Newsletter No. 19 Ruswil - October 1993
Contents
Preface
The progenitors of the Stirnimann of Ruswil and Neuenkirch (continued)
We congratulate / We give our condolences
New members
Unemployed 60 years ago
Book presentation: Association member Ursula Stirnimann
Reading Courses in the Lucerne State Archives
Our board of directors
Preface
Dear relatives and cousins
Dear members and friends of our family association
Before the summer holidays, I always know that I have to slowly sit down at the table to write the foreword for the newsletter. For days I then sometimes study which sentence to start with, which quote would fit well. Often then nothing happens and I slowly come under time pressure. So this time I sit down calmly and just start writing. And while I am typing the first few sentences on the computer, I see a postcard on the wall that I have consciously hung up for a long time, with the meaningful quote from Franz von Sales: "Joy opens, sadness closes". So this foreword is not a MUST, but a may, because I always enjoy it. Our family association can celebrate its 20th anniversary next year. With a great lack of modesty there is bliss. To grow old means to see. Age transfigured or petrified. If one regards existence as a task, then one can always endure it. Maria v. At the Ebner-Eschenbach Austrian Storyteller anniversary conference, we want to give this event the appropriate setting. The Board of Management has already addressed this agenda item at two meetings. We want to celebrate on a larger scale. We already have the clearance, leased facilities in Wyher Castle in Ettiswil for Sunday, June 26, 1994. In further we would like to start a couple of one-off campaigns, such as
- Sale of family coats of arms from Ruswil and Gränichen (lead glazing) on favorable terms
- Sale of Lucerne coffee glasses with the subject of our association (orders for 6-packs are enclosed with the circular)
- Publication of the diary of Father Jost Stirnimann (1654-1706) from Ruswil, monk of the Benedictine abbey of Muri in Aargau, with the Latin text and the German translation by Prof. Dr. Joseph Stimimann
- a small art gallery of the artists of our association
- Exhibition of Stirnimann / Stirnemann family trees
So that we can carry out this anniversary in this context, we are dependent on voluntary donations. The board therefore decided to open a donation account for the anniversary conference on this current occasion. We have therefore taken the liberty of enclosing a payment slip for this account with this newsletter and we hope that it will be used spontaneously and voluntarily. I am already looking forward to this anniversary and remain with best regards
The President
Josef Stirnimann
The progenitors of the Stirnimann of Ruswil and Neuenkirch (continued)
The Division Protocols
The most thorough and enlightening sources to shed light on the financial circumstances of our ancestors are the Minutes of the Division. In the municipality of Ruswil, these begin in 1673. It is very likely that these important documents initially remained in the possession of the individual families until they were collected by the municipal authorities in the 19th century and bound into books in folio form (approx. 35x25 cm) were deposited and stored in the archive of the Parish chancellery. The division protocol contains everything essential about the inventory carried out by the authority and the division of an estate; it contains in detail:
1. The name of the testator, often with the date of death
2. The names of the clerk and the officials who carried out the inventory and division
3. The date of the inventory and division
4. The names of the heirs:
a) the sons, in the case of minors, their supporters
b) the daughters, in the case of married their husbands, in the case of unmarried people their assistants
c) the surviving widow, always with her assistance
5. Information about the legacy:
a) In the case of real estate, the individual pieces of land with their names and scope in Jurharten as well as the pushes
b) The land interest (grain, chickens, etc.) and Gülten
c) The living and dead inventory
d) Assets, credit balances, debts and, after deduction of the latter, the pure assets
e) The inheritance shares of the sons, daughters and the widow
The word gulden is reproduced below with Gl.
