Stohler von Arboldswil BL

[JaneAusten7]

The control numbers... would allow the State Archives to track people throughout their stay in Basel, but are of no relevance to you.

Ah, this is what you were warning me before about being very complicated and not helpful to me. Thank you for clarifying.

An income tax and a capital tax were levied. The tax registers up to the beginning of the 20th century have been preserved in the StABS.

Ok, Income tax I understand, but capital tax? I tried to read about it here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxation_in_Switzerland but got completely confused. Are tax records in Switzerland a good source of genealogical information? Is Capital tax about properties you own? Or the business/store?

The tax administration, on the other hand, destroyed the personal tax files from the first half of the 20th century! I guess that the tax files in Reinach from the era relevant here are still in the archives of the municipal administration.

Was there a fire of these destroyed 1900-1950s BS tax files or did they have a law passed that this must be done?

I am thinking at the cost of CH180/hour, unless tax records are very very valuable for genealogical information, this can be skipped. What is your opinion?

In 20th century Switzerland, how did a person retire and still have enough money to live on? Or what happened to a widow? Was there a difference between a self-employed/business owner and a worker in another's business? Were there pensions?

See my response of February 3.

All I can say is... My apologies. Thank you for your patience with me.

[Peter.D]

Are tax records in Switzerland a good source of genealogical information? Is Capital tax about properties you own? Or the business/store?

At the very least, you can estimate the financial situation of your ancestors. The wealth tax covered all property: cash, bank accounts, securities, vehicles, real estate, etc. As Rudolf's cigar business was not a legal entity, it was taxed together with the private part. Two tax registers (Steuern N3 and N4) up to about 1903 and 1918 still exist, but I have never seen them.

Was there a fire of these destroyed 1900-1950s BS tax files or did they have a law passed that this must be done?

They were shredded in accordance with the Tax Act, but contrary to the Archives Act, which caused some discussion at the end of the 1990s!

I am thinking at the cost of CH180/hour,

Who charges CHF 180 per hour of research? Reinach? The rate at StABS is CHF 50 per 30 minutes, thus CHF 100 per hour.

In 20th century Switzerland, how did a person retire and still have enough money to live on?

Before 1948, self-employed people were completely dependent on their own pension provision like savings or private pension insurance.

Peter

[JaneAusten7]

As Rudolf's cigar business was not a legal entity, it was taxed together with the private part.

To clarify, he wasn't running an illegal business?

Who charges CHF 180 per hour of research? Reinach? The rate at StABS is CHF 50 per 30 minutes, thus CHF 100 per hour.

Sara Schäfer (Stadtbüro) said:

We have looked in the archive again and unfortunately have not found the Kohler family with the address Basel Strasse 114, Reinach 5 in 1932. For further research in the municipal archives, an hourly rate of CHF 180.00 is expected.

Since the 114 Basle Reinach address was on the 1932 Ship Information I double checked about that. I assume her use of the name Kohler instead of Stohler was just a typo. What are your thoughts?

I am assuming that the Municipal archives are who I contacted Stadtbüro. Is this correct? I'm still trying to understand everything and where it is located. The BL archives would be where I've been finding the Church books.

Before 1948, self-employed people were completely dependent on their own pension provision like savings or private pension insurance.

Great-grandfather Stohler died in 1957, what would his situation be after 1948. That seems like it would have been a big transition. Would he have to fill out special paperwork at that time?

Thank you for your help!

[JaneAusten7]

The Stohler crest china set was inherited by my grandfather (see attached). I am hoping to discover the history about the Stohler family crest, when it was created and what that process would be?

Interestingly, I just noticed that a part of this crest has 3 red bars. Perhaps this is the 3 lines that the Walter Stohler book was mentioning? How would I discover when this crest was invented/invested? Hopefully, another copy of the book will be available to purchase soon.

Our family "lore" states that the Stohler crest was put on a complete set of china for the marriage of Rudolf Stohler (1876) and Emma Margaretha Augusta Kiefer (1875) for their 1901 wedding in Basel. The family story further believes that it was made by some of Emma Kiefer's family, who owned a china (shop/manufacturing/decorating????) business and were especially designed and made for them.

