Ruswil - August 1986 No. 12
TABLE OF CONTENTS Page
Foreword by the President 1
New members 2
The progenitors of the Stirnimann from Ruswil and Neuenkirch (Continued) 3
The Swiss origin of the Stirnemann of Storbeck in the Mark Brandenburg (GDR) 7
Interview with a farmer in Etzenerlen in Ruswil 8
Othmar Stirnemann, Sempach - manufacturer and arms collector 9
That's why I like it in Ruswil - From school essays from orientation level Ruswil 11
Contributions to family history 13
Congratulations and condolences 14
Our board of directors 15
Dear relatives and cousins
Dear members and friends of our family association
In older chronicles we often read sentences like: They made a new home for themselves. They were looking for a home. They lost their home. In today's industrial age with modern means of transport and prosperity, these sentences certainly no longer have the same meaning as they did then. Previous weekly and daily trips are now covered in hours. Our old home is much closer to us, it is within reach almost at all times. On the other hand, due to the constant possibility of movement, there is the danger of not creating a new home anymore, of being withdrawn instead of being closer to home. By home we mean the environment where the individual feels at home. This real feeling of being at home can be avoided at any time with the options available today. If we follow the family history of our ancestors, we can find time and again that our families have made a home for themselves over the centuries. But you can also see that this homeland has shaped them. Searching for and exploring this old common home is certainly also a drive that brings us together, that helped us to found a family association.
Members, the board members in particular. The sum of the work of many good spirits then results in a whole. This is what happens every year with the production of a newsletter. For this reason I would like to thank our former actuary Heidi Stirnimann in Stans for her work so far. In a disinterested way she wrote the first ten issues of the circular and at the same time took care of the printing of the circular. Anyone who has read all these letters knows what quality work has been done there. Our new actuary, Hans Stirnimann, community clerk in Neuenkirch, has been taking on this work since 1985. We would like to thank him warmly for his spontaneous willingness. Hans Stirnimann is the son of our founder and honorary president Hans Stirnimann, Ruswil. He is married and has two daughters and
two sons. Our new cashier, Alois Stirnimann, Wolhusen,, has also been taking care of the printing and mailing of the circular since 1985. We would like to thank him for his willing cooperation. Alois Stirnimann comes from the Stirnimann-Brun family, which has many children, from the Saalhof on the Ruswilerberg. He works as a managing director in Wolhusen, is married and has a son and a daughter.
This circular is again accompanied by a payment slip for the 1986 annual subscription. May I now ask you to pay this CHF 10.00 subscription. Many thanks again to all of our dear sponsors who voluntarily increase the annual fee. We Executive Board members see your generosity as a thank you and an incentive for our work. I remain with best wishes for the rest of the year and best regards.
The President:
Josef Stirnimann
New Members
We warmly welcome new members:
Mrs. Ruth Schütz-Stirnimann, Tödistrasse 4, 8305 Dietlikon
Franz Stirnimann-Suppiger, Schwärzistrasse 17, 6017 Ruswil
Franz Stirnimann-Müller, Chaumontweg 112, 3028 Spiegel near Bern
THE TRIBAL FATHERS OF THE STIRNIMANN OF RUSWIL AND NEUENKIRCH
(continued)
Why from Luthern to Ruswil?
As we have seen, Peter Stirnimann very likely moved from Luthern to Ruswil with his wife Adelheid Bircher, his five children and his mother in the spring of 1611. What may have been the reasons and considerations that move him to decide to search for another place of residence, for himself from Luthern to a quite remote and secluded farm in the Roth on the northern slope of the Ruswil mountain? We rely on guesswork. Perhaps the previous farmer in the Roth had no children or no son who could take over his stately farm and was therefore on the lookout for a buyer. But who made Peter Stirnimann aware of this farm and the possibility of acquiring it? According to the church records, there have been a number of families in the Luthern Valley since the end of the 16th century who had definitely moved from Ruswil or its surroundings, these were the Eggenschwiler, Grüter, Haufgartner, Manig, Unterfinger and Wermelinger. The origin of some of these name bearers from Ruswil is also proven by the names of individual godparents. It is quite possible that members of these families, who kept up to date with what was happening in Ruswil, brought Peter Stirnimann's attention to the farm in the Roth. But Peter Stirnimann apparently also had relatives in Ruswil who were able or interested in providing him with this information. In connection with a legal dispute, the relationship of the Luthertaler Stirnimann to the Hätschler or Hetschler was mentioned, a tribe that, as far as we know, only occurred in Luthern in Lucerne at this time and only had a few families. Barbara Stirnimann, without a doubt Peter's sister, was the first wife of Loy or Elogius Hätschler who lived in the Niedere Grund. A Verena Hätschler, so to speak surely a daughter of this couple and consequently a niece of Peter Stirnimann, was married to a Hans Bösch in Ruswil. As we can see from the baptismal register there, the couple had three children between 1586 and 1596 (the gaps in the baptismal register are also evident here). The Ruswil death register reports the death of Verena Hätschler on November 15, 1617. - We wanted to at least mention these contact and information opportunities between Luthern and Ruswil, even if they are mere assumptions.