Report of Division of Peter Stirnimann
In the following we deal with the division protocol of Peter Stirnimann, the 5th progenitor in the Lower Rot, which was mentioned in the last circular. Peter Stirnimann died on December 10, 1769 at the age of 75. On January 10, 1770, the public inventory and division of his estate took place in the Lower Rot. The protocol can be found in Volume 5 (1759-1798, pages 247-259, of the division protocols stored in the archive of the Ruswil parish chancellery. We first record the wording of the introduction to the division protocol that was typical for the time:
Too be known, be known and evidently be very human with this, how that the almighty God want to please and please, the respected, pious, honorable and well-humble nurse and foreman Peter Stirneman in the Lower Roth in the district Nothwyll, Stürbrief and Ambt Ruswyll, of this tolerable, as we hope, also to eternal, immortal benevolence. So today is the 10th day of that of the 1770th year by the pious, honorable and humble ambassador Nidaus Meyer, Ambtsvatter Sebastian Stirneman 'and myself, the descriptor of the abbeys Petter Stirneman, invented the inheritance, debts and debts against each other and settled and survive restantz under his rightful heirs vertheylt as Joseph, Adam and Augenstey the Stirnimann on the first, the other and kick Theyl, then the vyl honorable and virtuous wife Anna Maria Stirnemann with the help and assistance of the honorable Ambtsvatter Johannes Buocher, then the vyl honor - and virtuous hindered widow Anna Maria Schwäg (ler) with help and With the assistance of the honorable ambassador Sebastian Stirneman of Etzenerlen made a friendly theyllung, discussed and resolved and accepted by their parties on the way and form as follows.
First, the information about the testator's property follows. It is this
The Farms Lower Rot and Mittelarig
The Farm Lower Rot "with house, barn, granary, Bünten, Kamt- and Baumgarten, Matten, Acherund Weidland, located in Kilchgang Nottwil and Amt Ruswi I" has about 86 Jucharten and three pieces of forest with a total extent of about 86 on open meadows and pastures 15 types of yokes.
The farm owes annual so-called ground interest:
the church store in Buttisholz 5 half fourths! Grain and 6 half-quarters of oats
the Sigrist in Nottwil 3 half-quarters of both estates
the donation d. H. Welfare for the poor in Ruswil, 2 quarters of grain
The second place is the farm in neighboring Mittelarig. The testator had acquired half of it in 1766, the other half in 1769 for 5000 GI each. The farm in Mittelarig included 2 houses, a barn and a granary, 86 Jucharten, 2 open meadows and pastureland and 10 Jucharten forest. The owner of this farm owes annual ground interest:
to Neuenkirch, presumably the parish church, 7 quarters of both estates
the Sigrist in Nottwil 1 fourth! both good
Gülten
Until this century, the validity was the most common and mostly the only type and possibility of mortgage encumbrance in our area. Before 1800, the annual interest rate was almost always 5 percent.
Leonz Stirnimann, the builder of today's parent homestead in Lower Rot, and his brother Peter in Upper Rot, were the first farmers in Rot to set up Gülten (mortgages) on their farms. It is striking how many manures were built because of the marriage of a son or daughter and the necessary buyout. This was certainly the case with Leonz Stirnimann's son Adam, m. 1727, and with the daughter Lisabeth, who married in 1729. Leonz Stirnimann established a validity of 350 for his son Adam, and a validity of 300 GI for his daughter Lisabeth.
After the Peasants' War (1653), a striking number of patricians in the city of Lucerne laid Gülten on farms. It goes without saying that large properties and those belonging to rural officials were preferred. This development was undoubtedly a consequence of the financial dependence of the Lucerne peasantry on the urban patriciate that began after the defeat in the Peasants' War.
The tax expert Peter Stirnimann was the first farmer in the Rot, who built a valid on his property and this in the unusually high amount of 3000 GI for a Lucerne patrician, namely the Junker Jost Batt Franz Balthasar. The validity letter is dated February 23, 1718. We can assume that the Junker Balthasar (1673-1730), who was a member of the Inner Council, envoy and caretaker of the St. Jakobs Hospital in Lucerne, became a leading figure , also other members of the city patrician attention to the farm in the Ruswiler Rot and its punctual interest payers. After the death of the tax manager Peter Stimimann (d. 1741), his nephew, the tax manager Peter Stirnimann in Lower Rot, set up Güllen on his farm for five Lucerne patricians at short intervals; they were members of the Schwytzer von Buonas, von Sonnenberg, zur Gilgen, am Rhyn and Feer von Buttisholz families
The 24 Valid Creditors
The division protocol shows the unusually large number of 24 valid creditors. This large number speaks for the reputation and financial strength of the farmer in the Lower Rot. To a certain extent, the elite among these 24 valid believers form the city of Lucerne: the five patricians mentioned, the Jesuit college, a canon of the St. Leodegar monastery and a Ms. Kappeler, presumably a close relative of the esteemed Lucerne city doctor and natural scientist Moritz Anton Kappeler (1685-1769). At that time, the Barth were one of the leading families in Willisau. The majority of the valid creditors were members of well-known peasant families in the near and far area. The validity of the Franciscan monastery in Werthenstein was the purchase of the son Leonz for the Franciscan Fortunat, which was reported in detail in the last newsletter. The same applies to the validity of the son Adam.
