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- ! BIR-MAR-DEATH: EVANGELISCHE KIRCHENGEMEINDE SCHWENNINGEN GERMANY PERSONAL VISIT 1987
THIS HISTORY STARTS AT THE EVANGELISCHES CHURCH RECORDING THE BIRTH OF GEORG WEILER IN THE YEAR 1607 AND HIS DEATH IN THE YEAR 1688. GEORG WEILER WAS MARRIED TO BARBARA SCHARAPP FROM THE VILLAGE OF TROSSINGEN, SHE DIED IN 1645.
THE FOLLOWING STORIES WERE FOUND IN A BOOK FOUND IN SCHWENNINGEN, GERMANY WRITTEN BY OTTO BENZING ?STORIES FROM THOSE WHO CAME FROM AROUND THE NECKAR AREA?, SECOND VOLUME, 36 MINUATURES STARTING FROM THE 17TH CENTURY UNTIL ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CITY IN 1907, FIRST EDITION. THIS BOOK IS IN THE POSSESSION OF KARL L. WEILER. TWO CHAPTERS WERE TRANSLATED TO ENGLISH BY JAN A. KARANCHER.
CHAPTER EIGHT
1688
THE VILLAGE PATRIARCH
FOUR WIVES, FOURTEEN CHILDREN AND MUCH TRIBULATION, THE LAST FRENCHMEN HAD BARELY LEFT THE VILLAGE WHEN GEORGE WEYLER ENDED UP ON HIS LAST SICKBED. THE TRIBULATIONS OF THE PAST WEEKS WERE TOO MUCH FOR THE OLD MAN. HE ONCE AGAIN HAD TO GO THROUGH THE EXPERIENCE OF FOREIGN SOLDIERS PLUNDERING HOUSE AFTER HOUSE AND BOTHERING THE INHABITANTS. THEY EVEN CAME TO THE ANGEL (HILL), TOOK WITH THEM ALL THE TIN WHICH WAS LEFT BEHIND IN THE TAVERN, EMPTIED THE WINE KEGS AND THEN, IN A STUPOR CHASED AFTER THE WOMEN. ONE SHOULD CONSIDER ONE SELF LUCKY THAT THEY DID NOT BURN DOWN THE VILLAGE. THE WINDMILLS AT VILLINGEN AND THE FOUR FARMS A NORDATETTE ALREADY WERE IN RUIN AND ASHES. OUTSIDE ROTTWEIL, THEY ALSO ACTED LIKE BARBARIANS. TWENTY FARMERS, WHO FLED INTO A CHURCH, WERE STRIPPED NAKED AND WERE PARADED AROUND THE FIELD AS ENTERTAINMENT FOR THE DRUNKEN SOLDIERS. THEY TIED DOWN WITH THEIR PIGTAILS, TWO OF THREE NAKED LADIES, WHIPPED THEM AND PRICKED THEM WITH DARTS, CAUSING THEM TO RUN AND JUMP OUT OF FRIGHT OVER WHICH BEHAVIOR THE MEN ALMOST LAUGHED THEMSELVES TO DEATH. THEY ALSO COMMITTED EVIL DEEDS HERE AND THERE WITH GIRLS AND MARRIED WOMEN. NO WONDER THAT THE FARMERS TOOK REVENGE ON STRANGLERS WITH TIRED FEET AND LONELY MARAUDERS WHEN THEY WOULD APPREHEND THEM.
