The 2007 Schürch Heritage Tour
By Gretchen Sherk
This year, 2007, is the “Year of the Täufer” in Switzerland. Its purpose is to commemorate what happened to the early Anabaptists and to seek restoration and forgiveness of the state church (Reformed) from the descendants of those persecuted.
It seemed a perfect time for a Schürch Heritage Tour, which was, in fact an Anabaptist history tour with emphasis on places of particular interest to Schürchs. So on Tuesday, September 18, thirty-seven such interested persons from Canada and the U.S. (including Hawaii) met in Zurich to begin their ten day trek through history by tour bus through Switzerland, Germany and France (Alsace) to follow the footsteps of their forefathers, fellowship together, and see what they could learn.
Special thanks are expressed to Tom Sherk and Verne Schirch for their diligence in planning, in conjunction with MTS travel, Walter Schürch and René Schürch, our friends in Switzerland, and Hildrun Mathies, our charming and indefatigable tour guide, who, at the end of our journey was a dubbed an “honorary Schürch.”
One of our guides in Zurich, our jumping-off point, was Peter Detweiler, a Reformed Church official who took part in the reconciliation movement, which sought to atone for past offenses against the early Anabaptists. He took us to see a statue of Zwingli holding a Bible in one hand and a sword in the other, symbolizing his view of the union of the church and state.
We were moved to see a flat stone memorial at edge of the Limmat River where a number of Anabaptists were drowned for their faith. It says:
At this place in the middle of the river Limmat
on a platform used for fishing, Felix Manz and
five Anabaptists were drowned between 1527-
1532 during the Reformation. The last täufer
to be executed in Zurich was Hans Landis in 1614.
The cruelty of their persecutors was demonstrated when, tying a rock to the victim, they taunted him with words to this effect: “so, this is your third baptism; see if the Lord will save you now.”
Dear Diary,
What amazing faith some of our forefathers
had! Would I be strong enough to stand
up for my faith, even to death?
Inquiring Traveler
The next day we traveled by motorcoach near to Bäretswil where we hiked to an Anabaptist cave (Täuferhöhle). In this place Anabaptists met secretly for worship, as it was too dangerous to meet openly in a church or home. Verne Schirch reviewed some Anabaptist history with us and we sang the hynm “How Great Thou Art.”
Dear Diary,
The best part of the day was singing
in the cave the second verse of the
hymn…”When thru the woods and
forest glades I wander…then sings
my soul, my Lord, How Great Thou Art!”
Awed Traveler
The Ballenberg Open Air Museum (the Williamsburg of Switzerland) was our goal on Thursday, September 20. The driver of our rössli (horsedrawn) wagon gave us an overview of this village to which many old farmhouses have been moved and preserved. Of special interest were the structures where the barn was underneath the house, with the result that the family enjoyed some of the animal warmth, if not the smell.
Our boat ride on the Thunersee followed, with perfect weather and majestic views of the Alps. From the dock at Thun we walked to the castle, where Walter Schürch, Past-President of the Swiss Schürch family association, SGNS, had arranged for us to tour the castle when it was closed to the public. We climbed way up to the prison tower where some Anabaptists were held before being shipped to Bern and deported to Holland. Then as we descended a serendipity awaited us—a group of five alpenhorn players in the courtyard! And at dinner we were treated to Swiss folk music—accordion and bass.
Dear Diary,
Tonight at dinner we celebrated the birthday
of Tom Shirk from Toledo, Ohio. He was
honored, he said, but sobered by the thought
that we were partying, enjoying good food
and friendship, even as we were remembering
that our forefathers were running for their
lives, or in fact, giving up their lives for their faith.
Happy Traveler
Grünenberg Castle (ruins) was our destination the next day. Here Hans and Peter Schürch of Sumiswald were granted freedom from serfdom in 1544. This area around Sumiswald, which the Schürchs came from, and where many Schürchs live today, looks much like the Pennsylvania Dutch country of Lancaster county—rolling hills, small fertile fields and many cows.
Next we toured Affoltern Show Dairy, learning a bit about the production of Swiss cheese. After lunch at the dairy—delicious fried potatoes (rössti), ham, cheese, and fried egg—we visited the Fankhauser Farm and Anabaptist Hiding Place. The barn there contains an ingenious hidden trap door in the floor, leading to a tiny room where one or two Anabaptists at a time could avoid the täufejägers, or bounty hunters who were out to get them. In the 1600s Christian Fankhauser was caught by the authorities and sent to prison in Bern; he returned for awhile, sometimes hiding out in the Jura mountains. Actually, there were a series of hiding places in the area provided by sympathetic farmers (much like the underground railroad in America which helped blacks escape slavery).
Saturday found us at the Swiss Reformed Church in Sumiswald which had been destroyed and rebuilt. There is a 300 year old baptismal basin in the floor of the church where some of our early ancestors may have been baptized. Roaming the Sumiswald cemetery, we noticed many names that sound like Lancaster county names. It was also interesting to note that each grave was planted like a garden and placed right up against its neighbor—no spacious family plots. After about 25 years the headstones are moved and may be used in construction of a wall and the graves dug up to make room for more.
Our next stops included several Schürch homesteads. Fritz Geissbühler welcomed us to Obere Schürchtanne with light refreshments, beverages and schnapps. Ida Kohler showed us
Untere Schürchtanne where there is a very old door lintel carved above the basement door. It reads “Peter Stalder and Barbara Grosenbacher”. In both names the S was carved backwards, which seems to have been the custom centuries ago in many carvings and documents in the area. This tends to substantiate the fact that our code C immigrant of 1727, Joseph Schürch, was from this area, because he made his mark JOS, with the S backward as well.