The following is the list of the 24 valid creditors:
1. Junker Schwytzer zu Luzern, interest due on St. George's Day (April 23), 500 GI
2. The Jesuit fathers in Lucerne, interest due on St. Johannes d. Baptist (June 24), 225 GI
3. The Werthenstein church, interest due on St. Mathis (February 24th), 1200 GI
4. Junker Leonz Ludy von Sonnenberg, Interest due on Candlemas (February 2), 500 GI
5. Ms. Marianna Kappeler zu Luzern, interest due mid-March, 200 GI
6. Johann Jost Barth zu Willisau, interest due on St. Mathis (February 24th), 200 G1
7. Peter Thürig, interest due on Easter, 300 GI
8. The pastor of Geiss, interest due on St. Mathis (February 24th), 200 G1
9. Junker Aurelius Zur Gilgen, Lucerne, interest on Trinity Sunday, 800 GI
10. Mathis Ziswiler, Zins auf St. Mathis (Feb. 24), 525 GI
11. Caspar Buocher zu Römerswil, interest due on St. Mathis (February 24th), 312 G1
12. Jakob Schüpfer zu Gunzwil, interest due on Three Kings, 300 01
13. Adam Stirnimann in Menznau, interest due on St. Gallen Day (October 16), 350 GI
14. Junker Amrhyn, caretaker of the old hospital church in Lucerne, interest due on St. Mathis (February 24th), 200 GI
15. Junker Lieutenants Feer, Lucerne, interest due on St. Mathis (February 24th), 200 G1
16. Beat Buocher in Geiss, interest due on St. Mathis (February 24th), 500 GI
17. Leonz Rast in Buttisholz, interest due on St. Mathis (February 24th), 400 GI
18. Sebastian Büölmann, interest due on St. Mathis (February 24th), 280 01
19. Schoolmaster Elogius Bantz in Ruswil, interest due on St. Konrad (Nov. 26), 150 G1
20. Mathis Meyer in Ruswil, interest due on Easter, 2001
21. Canon Schiffmann in Lucerne, interest due at Pentecost, 300 G1
22. the same, interest due on Candlemas (Feb. 2), 300 01
23. Augustin Mattmann, interest due on Three Kings, 200 GI
24. Joseph Meyer, Unterarig, interest due. 100 GI
Surcharges
At that time it was common practice for a farmer's wife to invest her father's purchase as interest-bearing validity on her husband's farm. Such a validity was called Ufschlag = surcharge and is always mentioned in her husband's report of division. The division protocol of Peter Stirnimann names three surcharges:
1st premium of 4017 GI by Anna Maria Schwägler, the deceased's widow.
2nd surcharge of 1500 GI by Anna Maria Meyer of Willisau, the wife of son Augustin Stirnimann.
3rd surcharge of 900 01 Maria Anna Müller of Sempach, wife of son Adam Stirnimann.
Debt
Of the numerous entries, only the following are mentioned:
Instead of the father's three blacksmiths, wages were paid in amounts of 22, 27 and 14 GI
Doctor's fee (presumably for medical treatment of the father): Mr. Mängis Doctor's salary 8 GI
For burial, seventh and thirtieth with cross 23 GI
Living and Dead Inventory
As elsewhere, the real work of the farmers in the Ruswil district was grain-growing. The farmers sowed and harvested grain, barley, spelled and other types of grain, from which they had to pay the land interest mentioned in the present partition protocol. The farmer needed some horses and bulls to plow the fields and those with grain Carrying loaded wagons to storage, mill or market. A few cows or goats were enough to get the milk, butter and cheese needed for daily household chores. Grain cultivation in our area was only supplanted and replaced by dairy and grass farming in the 19th century.
