Newsletter No. 29 Ruswil - March 2003
Table of Contents
Foreword 1
Looking into the Diary of the Monk Jodocus 3
Minutes of the 11th Family Meeting, Eglisberg 4
Josef Stirnimann, a Family History 7
Miscellaneous 10
Foreword
Dear relatives and acquaintances
Dear members and friends of our family association
"Man is not happy until his unconditional endeavor determines his limits". With this quote from J.W. I would like to welcome you warmly to Goethe's "Wilhelm Meister Lehrjahre" in the new year of the association. Where are they not, the many boundaries that influence us in our work. Be it in the technical field or in nature, everywhere they show us more or less clearly the "scope" in which we can or should move. It is noticeable lately, however, that more and more people are not only exploring the limits, but clearly exceed them in a selfish sense, mostly in the pursuit of their own benefit and in the apparent "ignorance" of harm to others.
How did our ancestors with these limits hold it? Certainly the good old days will seem happier to us than they really were at that time. In spite of all this, our ancestors will have accepted certain limits because they were more loyal to the faith and more conscious of their dependence on the earth and transitoriness than in modern-day times. Value retention was about survival, in contrast to today's fun and action society. But independent In my opinion, in the pursuit of progress and the discovery of personal boundaries, it is always important to preserve respect for God, creation and oneself. Only in this way will we feel happy, content and free.
A "borderline experience" of a positive nature was made by around 100 members of the association on June 30, 2002, who traveled to Buttisholz for the 11th Family Meeting. In the most beautiful weather and notabene in beautiful landscape of the Rottals we enjoyed our meal together with food and drink. The generally joyous echo was a big thank you to the board, who in the preparatory work, for the most part, helped himself. The minutes of the business part of our conference are published as usual in this newsletter.
A major project within the board is the review and compilation of all newsletters from 1974 to 2000. This work was created under the supervision of Franz Stirnimann, Lucerne, and we have For the first time, it was offered for sale for the first time at the Family Meeting. In addition, Josef Stirnimann, Rothenburg, has created a keyword index. I would like to thank the two authors once again.
About a year ago, our association had the diary of Father Jost Stirnimann translated by Bernd Klesmann. Last autumn, initiated by Mr Klesmann, a report appeared in the press. You will also find the report in this newsletter.
In order to make the newsletter interesting, we are always on the lookout for interesting personalities named Stirnimann or Stirnemann, whom we are allowed to introduce. In this newsletter, this is Josef Stirnimann, head of the Gategourmet. Read in the report why Josef Stirnimann knows no boundaries, why he was in Paris yesterday, is in Madrid today and will be back in Argentina tomorrow. Is there really no limit?
I wish you, I hope you enjoy reading.
Many interesting things are also active on the board of the family association. The photo below shows that, and that you do not see in the photo, not two more people. Do you know someone who is fit? If so, then split the "I-don't-know-limit" and contact me. I would be happy to appreciate Goethe (also from Wilhelm Meister's apprenticeship years) "Happiness is not alone, but the meaning that has the good fortune to rain”.
I wish you a new year, happiness and meaning.
Best regards
The President Beat Stirnimann
Our board (on the occasion of a board meeting) from left to right
Beat Stirnimann President
Agnes Stirnimann Actuary
Josef Stirnimann Internet
Philom. Stirnimann Secretary
Franz Stirnimann Addresses, Print + Shipping
Maria Stirnimann Material Manager
Gregor Stirnimann Cashier
Fritz Stirnemann Member
Josef Stirnimann
Auditor
Thomas Stirnimann
Auditor
The Monk Jodocus Looked in the Diary
The transcription and translation of this seventeenth-century book was carried out on our behalf by Bernd Klesmann, Zurich. The following article was published on November 22, 2002 in the Aargauer Zeitung. Mr Klesmann comments here on the impressions he has gained in the course of his work.
