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Genealogy as a research tool: The Glarus family tree as a basis for interdisciplinary analyses in an Alpine micro-region

  • Writer: Patrick
    Patrick
  • 3 days ago
  • 11 min read


This article presents a genealogical database based on decades of research on the population of the Swiss canton of Glarus. The database comprises over 366,000 people (as of July 2025) whose family connections can be traced back well beyond the 16th century. By fully recording and linking the local population over more than 15 generations, this tool provides a unique basis for demographic, sociological, historical, genetic and migration-related research. This article examines the scientific potential of this database in the context of the particular historical and geographical conditions of the canton of Glarus, a small-scale Alpine canton that was comparatively isolated until the 20th century.


1. Introduction

Genealogical research is traditionally seen as an instrument of family and regional history. More recently, however, it has been increasingly recognized as a basis for interdisciplinary scientific analysis. Especially when genealogical data is collected systematically and in great depth, as in the case of the present Glarus family tree, it opens up far-reaching possibilities for application. This article highlights the scientific value of a major genealogical project that has emerged from many years of research into the lineages of the Glarus population.


2. The Glarus family tree: structure and scope

The database is based on a complete analysis of the church records of the canton of Glarus, beginning in the 16th century. It records

  • over 366,000 people (as of July 2025),

  • their family connections (parents, spouses, children),

  • as well as information on dates of life, occupations, emigration and origin.


Almost all the individuals recorded are genealogically linked to each other, which allows a comprehensive analysis of ancestry and family structures. The Glarus family tree is therefore not just a collection of data, but a complete genealogical model of an Alpine micro-region over a period of almost 500 years.


3. The canton of Glarus as a research area

The canton of Glarus offers a particularly suitable field of study for genealogical and interdisciplinary research. Its geographical, historical and social structure make it a microcosm that can be analyzed as a model in many respects. The combination of a manageable population size, good sources, high genealogical density and relative isolation up to the modern era enables precise and reliable statements to be made about long-term demographic, social and cultural developments.


The canton is located in the Swiss Alps and is characterized by narrow valleys, mountain ranges and limited habitable areas. These natural conditions led to a historically limited mobility of the population. Many families lived in the same place for centuries. The population grew only moderately - from around 7,000 in the 16th century to around 42,000 today. The strong local ties, especially within the parishes, favored endogamous marriage patterns and stable kinship structures, which can be traced very well in genealogical terms today.


Socially, Glarus was characterized by a relatively egalitarian structure. The Landsgemeinde, an early form of direct democracy, had existed since the 17th century. Many families practiced the same professions for generations - for example in agriculture, crafts or textile production, which became increasingly important from the 18th century onwards. The resulting family and social networks can be analyzed over many generations in the Glarus family tree.


The source situation is extraordinarily good: the parish registers begin as early as the 16th century and, together with later civil registers, tax lists, court records and the genealogical work by Johann Jakob Kubly-Müller discussed below, provide a high density of data. As the number of parishes is manageable and many surnames survive for centuries, almost complete lines of descent can be reconstructed.


Emigration is an important aspect of the canton's history. After the Thirty Years' War, the first groups left the canton to find a new economic base in the areas depopulated by the war. Later, they joined foreign military services or trade relations. However, the much larger wave of emigration followed in the 19th century. Between around 1840 and 1880, many Glarus families emigrated to North America - particularly to Wisconsin, but also to South America and Russia. The reasons for this were economic crises, poverty and political upheaval. The traces of these emigrants can be traced in the Glarus family tree, and the descendants of these emigrants still form widely ramified lines in the diaspora today.


The relative geographical isolation of the canton until the 20th century and the history of emigration, which can be clearly traced through documents, make Glarus a suitable model region for historical-demographic micro-studies. The Glarus family tree allows the reconstruction of social mobility, the analysis of genetic patterns and the comparison between settled lines and emigrant families. This makes the canton of Glarus not only of regional but also of international scientific interest.

 

5. The genealogical work of Johann Jakob Kubly-Müller (1850 1933) and the digital Glarus family tree


The genealogical work of Johann Jakob Kubly-Müller represents one of the most important foundations for genealogical research into around 200 families from the canton of Glarus. Over decades of work, he analyzed the church records of the Glarus parishes and systematically compiled the genealogical information contained therein by surname and parish. His handwritten compendiums offer an almost complete overview of the family relationships of the Glarus population from the beginning of the church records in the 16th century to the 20th century.


In more than 30 years of work (1893-1923), Kubly-Müller created this unique reference work. It comprises a total of 36 large and small volumes as well as the index for the older Glarus genealogy and an alphabetical index. Kubly Müller's monumental work, which is based on the entire inventory of parish registers in the canton of Glarus and supplemented by historical indexes, documents and materials from public and private archives, lists all Glarus families from the 16th century to the present in their sequence and links them in a neat and legible script. After Johann Jakob Kubly-Müller's death and the sale of the work to the canton, the respective state archivists or librarians or their employees appear to have updated the births, deaths and marriages on the basis of official notifications. The Kubly-Müller volumes with all the family information are kept in the National Archives in Glarus.