The following hollow mass applied to the grain:
1 Mütt (= 4 quarters)
= 82.8 liters or approx. 54 kg
1 Malter (= 4 Mütt)
= 333.6 liters or approx. 150 kg
The division protocol of Peter Stirnimann records the following living and dead inventory:
20 Malter Korn and 1 Malter Barley = 388 GI
4 horses (steed), 3 cows, 2 3 year old bulls, 1 2 year old bull,
1 cattle = 654 GI
2 pigs = 40 GI
15 fathoms of hay = 90 01
The following, presumably on the Mittelarig farm:
4 bulls, 3 cows, 2 gusti, 1 filling = 610 GI
Among other things, household items called:
2 ports at 85 pounds = 53 GI
2 tables, 1 Zyt, 1 pouring barrel, 2 bar tables, 1 armchair = 24 GI7 beds = 126 01; the bed robe in 2 boxes = 189 GI
The following probably in Mittelarig:
20 Malter Korn = 380 01; 41/2 Malter barley = 126 GI
10 Mütt oats = 42 GI
Financial statements
Total debts of the testator 19,688 GI
Credit 4 920 GI
Debt 14 768 Eq
Division
Augustin Stirnimann is bought out on January 19, 1770, he is given the property in Buttisholz and there will take up the fiefdom on St. Mathis (February 24, 1770). It was the property in Bruges.
From the two paternal courts, Joseph receives the Lower Rot, Adam, Mittelarig, each of whom takes on his due share of the living and dead inventory. Furthermore, the Hinder-Weid-Wäldli, which until then belonged to Lower Rot, was assigned to the Mittelarig fram.
In addition to the goods brought into the marriage, the mother receives 4017 GI, an upgraded bed with two suits and a chest.
The daughter Anna Maria receives a home door from the father, i. H. a buyout of 380 GI and a tip of 3 Gl from her brothers. She also gets a bed sheet. - This inheritance of the only daughter, which is very modest according to today's terms, is indicative of the legal disadvantage and inferiority of women, which were tolerated and practiced in general not only in the Ruswil office at that time. Anna Maria Stirnimann was married to Fridolin Fischer in Buttisholz and is likely to be an ancestor of the respected peasant civil servant family of that name that still exists there today.
J. St.
(To be continued in the next newsletter)
Remarks
1 Sebastian Stirnimann (approx. 1720-1796), a cousin of Peter Stirnimann, was a farmer in the Saal. He was the youngest son of the official Jakob Stirnimann and Anna Maria Bühler, he had inherited the farm Saal from his father. Sebastian St. held important positions, he was tax attorney, judge, caretaker of the Brotherhood of Our Lady, the first and most important of the eight brotherhoods of the parish of Ruswil, but above all he was the official father, d. H. Poor carers. Sebastian St., his family and his work were discussed in detail in the 4th circular (1978).
2 1 are = 100 m2; 1 jucharte = 36 ares; 3 Jucharten = 1 hectare
3 The term “both good”, which is often used in valid letters, means the two types of grain spelled and oats.
We congratulate
In the best of physical health, old master cheesemaker Moritz Stirnimann-Helfenstein celebrated his 85th birthday with his large family on July 29, 1993 in Winikon. With great interest he still helps in the village cheese dairy in his son's business.
On October 9, 1993, Anton Stirnimann-Schob celebrated his 80th birthday at Wesemlinstrasse 20 in Lucerne with good mental and physical freshness. Anton is the initiator of the first family conference in 1970 in Rüediswil and co-founder of our family association. For several years he acted as a prudent cashier. As a cosmopolitan man, he traveled to Spain every year for 40 years. The association honored him with honorary membership at the last family conference in Ruswil.
The happy parents Josef and Maria Stirnimann-Marina, who live at Röhrliberg 4 in Cham, proudly report the birth of a strong son. He saw the light of day on February 18, 1993 and was given the name Josef Marios.
Roland Stirnimann, son of Josy Stirnimann, Roos, obtained his diploma at the commercial school in Lucerne with great success.
We give our condolences
In May 1993, Mrs. Maria Stirnimann-Aegerter died in Rothenburg, Lindauring 5, at the old age of 90. The deceased was the mother of old community clerk Josef Stirnimann-Greber.
