Newsletter No. 35 Ruswil - March, 2009

Table of Contents

Foreword 1

The monk Jodokus looked into the diary 2

Hans Stirnimann 5

Nostalgic from Ruswil 7

Miscellaneous 8

Dear relatives and acquaintances, 

Dear members and friends of our family association

"The nettle very close is often the rose," wrote the Roman poet Ovid (43 BC-17 AD) in his work "Remedies Against Love". The initially apparent simplicity and closeness to nature of this sentence has tempted me to put it at the beginning of this year's foreword under the theme "opposites".

Everywhere in our universe opposites can be found. The light and the darkness are described in the creation story as the two first opposites. In alternation, these two opposites give us the familiar rhythm of the day and the night.

If light is, then the condition for life is given. And if life is possible, then dying is irrevocably coupled with it, "life contradictions", to which we are all unconditionally delivered or, to put it mildly, subordinated.

On the level of feeling, in human life joy and grief, love and hate are always opposites. These are joined by mental opposites like "actually I would have to .... why do not I have ..... I have …..".

Ovid has already captured pictorial words in his time, which has been given since time immemorial: Opposites are always very close, just as nettle and rose can be very close to one another locally. The two plants, at least in symbolic terms, embody contradictory extremes: the rose with its sometimes seductive scents, a symbol of love, the seductive, the exciting, stands for the beautiful, the heavenly in human life. The nettle, also called "red fire", should be better avoided. Nettle stings do not sting, no, they burn, and as nitrogen pointers, they are often near manure piles. Symbolically as those to be avoided, they are more likely to stand for anything unpleasant and dangerous in life.

Opposites also exist elsewhere. Thousands of them exist in all forms and in all areas of our world: reports of huge incomes and bonuses, mass redundancies, luxury lives, war and environmental refugees are just a few key words that have dominated the current situation in recent months show extreme opposites of our time. How would Ovid describe these modern opposites with his then view and way of thinking?

Forty years ago, the organization of a family reunion in Rüediswil came up with an idea that would allow family members of our name to meet regularly. The success was tremendous and already 5 years later on 8th September 1974 the family association Stirnimann was founded. It had succeeded in uniting different things as an expression of togetherness. What I was living on the sidelines as a child at that time would today be described as the expression of a will to provide the confusing and unsettling opposites with a protective space, a sort of orientation aid.

35 years have passed and many things have changed, including humans. The idea has remained. And we want to refresh these with our upcoming anniversary conference. For this we want to go back to the place of founding, to Ruswil. It is the place to which many of us, and if it is only on paper, have a connection. On September 6, 2009, we celebrate the birthday party of our family association, to which I would like to cordially invite you. You do not need to take birthday presents with you, but for budgetary reasons we will have to ask for a supplement to the costs incurred. Reserve the date. At the end of July the invitation will be sent to all members of the association with the corresponding information and a registration option. I am already looking forward to welcoming many members to Ruswil on this September Sunday. Undoubtedly you will also find in Ruswil various contrasts, maybe even roses next to nettles!

But now I would like to wish you a few exciting moments reading through and looking through the newsletter, which is in your usual hands. Finally, thank my esteemed colleagues, and all the helpers for their dedication and work for our family association and remain with best regards,

President 

Beat Stirnimann

The monk Jodokus looked in the diary

(Continuation)

Father Jost Stirnimann (monastic name Jodokus, Jodok) lived from 1654-1706, of which 36 years in the monastery Muri, AG. In the years 1695-1697 he followed attentively the progress of the construction work on the today's monastery church.

The original of his diary is in the archive of the College Sarnen. In the next newsletter we publish a part of this diary. Here already the 5 episode.

1686

If he had spoken in Latin for a short time, or had dwelt on the blessing of the people, he was accompanied by the universal convent in our gracious new house, according to the benediction of all religions, as well as secular The priests, so presently true, have been greeted with the kiss of the hand (he has given no hand to the mundane), but after he has received the morning meal in the rooms, he has given both new peoples Benedictine: and afterwards all the people at the entrance of the upper parish benediction gives once again, and then soon afterwards horam duodecimam vel mediam primam took the ripples after Lucern.

Around the 29th of October the roofstool was opened on the new bauwau, where the custrey and the great hopeful are, so that year has been opened: to bring it up: which bite that S. Martini is completely exterminated that he still does not It can be covered everywhere as soon as the brick and slats have left.

