Johannes Sidler was born about 1548 and married Magdalena Stalin
24 October 1568. They had 10 children. During his lifetime the Reformation
of the Catholic church had already taken place and Catholics and Protestants
were both recognized. Johannes died 27 August 1611. He was about 43 when he died. On his death record it says Johannes Sidler is nicknamed, genannt Wyss = also known as the white. This is not to differentiate from black or colored people as there were not any in Ottenbach. (Temple Record of Sidler and Hegetschweiler Families, by Julius Billeter, page
4 and Peter Bertschinger, Swiss genealogist)
How did Julius Billeter determine missing birth dates?
Billeter often calculates the birth dates as follows: Marriage date minus 21 for men, this he the designates as
abt. = about. Usually he makes the wives age one year younger. This is because
most of the marriages were taken when the young adults reached the age of 20,
before the church would only allow marriages in exceptional cases (a baby under
way). This usually needed approval of the marriage court in the city of Zurich
as mentioned already. (Peter Bertshinger)
Johannes Sidler born about 1548 married Magdalena Stälin 24
October 1568. They are the earliest
ancestors on my Sidler line. Billeter had no birth dates for either Johannes or Magdalena.
What happened to their children?
Johannes
Sidler b 1570 infant death
Heinrich Sidler b 1572 - 1623, married Margaretha Burger, had five children, 1 of whom married, large posterity, nicknamed after his mother "Stälin", lived 50 years 9 mo 9 days
Hans Jakob Sidler b 1576 infant death
Heinrich Sidler b 1572 - 1623, married Margaretha Burger, had five children, 1 of whom married, large posterity, nicknamed after his mother "Stälin", lived 50 years 9 mo 9 days
Hans Jakob Sidler b 1576 infant death
Elisabetha
Sidler b 1577 infant death
Verena Sidler b 1579 infant death
Susanna Sidler b 1581 infant death
Johannes Sidler b 1583, when Johannes was born one of his god parents was the Ottenbach Pastor Johannes Blunschli, married Katharina Kleiner, had 11 children, their first five children married, he lived to at least 42, no death date found, Katharina died 2.5 years after the birth of their last child, large posterity
Aneli Sidler b 1586 infant death
Verena Sidler b 1579 infant death
Susanna Sidler b 1581 infant death
Johannes Sidler b 1583, when Johannes was born one of his god parents was the Ottenbach Pastor Johannes Blunschli, married Katharina Kleiner, had 11 children, their first five children married, he lived to at least 42, no death date found, Katharina died 2.5 years after the birth of their last child, large posterity
Aneli Sidler b 1586 infant death
Barbara
Sidler b 1590 infant death
Mathis Sidler b 1593 infant death
Mathis Sidler b 1593 infant death
Pastors during Johannes' lifetime:
1557. Johannes Blunschli, dean of the chapter since 1571,
died 1604
1604. Beatus Eggstein. He drowned while bathing in the Reuss
in 1609.
1609. Joshua Kessler, Dean
During their lives:
1552. The Lucerne Abbey complains in Zurich about
outstanding tithing in Ottenbach.
1600 - 1800 Switzerland is a loose confederacy of 13 cities
and small valley communities dominating the rest of the country. A few families
control state affairs. Several rebellions put down by military force: repressed
aspects of history in a country so proud of its tradition of democracy.
1577 Jesuit college founded in Lucerne and Fribourg as
"bridge-heads" of the catholic counter reformation.
1517- 1648 Historians usually date the start of the
Protestant Reformation to the 1517 publication of Martin Luther’s “95 Theses.”
Its ending can be placed anywhere from the 1555 Peace of Augsburg, which
allowed for the coexistence of Catholicism and Lutheranism in Germany, to the 1648
Treaty of Westphalia, which ended the Thirty Years’ War. The key ideas of the
Reformation—a call to purify the church and a belief that the Bible, not
tradition, should be the sole source of spiritual authority—were not themselves
novel. However, Luther and the other reformers became the first to skillfully
use the power of the printing press to give their ideas a wide audience.
Before their lives:
831 The name Ottenbach, which can be derived from Otto, is
first mentioned in documents in 831 as "marcha Hottumbacharia"
(Ottenbacher March). In 1169 it was called Ottonbac, 1255 Hottenbach and 1278
Ottenbach. It is believed that this is called Bach of the Hotta or Otta or Bach
of Otto (Ottenbach Municipality Website.)
1485 The church tower with the typical Kasbissen roof was
built around 1485, the nave of the church Ottenbach is even older. A Kabillssen roof is a wedge shape, like a
slice of cheese. (Ottenbach Told by Bernard Schnider and Salomon Schneider and
Erika Schmid.)
1566, According to a letter of referral, the community was
led by four jurors. (Historical Gazetteer of Switzerland)
Notes on Johannes' Death (see certificate below)
Johannes Sidler death
(male sign meaning Tuesday) 27 Aug 1611
Madalena Stälyn, the femal version (-yn, -in, -j) of
Magdalena Stäly, Stäli, today spelled Stähli (orginally von Maschwanden)
But sorry it does not read gut. This is somewhat confusing:
A little n and little u look similar, therefore in handwriting you put a little
line over the letter then it is a u.
Here it is different it reads gnt with a little sign line
over it which means doubling the consonant, therefore this is an abbreviation
for genannt, also known as, aka, alias. Doubling the consonant is usually
applied when you hand write an m, with the little sign over it, then it is mm.
Here nn. This Johannes Sidler is nicknamed, genannt Wyss = also known
as the white. This is not to differentiate from black or coloured people as
there were not any in Ottenbach.
Often these nicknames cannot be figured out even by
specialists (like Dr. Pfister or Martin). It could mean he was pale and had a
white skin or he had white hair etc. If he would have red hair he might have
been called der Rote, if he is tall they would nickname him der Lange etc.
(Peter Bertschinger)
The word after white means "starb" = died.
Documents related to Johannes Sidler:
 |
| Johannes Sidler/Madalena Stälin marr 24 October 1568 film 8014328 p. 9 |
 |
| Sidler and Hegetschweiler Temple Record by Julius Billeter page 4 |
 |
| Johanns Sidler death 27 Aug 1611 film 8014328 page 97 |
A little n and little u look similar, therefore in handwriting you
put a little line over the letter then it is a u.
Here it is different it reads gnt with a little sign line over it
which means doubling the consonant, therefore this is an abbreviation for
genannt, also known as, aka, alias. Doubling the consonant is usually applied
when you hand write an m, with the little sign over it, then it is mm. Here n
---> n
this Johannes Sidler is nicknamed, genannt Wyss = also known as
the white. This is not to differentiate from black or coloured people as there
were not any in Ottenbach.
Often these nicknames cannot be figured out even by specialists
(like Dr. Pfister or Martin). It could mean he was pale and had a white skin or he had white
hair etc.