Hans Stirnimann-Roos (brother of our treasurer Alois Stirnimann) died on July 19, 1993 at the great Saalhof farm at the age of 63. For 10 years Hans worked as a church councilor in the parish of Ruswil.
In youth you learn, in old age you understand.
We should always forgive the repentant for his sake, the unrepentant for our sake.
The people we support give us stability in life.
Maria von Ebner-Eschenbach
Austrian Narrator
With the Trabi Through the Heath
If you find the village of Storbeck from the Berlin-Hamburg autobahn, Neuruppin exit, you are in luck; if you meet Heinz and Liselotte Stirnemann in Storbeck, you are happy. Both have had health problems for some time, but the spirit and warmth are still there in full freshness. Despite the brief encounter of a few hours, we were able to take home a wealth of experiences and "old" news.
As we could read in previous circulars, Heinz Stirnemann is a descendant of Rudolf Stirnemann who emigrated to the Mark Brandenburg over 300 years ago from what was then the canton of Bern (Suhr AG). In recent years he has established close connections with people from his old homeland, especially with the Stirnimann and Stirnemann families within our family association. When the "Bridge Builder" of December 9, 1992 read in a report about the Brandenburg neighboring village of Linow that nobody in Switzerland (Mühlethurnen BE) knew anything about the fact that 300 years ago fellow citizens had emigrated to the Mark Brandenburg, Heinz reacted quickly. He wrote to the editors that he could report something completely different about his family (Suhr AG, Stirnemann / Stirnimann). Has anyone read anything about it in the "Bridge Builder" since then?
The "Trabant" passenger car was manufactured in the former GDR. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, it was often disqualified as a dirt thrower because of its 2-stroke engine, but was still valued by many as an all-purpose car and affectionately called the "Trabi". Heinz is one of those happy Trabi owners and drivers for many years. He therefore invited us for a ride in his light blue Trabi to visit the area of his former property. As we could read in an earlier newsletter, Heinz had to "sell" land and forest to the state during the SED regime. Only a small part of it could still be used for agriculture today, most of it was used together with land other Storbeck farmers used as a training and target area for the Russian and GDR armies and it will hardly be possible to farm again. Who would bear the costs of leveling and cultivation, who would take the risk of encountering duds? Heinz now took us through this area with his Trabi in a daring off-road drive that we would neither have trusted nor expected from Heinz or his Trabi. An African safari trip is likely to have some similarities. Encounters with red deer and wild boar would have been quite conceivable. After a few inclines, however, it became calmer and we were soon standing in an incredibly beautiful landscape full of blooming heather. In the last four decades a natural growth of pines, birches, bushes and heather has expanded from the forest and formed a seemingly untouched area for long stretches. In a large hollow, the troops had dammed up a bathing and fishing pond, which is now bordered by a wide belt of reeds and cattails. Two swans get the call from Heinz because they expect the usual delicacy. There is absolute silence over everything. It is quite understandable that Heinz wanders into this landscape again and again and brings his Lisel home a large bouquet of wild flowers. The beauty of nature makes it easier for him to forget that this is where his work and existence once lay. With sadness, but with justified pride, Heinz was able to return home with his Swiss guests on the village street paved with natural stones. His trusty Trabi held out bravely.
Heinz and Liselotte Stirnemann have instructed us to send warm greetings to all of our friends. She has a deep friendship with the Swiss friends of our family association.
Maria and Josef Stirnimann, Rothenburg August 1993
If one regards existence as a task, then one can always endure it.
Whoever says patience says courage, perseverance, strength.
Consider what is still to be achieved; forget what you've already achieved.
Anyone who can no longer clearly remember their own childhood is a poor educator.
Pain is the great teacher of people. Souls unfold under his breath.
Maria von Ebner-Eschenbach
Austrian Narrator
Unemployed 60 years ago
Othmar Stirnemann, born in 1912, furniture manufacturer in Sempach, tells how he experienced unemployment as a young, trained carpenter back in the 1930s.