"I was born on February 25, by my legally married parents, Joan. Jacob Stirnema and Barbara Buocherin, who lived in the parish of Sursee ". Thus begins the first entry that Jodocus, or Jost for short, had written after his year of birth in 1654. On January 18, 1703, he wrote something for the last time. The entries during the 49 years are between the cold of the abbot, the "cattle brood", the new pastor of "Bosweil" and occasionally more exotic excitements, for example after the Complet on May 30, 1691: "A man came to ours Church [...] and began to cry, and to prophesy, over the monastery and our venerable Abbot, that if this does not abandon the construction works and instead give more alms and take better care of the poor, the monastery would face much evil ". After all, this leads Brother Jodocus to some philosophical thoughts: "With all this he achieved nothing, except that he was considered a fool. But I do not know whether it really is like that, man looks in the face, but God in the heart, because God often chooses a fool to confuse the wise. “
The person you have here seems to me quite "sympathetic," says Bernd Klesmann. And reading his diary entries shows how much humanity has remained the same over the centuries. An example: Everyday worries are more important than those about the salvation of the world. Klesmann is a historian and works as an assistant at the University of Zurich. He made Jost's diary ready for publication. In other words, he transferred the text purely typographically from the 17th-century manuscript to a file, translating the Latin passages into modern German. The original German sections were left in the original style. "For the 17th century, such documents are quite rare," he orders the work. It is today in the possession of the family of Stirnimann / Stirnemann, on whose behalf Klesman did this work.
The monk shows empathy for the frequently occurring diseases in his environment. He himself is not spared from minor and greater suffering. On 4 September 1681 he has the "surgeon" Jacobus Suter come because he fears a hernia. [Thank God it was something else] any unhealthy excretion that could easily be expelled with the help of remedies. Therefore, he told me to take heated wine, "about a glass full and a moderate point full of saffron in it thought to anoint it with all that it would pass away". Did not do it. "[That] did not continue to hold any waves nor did it begin to show it differently, just below the other and greater". Finally, the doctor also saw: "... it would be better if I do not use anything anymore," was the concluding advice.
Even though Jodocus was comparatively well cared for in the monastery, he led a deprived life some 300 years ago. Bernd Klesmann definitely does not want to trade with him. Nevertheless, the notes from the Murian monastery school have awakened memories for him, because at the high school he himself has been taught by Fathers. And in contrast to the living conditions, people would have changed little. "Only how strong the belief in miracles is, that is impressive", Klesmann limits.
"A faint-hearted one was felt in the camera of the shooters, first shook for several days at the betladen, and the cinnamon masen starck," Jost reports, for example, 1683. Soon the ghost begins to scratch and whistle, on request, a happy Song - "but no spiritual song made it whistle". The serious description of the ghost spreads over several pages, because neither with good persuasion nor with force did it dissuade itself from the haunting. That's why they finally cleared out the whole sleeping-room to get at the Maleficium. In the process, a "coiled-up papierlin [...] in which dreyerley gatig pulffer" came to light.
"And they said that it behooves that it was the trey, and the richest, and the waters." The powders and bedsteads were burned - and the haunting was over.
In addition to these supernatural things, however, it is always the earthly afflictions that are troubling; Theft of church facilities, early snow on the cultures, village fires and animal diseases have accompanied people's everyday lives. But the presten was dissert: the cattle, as Hummers, Ochs, Schaff, Schwein, pfärdt, and what it has on larger, came over the presten on the tongues, to some the fangs became smoke and came over plotter, to some the Split tongues. [...] But you did not notice the presten, or they would open their mouths and look at their tongues. Dan, they eat and drink, as if they were waning for a while until their tongues were purged and turned to their mouths. " But at least: "for that it has not been heard that in our gägent something is spoiled: as alein [...] the monastery 5 Gänss”.
The monk Jodocus has covered fewer kilometers in his life than we did in a few months. But a refreshing trip to the baths after Pfäffers was also there for him, and conversely travelers kept stopping in the monastery, for example on the 24th. July 1693: "An elephant was worthy of the attention that his guides from the upper inn, where they had spent the night, led to the monastery after the morning Mass." Among the more exciting guests in 1681 was the Capuchin Marcus of Aviano. Of careful men, the number of those who came together for his blessing was estimated at an unreadable number of thousands, apparently with good reason. "[His blessing] had such a great and wondrous effect that the doves heard, the lame walked, and the sick were healed." We can only dream of such methods with today's healthcare system.
Published on November 22, 2002 in the Aargauer Zeitung (Freämämter Zeitung) by Philip Gehri.
11th Family Meeting in Buttisholz, Eglisberg
Sunday, 30.06.02
Minutes of the General Assembly
l. Greeting
Our president, Beat Stirnimann, opens the family meeting, which we would like to introduce to you. For this occasion, a hundred adults and twelve children are welcome. A warm welcome goes to the honorary members:
Alois Stirnimann, Wolhusen, with his wife, our former board member and longtime cashier. Rolf Stirnimann, painter, Lucerne. A special welcome is a Georges Stirnemann and his wife from Colmar in Alsace, a Rosmarie De Vido-Stirnimann from Texas and a Hans Stirnimann from Peru.
