GENEAL-FORUM

My name is Mariana, I am from Argentina, now living in Spain and this week flying to Switzerland to search for my ancestors' documents: my Great great grand parent:

Full Name: Hans Karl Müller (often recorded as Hans Karl Müller Schmalz)
Date of Birth / Death: 1851 – 1929
Place of Birth / Origin (Heimatort): Thun, Bern, Switzerland
Mother's Maiden Name: Schmalz
Emigration Details: Departed single for Argentina in 1873.

I am looking for his original passport registration entries (Passrodel) or any emigration records (Auswanderungsakten) from 1873.
Also any information or writings relating to his family, his parents or other ancestors.

His parents were:

Samuel Rudolf Müller, born in Thun, Bern (1822-189), bank director.

Louise Schmalz, born in Büren an der Aare, Bern in 1818, she dies in Thun, in 1874. They had 8 children.

We will be in Thun in a few days, August 9-13. Any information will be appreciated.

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urspr. Titel: Müller von Thun (nach Argentinien 1873)

Hi Mariana,
FamilySearch offers a lot of information about your ancestors. Do you have a FamilySearch account?

Here's the link to that information:
https://www.familysearch.org/de/tree/pe ... e/LZ9X-1PM

https://kunden.eye.ch/swissgen/kant/bepass-e.htm has been compiled more than 10 years ago. I recommend you enquire at the State Archive whether it is still up-to-date ... and under which conditions (preparations) you could view these records.

Hello Mariana,
You already know quite a bit about your ancestors. Hans Karl Müller emigrated when he was just 22. He probably didn’t leave many traces behind in Switzerland.
The newspaper archive https://www.e-newspaperarchives.ch might be able to provide some additional information, such as this article about Samuel Rudolf Müller from June 8, 1849: Here, Samuel Rudolf worked as a sub-agent for a shipping company that transported people from Le Havre to New York, and was in charge of the region of Untersimmenthal. His profession was reffered to at this time as a ‘Spezialien-Negotiant’. I would translate this to a delicacies merchant.
So the topic emigration was not new to the family...
Enjoy your trip to Switzerland.

Regards Walter II

Wolf hat geschrieben: Fr 7. Aug 2026, 08:56 I recommend you enquire at the State Archive whether it is still up-to-date

The entries and archive reference numbers are still correct. In addition to the actual passport registers, however, there is also a collection containing data from the district authorities’ applications for passport issuance. Neither collection is available online.

The baptismal register from 1851 is located in the archives of the Burgergemeinde Thun (reference number 0509, not online). The family register (Burgerrodel) from the period in question is kept at the civil registry office and is accessible only upon prior written request; however, extracts may be requested for a fee.

Peter

Thank you all for your help, I dont know how to reply each post individually so I will do it here:

Walter, I am already following and feeding information to this family tree, thank you!

Wkla, thank you so much for the document! That is my ancestor!!!

Wolf, I have already emailed the State Archive, thank you! I tried to open the link for the years 1870-1877 but apparently is not working

Peter, I will be in Thun from Monday to Thursday, where could I look for the documents that are not available online (applications for passport issuance, baptismal register etc)?

MRMuller hat geschrieben: So 9. Aug 2026, 00:26Wolf ... I tried to open the link for the years 1870-1877 but apparently is not working.

Thank you for pointing this out: I have to remove these links - Picton Press was closed down several years ago.

The baptismal registers of Thun are available online (from 1793 to 1875, see here).

The older baptismal registers were destroyed in a fire. However, some copies exist.

Attached is page 109 from baptismal register 2, containing the entry for the baptism of Rudolf Jakob Müller on September 20, 1782 (No. 19).
His parents were Jakob Müller and Anna Margar(eta) Engemann.


The marriage of Jakob Müller and Margareta Engemann took place on January 29, 1781 in Wichtrach (Rodel 12, page 111).
Both were citizens of Thun.

MRMuller hat geschrieben: So 9. Aug 2026, 00:26 where could I look for the documents that are not available online orities (applications for passport issuance, baptismal register etc)?

The passport issuance records, as well as the data from the districts’ passport applications, are located in the State Archives in Bern, not in Thun.

Peter.D hat geschrieben: Fr 7. Aug 2026, 17:24 The entries and archive reference numbers are still correct. In addition to the actual passport registers, however, there is also a collection containing data from the district authorities’ applications for passport issuance. Neither collection is available online.

In the archives of the Burgergemeinde in Thun, you might be able to view the original church records kept there.

Peter.D hat geschrieben: Fr 7. Aug 2026, 17:24 The baptismal register from 1851 is located in the archives of the Burgergemeinde Thun (reference number 0509, not online). The family register (Burgerrodel) from the period in question is kept at the civil registry office and is accessible only upon prior written request; however, extracts may be requested for a fee.

Peter

Walter hat geschrieben: So 9. Aug 2026, 08:49 The baptismal registers of Thun are available online (from 1793 to 1875, see here).

The older baptismal registers were destroyed in a fire. However, some copies exist.

Attached is page 109 from baptismal register 2, containing the entry for the baptism of Rudolf Jakob Müller on September 20, 1782 (No. 19).
His parents were Jakob Müller and Anna Margar(eta) Engemann.

The marriage of Jakob Müller and Margareta Engemann took place on January 29, 1781 in Wichtrach (Rodel 12, page 111).
Both were citizens of Thun.

THANK YOU WALTER! WE DIDN'T HAVE THESE 2 DOCUMENTS NOR ANNA'S NAME!

The passport issuance records, as well as the data from the districts’ passport applications, are located in the State Archives in Bern, not in Thun.

THANK YOU PETER! I WROTE TO THEM LAST WEEK AND THE COULD FIND THE ENTRY IN THER BOOK BUT NOT THE PASSPORT APPLICATIONS, THEY SENT ME THIS PICTURE (Hans appears as Johannes Müller who applied for a passport in 1873 Nr. 4809 and the one above is his brother who travelled with him)