The Bircher family
According to the testimony of the baptismal registers of Luthern and Willisau and the foundation in Sursee, the wife of Peter Stirnimann was called Adelheid Bircher of Luthern.
The name Bircher, written and spoken Birrer since the middle of the 18th century, derives from the Birche farm in Roggliswil in the Willisau district. The family appears there early in a leading position. The brothers Hans, Heinz and Chuenzli (= diminutive of Konrad) Bircher, free farmers in Roggliswil, appear as judges at the court in Pfaffnau in 1380 and 1393; Hans Bircher is Weibel zu Pfaffnau in 1400 and there on behalf of Countess Elsbeth von Montfort chairman of the court (1). The progenitor of the Bircher des Luthern Valley, who came from Roggliswil or Pfaffnau, is Hans Bircher ("Henslin Bircher, Birchers Sohn im Mos"), who lived on September 17, 1414 with Uli Hugi from Ritter Götz of Hünenberg at Waldsberg Castle near Luthern near Twing and bought ban, ie the lower jurisdiction, the fodder and the tavern, ie Inn of the valley, (2). Hans Bircher sold these rights to the city of Lucerne as early as 1421, with the exception of the tavern (3). Subsequently, the Birchers remained the most politically influential and leading family in the valley for centuries; up to the French Revolution, they provided the weibel six or seven times, who, like his colleagues in the other five districts of the Willisau office, was responsible for collecting taxes (4 ). The patrician family Bircher of the city of Lucerne, which has been documented since 1500 and died in 1791, from which a large number of important personalities deserving of church and state emerged, also came from Luthern and Pfaffnau (5).
Bircher Coat of Arms
Adelheid Bircher
The church registers give us sufficient information about the origin and descent of Adelheid Bircher. Peter Stirnimann's wife was the daughter of Kaspar Bircher and Kathrin Bättig. The father was around 1560, probably even before that, and from 1578 to 1598 he had wives of the Luthern valley. In 1560, "Caspar Bircher, Sechser and the Court of Lutteren" donated an eternal tithe to the parish church of St. Ulrich for himself, his wife Kathrin Bättig, his sisters Veronika, Anna and Magdalena, his father Jakob Bircher and his two wives Verena Zürcher and Katharina Vogel, his ancestors, relatives, children, descendants, benefactors and everyone for whom he owes prayer. The foundation capital of 100 guilders was invested on the property of the relative Loy Hätschler in the Niederen Grund. The tithe had to be celebrated annually on the Tuesday after the Three Kings Day by three priests. The tithe, one of the most important in the book, clearly documents the social rank and reputation of the founder and his family. From a year-long log from 1578 and a new land register created in 1576 by order of the Bernese authorities, i.e. Property and income list of the former Benedictine monastery Trub in Emmental, which was abolished in 1528, we learn that Kaspar Bircher, like his earliest known ancestor Hans Bircher, was settled in the Moos. According to the aforementioned land register, Kaspar Bircher also owned the property on Heimberg; He had to deliver the annual hay tenth, 2 Mütt Haber and other taxes on the estate to the Bernese authorities, who had appropriated them after the monastery was closed. The same land register also mentions Kaspar's brother, Jakob Bircher, who owned the estate in the front Gernet (6). Kathrin Bättig, Kaspar Bircher's wife, also donated a capital of 100 guilders to an eternal tithe, which was celebrated on August 19th. From this certificate we learn that the founder was married twice, first to Kaspar Schulthess and second to Kaspar, who was Bircher. Kathrin Bättig was the godmother of the first two children of her daughter Adelheid mentioned in Luthern's baptismal register. Between 1590 and 1593 she also gave birth to three children of her relative Loy Hätschler. The death register of Sursee reports the death of Adelheid Bircher on April 3, 1629, so she died safely in the Roth and was buried in the cemetery in Sursee to rest.