FORTUNATELY, THE FRENCH BROKE UP THE SIEGE OF THE CITY OF VILLINGEN AFTER ONLY ONE DAY. THE SENIOR CITIZENS OF SCHWENNINGEN REMEMBERED WELL FROM THE BIG WAR, HOW TERRIBLE THE FARMERS IN THE VICINITY DURING SUCH A SIEGE-WORSE THAN THOSE ACTUALLY UNDER SIEGE. THIS TIME THE FRENCH DETECTED RIGHT AWAY HOW GRIM THE WINTER COULD BE. GENERAL CHAMILLY WOULD TREASURE HIS COMMANDPOST IN STRASSBURG MUCH MORE THAN HAVING TO BATTLE THE SNOW IN THIS PART OF THE COUNTRY. HANSJAKOB, GEORG WEYLER?S OLDEST GRANDSON DARED TO ADVANCE WITH A FEW FRIENDS TILL THE VILLINGEN?S FOOTPATH AND NEAR THE FRONT LINE FROM WHERE THEY COULD OBSERVE THE WITHDRAWAL. WHEN HE TOLD THE BEDRIDDEN GRANDFATHER OF THIS FACT, HE MERELY CHUCKLED. HE RECOUNTED THAT HE WAS MERELY A BOY OF TWELVE WHEN THE ENEMY SOLDIERS TOOK UP QUARTERS IN HIS PARENT?S HOUSE FOR THE FIRST TIME. THAT WAS ABOUT 70 YEARS AGO AND DURING THAT TIME HE HAD MORE THAN AMPLE OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME ACQUAINTED WITH THE FRENCH, SWEDES, CROATIANS, SPANIARDS, AND ITALIANS- THE GERMANS WERE NOT MUCH BETTER EITHER. ONE WOULD PREFER TO HAVE HAD THEM HOWEVER, SINCE THEY EVICTED ALL THE UNDESIRABLE LADIES FROM THE VILLAGE.
WHEN THE BOY ASKED IF HE COULD TELL HIM MORE OF THE GOOD OLD DAYS, THE GRANDFATHER WAS IMMEDIATELY READY AND ASKED THE CURIOUS KID TO SIT CLOSE TO THE BED AND TO PLACE ANOTHER PILLOW UNDER HIS HEAD. ?YOU KNOW I GREW UP IN THE BLACKSMITH SHOP IN UPPER MUSLEN. MY GRANDFATHERS NAME WAS JORG, JUST AS MINE, AND HE CAME AS A BLACKSMITH TO THE VILLAGE SOON AFTER THE FARMERS WAR. EVER SINCE THEN, THERE WERE TWO BLACKSMITHS HERE AND ON THE LOWER SECTION, THE WEYLERS CONTINUE TO HAMMER.
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WHEN THE CITIZENS OF VILLINGEN BURNED DOWN THE VILLAGE, IT ALSO AFFECTED US. I WAS THEN 26 YEARS OLD AND WAS MARRIED TO BARBARA SCHARPP FROM TROSSINGEN. SHE WAS A WIDOW AND HAD THREE CHILDREN FROM HER FIRST HUSBAND, TWO GIRLS AND A BOY. AS A DOWRY, SHE TOOK WITH HER THE DECEASED HUSBAND?S NICE PROPERTY, THE HOUSE ON THE ANGEL (HILL), INCLUDING 50 PIECES OF LAND ( LESS THAN A HECTARE) AND A GREATER PORTION OF A FOREST. I ONLY INHERITED THE BLACKSMITH SHOP AND SOME MONEY BUT TOGETHER WE HAD A PRETTY GOOD FORTUNE.
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WE HAD TO LEAVE EVERYTHING BEHIND WHEN WE HAD TO ESCAPE TO SWITZERLAND WITH THE CHILDREN. I HIRED MYSELF OUT AS A LABOR FOR A BLACKSMITH WHO ASSIGNED US TWO ROOMS. BUT ANNALE AND MELLE DIED ONE AFTER THE OTHER? AND MICHAEL, THE BOY DID NOT RETURN WHEN HE WENT JOB HUNTING TO THE FARMERS IN THE MOUNTAIN. HE REMAINED LOST UNTIL NOW, EVEN THOUGH HIS MOTHER WAS SURE UP TO HER DEATH THAT HE WAS STILL ALIVE. IN THE MEAN TIME, WE HAD A BOY OF OUR OWN, HANSJAKOB, YOUR FATHER, WHEN HIS MOTHER DIED HE WAS 9 YEARS OLD. TOGETHER WITH HIM AND A FEW COMPATRIOTS I WENT BACK TO SCHWENNIGEN RIGHT BEFORE THE END OF THE WAR.