Particularly noteworthy is the organization by parish, which makes the local anchoring of the families visible. It makes it possible to trace historical socio-spatial structures and analyze developments at parish level. The preservation of the parish register data in an accessible form is also an important contribution to the preservation of historical sources, especially as some originals are now difficult to read, damaged or lost.


Despite the enormous care and depth of Kubly-Müller's work, it remains an analog tool with certain limitations for more complex, computer-aided analyses - such as kinship networks, inter-communal marriage links or statistical evaluations across several generations.


This is precisely where the digital Glarus family tree comes in. Building on the work of Kubly-Müller, a comprehensive genealogical database has been and is being created that links all the people recorded, offers digital search and analysis options and at the same time draws on the documentary depth of traditional source research. The digital family tree thus builds a bridge between classic, manually indexed genealogy and the possibilities of modern digital research.

This interaction creates an innovative tool for research and teaching that combines historical depth with technical flexibility and makes the genealogical heritage of the Canton of Glarus fit for the future.


6. Interdisciplinary possibilities of use

The genealogical database of the Glarus family tree offers a unique basis for interdisciplinary research. Due to its extraordinary depth, completeness and the systematic linking of more than 366,000 people over 15 generations, this instrument is suitable for a wide range of scientific questions. Five particularly relevant disciplines and their potential uses are described below:

 

6.1 Demography and historical population history

The Glarus family tree enables detailed demographic analyses over a period of almost 500 years:

  • Long-term studies on birth and death rates, average marriage and death ages, numbers of children per family and their development.

  • Investigation of the effects of crisis events such as epidemics, famines or wars (e.g. Thirty Years' War, Spanish flu) on the population structure.

  • Analysis of marriage patterns, remarriage rates, widowhood and the role of the social environment in partner selection.

The seamless linkage makes it possible to investigate how certain demographic indicators differed in different social groups or parishes and how they changed over time.

 

6.2 Migration and emigration research

The detailed recording of emigrants from the canton of Glarus is a central element of the database:

  • Tracing individual and family migration paths, for example to North America, Russia or South America.

  • Identification of push and pull factors: Who migrated when, why and where? What role did family background, poverty or political developments play?

  • Comparison of the social development of emigrants with those who stayed at home (e.g. in terms of family size, education or career).

The database also makes it possible to analyze transnational networks - for example through letters, return migration or marriage connections between the diaspora and the region of origin.

 

6.3 Genetics, medicine and anthropology

In stable populations that have been isolated for a long time, such as in the Glarus region, genetic patterns and inheritance processes can be studied particularly well:

  • Research into hereditary diseases (e.g. metabolic diseases, hearing loss, rare genetic syndromes) using genealogical lines.

  • Modeling genetic transmission routes using segregated lines to trace genetic predispositions back over many generations.

  • Support for medical studies through access to documented ancestry lines, for example for molecular genetic research with ethical backing.

  • The Glarus family tree is a valuable addition to biomedical studies - for example in cooperation with university hospitals or genetic research centers.

 

6.4 Sociology, network research and social mobility

The genealogical linking of the population allows deep insights into social structures and their changes:

  • Analysis of kinship networks: Which family lines were particularly strongly connected? Were there "central families" with above-average influence?

  • Investigation of social reproduction: To what extent were professions, social status, political offices or ecclesiastical functions inherited?

  • Research into social mobility and its limits - for example in a comparison between lineages that remained in the valley and those that emigrated or ascended.

By applying sociological network analysis, kinship-based power structures in politics, business and the church can be made visible.

 

6.5 Cultural history, name research and the history of mentality

Cultural-historical aspects can also be researched with the help of the family tree:

  • Name persistence and change: which family names disappear, which persist? How do baptismal names and surnames change over the centuries?

  • Analysis of religious or cultural influences through naming (e.g. Bible names, first name traditions within families).

  • Researching professional and cultural lines of tradition, e.g. pastoral dynasties, families of craftsmen, families of teachers or families of singers.

  • History of mentality based on life histories, marriage behavior, age structures and family dynamics.

Such studies provide insights into values, norms and collective patterns of action that have been passed down through generations in families and communities.


Conclusion

The interdisciplinary relevance of the Glarus family tree is exceptionally high. It combines quantitative data with qualitative depth, historical depth with digital networking, individual life stories with collective patterns. As such, it is not only an interesting tool for genealogists, but also for historians, sociologists, physicians, demographers and cultural scientists - both in regional and international comparison.


7. Case study approaches

In addition to the large-scale analysis of entire population groups, the Glarus family tree also allows targeted case studies to be carried out that examine individual families, specific lines, social groups or regional characteristics. The high quality of the data, the depth of the genealogical information and the possibility of tracing kinship and social structures make these case studies particularly meaningful.


Exemplary approaches for such case studies are presented below:

 

7.1 Comparison of emigrant and domestic lines

A classic case study approach is to compare a family branch that emigrated to North America in the 19th century with a related branch that remained in Glarus:

  • Examination of the social development of both lines: e.g. educational level, career paths, number of children, life expectancy.