Several Schürch cousins joined us for Saturday evening dinner including Walter and Elli Schürch, René and Liselotte Schürch, and Kurt and Judy Schürch-Barker. Our creative song leader, Betty Sherk, led our group in singing several humorous folk songs rewritten for the occasion for the delight of our guests.
Dear Diary,
Did you know there are a number of farms
in the Emmenthal which together grow tons
of herbs for Ricola cough drops, tea, etc.?
The one we visited had loose tea and tea
bags for sale. An unusual souvenir!
Appreciative Traveler
Many of our group would agree that one highlight of the trip was our simple outdoor Sunday morning worship service held in the Täuferloch (another remote hiding place) and led by Verne Schirch. One of the texts read was Matt 5:11 (beatitudes). Also a poem about Haslibacher (see the following) and the “Dursrutti Song” about a group of Anabaptists who were captured during worship in 1639 and imprisoned in Trachselwald castle. Food for thought indeed!
Next followed a stop at the home of Hans Haslibacher near Sumiswald. This peaceful Mennonite pastor was the last Anabaptist martyr from the Emmenthal (1571). Before he was beheaded he prophesied that
1. his severed head would fall into his hat which he had placed upside-down alongside the
chopping block.
2. the sun would turn red.
3. the water in the well would turn red.
Apparently these prophecies came true! This caused the executioner and judge to believe him an innocent man. Thus, it put an end to further executions in the area. The Haslibacher house still belongs to this man’s direct descendants. In it are displayed three Bibles from 1553, 1684 and 1739!
Trachselwald castle was our next stopping place. Here täufers were held as prisoners before being sent to Bern and deported to Holland.
A visit to a Schürch homestead, Oberer Steg, followed. Hans Schürch and his wife Barbara Risser built it in 1805. The Eglis , who own it, showed us lavish hospitality, with a luncheon of regional specialties. At our Sunday night dinner we were entertained by yodelers and folk dancers in native costume—a joy to experience the happy sounds of the country folk after being exposed to so much somber history. Joining us as guests were Fritz Geissbühler, Ida Kohler, Fritz and Esther Egli,, Mr. and Mrs. Uli Baumgardner, Andreas and Susanne Kohler, René and Liselotte Schürch, Walter and Elli Schürch, Uli and MarieLouise Schürch, and Peter and Rosemarie Schürch.
Langnau, a quaint community in the Emmenthal, is the site of Kapelle Kehr, the oldest continuously operating Mennonite congregation in the world. These people endured 300 years of persecution, often meeting secretly to worship for fear of the authorities. We stopped there Monday morning on our way to the Culture museum. Displays at the museum featured artifacts associated with the daily lives of the Emmenthalers in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries—weaving, pottery, basket making, farm and kitchen implements.
After lunch our motor coach took us to Bern where Hans Haslibacher, previously mentioned was imprisoned. What a contrast between country and city living!
The next day our destination was Burgdorf Castle, which is about 800 years old. It is the largest and most intact castle in Switzerland, today housing a courthouse and museum. Schürch descendants among us were intrigued to find on display large stamps (about 12 inches square) for imprinting grain sacks with the crests of various families. This way wheat, corn, flour, etc. could be identified as to owner when people from the countryside rushed to the castle for protection during a siege.
Dear Diary,
Did you know that even a castle with a moat and drawbridge
could be breached by enemy forces?
The defenders would then pour down upon them hot oil or pitch,
and possibly even a live beehive.
Pretty ingenious in the absence of gunpowder.
Intrigued Traveler
This morning Walter Schürch brought us copies of the regional newspaper, which featured on page 2 an article and photo of our group. It was entitled “On the Trail of Their Forefathers”.
Then onwards towards Alsace France we proceeded. A preserved walled city from the middle ages is Riquewihr—very quaint and charming with half-timbered buildings and shops now occupying the arcades.
Next was Colmar, home of Bertoldi, who designed the Statue of Liberty. It contains many old homes, some half-timbered, some mansions, often displaying in cut metal hanging signs or carved in stone faces, images announcing the status and/or occupation of the owner. Canals, flowers, bakeries, chocolate shops and restaurants—much to see and enjoy.
In the rural area of Salm we learned that Joseph Schürch and five other families ran a glass factory about 1740.
We walked to a huge 300-year-old oak tree, which would have been there (smaller, of course) when the early Schürchs lived there. It seemed a fitting symbol of our family tree.
The grave of Marie Cherich dated 5-8-1852, aged 44 years, was viewed, and also the grave of Christian Scherich, 1831. It was not difficult to imagine that in this remote area, life would have been hard, indeed.
Joseph and Marguerite Bacher welcomed us to their old farmhouse, which had been used as a meetinghouse. A few years ago the Bachers generously presented Verne with a Froschauer Bible (from the 1500s) for preservation in North America. It is now housed at the Bluffton College Library, Bluffton, Ohio.
Dear Diary,
Did you notice Mrs. Bacher’s garden? Everywhere we’ve
been there have been flowers—window boxes of geraniums
in town and country alike. And cottage gardens brimming
with colorful blooms and this time of year, cool weather
crops like spinach, kale and lettuce.
Admiring Traveler
The final day of our tour found us exploring the fascinating tourist town of Rüdesheim, Germany (it is alluring, even in the rain). Next we cruised the Rhine (still raining), viewing many vineyards and castles from the days of the robber barons, who exacted tolls from all merchants passing by.
Certainly our Schürch ancestors saw these landmarks, as well, as they passed them on their way down the Rhine toward Rotterdam from whence they would begin their ocean journey to the New World..
And so, to Frankfort Airport, and home. It was truly a trip of a lifetime! As one member of our group, Kathryn Bullock, said when we were marveling at what a congenial group this was,” You could tell we were family.”
New cousins and old, we will miss you. Auf Wiedersehen! 
|