Switzerland

1. Switzerland (Cont.)

At the time of the Swiss Federation in 1501, all of the Swiss cantons were Roman Catholic, but the Protestant Reformation soon after led to much internal dissension. In 1523 Basel accepted the Reformation and by 1529 all three of the northern cantons of Zürich, Berne, and Basel had accepted the reformist teachings of Ulrich Zwingli, while the other cantons remained Catholic. In the hostilities that resulted the Catholic troops were victorious, Zwingli was killed in 1531, and a truce was arranged whereby each canton was left free to determine its own religion.

Uli Voegelin, our 11^th great-grandfather and member of the Roman Catholic faith, was the first owner of the Voegelin family property, which happened to be right on the boundary between the Protestant Basel and the Catholic Solothurn cantons in 1531. Because of its location, he was given the choice of which canton he wanted to be in. So he cleverly compared the tax rates between the two cantons, found the Protestant one to be lower, chose Basel and declared himself and his family to be Protestant forever after! Tax records for all years can’t be found, but he is shown on the lists for the years 1537 to 1559 when it is presumed he died.

Another bit of family lore has it that in the last half of the 20^th century one of the Voegelins in Switzerland obtained information as to names and dates of ancestors not related here, but going back several centuries. To ensure the accuracy of what he had found, he asked officials of the Mormon Church, who are known to have extensive records, if they could verify his findings. They apparently said yes, but due to the extensive amount of research required, the cost would be $30,000! The Voegelin fellow said he didn’t have the money, so they told him if he would release the souls of his ancestors to the Church so that they could perform their usual rites on them, the cost would be waived. He agreed, so in the event that this wildly imaginative tale is true, it could be said that our early ancestors were actually, in a sense, Mormons.

Here is what we have for six generations of the Voegelins starting at the time of the Reformation. Oberbürten refers to the upper meadows of Vogel mountain.

Descendants of Uli Voegelin

Uli Voegelin born about 1500 in Switzerland, died about 1559 in Oberbürten, Basel Land, Switzerland, married ____?

Children:

1. ____ Voegelin lived about 1535 - 1590, married ____?

Descendants of ____ Voegelin

Children:

1. Heinrich Voegelin born about 1570 in Oberbürten, died before 1624 in Oberbürten, married about 1595 to Anna Meyer

Descendants of Heinrich Voegelin

Children:

1. Heinrich Voegelin born about 1596

2. Hans Voegelin born about 1600 in Oberbürten, died in 1663 in Lauwil, Basel Land, Switzerland

married in 1625 to Anna Durenberger

3. Urs Voegelin born 1607

4. Jacob Voegelin born 1610

5. Agnes Voegelin born 1612

6. Elsbeth Voegelin born 1612

7. Hans Jacob Voegelin born 1615

Descendants of Hans Voegelin

Children:

1. Elsbeth born 1626, died 1664

2. Ulrich born 1628

2^nd wife of Hans Voegelin:

married in 1634 to Anna Schweitzer

Children:

3. Ulrich born 1636, died 1720

4. Johannes born 1638, died 1678

5. Hans Jacob born 1639, died 1699

6. Heinrich born 1642 in Oberbürten, died 1705 in Hoffenheim, Germany, married Elizabetha _____

7. Anna born 1648

8. Margreth born 1651

9. Urs born 1654

10. Christian born 1658, died 1728

Descendants of Heinrich Voegeli

Children:

1. Hans Heinrich born 1684 in Hoffenheim, Pfalz, Germany, died abt 1745 in Pennsylvania, married 5 Feb 1709 Hoffenheim to Anna Maria Gilbert born abt 1687 Hoffenheim, died after Oct 1745 PA