I received my schooling in Gräflichen AG. It's been eight years. I didn't want to go to the district school, even though the teacher said I would pass the entrance exam without any problems. It was a nice but hard time. We never had pocket money. But one was honest with one another, nothing was stolen, one respected the other's property. After eighth grade, almost everyone in our village went to work in the Bally shoe factory. With the school report in hand, you introduced yourself and received a notification accordingly. But I didn't go there. I do not know why either. A friend of my father's told me that I could learn to be a carpenter with him. I said yes, although I actually wanted to learn gardening. The apprenticeship lasted three and a half years. In the first year of the apprenticeship the hourly wage was 10 cents, in the second 20 and in the third year 30 cents.
After the apprenticeship, the teacher explained to me that he could not keep me because he had too little work. However, I was still allowed to stay with him for three weeks and that for 80 cents an hour. But then it was done with work. With my also unemployed colleague, who had learned to be a model carpenter, we then moved to Solothurn on our bikes and looked for work. It was autumn. As an outside canton we did not get a work permit because Solothurn itself had too many unemployed. At that time there were two unemployed for every three men. The Swiss income fell to 30%. So we moved on towards western Switzerland. We had about four francs of money together. In the fields we tore up carrots and washed them up in a well and ate them. In between we bought a four-pound bread for 80 cents. This went far. If the bread was too hard after a few days, we held it under the water pipe to make it softer. Most of the time we stayed in youth hostels. So we got down to Geneva. We couldn't speak French. When we presented ourselves to a foreman looking for work, we usually received 50 cents. My father called it “fencing”, which means looking for work and not wanting to work. Each master confirmed with his signature that we had asked him for work. Our list got bigger and bigger, but we still didn't get any work. We then rode our bikes to Lower Valais, but Work wasn’t available.
On the way back we came to a well-known fish restaurant one evening along Lake Biel. Outside was written on a board: half a liter of Sauser 1 franc. We just had that much. So we stopped by and ordered. Gradually the young lady brought another half-liter. But we explained to her that we had no more money. Suddenly there were six waitresses around our table and we had to tell them what we had experienced on our trip. They listened with interest and attentiveness. Not long after we were served a plate of warm food. We were very hungry and the waiters delighted in our ravenous appetite. Before going to bed we thanked them for this generosity and wanted to say goodbye. But they didn't want to let us go and offered an empty room, since most of them were empty anyway. But we didn't dare to accept something feudal and moved on. We would have accepted to spend the night in a haystack. However, afterwards we regretted not having used this opportunity. A soft bed and, above all, a hot shower would have been good for us, especially since the heavy consumption also had its effect.
Back at home in Aargau, we both went to the employment office. The first question, of course, was: "Does the father work?" I replied: "Yes, he is a shoemaker." "Then there is no support," was the reply from the employment office. An older man was listening to our conversation further back. He came up to the front and saw that we had so many signatures confirming that we were looking for a job. Spontaneously he said: “Yes, you deserve support, because you tried very hard to get work.) So everyone received 60 francs a month. I brought this amount to my mother. In Then one day there was an advertisement in the newspaper looking for a carpenter. I sat on the stove at home. A colleague brought me the newspaper with the advertisement. Immediately I put on my shoes and vest and drove to this carpenter's workshop in Unterentfelden. Master told me I could start right away. He gave me an apron and a pencil and I started work straight away. I was paid 80 cents an hour. But then every day unemployed carpenters came and asked for work. Then whenever they heard how low the hourly wage was, they laughed and moved on. This low wage didn't bother me because I wanted to work and was glad that I could give my mother some food at home. I worked there until the outbreak of World War II in 1939.
It should also be mentioned that in these crisis years even the farmers were not doing well. They often went to market with their fruit or vegetables but had to take everything back home because people didn't have the money to buy something.
Story: Othmar Stirnimann
Text drafting: Josef Stirnimann
New members in 1993
Bernd Stirnemann
Marktstrasse 4
0-2002 Stargard Castle
Monika Spickmann-Stirnemann
Kronstrasse 12
5430 Wettingen
Reto Stirnimann
Chriesiweg 24
6020 Emmenbrücke
Walter Stirnimann
Roggenhausenweg 35
5035 Unterentfelden
Thomas Stirnimann
Rigistrasse 5
5102 Rupperswil
Susanne Walter
Zurichstrasse 38
8180 Bülach
B. Stirnimann-Grütter
Farbgasse 46
4900 Langenthal
Nobody can accept reason who does not already have some.