THERE OLD THOBUS KEMPFF GAVE ME HIS ANNA TO WIFE. BESIDE 16 GUILDERS CASH, THERE WAS NO DOWRY. HOWEVER, I HAD FIELDS AND TWO FARMS. ANNA WAS EIGHT YEARS YOUNGER THEN I, HAPPY AS A LARK AND WOULD MAKE YOUR FATHER A GOOD MOTHER. SHE WAS THE FIFTH GIRL IN THE FAMILY. YOU ONLY KNEW TWO OF THEM, ANNABAS FROM LEHR AND MARIA-BAS, DAUGHTER OF THE TAYLOR. DORLE DIED AS A CHILD. MARGARET MOVED TO BRUNSWICH WITH HER HUSBAND. AND I DO NOT LIKE TO TALK ABOUT KATTER. SHE WAS CARRYING ON AND ONLY RETURNED WHEN SHE FOUND OUT THAT I CURTAILED HER INHERITANCE.
THE SICK MAN WAS SILENT FOR A LONG TIME AND HANSJAKOB DID NOT DARE TO FORCE HIM TO TALK AGAIN. JUST AS HE WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE, THE GRANDFATHER MOVED AGAIN.
?WHEN I CAME BACK, A STRANGER BLACKSMITH HAD SETTLED HERE, FOERSTER ULRICH WAS HIS NAME. I LEFT THE TRADE, SOLD THE FARM AND STARTED TO BUILD ANOTHER LIFE WITH MY NEW WIFE. WE HAD ENOUGH TO DO TO REJUVENATE THE OVERGROWN FIELDS. FORTUNATELY IT WAS NOT DIFFICULT TO BORROW MONEY. NOBLEMAN JOHANN IN THURN FROM SCHAFFHAUSEN AND THE POTTER STOPHEL KRAUTT FROM VILLINGEN LOANED US MORE THAN 500 GUILDERS. THE NOBLEMAN LOANED US, ON TOP OF THIS, WINE WORTH 200 GUILDERS. MY WIFE GAVE ME AN IDEA THAT WE COULD START A TAVERN.
YOU WERE ACQUAINTED WITH THE ?BLACK ANGEL?. WE WOULD STILL OWN IT, BUT YOUR FATHER DID NOT WANT TO MANAGE IT LATTER ON WHEN LEHMANN STOLE AWAY GUEST WITH HIS MODERN HOSTEL . SOPHISTICATED TOWNS PEOPLE PREFERRED TO STOP THERE AFTER THE OWNER MARRIED THE PREACHER?S ?ANGEL? THEY ALL WANTED TO BE SERVED BY A FORMER PREACHER. BUT AT ONE TIME THE ?BLACK ANGEL? CONTRIBUTED SO MUCH THAT WE COULD PAY OFF ALL OUR DEBTS AND COULD BUY 32 PIECES OF LAND. WE MADE SUCH A GOOD LIVING OF OUR PROPERTY
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THAT WE COULD OFTEN ENTERTAIN SIX DOZEN GUESTS DURING WEDDINGS. THOSE WERE THE BEST YEARS OF MY LIFE. BUT ANNA OVERWORKED HERSELF BY DOING DOUBLE DUTY. SHE DID NOT GET UP FROM THE BED AFTER THE LAST BIRTH AND WAS ONLY 41 YEARS OLD .?