On the 11th of November, the day of St. Martin, only the merchant Merdt, as before, but also the livestock and the rose Marck, was kept the first mole. 

On November 13th and the following days, the larger windows of the choir were completed on the side of the Epistolae.

On the 10th of December our brother Lucas von Klingenberg came home on the order of the abbot. 

On the 11th of December there was a chapter in which the abbot, after completing a visitation, issued a reminder to which the lay brothers were also called. In this chapter, the abbot made some changes in the ministers' offices. He transferred the brother Casparus, who had the office of the Cellerarius, to Klingenberg, and in his place he placed the brother Lucas, who had previously been in Klingenberg. Similarly, he removed his brother Jacobus, who had been a sexton, and replaced him with his brother Michael, whom he added to support Adelricus' brother. 

On December 21st, on the day of St. Thomas the Apostle Josephus Kauper and his brother Gabriel Kauper were here with his son Jacobus Kauper, my relative, whom they wanted to leave behind in the local school. But because he was already 16 years old and had not studied anything yet and also did not speak the vocals, he was not admitted to school. At that they asked that he should at least be accepted as a lay brother, but even that they could not achieve.

On the 5th of January, the land mistress of Zug, the father of our abbot, who came from Soloturn, was with one of the other gentlemen: and vil served: that they had vacated the pension: he had a fesslin with white wine he brought himself in honor of his gracious master, as well as of the gantzen convent: in honor of him are his lord son Mr. Lantzschreiber of Brägarten with his brother-in-law the youngest son of the lord Landammas Lüssi son of Unterwalden; His youngest son, Mr. Hanß Lutz Lütenambt of Zugg. it would be Sunday from the hh. The day after tomorrow, one quo ad Musicam, the ambt sollemniter, with the demander Landamman appeared with the others, and on the choir beygewonnt: the morning meal was announced and held in the new convent: everywhere you met the jewish together: how to do it 

On the new year there is something to do, it was also held a taffelling music. and when it is just after the new year, true, reverberated ihme, h. P. Subprior for the gantze convent with a h. For a priest, but for the boys a psalter.

Monastery Muri - Golden seal of the prince's diploma for abbot Plazidus Zurlauben 1701 - Photo archives Martin Allemann, Muri AG

1687

The above entry belongs to this current year. 

On January 10, there was a chapter or rather a consultation, in which it was discussed whether Theodericus Waltinspüöl, at that time a guest in the house Adler, could build a new house for themselves. It has been decided that he should be allowed to do so, but the house is to be built at a greater distance from the monastery. Likewise, advice has been given to Mr Abt Bochenball, urgently asked to live in our monastery to serve his faith and salvation better and more quietly. However, it has been decided that this time he should be dissuaded from it for some reason. 

On January 17, Casparus Kraus from Bosweil was missing, which happened in the following way: S. Antony's day in the morning, it may be after the churches to be a whole; he said to the woman, her stomach was full, so that she would make her an erect brittle, which she did, after which he had eaten it, he would go to the inn for a boast, drink half a measure of wine, and so on the belly breastfeeding. after he went to Muri, where he also went into the economic real to the eagle, so were also other bosweiler also: on the night of the abent because it was even starck cut, the other bossweiler auff and wanted to nacher home go, as they do, would be a gentleman, either his, or his son's daughter, who would lead him home, as others have done, but he would not go home with him, the others boßweiller wait a little longer but he did not want to go home with them, but said he would stay overnight, and so the gentleman would go home with the other peasants, but when he returned home, the father would come I have no waves to go home with him, the name of the younger son is two, and I am ready to lead Muri to his house, but when he comes there, he has not found him any more: they said to him, that he had sat If he bought a horse when he owned such a thing, he rode in his wake, but he did not hit him like that any more, and so he rode again and again, and could no longer even get in touch with him he took something like this: and so he came back home with his wife: and if he could not get home, and a big snow fell, no matter how great that nobody could tear without a hitch, his sons were in big to make sure it had happened a little on the whim, especially when it had been drowned in water; and he would like to be buried under the snow, as it would be in the case of the actual self, as well as the dan brought the exit. In the mornings his son rebounded and rode again and again to Muri, and slew him in all the wives, and ordered all the others where they knew him to be; but when he could not be asked, they slept on all roads and on account of them Whenever they married, that he wished to be run away, they found that they were also on the verge of treyen days and nights, in a street with a little shelter far from the village, on the face under the snow, but dead. so it is there, like life, so the end. He rest in peace.