Willisau around 1654, after an engraving by Matthäus Merian
Three children of Peter Stirnimann and Adelheid Bircher, including Hans Jakob, one of the ancestors, were baptized in the parish church of St. Peter and Paul in Willisau.
The children of the married couple Peter Stirnimann and Adelheid Bircher
According to the testimony of the baptismal records, three children were baptized in Luthern and three in Willisau:
Godparents
Jakob * Luthern, January 19th, 1588 Johann Mieschbüeler
Kathrin Bättig
Melchior * Luthern, April 2nd, 1590 Melchior Bättig
Kathrin Bättig
Anna * Willisau, August 28, 1596 Andres Meyer
Verena Nifliger
Johann Jakob * Willisau, August 12th, 1598 Johann Ruffli
Verena Steiner
Peter * Willisau, November 3rd, 1600 Jakob Luchs
Barbara Schriber
Jakob * Luthern, June 3rd, 1605 Jakob Luchs
Margreth Christians
The family of Peter Stirnimann probably lived in the border area between the parishes of Luthern and Willisau. This could explain why three children were baptized in Willisau and three in Luthern. When choosing the baptistery, the season or the weather may have made the difference.
Our couple certainly had more than six children. Luthern's baptismal register begins in 1588, there was a gap between 1593 and 1597, and Willisau's baptismal register was only created in 1595. The gaps in the above compilation cannot be overlooked; children were certainly born and baptized between 1590 and 1596 and between 1600 and 1605.
We should learn the real facts from the tithe donated in Sursee in 1610/11. This lists 5 children: Hans, Peter, Hans Jakob, Maria and Barbara. It remains to be seen whether this list corresponds to the age of the children. Only Hans Jakob is of the 5 children in the Willisau baptismal register, August 12th, 1598, Peter is possibly identical to the one baptized on November 3rd, 1600 in Willisau.
The 3 sons and 2 daughters mentioned in the book were obviously the only children who grew up with the high infant mortality rate at that time and who survived the plague of 1611/12. In fact, the names of these 5 children can be found in the baptismal, marriage and death books of the Parish Sursee and Ruswil, in which the weddings of the 3 sons and 2 daughters of Peter Stirnimann, who have lived in Roth since 1610/11, and the baptisms of their children and their deaths were recorded, as the following overview shows:
Hans b. probably in Willisau
d. Ruswil (Roth) 01/30/1647
m. Sursee 02/09/1613 Anna Bächler
Farmer in the Roth
Peter b. probably in Willisau 03.11.1600
d. Ruswil (Etzenerlen) 08.01.1668
m. Sursee 18.02.1624 Maria Süess
Bauer in Etzenerlen, Richter
Hans Jakob b. Willisau August 12, 1598
d. Ruswil (Roth) May 1st, 1670
m. I Sursee 08/18/1630 Barbara Bucher
m. II Sursee 10/17/1661 Margaretha Estermann
Farmer in the Roth
Maria b. Luthern or Willisau
m. Ruswil 02/10/1613 Peter Räslin
Barbara b. Luthern or Willisau
m. Sursee 11.11.1624 Hans Meyer
(to be continued in the next newsletter)