On FamilySearch.org and other sources like it, I could not follow the G. Kiefer family line, to the Kiefer-Kaiser line of Emma's family, that was connected to that business. I did find that G. Kiefer did own a "showroom store" for their wares in Basel and that building is still there, but that wouldn't have been where the china set would have been painted or manufactured. I did discover that the G. Kiefer manufacturing was most likely blanks that were painted by skilled artist decorators, in their business. I've tried to track G. Kiefer down many hours of looking and did find an article about him and other tidbits, but nothing that ultimately helped me link him to Emma Kiefer and her family line. After arduous searching in the past, I hit a "brick wall" and felt I would need to find "more experienced and wiser genealogy heads" than mine to figure it out.

[Walter]

Interestingly, I just noticed that a part of this crest has 3 red bars. Perhaps this is the 3 lines that the Walter Stohler book was mentioning? How would I discover when this crest was invented/invested? Hopefully, another copy of the book will be available to purchase soon.

Das Familienbuch von Walter Stohler scheint in der Schweiz erhältlich zu sein, z.B. bei Amazon, vielleicht gibt es ein Lieferproblem in die USA?

Ich musste die englische Ausgabe meiner Familienchronik (in Deutsch erschienen bei BoD) in Amerika herausgeben lassen, die Lieferung von Deutschland nach USA war nicht möglich.

Zur inhaltlichen Qualität des Buches von Walter Stohler kann ich aber nichts sagen.

[Peter.D]

To clarify, he wasn't running an illegal business?

No, of course not, his shop was visible from the outside, not in the backyard ... For the term Legal Entity see here.

I assume her use of the name Kohler instead of Stohler was just a typo. What are your thoughts?

I wonder if she was looking for Kohler or Stohler. Ask again. It's the municipality, not the State Archives ...

Great-grandfather Stohler died in 1957, what would his situation be after 1948. That seems like it would have been a big transition.

For information on the compulsory old-age pension (AHV) introduced in 1948, see here.

I could not follow the G. Kiefer family line, to the Kiefer-Kaiser line of Emma's family

According to the entry in Arboldswil, Emma Kiefer was born in Basel in 1875, but when she first married August Ferdinand Dietrich of Frankfurt am Main in 1894, she was still a citizen of Müllheim in Baden (Grossherzogtum). A relationship with the family of the household goods merchant Georg Kiefer-Bär, whose father had already been naturalized in Basel in 1817 and who did not come from Müllheim, is therefore extremely unlikely. You could order a copy of the marriage record "Dietrich-Kiefer 1894/473" from the StABS.

I am hoping to discover the history about the Stohler family crest, when it was created and what that process would be?

Most family coats of arms of "ordinary families" were only created in more recent eras. See here the explanations of the StABL. Aks them if they can send you a JPG.

Peter

[JaneAusten7]

Das Familienbuch von Walter Stohler scheint in der Schweiz erhältlich zu sein, z.B. bei Amazon,

Yes, first I tried to order it from the Switzerland amazon site, and it looked like it would work, but when I tried to pay, it said that they did not ship to the USA.

Next, I found a copy of it in the USA Amazon and I was very happy and ordered it, paid for it, was sent the receipt, everything seemingly done, but a few days later Amazon canceled my order with no explanation. I wrote to the company directly for an explanation of the cancellation when they had 5 copies of these Walter Stohler books in inventory. They wrote back that it was a "glitch" in their computer system and they didn't really have any copies of the Stohler books and couldn't find any.

Hopefully, another bookseller will soon have one and I can order it again without cancellation.

[JaneAusten7]

No, of course not, his shop was visible from the outside, not in the backyard ... For the term Legal Entity see here.

Yes, this is what I thought, but sometimes it is better to ask and look foolish than to not ask.

I wonder if she was looking for Kohler or Stohler. Ask again. It's the municipality, not the State Archives ...

I wrote again. I appreciate the guidance, because I am always very concerned that I will accidentally "break an unwritten rule" and upset people. But this gives me the assurance I need to ask again. Thank you.

A relationship with the family of the household goods merchant Georg Kiefer-Bär, whose father had already been naturalized in Basel in 1817 and who did not come from Müllheim, is therefore extremely unlikely.

That makes a lot of sense. And I am very glad to have you tell me in such a way I can explain it to my family.