On the 2nd of February in the afternoon, the kitchen was moved from the breuhüten to the new house, as well as the refectory from the hypocaust of rest in the new Hypokaustum the monastery, and so we took today for the first time dinner in the new refectory, because it was the eve of the Assumption. 

On April 28, a young man named Balthasarus Seidler came here to become a lay brother of our monastery. For the feast of St. Philip and Jacobus he put on the clothes or toga for the first time, as the new lay brothers do before the novitiate. 

On the 7th of May about 5 o'clock in the evening my brother-in-law died to hawkish Walterus Meyer. 

On March 26 [April; improved by later hand] on the 4th of Sunday before the 4th Sunday after easter after noon, as ours p. before Benedictus Sohnenbärg Lucernensis wished to ride to Hermetschil, when it was the night of Althorten, when he came to the color, he was startled by the fact that he had jumped back to the monastery so starckly that he would not like to keep it: But when the porten decided, sprang it so hardt to the phrases that an Eyssen Rigel sprang upon it, and after that P prior thought that he had not fallen away: yet he is so fiercely ragged that it makes him a fool, and mortal wounding arose, and instigated hate.

On Sunday, the 8th of June, after lunch, I left for my sister's home to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the death of my relative Walter, who was committed on the following Tuesday, on June 10, in Sursee. On this day came to Huprächt the sworn grlesleut, Joannes Wüöst of pfaffischwand: ambtsweibel, Jacobus Tuochner of red kilchmeyer to sursee, and Jodocus Süöß ambts scribe to Ruswil. The cousins, too redoubtable, have too redeemed me to banish Hans Buocher too: as well as to kill the man and the young man, Peter, in the red: disse, have opened up the law, serenaded, deserted, owe the debt, and left to ostracize, to bring in, and to spend, another would have been avenged, and withdrawn, all in one rightful law: the fugitives, which were left by me, and my beloved ernambet: namely, Hans Buocher too red, and Peter herrmann of Hertzen-Nehren.

sequel follows

Hans Stirnimann

A life under power

The village center of Ruswil is dominated by the cantonal road, which leads through the middle of the Bermuda triangle of the historic inns Bären, Löwen and Rössli. And at the fourth corner, at the Murgass 1, is the Elektro Stirnimann AG of Hans and Edith Stirnimann.

Brightly lit is the shop. Nothing seems to be missing here that is available on household electrical appliances. The range extends from the washing machine to refrigerators and cooking appliances to small appliances such as telephones, irons, coffee machines, etc. The 53-year-old Hans Stirnimann leads us around some corners and through doors, we climb the creaky wooden staircase to the first floor and stand in the apartment of the family. Hans, the eidg. Dipl. Electric Installer, his wife Edith, who manages the shop and the children: Judith, 23 years old, studies and the two sons - both electricians like the father - Pascal (21), who just finished the RS and the 19 year-old apprentice Severin, are here at home.

Loyal employees

We are sitting at the table in the room. "This was the bedroom of my parents," says Hans Stirnimann, who grew up in this apartment with two younger brothers and an older sister. His father Hans Stirnimann-Schenkermayr (1919-2001) founded the electrical company in 1946. Hans took over the company in 1990 and founded an AG. Today he employs eleven electricians, five of them apprentices, as well as an office assistant. Training young people is a big concern for him - and he seems to have a very good connection to the apprentices, because each good third of him completes the training with honorary message. "Above all else, this is the merit of my long-standing employees, which is no longer self-evident today," he continues. Among others, his chief mechanic, who has been working in the company for a respectable 38 years.

Neuenburg, Geneva , Zurich, Ruswil

After his school days in Ruswil, Hans Stirnimann first moved to Neuenburg, to the INCA, the Institute Catholique de jeunes gens, which is still in the memory of the writer and his father, but today is history. "It was a great time," says Hans, who completed his four-year apprenticeship as an electric technician with Franz Schmeder in Emmenbrücke after his apprenticeship. "That was always my dream job, because even as a boy I was traveling a lot with my father on assembly and was thrilled," he says. This benefited him in the apprenticeship, because he was soon able to fully work thanks to his early assembly experience. This was followed by the RS in Mels and he also completed the NCO school in Sargans. With little enthusiasm. "It was a catastrophic time," summarizes Hans Stirnimann. "Seckle, wait and execute nonsensical orders - that was military life back then.”

