Translated by Cristina Mohr, July 1988
Third Newsletter April 1941
This is the second time our newsletter appears during the war. Therefore, we send special regards to our relatives who obey the orders of their "Fuehrer" [Adolf Hitler (CM)] and stand under the flags+. Our thoughts passionately stay with them. As mentioned in the previous newsletter, we are not able to list all their names because there are great gaps in our knowledge of them. Therefore, we urgently want to remind our members to inform us as soon as possible about any kind of change within the family. Information should not only be given about the closest family members but also about more distant relatives.
W e i n s b e r g
If there had not been the war, Weinsberg, the birthplace of our family, last year could proudly have celebrated its 800th anniversary with a big feast. In 1140, the Staufer Emperor, Conrad III besieged the town. The artfulness of Weinsberg`s brave women then made the town widely famous. Because of this war, however, we could commemorate this memorable event with a simple celebration in the "Hildthalle" [town festival hall (CM)], only.
But the people of Weinsberg and their active Mayor Herr Weinbrenner first are very interested in fostering the town's rich historical memories. This attitude underlies a plan that has been in their minds for years and now finally will be put into reality. They want to reerect the strongly weather beaten stone pillars which once gave support to the widely spreading branches of the venerable linden tree outside the town. At the moment, artists renovate them, in particular brightening up the names and coats of arms of all the families mentioned on them. The re-erection of the pillars will likely be
+ The phrase "under the flags" most likely refers to men serving
in
the german armed forces (CFH).
++ Staufer was a royal line of Emperors like the Hapsburgs in Austria
(CM).
+++ This legend is written out in detail in a letter to Dr. John
Christian Haberlen in the 1930`s and is presented later in this volume. According
to the legend the besieged women were allowed .to carry out their most valued
positions before the town was to be sacked. They carried out their husbands
and Emperor Conrad. III made good on his promise and allowed the women and their
"valuable possessions" to pass.
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somewhat delayed because the old thingstead++++ where it had been standing for centuries must also be renovated. But at the moment there are no workers who can do this Job. So, the pillars remain in the workshops of Herr Gerde, sculptor in Kemnat. He will keep working on them for a couple more months.
One of the pillars the word "Bek" [probably a German dialect word for "der Baecker meaning the baker (CM)] can still be read. Research clearly provides that this word refers back to one of our ancestors, Jacob Friedrich Haeberlin, "Beckenzuftmeister" [this word means leader of distinguished member of the bakers' guild (CM)] and "Gerichtsverwandter" [probably some kind of judicial Job (CM)] because during the crucial period of time no other baker can be considered likely to have been a councilman. The Mayor came to share this belief and ordered that the name as well as the coat of arms of our family should be written on the pillar. We owe him a debt of gratitude and look forward to soon seeing the name of our family as one of the eldest ones in Weinsberg as well as our family coat of arms chiseled in stone at such a memorable place.
We want to utter a few words in remembrance of the late Gottlob Haeberlen who died on January 10, 1941. Not only was he known to the members of the Younger Weinsberg Line but also to more distant relatives who got to know and like him at our family get togethers.
In his younger years, Gottlob Haeberlen as a baker had travelled the world, served in ' the 122nd Infantry Regiment, then together with his wife Pauline Popp from Untereisesheim conducted the "Wirtschaft zum Hirsch" [a country inn called 'The Stag' (CM)] in Obereisesheim where he stayed after his retirement. He was not at all narrow minded, had a healthy power of judgment, and a friendly, easy going personality. The large number of people that attended his funeral in spite of the long way to the cemetery and the pouring rain shows how much liked and respected he was. The military club and the choral society came to the funeral with their banners and had wreaths laid down. the choral society and the church choir accompanied the funeral service with beautiful hymns and chants. Also, many members of the Haeberlen Family, to whom the late Gottlob Haeberlen maintained strong ties, appeared. Especially the members of the Younger Weinsberg Line mourned for their beloved `uncle Gottlob'.
With Gottlob dead, the last male Haeberlen of the IX generation has died in Germany. There are only four survivors of this generation: Gottlob's four year older sister Luise Remppis, nee Haeberlen in Reutlingen (p 104, IX,28), August Haeberlen, Tuebingen ' (p 1380 IX,45), Anna Rau, nee Haeberlen, in Stuttgart (p138, IX47), and Frida Sell, nee Haeberlen, in Hohenfeld, close to Kitzingen (p138, IX,49). At the moment, we do not know who many members of this generation are still alive in America because we have not heard from our relatives there
++++ A "thingstead' is a stone column in or near the center of town which
honors some event, person or persons and is similar to what you would see in
many towns in the United States.