J. St.
Remarks
1) Historisch-Biographisches Lexikon der Schweiz, Volume 2 (Neuchâtel 1924) 5. 252 f., Bircher article
2) State Archives Lucerne, document 155/2253
3) Lucerne State Archives, Certificate 156/2267
4) Willy Meyer, Die Sechser des Amtes Willisau, in Heimatkunde des Wiggertal, Issue 32 (1974) pp 35-53, List of the sixes from Luthern p 49
5) See note 1
6) State Archives Bern, Urbare Amt Signau No. 16, fol. 383 '- 401'
THE SWISS ORIGIN OF STORBECK'S HEADMAN IN THE MARK BRANDENBURG (GDR)
Coat of Arms Stirnemann of Suhr AG
Court Document of 1612 in Suhr
From the second half of the 17th century to 1740, around 22,000 Swiss found a new home in Brandenburg-Prussia, Pomerania, East Prussia and even towards Lithuania. In addition to individuals, whole groups also left our country. The causes of the emigration were mostly the barren soil, not infrequently religious intolerance (rebaptizers!), And now and then also a thirst for adventure. A considerable part of the Swiss who immigrated to Prussia came from the Bernese sovereign territory, to which at that time almost all of today's Aargau belonged. Our member Heinz Stirnemann in Storbeck - he and his wife were guests at our family conference on September 9, 1984 in Ruswil - has provided evidence that his family and many of our namesake in the German Democratic Republic are descended from a Rudolf Stirnemann who in 1691 moved with a larger group of emigrants from the Bernese Aargau to Storbeck in the Mark Brandenburg (note Heinz Stirnemann's brief outline of the history and genealogy of the Stirnemann of Storbeck in the 10th circular, p. 7 f.). But what was the municipality or parish in Aargau in Bern from which Rudolf Stirnemann emigrated and above all: what were his parents' names? In the meantime, these questions could be clearly clarified on the basis of the age information in the marriage and death register of the Protestant parish church in Neuruppin. Rudolf Stirnemann got his first marriage on March 3rd, 1701 at the age of 28 1/2 years, he died on December 21st, 1749 at the age of 77, he was consequently born around 1672. In the period in question, the Stirnemann in Aargau occur in Aarburg, Gränichen, Kirchleerau, Safenwil and Suhr. The name Rudolf only comes across in Suhr at this time. It can be considered certain that Rudolf Stirnemann, who emigrated to Storbeck, was baptized on September 2nd, 1673 in the Protestant parish church in Suhr as the seventh child or fourth son of the couple Ulrich (Uli) Stirnemann and Elsbeth Suter. Godparents were Hans Widmer of Seon, Hans Wildi and Verena Schall. The parents of Ulrich (Uli) Stirnemann cannot be determined with certainty, as the baptismal register in Suhr only survived from 1610, the marriage and death register only from 1708 and 1710 respectively. It is very likely that Ulrich's parents and Rudolf's grandparents were named Joachim (Jochuni} Stirnemann and Barbara Zehnder (Ulrich's baptism: March 25th, 1637). Joachim was a favorite name of the Stirnemann of Suhr family.
INTERVIEW WITH A FARMER IN ETZENERLEN IN RUSWIL
Franz Stirnimann-Suter is the father of 6 children (5 daughters and 1 son). He runs one of our oldest family farms in Front-Etzenerlen. The Stirnimanns have been settled in Etzenerlen in uninterrupted order since 1624. Franz Stirnimann's farm includes 15.5 hectares (= 43 Jucharten) land and 2.2 hectares (t = 6 Jucharten) forest.
1. How long have you been managing this farm?
Our property was leased from 1952 to 1965 because my father died very young in 1949. On April 19, 1965 I married and took over the farm from the community of heirs on lease. In 1968 I was able to buy the farm.
2. What has changed since you became a self-employed farmer?
Actually, a lot, especially the mechanization was to blame. We started with tractors and loader wagons as early as 1965. But time and again new machines came onto the agricultural market. A shortage of staff kept calling for new, modern machines and equipment to be purchased. Today we are a pure family business. My wife, daughter and I run the farm without outside help. That would have been unthinkable in the past. There is with today's development and change in Agriculture
3. Things that you regret because they no longer exist?
Although we can work more physically today, the machines rush us. We used to have to work harder, but it was quieter. There was still time to sit together, have a morning snack in the hay and harvest and chat. At the end of the hay and the harvest everyone celebrated and rejoiced. Often you did work with the neighbor, which was always in touch. This contact is missing today, one is more isolated.
4. What do you wish for as a farmer for the next 10-15 years?
Certainly the first happiness in the house, yard and stable. In the courtyard I wanted a milk suction system and the construction of a machine hall.