Most family coats of arms of "ordinary families" were only created in more recent eras. See here the explanations of the StABL. Aks them if they can send you a JPG.

Wonderful, I'll do that. Thank you again!

[JaneAusten7]

Most family coats of arms of "ordinary families" were only created in more recent eras. See here the explanations of the StABL. Aks them if they can send you a JPG.

When I went to this URL I found the following:
SL 5402 family coat of arms:
period of creation
1950 - 2023

0011 Antonutti of Arboldswil
0754 Stohler von Arboldswil
0755 Stohler von Muttenz
0756 Stohler von Pratteln
0757 Stohler von Reigoldswil
0758 Stohler von Ziefen


I read each of the above and their Crest descriptions, just in case my family is mistaken about it being a wedding gift in 1901, however none of these matched up with their Crest description. I also looked at all of the Crests of names that married into the Stohler lines, associated BL family names and didn't find any matches.

I'm not sure what to do now in my search?

[Peter.D]

I read each of the above and their Crest descriptions, just in case my family is mistaken about it being a wedding gift in 1901, however none of these matched up with their Crest description.

I guess that the coat of arms of the Stohler-Kiefer family was expressly created for their wedding in 1901, probably by a porcelain painter working for G. Kiefer & Co. The coat of arms 0754 in the StABL was also only created around this time, according to the description there. These coats of arms were a purely private matter in Switzerland, without any official registration or government regulation. And copyright protection wasn't a huge issue back then ...

To be on the safe side, you could ask the StABS whether there is a Stohler coat of arms in their collection. But be careful: it could come from a completely different Stohler family.

Peter

[JaneAusten7]

I wonder if she was looking for Kohler or Stohler. Ask again. It's the municipality, not the State Archives ...

Here is the answer she sent me:

Wir haben in allen Varianten gesucht (Stohler/Kohler) unter anderem auch nach den Vornamen. Die Bücher sind zudem nicht nach der Adresse sortiert.

Leider haben wir keine Informationen diesbezüglich gefunden. Wie bereits erwähnt, wäre eine Anfrage bei Staatsarchiv für Ihre Suche sicherlich hilfreich.

What are your thoughts?

[JaneAusten7]

To be on the safe side, you could ask the StABS whether there is a Stohler coat of arms in their collection. But be careful: it could come from a completely different Stohler family.

I will let you know what I find out. Should I send them a photo of the crest on the cup? Or the name alone would be enough? Thank you!

[Peter.D]

What are your thoughts?

Either they can't read the old handwriting or they were looking in the wrong register. Unfortunately, this problem is also increasingly common in other municipalities, as already reported several times on this forum. The residents' register became mandatory in the canton of Baselland in 1881 and all registers had to be fully recreated in 1929. The Stohler-Kiefer family should therefore almost certainly be listed there. Perhaps they also had separate registers for cantonal citizens and foreigners. Did you write them that the family had citizenship of Arboldswil and Basel?
The registers of the residents, the electoral registers and the tax registers are only stored in the municipalities, not in the State Archives in Liestal - they would simply refer you back to the municipality ...

Ask the Feigenwinter Foundation in Reinach if anyone there can help, notably the historian Dr. Reinhard Straumann, a member of the Foundation Board.

Should I send them a photo of the crest on the cup? Or the name alone would be enough?

The name alone.

Peter

[JaneAusten7]

The Stohler-Kiefer family should therefore almost certainly be listed there. Perhaps they also had separate registers for cantonal citizens and foreigners. Did you write them that the family had citizenship of Arboldswil and Basel?

No, I didn't realize I needed to let them know that. Of course, the more information one can give the easier for them to find it. That is my fault.

So that I don't ignorantly send Dr. Reinhard Straumann not enough information, would you be able to tell me what I need to make sure is in the communication to him?

Thank you for all your great help.

[Peter.D]

So that I don't ignorantly send Dr. Reinhard Straumann not enough information, would you be able to tell me what I need to make sure is in the communication to him?

Explain to them that, based on official documents, your great-grandparents were resident in Reinach from around 1921 and probably until 1946, but that the municipal administration was unable to find the family in the residents' register.
Ask whether the Foundation has any documents that would show the family's exact address. Or any other ideas on how to locate the family in Reinach.

