
Stammbuch ca. 1600 - 1929 : surname index

Urner Stammbuch is now online available (surname selection)

Uri consisted originally of 4 large parishes : Altdorf, Bürglen, Silenen (episcopate Konstanz, since 19th century Chur) and Andermatt/Ursern (episcopate Chur). These have developed to 23 parishes in the 20th century; the follwing list quotes (in brackets) the year when church records were begun :

Altdorf (1584)

Attinghausen (1624)
Bauen (1626)
Erstfeld (1620)
Flüelen (1665)
Isenthal (1639, previously Seedorf)
Seedorf (1626)
Seelisberg (1621)
Sisikon (1651)

Bürglen (1683)

Schattdorf (1596)
Spirigen (1628)
Unterschächen (1764, previously Spirigen)

Silenen (1580)

Amsteg (1874)
Bristen (1903 ?)
Göschenen (1850, previously Wassen)
incl. chaplainate Göscheneralp (1781)
Gurtnellen (1758)
Wassen (1623)
Wiler (1917, previously Gurtnellen)

Andermatt (1640)

Hospental (1801)
Realp (1735)

Since about 1400 the "Landleutebuch" (book of citizens) has been kept : the citizenship was defined as citizenship of Uri, not the individual villages (as it is today, since 1883 for Uri). Still in existence is a copy of the late 16th century, which has been updated until modern times, and is now kept at Uri State Archive; only new citizenships were recorded. As poor citizens had to be supported by the villages where the families had lived for the last 15 years, however, there was a need for a more detailed family register. In 1831 Parliament felt that a cantonal Pedigree Book should be compiled - as late as 1844 this was finally decided. The clergyman Alois Müller (1804-1853) was the person to start this huge project; after his death the "Stammbuch" was continued by Ambros Baumann (1809-1861) and Josef Epp (1796-1870); after 1882 Dominik Wipfli finished the project until his death in 1925. Then the Stammbuch was handed over to the "Standeskanzlei"; Friedrich Gisler continued until 1954 to complement old data, but new data were only added until 1929.

The Stammbuch is a most helpful source for Uri genealogical research from the late 16th century until 1929 : it deals with approximately 280 families; about 100 families, already extinct in 1840, were not included. Another limitation is that (with few exceptions) only married people have been included.

Each record contains the father's name and often what village he was from; the wife's name incl. maiden name; their marriage date; then children of that marriage are listed, giving name, date of birth and marriage along with the spouse's name and parents. With the help of the numbering system the lines are easily followed through generations. Families are arranged (roughly) alphabetically by surname, and chronologically (marriage date) within a surname.

More detailed explanation in German

The Stammbuch is kept at Uri State Archive and is also available online. Listed on pages below are the surnames for each film, also giving additional information :
- number of families for a given surname;
- citizenships according to Familiennamenbuch : "a" indicates a citizenship prior to 1800;
- excerpts from Historisch-Biographisches Lexikon der Schweiz have been added for selected names.

A - E / F - K / L - R / S - Z

The tables are based on two compilations, one by Monica Schilter, one by Mario von Moos : few names were listed in only one of the compilations, and are printed in italic.

Also filmed by LDS (but not available in Europe) are "Landleutebuch", covering 1400-1924 (microfilm 1196959 / item 3 ), and copies of the baptismal records of District Uri (i.e. without Ursern/Andermatt), from 16th century to 1848 (microfilms 1196959 / item 4 , 1196960 / item 3 , and 1348464 / item 6).

Further sources kept at Uri State Archive include :
- collection Friedrich Gisler : local history with many genealogical notes, in some cases dating further back than the Stammbuch;
- heraldic collection, incl. the "Wappenbuch" by Maximus Nell (1820-1878), and the "Urner Wappenbuch" by Emil Huber (1924).

References :
- Hans Stadler : Aus der Geschichte der urnerischen Personenregisterführung; Zeitschrift für Zivilstandswesen 45 (1977), 339-344.
- Beat Arnold : Wer sich für seine Vorfahren interessiert ...; Urner Wochenblatt vom 25.Jan.1986.
- Rolf Gisler-Jauch : Ahnenforschung erfordert viel Zeit und Geduld; Urner Wochenblatt vom 10.Aug.1996.

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