5. Have you never regretted your decision to become a farmer?
Honestly, never. On the contrary, it always brings me a lot of joy because I feel rooted in nature and animals. Even though I am tied to certain times on Saturdays and Sundays and throughout the week by feeding the cattle and milking the cows, I feel freer as an employee.
6. What is everyday life like in your farm?
My wife and I both get up at 5:15 in the morning. I milk the cows. In the meantime, my wife cleans the feed manger, cleans the grate of the alluvial manure and in one of the sheds mucking it out by hand. At 6 a.m. she starts feeding the cattle and looking after the pigs. After milking, I take the milk to the dairy and fetch another load of grass with the loading wagon. After the common morning meal at 7 a.m., we both go back to the stable. I get the second load of grass, groom and brush the cattle while the woman cleans the milking facility. At 9:30 a.m., the stable work is done. The mid-morning snack follows and then the work in the field begins. After lunch with the family, I often work out in the yard alone while my wife and daughter do housework. The afternoon snack follows at 3:30 p.m. and then the stable work starts again, similar to the morning. After dinner at 6.30 p.m. I mow the grass for the morning, then it's time to go.
Interview: Josef Stirnimann
OTHMAR STIRNEMANN, SEMPACH - MANUFACTURER AND ARMS COLLECTOR
At our last family conference we elected Othmar Stirnemann, a manufacturer in Sempach, to the board. Like his predecessor and cousin Roland J. Stirnemann, Piandera, he represents the Aargau Stirnemann. Our new board member has been a member of the association since it was founded, it is no exaggeration to say that he is one of its most convinced and loyal members, he has also shown himself to be a generous patron of our family association, for which we would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere thanks. Othmar Stirnemann was born on September 30, 1912 in Gränichen and grew up there. Our family has been settled in Gränichen for 450 years and is now the most numerous in the community. The first officially attested name bearer, a Hans Stirnimann, was subordinate there in 1531, i.e. an official of the Bernese bailiff who resided in the Lenzburg. One branch of the family, from which numerous officials emerged, was known as the takeover of "the Kyzen". These owned Kyzenhus on Rütihofweg, built in 1674 and named after its owners, one of the most beautiful post-Gothic private buildings in Aargau. This centuries-old tradition and its environment have shaped Othmar Stirnemann. His interest in local and family history, the appreciation of what is inherited from the ancestors, the sense of quality and everything beautiful, for collegiality, friendship and humor are innate to him.
The manufacturer
The son of a simple shoemaker himself, Othmar Stirnemann learned the carpenter's trade. Over the years he specialized in the manufacture of office furniture, especially desks and cupboards. Professional proficiency, disciplined work and commercial skill led to success, the carpentry workshop developed over the years into a factory that employs between 18 and 22 people (our friend values the expression “employee").
We asked Othmar Stirnemann when and why he had moved from Gränichen to Sempach. He told us how he loved going to Lake Sempach with his family in his spare time, where they had recovered and he was an avid fisherman himself. He would have loved the lake, the natural beauties of the area and the distant view of the mountains in the south. So in 1963 he decided to move his residence and factory from Gränichen to Sempach. He and his family have never regretted the decision. Thanks to his sociability and adaptability, Othmar Stirnemann easily found connections with the people of his new environment. "We feel at home," he likes to say. His company continued to develop and consolidate in Sempach. "Quality is paramount to me", our friend says emphatically, and he is proud to count the Bundeshaus, i.e. the Federal Administration, among his loyal customers for many years. The life's work, which Othmar Stirnemann built up from humble beginnings, is worthy of all admiration and can fill it with justified satisfaction.
The gun collector
The last meeting of our board took place at the invitation of our member Othmar and his wife in his cozy house in Sempach. We all have fond memories of the happy, stimulating evening. Our first surprise or discovery was the splendid Lucerne Spyr next to our host's house. As we learned from him, he used to be in the Dachsellern farm. It was close to decay and would probably have been broken off. Othmar Stirnemann saved this witness of rural culture, restored it thoroughly and gave it a new location next to his house.