With the following quote from Adalbert Stifter, our President Beat Stirnimann introduces us to the day of the various encounters:
"The family is the most natural, firm, and intimate body, and if you are good, the highest dignity of the human is Gender and the greatest perfection of the state form “.
By today's selected form of the design of this day we want to consciously maintain the uncomplicated. The self-service of the carefully prepared brunch may give rise to many unexpected encounters in conversation with people one does not know. - The resort Eglisberg is in the middle of a beautiful, green landscape. You can walk in between or enjoy fresh air and the view on the balcony.
Apologies:
Honorary President Hans Stirnimann-Haupt, Ruswil Josef Stirnemann, Adliswil, Auditors Rainer Stirnemann, Storbeck
Professor Joseph Stirnimann, Lucerne, (unfortunately absent due to old age)
Alois Stirnimann, old cashier
Josef Stirnimann, former president
Toni Stirnimann, auditor
Short review of the president:
Three years ago, the last family meeting was in Gränichen. Since then, six board meetings have been held with the following main focuses:
Internet presence (own homepage) Electronic registration of all newsletters and publication of an anthology Keyword index by Josef Stirnimann, Rothenburg
Development of our association chronicle by Philomena Bartholdi-Stirnimann Translation of the diary of Father Jost, Muri Monastery
Organization of today's family meeting
Dead ceremony:
As time goes by, life goes by. In the last three years, we had to say goodbye to the following dear fellows:
Hans Stirnimann, spouse of our Management Board member Maria Stirnimann-Schenker-mayr, Ruswil
Anton Stirnimann-Schöb, founding member and board member, and father of our auditing auditor Toni Stirnimann, Lucerne
Hans Stirnimann, community writer of Neuenkirch, son of our honorary president and founding member Hans Stirnimann-Haupt, Ruswil
Louise Stirnimann-Helfenstein, mother of our future auditor Josef Stirnimann, Emmenbrücke
With a minute's silence we commemorate the dear deceased. Let's keep it in the family spirit among us.
Announcement Results Counter:
Total votes: 81 Absolute more: 41
2. Minutes of the 10th Family Meeting in Gränichen The minutes of the 10th Family Meeting in Gränchen are read out by Josef Stirnimann-Tura and approved and owed unanimously.
3. Cash report
Gregor Stirnimann-Lisibach explains the cash register report. He sends a special thank you to the members of the association who have paid their contributions with prompt punctuality. A special joy was the booking of a donation of Fr. 5000.-. Members and patron contributions: Fr. 3996.-. Auditors report by Thomas Stirnimann. He notes that the bills are well managed and owes the work.
4. Options
President Beat Stirnimann is elected unanimously. His great commitment is best owed.
Resignation from the Executive Board: Prof. Dr. med. Joseph Stirnimann, Lucerne (health and old age). A tribute was given on the occasion of a small ceremony inside the board and a report in the newsletter No. 27/2001.
New to the board from October 1999:
Agnes Bensegger-Stirnimann, Oberrüti
No further changes on the board:
Philomena Bartholdi - Stirnimann,
Maria Stirnimann - Schenkermayr, Ruswil
Franz Stirnimann - Bühlmann, Lucerne
Fritz Stirnemann-Dittli, Zurich
Gregor Stirnimann-Lisebach, Nottwil
Joseph Stirnimann -Tura, Cham
All members are elected unanimously. The batches are distributed internally on the board. The two account auditors Joseph Stirnemann, Adliswil and Toni Stirnimann, Lucerne, announce their resignation for professional and family reasons. Both were elected as auditors in 1996 at the family meeting in Kaysersberg, Alsace. A present will be delivered after the GV. New as invoice audits are available:
Josef Stirnimann, Emmenbrücke
Thomas Stirnimann, Rothrist
Both introduce themselves briefly and are elected unanimously.
5. Miscellaneous
Notes: It is possible to buy various literature at the sales stand. There are still people looking for the board work. Thanks: Finally, our President Beat Stirnimann:
Company Huber, metal construction, for the hospitality and friendly cooperation
Bäckerei Willi, Sempach, especially Mrs. Lydia Zemp, supervisor brunch / dessert
Youth music from Oberrüti, called "Chappemusig", which livened up our 2002 family reunion with lively sounds.
To all board colleagues, which were surprised with a sweet present. To all participants for the visit of the 11th Family Meeting in Eglisberg.
After 42 minutes, the GV is closed and the cosiness continues again with a fine dessert.