Peter

[JaneAusten7]

Explain to them that, based on official documents, your great-grandparents were resident in Reinach from around 1921 and probably until 1946, but that the municipal administration was unable to find the family in the residents' register.

Oh wonderful. Thank you. I'll let you know when I get an answer.

[JaneAusten7]

I would like your advice. On January 26, 2024 I contacted the Inheritance Office about obtaining my great-grandparents' "probate" inventory. I have not heard back from them as of yet. Honest I'm not being impatient, but would like to inquire about how long the process normally takes?

Thank you for your help.

[Peter.D]

I would like your advice. On January 26, 2024 I contacted the Inheritance Office about obtaining my great-grandparents' "probate" inventory. I have not heard back from them as of yet. Honest I'm not being impatient, but would like to inquire about how long the process normally takes?

The authorities in Basel usually react quickly, even if it is only an initial response. Have you written to the e-mail address under Kontakt? If so, you can certainly ask whether your request has been received correctly. If there is no response within the next 14 days, simply post again on the forum.

Peter

[JaneAusten7]

The authorities in Basel usually react quickly, even if it is only an initial response. Have you written to the e-mail address under Kontakt? If so, you can certainly ask whether your request has been received correctly. If there is no response within the next 14 days, simply post again on the forum.

Thank you. I will try again, perhaps I did something incorrectly.

[JaneAusten7]

Just heard back from the StABS about the heraldry:

Leider konnte ich bei uns kein Familienwappen der Familie Stohler finden.
Dabei habe ich folgende Wappensammlung durchgesehen:

Wappensammlung A 19 (Meyer-Kraus)
Wappensammlung C 15 (W.R. Staehelin)
Wappensammlung D 11-24 ( Wappensammlung des Staatsarchivs
Sowie dem Wappenbuch der Stadt Basel Band 2 (Signatur STA Fq 61bis).

Ich würde Ihnen empfehlen, dass Sie sich an die genealogisch heraldische Gesellschaft der Region Basel wenden:
GHGRB - Genealogie Familienforschung Heraldik Basel
Möglicherweise kann man Ihnen dort weiter helfen.

I'm not familiar with the GHGRB, but I was thinking that they are for "royal families" and that sort? Because we believe the Stohler crest was only made in the 20th century is it worth contacting GHGRB? What are your thoughts?

[Wolf]

GHGRB is the regional genealogical society for the extended Basel region and always worth contacting for questions related to the region.

[Peter.D]

... and always worth contacting for questions related to the region

Hello Kristine,

But let them know that you have already looked at the collection in the StABL and that the StABS could not find a coat of arms matching your specific Stohler branch either. The new coat of arms is also not listed in the database linked by Walter this morning.

The creation of private coats of arms or leaded glass discs hung behind the windows did not have to be reported or registered anywhere.

Peter

[Walter]

Our family "lore" states that the Stohler crest was put on a complete set of china for the marriage of Rudolf Stohler (1876) and Emma Margaretha Augusta Kiefer (1875) for their 1901 wedding in Basel.

Ich sehe auf der Tasse nirgends den Namen Stohler! Normalerweise steht bei einem Familienwappen unbedingt auch der Name der Familie, für welche dieses Wappen entworfen wurde.

Das Wappen erscheint mir eher wie ein neutrales Symbol für ein Wappen, das dann jeder Käufer des Services als "sein" Wappen bezeichnen konnte.

[JaneAusten7]

Ich sehe auf der Tasse nirgends den Namen Stohler! Normalerweise steht bei einem Familienwappen unbedingt auch der Name der Familie, für welche dieses Wappen entworfen wurde.

Das Wappen erscheint mir eher wie ein neutrales Symbol für ein Wappen, das dann jeder Käufer des Services als "sein" Wappen bezeichnen konnte.

Oh, I didn't know the family name is always on one. The only "unique" thing on the cup is the 3 red "lines" which I was supposing were for the 3 Stohler lines mentioned in that Walter Stohler book (I have not been able to get a copy of yet).

I think you are all correct and it is a thing that the G. Kiefer company did as a blank to be filled in and just bought for the 1901 wedding.