HANSJAKOB REMARKED ? IT WAS FORTUNATE THAT FATHER WAS ALREADY 20 YEARS OLD AND COUL HELP WITH THE WORK ON THE FARM.? THE OLD MAN SIGHED ?THAT WAS FINE. BUT THE MOTHER OF THE FIVE GIRLS COULD NOT BE REPLACED AND NEITHER COULD THE FARMER?S WIFE. CONSEQUENTLY, I MARRIED FOR THE THIRD TIME. MARGRET WAS THE MORTICIAN?S DAUTHER. SHE WAS 23 AND I WAS ALREADY 50. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT I DELEGATED TOO MUCH TO HER. THEN SOON AFTER ONE ANOTHER, CAME FIVE BOYS- BALTAS, ULRICH, GEORG, HANNS, AND MARTIN. CERTAINLY, THEY ALL HELPED OUT, EXCEPT KATTER, AND ESPECIALLY MARIA AND ALSO YOUR FATHER. BUT THEN ONE AFTER THE OTHER THE OTHERS GOT MARRIED AND WE WERE LEFT ALONE IN THE FIELD WITH THE BOYS AND PERSONNEL. WE GAVE UP THE TAVERN BUT STILL BOUGHT 35 PIECES OF LAND, SO THAT, TOGETHER WITH THE 135 PIECES, WE BELONG TO THE FOUR BIGGEST FARMSTEADS IN TOWN-THAT?S CALLED TEMPTING GOD . IT WAS EVEN TOO MUCH FOR MARGRET. AT THE AGE OF 45 SHE DIED, HER YOUNGEST ONE WAS ONLY ELEVEN YEARS OLD. ? I WAS WITH HER CORPSE,? SAID HANSJAKOB EXCITEDLY. I WAS ALREADY SIX AT THAT TIME. I REMEMBER WELL HOW THE FOLKS ON THE ROAD ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT THE PEACE OF NYMWEGEN AND ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTION WHICH HE HAD TO MAKE TO THE FRENCH. THEY WOULD RATHER EMIGRATE TO SEXZU WHERE IT WOULD BE MORE SECURE AND WARMER.? ? YES, THE FRENCH, ?MURMURED THE SICK MAN. ?IN 33 THEY HELPED BURN DOWN THE VILLAGE. IN 79 THEY FORCES US TO PAY THEY FORCED US TO PAY THE CONTRIBUTION. AND STILL THEY PLUNDERED OUR HOME.? THE BOY NOTICED THAT HIS GRANDFATHER TRIED TO SLEEP. HE WENT TO THE KITCHEN TO SEE URSEL-BAS. SHE WAS ALWAYS FRIENDLY AND GOOD TO HIM. SHE ALSO DID NOT CARE TO BE CALLED ?GRANDMOTHER? BECAUSE SHE JUDGED HERSELF TO BE TOO YOUNG FOR THAT. HALF OF HER STEP CHILDREN WERE OLDER THAN HERSELF. THEREFORE, SHE MADE A POINT, WHEN OLD GEORG WEYLER TOOK HER INTO HIS HOME AS HIS FORTH WIFE, THAT THE WHOLE FAMILY WOULD CALL HER ?URSEL-BAS? WHEN HANSJAKOB CONVEYED TO HER THAT GRANDFATHER HAD TOLD HIM MUCH ABOUT THE FRENCH, SHE REMARKED STERNLY ?YOU KNOW, HE DELT WITH THEM FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS. NOW THEY PERSECUTE HIM EVEN UNTIL DEATH.?
ON THE BOYS FRIGHTENED QUESTION ?BUT DOES GRANDFATHER HAVE TO DIE SOON?? BAS ASSURED HIM ?NO, IT HAS NOT PROGRESSED THAT FAR. BUT WHEN ONE GETS TO BE 81 YEARS OLD, ONE HAS ALWAYS TO THINK ABOUT THIS.?
TEN DAYS LATER, GEORGE WEYLER WAS DEAD. ON CHRISTMAS EVE THEY BURIED HIM, THE OLDEST MAN IN THE VILLAGE.
NOTE:
WE DO NOT HAVE AN ACCURATE RECORD OF HOW IT WENT IN SCHWENNINGEN DURNING THE FRENCH INVASION IN THE WINTER OF 1688. ACCORDING TO ALL NEWS ACCOUNTS FROM THE SURROUNDING AREA, THEY HAD TO HAVE BEEN TERRIBLE WEEKS. THE NEWS ABOUT THE PARTICULAR ADVERSITY OF THE FARMERS ORIGINATED FROM DANIEL SPEER. INFORMATION ABOUT GEORGE WEYLER AND HIS FAMILY WERE EXCERPTED FROM THE ?INVENTORY AND THAYLUNGS-BOOKS (MEANING UNCLEAR) FROM THE YEARS 16 49-1689.
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1607 - 1688 (81 years)
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