N.B. Here is a brief statement from a young participant from Graubünden: "They came from all lands, from far and near, from other continents even. Of course, the Stirnimanns were always there! "
Recording Secretary:
Agnes Bensegger - Stirnimann
Snapshots from the family meeting, Buttisholz
Josef Stirnimann, a Family Story
"The world is my village," explained Josef Stirnimann, when we turn a Wednesday morning to a Interview came together. He was staying professionally for a day in Switzerland, that is a favorable enough to make a detour to the maternity Ruswil.
For a long time we have been via Internet and telephone in contact and I had the idea of one Report for our newsletter divided. The spontaneous commitment had I was very happy and honored. And now it was time. In front of me sat now the man who was in Madrid yesterday and will be flying back to Miami tomorrow, he who is responsible for business development in South America for GateGourmet, the organization responsible for airline passengers, he said; who is about 80% of his working time traveling.
At the beginning of the interview, Josef explained his career from childhood to today's professional domicile Argentina:
He was born and raised in Rüediswil, Gasthof Eintracht, as the son of the host couple Josef (blessed) and Olga Stirnimann-Wälchli. After attending compulsory schooling, he made a one-year language stay in Neuchâtel, then completed his apprenticeship in Lucerne. After about two years of professional experience, he attended the hotel management school in Lucerne and traveled to Paris for further education. As a stagiaire in a posh restaurant, Josef Stirnimmann made the acquaintance of world-famous guests such as Alfred Hitchcock, Salvador Dali or Maurice Chevalier. For a twenty-year-old in those days, of course, these encounters were absolute high-lights. After the stay in Paris, he returned to Switzerland to make the RS, where he left the military after 8 months as a Fourier. Then he traveled to England, pressed the desk during the day and learned the English language. At night he exchanged the books with the serving tray and worked as a waiter to pay for the language school. Back in Switzerland, Josef worked in well-known hotels on the Bürgenstock and in Zurich as a banquet chef.
At around the age of 24, Josef committed to work at the Hotel Peninsula in Hong Kong. Hotel professionals know this hotel was named the best hotel in the world last year. Josef traveled to Hong Kong with two suitcases in his hand. At that time, he said, around 50 Swiss were working in this hotel group. Today, the Chinese have taken over most of these positions, with the exception of the agency, which is still in Swiss hands.
At that time, Peninsula Group had a management contract for the flight kitchen of Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong's airline), for which he was hired as assistant manager after 6 months.
At that time, this company produced about 3,000 meals per day for the airlines in Asia. For more than seven years, Josef Stirnimann was responsible for the purchasing, the production, and partly for the sale of the products. This task demanded a large travel activity in the Asian region, as countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam, Japan, India, Australia and the Philippines belonged to the clientele. When he left Hong Kong, the flight kitchen produced about 30,000 meals a day.
During this time, Quantas' kitchen in Sydney, which had major problems, had a study done. As a result, Josef Stirnimann was called to Australia for one and a half years, where he worked as a consultant for the management. Here, however, a harsh wind was blowing against him, because the big country had a lot of unions with quite a lot of power. The fact that at that time the approximately 700 people who worked in the kitchen came from 54 nations did not make problem solving easier. Finally, efforts were rewarded in so far as the flight kitchen was working profitably again after this time.
After this Australia mission, Josef returned to Hong Kong, where he was now responsible for the Cathay Pacific's worldwide inflight service.
During his Hong Kong Time Josef met his wife, a Swiss from Sion, which was then in the Swiss Embassy worked. The honeymoon led that young couple across South America, this is the wish a wife, because she worked previously in Uruguay. What Josef but do not suspect could: Argentina should be his next home. Following his desire to return to catering, Josef Stirnimann answered unsuspectingly on an ad of a Swiss company, which was looking for a managing director in South America. It soon turned out that it was the Swissair who was looking for a flight kitchen manager in Buenos Aires. Josef Stirnimann got the job. For him, he emphasized, it did not matter where he plays his beloved profession, because the customers are mostly the same airlines. Only the mentality of people changes, and for him as a cosmopolitan business man this is "no problem"!
The move to Argentina fell during the Falklands War. Josef remembers exactly this time, because at the same time anchored in Hong Kong, the two English ships Sheffield and Queen Elizabeth, which returned shortly thereafter to England and were converted to troop transport ships. A ship was then put out of action by the Argentines during the Falklands War and finally sunk by the British themselves.