Thank you Walter, Peter and Wolf for helping with this. You are all the best and so patient with me! I really appreciate you and this wonderful forum!!

[JaneAusten7]

I have some questions for you all about Swiss Citizenship. I have several concepts but not a cohesive understanding of the subject. Since my goal is to write a book that will help my whole family understand Switzerland and all it's wonderfulness along with what it means to be a Swiss, I'd like your help to explain Swiss concepts that are "foreign" (pardon the pun) to my American family.

Some questions that I can't quite put the answer into words yet:

-My grandfather Stohler came from a "birthright" inherited citizenship of Arboldswil, BL, Switzerland. Am I correct that is it? A person becomes an inherited citizen of the city/town/village, not the Canton? What is that particular type of citizenship called? And what does it mean to a Swiss? Also, what type of things were you granted as being a citizen that you would not have if you were not one? How would life be different for you? I know that the "birthright" inherited citizenship applies to the male line, but are daughters also automatically citizens?

-He also became a citizen of Basel in 1906. What is that type of citizenship called and what does it mean to have this type of citizenship, plus the inherited one? Was that considered a dual citizenship? What did he accomplish different than when he only had the inherited citizenship in BL? Do you get more legal rights or etc???

-When my grandfather Stohler received Naturalized citizenship in the US he also kept his Swiss citizenship. How does that change your homeland obligations? For example, his military duty each year?

I'm sure I'll have more questions along the way, but this is what I'm not clear enough to write about it for my family. Thank you for your help.

[Peter.D]

I have some questions for you all about Swiss Citizenship.

There have been so many changes to citizenship legislation in the last 175 years that your questions cannot be answered in general terms. You can find a good overview here.

Since at least 1878, citizenship in a municipality (Gemeindebürgerrecht) has been linked to cantonal citizenship (Kantonsbürgerrecht). Multiple communal citizenship has always been possible. Around 1900, however, in some cantons a tax in favor of the poor (Armensteuer) had to be paid in these municipalities at times, even if you had left your Heimatgemeinde. Today, the special privileges of communal citizens (Ortsbürger) are marginal (with some exceptions), e.g. sometimes the right to get wood from the municipal forest and the like. In the past, this also included the right to care in old age or in the event of illness. Swiss citizens could also always have multiple nationalities, like in the case of your grandfather.

Swiss nationals living abroad had to register with the embassy or consulate. If they were of military age, they also had to pay a military substitute tax (Militärpflichtersatz) abroad which was recorded in the military service booklet (Dienstbüchlein) - kept by many families over generations.

Peter

[Walter]

Hier noch noch ein Link mit ergänzenden Angaben zum geschichtlichen Hintergrund dieser Bürgerrechte in der Schweiz, entstanden aus Bettelverordnungen im 16. und 17. Jahrhundert.
Wir Schweizer nennen den Bürgerort (auch Heimatort) auch "Heimat der Väter".

[JaneAusten7]

Wow! Thank you Peter and Walter for your wonderful answers. I will study through it and try to compose what I would explain to my family and thereby discover where my "holes" are and ask more questions in the future. Thank you again!

[JaneAusten7]

Neben dem dass ich emotional mit meinem HEimatort sehr verstrickt und verbunden bin sind ja auch meine Schriften dort gelagert. Der Heimatort bedeutet also auch Identität - ohne ihn keinen Namen, keine Herkunft und keine Abstammung. Das ist wie ein Baum ohne Wurzeln.

Betse Grüsse

Stephan Leuenberger

I found this statement in one of the links you gave me. And it reminded me of the way I saw my grandfather Stohler talk about his Switzerland. Do you think this is a good way to express that feeling to words, like I saw it in my grandfather's eyes? Also, Walter's addition of "home of the fathers."

I want so very much to write a book that is not just names and dates, but the beautiful story I saw written in my grandfather's love of his beloved Switzerland.

[Walter]

Auf meiner Familien-Webseite habe ich auch einen Artikel zum Begriff "Heimatort" geschrieben, vielleicht gibt dir dieser Text zusätzliche Hinweise und Anregungen

Diese Beschreibung beziehet sich auf meinen Heimatort Zäziwil im Kanton Bern, in anderen Kantonen kann die Entstehungsgeschichte der Heimatorte anders verlaufen sein.