My hometown WEISWEIL is in BADEN-WUERTTEMBERG and belongs to the german
region BREISGAU , which stretches along between the
RHINE river and the hills of the BLACK FOREST.The biggest
city of the region Breisgau is FREIBURG
(with nearly 200000 inhabitants)
Our town is actually a village of 1900 inhabitants, situated beneath the shores ( and forests ) of the RHINE river which is also the french border. In the south framed by the hills of the KAISERSTUHL mountain, which was a volcano in ancient times and is now covered with some of the best vineyards of germany .In the north by the mountains of the famous BLACK FOREST, where is also the spring of the Donau (DANUBE) river.
Our village had its 1225 years anniversary in 1995. In the past the inhabitants
had to endure many hardships.Only 3 older persons survived the war from 1618-1648.
Since early times the settlement was always endangered by floodings of the RHINE
river, until between 1842 and 1876 the river was aligned and regulated.
Due to several floodings and bad harvests between 1816 and 1895 more then
380 people emigrated, mostly to north-america. Maybe the names of families
are still traceable in the USA.
People by the name of KOECHLIN in Lancaster,Pennsylvania ,HAAG in Erie/Penn., SCHANDELMAIER and GLOECKLER in Altoona/Penn.
ECCARD and SACKMANN in Warren/Penn., STOECKLIN in Columbus/Ohio. Several
families by the names of HAAG, STEINHAUSER, KLIPFEL, HENNINGER, MAIER, MATTHIS,
KARCHER and ENGLER emigrated to St.Louis/Mississippi.
There is also more detailed informations in the chronicle our our village. Johann Georg Hafner was married to Katharina Stoecklin in 1962 and emmigrated to america in 1863. Wilhelm Haag married Maria Salomea Haas in 1880 and also went to america in the same year. Johann Michael Ehret (b.1839)and his wife Regina Daeschner emmigrated in Juli 1881 with eight childeren.Michael Hafner left 1863 with his children Christian and Maria Salomea and with his second wife Barbara Kromer. Barbara Kromer brought two children from her first marriage Michael and Katharina. With Michael Hafner she had two more children, Karl and Karolina Hafner. 1881 several young people emmigrated. Three children of Johann Michael Blum and Karolina Elisabeth Raith. Three children of Jakob Henninger and Maria Salomea Haag and three children of Georg Friedrich Mattis and Maria Haag. Also Friedrich Nicola. Four children of Johann Michael Loesslin.
More emmigrants between 1848 - 1873 were :
Balthasar Henninger (1848?)with his wife Anna Maria Boos and the children
Katharina and Wilhelm Henninger.
Johannes Hilbiger (1848?), Karl Michael Henninger (1864?),Georg Jakob Blum (1864?)
Matthias Schmidt(1852?), Michael Henninger (1852?) Jakob Ehret (1853?), Balthasar
Ehret (1857?),Georg Jakob Ehrler (1876?), Friedrich Ehret (1852?)Karl Michael
Matthis (1891?).
From some of the emmigrants even their destination in america is known:
Johann Georg Ehrler who left 1854 went to his brother in Buffalo/New York.
The three children of Friedrich Hueglin, Balthasar, Katharina and Anna Maria
can be traced to New York City. Also Matthaeus Limburger (b.1853 in Weisweil)
Johann Georg Nicola went to Newark/New Jersey. Johann Michael Koechlin went to
Lancaster/Pennsylvania, followed by Sebastian Koechlin. Jakon and Maria Barbara
Haag went to Erie/Pennsylvania in 1852 and Anna Maria Stoecklin in 1855.
Georg Schandelmaier and Johannes Gloeckler went to Altoona/Pennsylvania.
Michael Eccard and Johann Georg Sackmann lived (1897) in Warren/Pennsylvania.
Several people moved to Pittsburg: Johann Georg Raith (1854?),Jakob Buchmueller,
Georg Jakob Raith, Wilhelm Raith (1870?).
Matthias Stoecklin and his wife Maria Barbara Henninger who emmigrated 1882
lived in Columbus/Ohio with their nine children.
Balthasar Henninger who moved to Louisville/Kentucky (1848),followed later
by Martin Scheer, Michael Graesslin and Balthasar Hueglin. Jakob and Georg
lived in Adams County 1862 and Balthasar Gloekler in Stephenson County.
Wilhelm Ehret and Karolina Haag who left Weisweil in 1881 with three children
lived in Du Page County.
(much more on request from the Weisweil chronicle)
By 1889 the numer of inhabitants had dropped to 1627.The in the WW I. from 1914-18 many young men were lost the village however remained undamaged. The greatest toll was taken in WW II when due to the border position of the village over 90% of the buildings were destroyed by the french forces and the inhabitants were evacuated and scattered all over the country. Between 1948 and 1952 nearly 300 houses were rebuild. Small industrial plants followed and the number of inhabitants gradually increased. Today we have over 1950 inhabitants and by the year 2000 were will surely reach 2000.
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