The large South American country of Argentina has now been the workplace of Josef Stirnimann for about twenty years. To better understand today's situation in Argentina, one must have some additional information. Josef Stirnimann declared:
Argentina and the rest of South America were greatly neglected by Europeans and Americans in the post-World War II era, as they focused more on the Cold War. In the 1980s, Argentina succeeded in breaking away from military rule. Nevertheless, many problems remained, such as the occasionally very high inflation.
The flight kitchen "Buenos Aires Catering", founded in 1980, was a joint venture between the Argentine Airline and Swissair. Josef Stirnimann started with about 200 people when he was hired, and slowly the company grew to 800 people, because the business programs promoted investments. Due to many experienced economic
The depths of the people made it possible for people to adapt to the situation, and now it was even possible to acquire residential property with bank financing of up to 20 years. Interestingly, owning your own home can be described as typically Argentinian or Latin American.
Travelingness also grew, especially among younger people, as growth also gave women the opportunity to enter the labor market and thereby improve their purchasing power.
When the Argentine currency was adjusted to the US dollar at a 1: 1 ratio, prices for products rose in some cases over 100%. In addition to this rise in prices, the currency of the neighboring country Brazil underwent a sharp devaluation. These two factors led to a collapse of the economy in 2000. However, Josef Stirnimann believes that the previous impact of the recovery, namely increased productivity and investment, can be described as very positive. Because these two factors were neglected for a long time in Argentina.
Josef Stirnimann opened his own vocational school within his company. All sectors of the hotel industry are trained, as many hotels have been opened since the upswing in Argentina. Today, the school has more than 200 students, and it is not without pride that Josef Stirnimann finds that around 90% of graduates find a job and more than 30% of all pupils work abroad. He says that the company also has a social responsibility, because in Argentina, vocational training, unlike Switzerland, has no tradition. Josef Stirnimann also confesses his own self-interest, because ultimately it is also in the interests of the company when well-trained professionals can be hired. By the way, Josef Stirnimann has also set up a laundry, which today processes around 10 tons of laundry every day. With this innovation, he proves that competitive solutions are possible even in difficult times, even when ecological criteria are taken into account. Until the hour you could survive economically, without subsidies.
In addition, Josef and his team from Argentina built up a whole network of new flight kitchens in Latin America, namely in Brazil (Rio de Janeiro, Recife, Sao Paulo), Chile (Santiago de Chile), Peru (Lima), Ecuador (Quito, Guyaquil ), Venezuela (Caracas) and Mexico (Mexico City, Monterrey, Cancun). Today these companies have more than 3,000 employees.
In Argentina, Josef cultivated valuable cultural contacts with Switzerland. He was also a founding member of the Camera de Cultura Suiza Argentina. He himself does not feel that he is a typical Swiss citizen abroad, of whom there are about 600 in Argentina by the name of Stirnimann and who, as a rule, belong to the third generation. Josef Stirnimann regularly reads Swiss newspapers and he is also found here and there in Switzerland.
Now back to the business. The then Swissair outsources areas such as catering, technology and other services. Thus GateGourmet became an independent company with 35,000 employees. Josef Stirnimann found the idea of such a conglomerate good, unfortunately many investments were questionable for some airlines and the timetable also left some questions unanswered. Well, let history be history and with it the "Grounding" of Swissair. Likewise history is the "11. September ", which was a catastrophe for all companies that were somehow dependent on the airline business was. At GateGourmet, 10,000 people lost their jobs so the rest could be secured. Josef Stirnimann says that from today's point of view, one got away with a black eye. As a result, Gategourmet was sold to the American company "Texas Pacifica", a finance company, which mainly operates with pension fund assets. The "Texas Pacifica", and this is the positive side for Josef Stirnimann, lets the professionals work without interfering. Because it is an American company, he had to relocate to the United States of America. That's why he's been living in Miami / Florida for about one and a half years.
At the end of our interview, I asked Josef Stirnimann for a final thought. He pointed to the identifiable development that Swiss professionals increasingly preferred to stay at home and no longer want to experience abroad. He believes that Switzerland's lack of overseas presence means that many valuable business contacts are lost, which will have a negative impact on the Swiss economy in the long term. Unfortunately, the causes of this development must be sought in our affluent society and its associated convenience.
Our interview lasted less than two hours when Josef Stirnimann said goodbye to me. For this trip to Ruswil and his willingness to realize this presentation, I would like to thank him once again and wish him many more fulfilling professional hours. May his remarks and thoughts inspire us to expand our borders in Welthendorf!
Beat Stirnimann-Stäger