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since August 1938. In 1938, four people [of this generation (CM)] were still alive [in America (CM)]: Lydia (p 127, IX,34), August (p 127, IX 35), Heinrich (p 128, IX,36), and Marie (p 128, IX,39).
Genealogical Table
Besides drawing up a genealogical tree, i.e. a list of ancestors who carry our family name like the one in our Family Book, genealogical research has the important task to make our a genealogical table, i.e. a register of all our ancestors which then includes the women's ancestors. Work one that latter task has now at least been started: for the time being, the histories and ancestors of the families Burckhardt (Burkert, VI 3; Vogel VII 9; Stoecklin V 3) have been traced back to the 16th century. In the second half of this century church registers were introduced.
Our family tree gives only Weinsberg as the home of the Haeberlen family and accordingly most of the up to now discovered ancestors come from Weinsberg and its vicinity. The only two exceptions are Leonberg and Stuttgart. Also the social structure in general is the same as in the family tree as far as information about professions is given at all. [Among our ancestors (CM)] we find vintagers and farmers, skilled manual workers, "Ratsverwandte" [probably some kind of councilmen (CM)], mayors [der Schultheiss, -en" is an archaic word for "der Buergermeister", (CM)], and only occasionally local ducal officials [employed officials of the duke (CM)]. All our ancestors we have discovered so far are Protestants.
Some notes to the following list: a clearly laid out arrangement of the researched material seems only possible if special forms are used which can be bought at registry offices and book stores. However, for those of our relatives who belong to the "X" or even the "XI" generation, even the. large ancestors' booklets with room for 110 names each which are distributed by the "Verein fuer Wuerttembergische Familienkunde" would not offer sufficient space because some lines can be traced back to the high 16th century. Others, naturally, do not date back so much, especially if an ancestor's wife is only registered by her Christian name. And on the other hand, additional information will probably be found about persons whose place of birth is already known.
In order to facilitate the drawing up of a genealogical table we have given to each name of one our ancestors a Latin number which corresponds to the way we count the generations in the family tree as well as a German number. For the latter, we took the VIII generation as number one, i.e. as a starting point. Thus, our mutual progenitor, Johann Georg Haeberlen (1778-1862) carries the number VII 2 and his wife Eva Christine nee Burkert (this name is spelled in five different ways) carries the number VII 3.
+ According Cristina Mohr, this is a very highly organized and respected society for family research in Germany. The literal translation is 'The club for Knowledge of Families in Wuerttemberg
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In case of those people who are already included to our family tree, i.e. all those called Haeberlen, only the names and numbers of the family tree are given. In case of newly discoveread ancestorn, all information obtained from church registers is provided.The first mentioned ones thus get a double number which originates in the VIII generation and next to them appears the number of the family tree in the Family Book in parenthesis. Example: Ferdinand Bernhard Haeberlin (1736-1805) VI 4 (Family Book VI 3).
Financial Report; April 1, 1941
| I. Income | ||
| Sums carried over from 1939 | RM 36.46 | |
Membership contributions until April 1, 1941 |
RM 172.80 | |
| Total of incomes: | RM 164.79 | |
| II. Expenses | ||
| Copies of the Newsletter from 1940 | RM 10.80 | |
| Fees for research in Weinsberg, Leonberg and Eltingen |
RM 22.54 |
|
Membership contributions and admission fee to the "Verein fuer Wuerttembergische Familienkunde" |
RM 11.00 | |
|
|
RM 15.83 | |
| Total of expenses: | RM 60.17 | |
| Credit | RM 149.09 | |
| ========= |
Since the beginning of this year, our Family is a member of the "Verein fuer Wuerttembergische Familienkunde", Alexanderstrasse 9 a, Stuttgart-Ost (CM)]. Thus each member of the Family clan may use the archives and library of this organization for genealogical research as well as attend the regular monthly lectures.
The membership contributions for 1941 have to be paid. We ask you to send the money to "Familienverband der Weinsberger Haeberlen", Staedtische Girokasse Stuttgart, account # 34337
| Treasurer: | Chairman: | |
| Johanna Häberlen | August Häberlen | |
| Stuttgarte-W | Tübingen | |
| Senefelderstr,95 | Neckarhalde 55 |