Tipping for parking buses

For this reason, he enjoyed the next two years in the early eighties, which he spent in Geneva as an electrician. Cool, yes great it had been in the foreign. The first own reward, your own home, freedom and of course the exit with all the temptations that a cosmopolitan city has to offer. "And yet we worked a lot," says Hans Stirnimann, laughing. A customer handed him, the young electronics technician, after work, a hundred-note note in the hand. "I told him he did not have to pay right away - and he just said it was not the pay but the tip for me," he recalls. He later received 200 francs - "that was an unbelievable amount and he was also good for the many park buses I brought in.”

After the welten ease it drew him to Zurich - among other things, because of a woman - where he worked for a year in Schlieren. He went to school for one year in Winterthur for the master's exam, then returned to Ruswil, married in 1985 and finally took over his father's company in 1990.

Faster work at lower margins At that time there was still a lot of new wiring to be made in the rural region. Hans Stirnimann had his hands full. And even today, much is still being built in Ruswil. What's more, in today's homes a lot more cables have to be laid to supply all the electrical systems with Pfuus. "Nevertheless, a total installation costs about the same amount today as it did decades ago. Because thanks to new and better tools we are much faster. "A downer is there only the today lower margins.

Vacation stress

Nevertheless, Hans Stirnimann has no fear for the future. "Electrician always needs," he is convinced, because the safety of people is important. "That's why most people can not and do not want to do the wiring themselves.”

He does not have much time beside the company and the family. But he takes on this for gymnastics in the gymnastics club, his technical work at the traditional theater club and other engagements in the village life. 

Only from vacation travel he does not really get excited. "If, then it has to go somewhere to the heat. But traveling is too time-consuming for me, all the preparations and the packing trouble me, "he says with a laugh.

Roland Stirnimann

"Surseer week”

Schoolhouse Ruswil = village. Schoolhouse = fine.

1. The schoolchildren are allowed to appear on the school playground (also on Thursdays) at the earliest 20 min. Before school starts.

2. It is strictly forbidden to enter any lawns that are lying around = the mats, the school garden and the offices.

3. The climbing of the windows and trees, as well as the climbing and committing of all intercessions, must be strictly punished.

4. Paper, food remains, etc. belong in the waste cauldron or in the wastebasket and must not be thrown away in the corridors, stairwells, on the playground or even in the classrooms.

5. The contamination of all floors is prohibited.

6. Every student in the school has to avoid jumping, grinding, screaming, whistling, yodeling, singing and pushing.

7. Before entering the school and the gymnasium are the shoes and event. Also clean the remaining clothes clean.

8. Each departmental dislocation is organized under the supervision of the teachers.

9. Use of the abortion and wells is permitted only at the beginning of the break. Entering and staying in the school during the break is only allowed after special permission.

10. In each department, a schoolchild has to make sure at the beginning of the school that the clothes and umbrellas are properly arranged in the corridors.

11. All found objects of value are to be handed over to a teacher.

12. It is strictly forbidden to describe the "black board" which contains announcements in the sense of No. 11 or to delete written material.

13. Any smudging and marking of the walls, floors and ceilings of the schoolhouse and the surrounding walls will be punished.

14. The gymnasium may only be entered under the supervision of the teaching staff.

15. The schoolchildren have to go immediately after entering the school after supply of clothes and any necessary aborting go to their classrooms; leaving it without special permission is inadmissible.

16. For the children only the use of the northern entrance is permitted.

17. The cleaning and refilling of the ink containers happens only under the supervision of the teacher.

18. The use of the wells in the corridors and the water taps in the abortions must be limited to the bare essentials.

19. The path through the cemetery may not be used as a school.

20. Children who buy the midday soup may only eat at lunchtime after spec. Permission of the school house down to the village.

21. This schoolhouse regulation applies in its entirety to all teachers, including the work teachers, the business school teachers and the recruiting teachers.

Ruswil, October 29, 1913.

The teaching staff.