  • Changes in cultural practices: Naming, marriage behavior or religious affiliation in the new world versus in the old homeland.

  • Dissolution or preservation of family ties: Was there return migration? Contact through letters? Marriages between emigrant children and Glarus relatives?

The family tree allows complete documentation of both lines and their genealogical links back to the common family of origin.

 

7.2 Marriage circles and endogamy in remote parishes

Small, remote parishes in the Glarus region (e.g. Elm, Matt, Linthal) were highly endogamous until well into the 20th century:

  • How often did people marry within the same family or parish?

  • Which marriage circles (e.g. cousin/cousin, great-nephew/great-aunt) were socially accepted?

  • Is there any evidence of conscious or economically motivated partner selection?

These case studies also provide insights into social control, the role of the church in marriage licensing and regional norms in marriage behavior.

 

7.3 Occupational dynasties and social reproduction

The family tree allows the investigation of family occupational traditions over many generations:

§  Example: a family of teachers, priests, millers or textile entrepreneurs.

§  Questions: How was knowledge, capital or social prestige passed on within the family? What breaks occurred (e.g. through emigration, marriage)? What role did marriage networks play in the preservation of professions?

Particularly in the textile industry (e.g. in the Sernftal), entire industrial kinship networks can be reconstructed.

 

7.4 Family inheritance of names and traits

Another possible approach is to investigate the inheritance of names:

  • How were first names passed down through the generations? Were there certain naming patterns (e.g. according to grandparents or godparents)?

  • In which families were traditional or religious names maintained over the centuries?

  • Are there connections between names and certain functions, e.g. in pastor's families?

  • Inherited characteristics (e.g. artistic talents, language skills, musical talent) could also be supplemented and anchored genealogically via interviews and external data.

 

7.5 Effects of historical events on family structures

The family tree can be used to investigate the effects of specific historical events on individual families:

  • Spanish flu (1918-1920): Which families lost multiple members? Were there after-effects in marriage behavior or family planning?

  • Thirty Years' War: Which lines emigrated? Which ones died out? Who returned?

  • Famines or natural disasters: E.g. debris flows, avalanches or livestock epidemics and their effects on births, marriages or migration.

Such studies combine genealogical data with socio-historical context analysis and are ideal for publication or museum presentation.

 

7.6 Matrilineal versus patrilineal connections

An unusual but exciting approach would be to focus on matrilineal lines:

  • What genealogical information is preserved when maternal lines are followed?

  • To what extent are female roles in the inheritance of name, status or culture genealogically visible?

These studies offer an alternative perspective on traditional, often patrilineal genealogies.

 

Conclusion

Case studies offer a valuable opportunity to combine the abstract depth of the database with concrete historical questions. They create vivid access to long genealogical lines, illustrate historical processes on the basis of life paths and make it possible to build bridges between micro and macro analysis. The Glarus family tree offers an ideal basis for scientific work as well as for exhibitions, educational projects or popular science formats.


8. Outlook

The Glarus family tree is a unique research tool that can be used in a multidisciplinary way. Its depth, breadth and continuity over time make it a valuable resource not only for regional research, but also for overarching issues in the social, cultural and health sciences. Stronger institutional links and international networking could further develop the potential of this database.


9. Glarus Family Tree Online

The Glarus family tree is available on various online genealogy platforms:


 

10. References (Selection)

 

BLUMER JOHANN JAKOB. Collection of documents on the history of the canton of Glarus. Glarus 1865

HÖPFLINGER FRANCOIS. A short Population History of Switzerland. Zurich 2025

KUBLY-MÜLLER JOHANN JAKOB. Genealogical compendium of the families   arranged according to the parishes of the canton of Glarus. 36 volumes. Glarus 1893-1923 (with updates into the modern era)

MANDEMAKERS KEES / ALTER GEORGE / VÉZINA HÉLÈNE, PUSCHMANN PAUL. Sowing - the Construction of Historical Longitudinal Population Databases. Radbound University Press, Nijmegen, 2023

MANRUBIA SUSANNA C. / ZANETTE DAMIAN H. At the Boundary between Biological and Cultural Evolution: The Origin of Surname Distributions. arXiv 2002

MATTHIJS KOEN, HIN SASKIA, KOK JAN, MATSUO HIDEKO. The future of historical demography - Upside down and inside out. Leuven 2016

PFISTER CHRISTIAN. Population history and historical demography 1500 - 1800. Munich 1994

TSCHUDI-SCHÜMPERLIN IDA / WINTELER JAKOB. Coat of arms book of the state of Glarus. Coats of arms of the Glarus families from the oldest times to the present. In connection with a list of all burgher families of the country. Geneva 1937

VEGE OROZCO CARMEN D. / GOLAY JEAN / KANEVSKI MIKHAIL. Multifractual Portrayal of the Swiss Population. arXiv 2013

WINTELER JAKOB. The country of Glarus. Chronicle of its landscape, history, culture and economy. Zurich 1945

 

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