On 26 March 2014 the Staatsarchiv of Canton Appenzell Ausserrhoden has installed on the internet the entire existing Cantonal Church Book collection – the first Archive in eastern Switzerland to do so. It consists of 159 books which incorporates approximately 50,000 separate pieces of data.

The Church Books dating between 1522 and 1875 were digitized within the framework of protecting cultural assets and securing conservation. This was realized between 2011 and 2013 with the aid of Federal and Cantonal funding. In doing so the Church Books held in various repositories are recorded and kept complete at a central record. For the first time one is able to have this primary source material of Appenzell history made accessible to a world audience.

The processing of the books by means of modern information technology is a quantum leap providing easy navigation and effective research of these manuscript documents. Historians interested in personal and civic history can now access the data by computer or mobile phone comfortably and at no cost. One can journey into the past rediscovering the long-deceased.

The Church Books represent the most important socio-historical texts of Canton Appenzell Ausserrhoden between the 16^th and 19^th centuries. Contained within the documents of births, marriages and deaths is the core data of long-past generations between the villages of Schönengrund and Walzenhausen. These documents are central to personal and genealogical research. They are the most frequently requested documents of the Staatsarchiv of Canton Appenzell Ausserrhoden. New light is shed on the hundreds of years old documents with this presentation by means of advanced technology. In addition to this the original Church Books are very well conserved for future generations.

From the 16^th century onwards both civic and church authorities demanded that births, marriages and deaths be recorded. Initially priests were obliged to register births and marriages. Further to this, a priest had to deliver morals and rules for the populace from the pulpit.  This meant conforming to the laws regarding birth and marriage and included a close examination of age and blood-relationship before marriage. The level of detail in recording the issuing of death certificates, statements of profession, official positions, or cause of death, lay within the jurisdiction of the priest. Due to the increased population mobility of the 18^th century, local citizens were registered separately from other residents. Moreover, these Church Books are invaluable as a source of further information. For example, there is a list of the baptized children who died of the plague in the village of Urnäsch. Further examples might be a record of public figures in the village of Grub, an account of thunderstorms in the village of Gais or an account of the registration of people resident abroad.

The Church Books are available on the website of the Staatsarchiv Appenzell Ausserrhoden from the 26 March 2014: www.staatsarchiv.ar.ch