The real experience of our visit was the weapons collection, which Othmar Stirnemann has put together over more than twenty years and restored to a large extent himself. It is a complete collection from around 1700 to the present day. The individual pieces show the development of firearms from the match rifle with wick to today's assault rifle. There is a department of pistols and edged weapons (sabers), slingshots of the 12th Roman Legion, which was stationed in Switzerland, spears 6 meters long, as carried by Swiss mercenaries in the battle of Marignano (1515), halberds from 1650 to 1650 1700, skewers from 1700, several rifles from the American Civil War, a Russian rifle with the coat of arms of the Tsar (1840) and a Chinese sword from the Middle Ages. A flintlock rifle of the so-called Hundertschweizer (Cent-Suisses) of the famous life guard of the French King Louis XIV. Is the showpiece of the collection. As Othmar Stirnemann observes, there are only two examples of these rare and sought-after splendid rifles in Switzerland; the other is owned by the National Museum in Zurich. It is understandable that Othmar Stirnemann enjoys a high reputation as a weapon collector and connoisseur in specialist circles and is visited a lot. But anyone who thinks he is also an admirer of the craft of war is mistaken thoroughly. Our friend detests war and any act of war. It is the art of gunsmithing that fascinates him and which, as he explains, is on a par with the no less admired art of watchmaking of earlier times.
Othmar Stirnemann's character image also includes a predilection for gliding, which he experienced in his early days before World War II. After not boarding a glider for 52 years, the enthusiasm for flying has captured him again. But now he only dares to venture into the air in a glider with an engine and a companion. Our friend loves to fly over the Gotthard region and central Switzerland and enjoys the unique alpine panorama with its passes, peaks and valleys.
We would like to thank our dear friend Othmar once again for the stimulating and humorous hours that we were able to spend with him, and we wish him, his family and his company all the best and much success in the future.
(As Othmar Stirnemann told us, he also likes to show his weapons collection to the members of our family association who are interested in them).
J. St.
The Kyzenhaus in Gränichen
... THAT'S WHY I LIKE IT IN RUSWIL
FROM PUPIL ARTICLES FROM THE RUSWIL LEVEL
..."Humans are creatures of habits!" I mean to say that the same person in the largest city and the smallest village would like it after a period of getting used to it. So maybe the title of our essay should be: That's why I like the place where I live …
... When I see the sign for Ruswil, my heart starts pounding, because that's where I am at home, that's where I feel good. We, who have been living in Ruswil for a long time, affectionately call our hometown "Rusmu" ...
... Whether you come from Wolhusen, Rüediswil or Lucerne, the path always leads to the center of the Ruswil village, in the middle of which is the village fountain with our patron saint Mauritius. I really like that. In many other villages I can no longer see the village center ...
... I think it's nice to live here because of the old Lucerne farmhouses and the large barns, in which the cows and calves are lined up, in which the cats have enough space to live, and where every now and then a horse is its noble one Nostrils stuck in the oats ...
... I am always impressed by our beautiful church. The church stands on the southern slope, a little above the village center. It seems to me that it wants to protect the whole church ...
... I like the church very much. It is not as modern as other churches. There are still pictures on the walls and statues of the saints on the pillars ...
... Ruswil is very easy to reach even without the Swiss Federal Railways, because the Rottal bus service is well organized ...
... I like it here in Ruswil because I live in a cheese dairy where 16 farmers deliver their milk every day. This is then used to make Emmental cheese. I can follow this work whenever I have time ...
... All that's missing is a bigger fashion store ...
... Here in Ruswil I am happy (and sad), here I have lived my whole life so far. Of course, I also get upset about certain things, such as the gossip. I often think that nowhere is there so much clapping as here in Ruswil. But not exactly that gives you the feeling that you belong when other people "take care" of you.
... I never want to give up my colleagues in Ruswil. If we do something, then it just "sucks". We always have a lot to talk about, because we are generally not satisfied with the girls from Ruswil, which is why we go to Buttisholz very often. But our girls are very nice, you have to say that anyway ...
... We don't have that many strangers yet. You still know your neighbor ...
... It will certainly be difficult for me once I get away from this village, although there are mosquitoes here too, but not so big and bad that elephants could come from them ...!
... Maybe I would like it better in Lucerne, because the football stadium, the indoor swimming pool and the cinemas would be much closer and shopping for clothes would also be much easier. But maybe it's still nicer in Ruswil because people know each other much better here than in the city, where people hurry past you on the street without greeting ...
... You will surely object now that there are no discos in Ruswil. You're right, but we have imagination and we never get bored without a disco ...
