Bitschnau von Kirchberg SG

[AlvyfromNL]

Hi,
I am looking for further information of the family tree of Eduard Bitschnau. He was married to Martha, of who I do not know the last name of. Their children, Paul (born 1933) and Anna Mathilde (1926) are born in Gossau / Sankt Gallen. They had more children, all born in Gossau. I am trying to find out more about this family and the families related or connected to them, like Nussbaumer, Eberle, Steiner, Brockhoff. When were Eduard and Martha married? Who are the parents of Eduard? Were they originally from St. Gallen or elsewhere? I suppose they got married around 1925. Hopefully someone can provide more information.

Regards,

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original title: Bitschnau in Gossau SG

[Wolf]

First of all: welcome to the forum !
You'll find some FAQs on viewtopic.php?t=31426.

Now for your question: Bitschnau are Austrian families, gaining citizenship in several communities in cantons St.Gallen and Thurgau in the 20th century (and Valais a bit earlier). Gossau SG is not on the list - which doesn't mean they couldn't have lived there.

Unfortunately your research is in a time frame where the strict Swiss privacy legislation makes things complicated - unless you are a direct descendant (then it "only" becomes costly). Are you a direct descendant?

[AlvyfromNL]

Hello Wolf,

Thank you for your reply. Well, I'm researching for my husband mainly. He has done a DNA test with MyHeritage and to our surprise it pointed out Swiss heritage. My husband misses a great grandfather, and a great great grandfather as well as a third degree greatgrandfather in his family tree (these people have been born between 1850 and 1900). We suspect that one of these missing people is the one that is of Swiss heritage.

We looked into the matches at MyHeritage and it points into the direction of this family, with the cluster DNA clearly showing a group of Swiss people that are related (most are between 2% and 0.7% to my husband). Several of those DNA matches have Bitschnau in their tree, so that's the common factor. It's interesting that Gossau is not in the list, because all the families in their trees that are connected to Bitschnau, in some way, come from Gossau. And some of the Bitschnau family are born there, if you may believe those family trees on MyHeritage. But well, it would be easier to find out through records of course.

So we cannot prove we are direct descendants, but we do have a lead in that direction. My husband is from France and another French person, who is related to us, is also related to this Swiss cluster of people whose ancestors are mainly from Gossau, as their trees show. She is also in the same situation, not knowing who her grandparents are. Her DNA matches in the range of 5% to 0.7% to the people in this cluster. So she is even closer related to them. We already tried contacting the owners of the family trees, but never received a reply, unfortunately. What we are curious about is mainly, who were the parents of Eduard and his wife, and did they, or their parents, have other brothers and sisters. Possibly those are the ones we descend of somewhere. It is quite a puzzle, but we have been wondering a long time already about the missing people in the family.

[Wolf]

I have sent you a PM with suggestions how to continue - Wolf

[Peter.D]

Hello Alvy,

I don't know Wolf's suggestions, of course. But when searching for persons without Swiss citizenship, the registration office (Einwohnerkontrolle) of the last known municipality of residence can often help. The strict protection rules of the civil registry offices (Zivilstandsamt) do not apply here either. And their fees are also much lower.

Peter

[AlvyfromNL]

Hello Peter,

Thank you for providing this information. I will try to look into that as well. I am not sure if the info I have is enough though to find out more. I miss many things, like exact date of birth and birth place of Eduard. But maybe I am able to still find out more some way. Thanks for your help!

[Wolf]

I am looking for further information of the family tree of Eduard Bitschnau. He was married to Martha, of who I do not know the last name of. Their children, Paul (born 1933) and Anna Mathilde (1926) are born in Gossau / Sankt Gallen. They had more children, all born in Gossau.

Alvy had sent me the exact DoB for Anna Mathilde and Paul - and I have contacted the State Archive, asking for information from Zivilstandsregister-Doppel. As expected they could not provide me with copies of the two birth documents (less than 100 years ago) - but it enabled them to identify the parents - and provide me with the "early part" of the Bürgerregister entry:

Kirchberg-BR-V-2947-Bitschnau-Eduard.jpg

Eduard Bitschnau (born Kirchberg 27.10.1892, died St.Gallen 31.01.1981) and Maria Martina Frick of Niederbüren (born Gossau SG 25.05.1893, died Gossau SG 24.04.1981) married on 26.05.1920 in Rickenbach TG. In the right column "Wilen, Gossau, Henau" are mentioned: likely places where the family lived.
Eduard's parents were Franz Josef Bitschnau and Maria Josefa Wiesli; the family is summarized as family 2532 in vol.IV - and this is most likely the family gaining citizenship of Kirchberg in 1908, originally from Austria.
The first two children were born more than 100 years ago:
1) Marie Karolina Josefina, born Rickenbach TG 07.03.1921, gives birth to a child. A marriage is mentioned, but crossed out again.
2) Rosa Josefa, born Waldkirch SG 09.03.1923, marries in Papakura, New Zealand 06.09.1952 Jona Baumann of Grindelwald BE.

Problem: Kirchberg is given as place of birth for Eduard Bitschnau in 1892 - but there is no corresponding entry in the baptismal register (neither catholic nor reformed). I didn't come across a single Bitschnau mention during 1890-1895 (catholic - which would be expected for an originally Austrian family).

[Markus]

Die Familie Bitschnau lebt noch heute in Bruberg, Kirchberg.
Die Familien von Bruberg sind in Rickenbach TG kirchengenössig, darum sind keine Einträge in Kirchberg zu finden.
Dem Nekrolog von Anna Justina Bitschnau-Stafflet ist zu entnehmen: "1851 kam die Verewigte in die wackere Familie in die Schweiz und zwar zuerst nach Häggenschwil, dann nach Rickenbach in den sogenannten Brunberg."

Vorfahren Bitschnau.jpg

[Wolf]

Vielen Dank für diese Informationen, Markus! Ich übersetze hier nur:

The Bitschnau family still lives in Bruberg, Kirchberg.
The families of Bruberg attend church in Rickenbach TG, therefore there are no entries in Kirchberg.
The necrology of Anna Justina Bitschnau-Stafflet states: "In 1851 the immortalized came to the brave family in Switzerland, first to Häggenschwil, then to Rickenbach in the so-called Brunberg."

The family gained citizenship of Kirchberg in 1908: would you by any chance know what their original location in Austria was?

[Markus]

The family comes from Bludenz, Rudin.
The information that the family came to Switzerland in 1851 is certainly wrong, because the children were born after 1851. In the necrology of Maria Josefa Bühler- Bitschnau the year 1873 is mentioned, which can be more correct.
According to the various necrologies, the family Franz Josef Bitschnau-Stofflet had 9-10 children. In the baptismal register Bludenz I have found so far their 4.
Taufe Franz Josef Bitschnau https://data.matricula-online.eu/de/oes ... F4/?pg=252

230527 Vorfahren Bitschnau.jpg

[Wolf]

Franz Josef Bitschnau wird am 13.09.1856 in Bludenz (Rudin No.11) geboren und am 14.09.1856 getauft. Laut Taufeintrag verstirbt er am 16.11.1937. Eltern sind Franz Josef Bitschnau und Maria Anna Stofflet (siehe Graphik im vorstehenden Beitrag).

Für die Diskussion der weiteren Vorfahrengenerationen von Franz Josef Bitschnau wurde das Thema Bitschnau in Bludenz VBG eingerichtet.