Where vanity begins, mind ends.
The right of the stronger is the strongest injustice.
What people and things are worth can only be judged when they have grown old.
Maria von Ebner-Eschenbach
Austrian Narrator
Book presentation:
Our association member Ursula Stirnimann recently published the following book:
The challenge
Go to content:
Ursula Stirnimann, born in Zurich-Kloten in 1959 with a birth defect, sees herself at the end of her life at the age of 19 because she can no longer cope with the psychological demands that have resulted from numerous operations. "What is the bottom line, destruction or life?" In a phase of walking the tightrope, however, she gradually feels that art is her world. She now begins to experiment and create pictures using the very unusual thread collage technique. This quickly forms the seed for the irrepressible desire to «just take pictures». The "decent" job at a bank is resolutely given up in order to finally to be fully absorbed in artistic freedom. The physical difficulties decrease. A journey of several months through India finally leads Ursula Stirnimann to the wisest of all wise men, to the poorest of the poor. This book is a courageous autobiography by Ursula Stirnimann. The artist recounts her challenge with an unusual physical handicap with relentless openness. Here the story of a person is written who once saw himself "at the bottom". Whoever reads them empathizes, thinks along, hopes, and their self-confidence is strengthened. The tension remains until the end. Recommended reading for young and old. With this book, the author hopes to be able to contribute, among other things, to greater tolerance and understanding towards people who are disabled. Anyone who has read it agrees with the artist's quote at the end of the book:
From the bottom of my heart I feel gratitude and become very calm.
Price: 34 francs; 222 pages, seven color art prints from works by Ursula Stirnimann.
The book can be ordered from the following publisher: Edition Wassermann, c / o PubliCare, W. Signer, Im Neuacher 2, CH-5454 Bellikon, phone 056 - 96 46 36.
PS: Ursula Stirnimann lives in Weggis and has made a name for herself as an artist through numerous exhibitions at home and abroad.
Josef Stirnimann
Important Messages
As already mentioned in the foreword, an order card for Lucerne coffee glasses with the colored subject of our family association is enclosed with this circular. The price for 6 glasses is CHF 50.-. These glasses will be released and sold at our anniversary conference on June 26, 1994. They will be sent to those who cannot attend this conference. But we are happy if the glasses are pre-ordered with the card so that we know how many glasses we want to put into production.
The treasurer would be happy if as many members as possible would pay the membership fee of CHF 15 this year, because that makes his work much easier.
The President asked for contributions, communications and suggestions for the 1994 newsletter.
All reserved the date of the anniversary conference on June 26, 1994. Invitations will be issued in due course.
We urgently ask our members to notify the board of directors about changes of address. This will make the cashier's job easier.
Reading courses in the Lucerne State Archives
Anyone interested in family research must be able to read ancient scriptures. Members of our family association keep asking about courses that introduce you to reading ancient scripts. We would like to draw your attention to the fact that the Lucerne State Archives will hold one of their valued reading courses again next time in March. Interested parties should contact the Lucerne State Archives.
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, community clerk, Alpenblick 5, 6206 Neuenkirch
Treasurer: Alois Stirnimann-Zihlmann, Managing Director, Burghalde 6, 6110Wolhusen
Material administrator: Maria Stirnimann-Schenkermayr, Spyr 18, 6017 Ruswil
Members: Othmar Stirnemann, factory owner, Hubelstrasse, 6204 Sempach
Philomena Bartholdi-Stirnimann, Steinhauserstrasse 19, 6300 Zug
Franz Stirnimann-Bühlmann, businessman, Grüneggstrasse 30, 6005 Lucerne
Fritz Stirnemann-Dittli, Berninastrasse 25, 8057 Zurich
Honorary President: Hans Stirnimann-Haupt, teacher i. R., Rüediswilerstrasse 42, 6017 Ruswil
Auditors: Josef Stirnimann, PTT officer, Wolfsbühl, 6020 Emmenbrücke
Hans Stirnimann-Schumacher, ed. Official, Schöneggstrasse 45, 6048 Horw
Enclosures:
Card for registration and orders
Payment slip for the 1993 membership fee of CHF 15. Order card for coffee glasses
Payment slip for the benefit of the anniversary conference