... I can also keep and look after animals in Ruswil, as it is a farming community, and I don't just have to dream about it ...
... I hope that no more land will be built over in Ruswil so that I can continue to feel comfortable ...
... In my experience, the people of Ruswil are by and large very nice people who join in when something goes well. This is best noticed around carnival time ...
... Carnival is here in Ruswil and something very important to me. The two Guggenmusigen "Rosswöschwiber" and "Rottalhözer" get everyone out of bed on a dirty Thursday. In the afternoon there is a children's parade in which every child can take part. For the youngsters there is then a disco in the Spyrhalle, which is always full ...
... I like it in Ruswil because there are many opportunities to do sports. Here in Sigigen, for example, there is a ski lift. I go skiing a lot there …
... I especially like the volley club. I play in a Y + S group and really have a chat. You experience the togetherness and friendship very intensely ...
... I also like the indoor arena. I practiced wrestling for three years, but now stopped because I didn't win any notable awards. But I still like the swing very much ...
*******
Wealth, prestige, power, everything is insignificant and insignificant compared to the size of the heart - the heart alone is the only gem in the world.
Adalbert Stifter, Austrian poet
It is nice to follow the traces of one's gender; for the genealogical tree of a family is to the individual what the history of the fatherland is to the whole people.
Esaias Tegne.
*******
CONTRIBUTIONS TO FAMILY HISTORY
The painter Friedrich Stirnimann of Ettiswil (1841 - 1901)
The "Heimatvereinigung Wiggertal", which has around 1900 members, has been publishing a substantial yearbook under the title "Heimatkunde des Wiggertal" for almost 50 years. Last year's edition (Issue 43, Pages 11 - 71) was written by Eugen Meyer-Sidler, Willisau, with a thorough and appealing treatise on the painter Friedrich Stirnimann of Ettiswil. The author reports on the basis of the sources, contemporary reports and the last oral traditions about the origin of the painter - family tree up to approx. 1630 - his family, his training at the art schools in Karlsruhe, Munich, Paris and Basel and his artistic work. Stirnimann mainly used genre painting. But he also had an important reputation as a portraitist. The Lucerne Art Museum organized an exhibition about our artist in 1949 (together with the painters Hans Bachmann, Jakob Josef Zeiger and Alois Fellmann). The curator at the time, Paul Hilber, criticized Stirnimann's artistic work in various ways in the exhibition catalog. Meyer expresses his concerns about Hilber's competence, it seems, he rightly objects, that Hilber could not do justice to Lucerne's Friedrich Stirnimann in all respects, that Hilber from St. Gallen probably knew too little about the personality and soul of the Lucerne man and maybe that's why he judged so harshly (5. 46 f.). Meyer concludes his treatise with a catalog raisonné that gives an impressive idea of the astonishingly rich and varied work that the master wrested in his relatively short life and under mostly unfavorable conditions (meager income and early asthma sufferering). May the valuable depiction by Eugen Meyer-Sidler provide the impetus for the long overdue appraisal of our painter by a professional specialist in art history.
PS: The article by Eugen Meyer-Sidler: "Friedrich Stirnimann Kunstmaler of Ettiswil, 1841 - 1901" was also published as a special edition. Interested parties can obtain it from: Buchdruckerei Willisauer Bote, 6130 Willisau.
The Stirnemann from Gränichen
For centuries, Alsace was the preferred destination for Swiss emigrants. We know the names of members of our family who moved to Alsace in the 17th century from Altishofen, Gettnau, Knutwil, Reiden, Schötz, Uffikon and Wolhusen, but also from Gränichen in Aargau. It is therefore not surprising that the Stirnimann / Stirnemann family occurs in numerous places in Alsace and has spread from there to other parts of France.
Our member Georges Stirnemann in Colmar, who took part in our last family meeting and gave us a slide show (see circular 11, pp. 5 and 9), has long been concerned with the genealogy and history of his clan. This traces her ancestry back to Rudolf, who was baptized in Gränichen on October 2nd, 1709 as the son of Jakob Stirnemann, who is called Kyzenjoggy, and Elisabeth Lüscher and later emigrated to Alsace, where he settled in Nieder-Burbach. The family tree of the Gränichen Stirnemann is completely established until approx. 1550. It is understandable that Georges Stirnemann traced the origins and history of his Aargau ancestors. He has summarized the results of his research in a typewritten brochure (A4 format) with numerous illustrations, family trees and maps of 45 pages under the title "Les Stirnemann de la Branche Suisse de Gränichen". If you are interested in this short story of the Stirnemann from Gränichen in French, please contact the author: Mr. Georges Stirnemann, 8 rue des Bles, F-68000 Colmar.
WE CONGRATULATE
Ms. Anna Stirnimann-Helfenstein, Ruswil (Unter-Sonnenbergli) celebrated her 75th birthday on April 27, 1986 in excellent health.
Ms. Marie Heini-Stirnimann, Ruswil (Unter-Sonnenbergli) celebrated her 90th birthday on July 5th, 1986 with her nine children and their families, with astonishing mental and physical strength. She saw the light of day as the eldest daughter of the married couple Niklaus and Katharina Stirnimann-Felder, Hinteretzenerlen
Hans Stirnimann-Haupt, Ruswil, founder and honorary president of our association, celebrated his 70th birthday on March 18, 1986.
Thomas Stirnimann, son of Hans Stirnimann-Betschart Sel. Blanket Honey, Ruswil, graduated from Beromünster with the Matura, type B. He is now continuing his studies at the theological faculty in Lucerne.
Beat Stirnimann, Dekenhonig, Ruswil, twin brother of the aforementioned, completed his five-year training at the Lucerne Cantonal Teachers' College with a primary school teacher certificate.
Karin Stirnimann, Wolhusen, daughter of our cashier, completed her 3-year apprenticeship at the municipal daughter trading school in Lucerne with an excellent grade of 5.75 (2nd place).
Mrs. Maria Stirnimann, Adligenswilerstrasse 11, Lucerne, our painter, celebrated her 70th birthday on August 12, 1986 in excellent health and with undaunted enthusiasm for work
WITH CONDOLENCES
Ms. Anna Stirnimann-Meier, Neuenkirch (formerly Küferei Neumatt, Rüediswil) died on February 12, 1986 at the age of 85.
In the Staffelnhof nursing home in Reussbühl, Ferdinand Stirnimann-Lütolf, old postman from Ballwil, passed away on January 31, 1986 at the age of 90. The deceased was the brother of the long-time former post keeper Josef Stirnimann-Schwegler, Grosswangen.
Josef Stirnimann-Rohrer, factory worker, Schmiedhof 9, died in Ebikon.
At the age of 78, Josef Stirnimann-Schüpfer, Ruswil, died on December 22, 1985 after a long illness. As a veterinarian, he was not only valued as a specialist in the whole of Ruswil and the surrounding area, but also because of his humor.
Our Board of Directors:
President: Josef Stirnimann-Haas, Realteacher, Unter-Sonnenbergli, 6017 Ruswil
Vice President: Prof. Dr. Joseph Stirnimann, Adligenswilerstrasse 11, 6006 Lucerne
Actuary: Hans Stirnimann-Helfenstein, Gemelteschrelber, Alpenblick 5, 6206 Neuenkirch
Treasurer: Alois Stirnimann-Zihlmann, Managing Director, Im Latten 6, 6110 Wolhusen
Material administrator: Maria Stirnimann-Schenkermayr, Murgasse 1, 6017 Ruswil
Members: - Othmar Stirnemann, manufacturer, Hubeistrasse, 6204 Sempach
- Hans Stirnimann, vocational school teacher, Zugerstrasse 24, 6415 Arth
- Heidi Stirnimann, at Reistweg 1 / Kniri, 6370 Stans
Honorary President: Hans Stirnimann-Haupt, retired teacher, Rüediswilerstr. 42, 6017 Ruswil
Auditor:
Richard Stirnimann-Krieger, authorized signatory, Hubelstrasse 1, 6048 Horw
The President asked for contributions, communications and suggestions for the newsletter.
Side dishes
- Payment slip for the 1986 membership fee of CHF 10
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Our printed chronicle "The Stirnimann family in the cantons of Lucerne and Aargau" can be obtained from:
Mrs
Maria Stirnimann-Schenkermayr
Murgasse 1
6017 Ruswil