Tracking the Separatists in Germany: First Stop: Merklingen
Imagine if you could travel back in time to see how the Separatists lived 200 years ago in Germany? Wouldn’t you like to step into the homes where they were born? See where they lived and worked? And…where they suffered for their beliefs? That’s exactly what 12 intrepid travelers did in September!
Come along with us now as we track those brave people’s journey.
Our group consisted of descendants of the original German Separatists as well as people interested in the Separatists’ history in Germany and their settlement in America. Joining us were two historians: Dr. Eberhard Fritz, historian and archivist for the state of Baden Wuerttemberg, and Dr. Hermann Ehmer, archivist for the state of Baden Wuerrttemberg. Their vast knowledge, as well as their love for the Separatists and their history, enriched our experience immensely.
Merklingen
Merklingen, a town of about 1000 residents, is located about halfway between Munich and Stuttgart in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg. It is the birthplace of Zoar leader, Joseph Bimeler (born May 26, 1778), and his wife, Barbara Danzer (born April 24, 1771). Joseph’s birth home is no longer; an empty lot stands in its stead. His wife’s birthplace burned to the ground but has since been rebuilt.
Where Joseph’s birth home stood in 1778
Barbara Danzer’s birth home rebuilt after fire
As an adult, Joseph moved to Ulm and became a maker of men’s pipes, but his brother, Ulrich, and his sister, Ursula, remained in Merklingen and their descendants are still there!
On a sunny September afternoon, these descendants greeted us in the church yard with enthusiasm where numerous photographs were taken to commenorate our reunion. A reporter and photographer with the local newspaper joined us, the first of three papers who recorded our unique journey into the past. Then we ascended the steps to the church hall where we were feted with an afternoon coffee in our honor. Beside delicious Kaffee mit Sahne und Zucker, our “relatives” served a scrumptious bread they called a “noodle.” Why? It was a tradition to serve spaetzle (a short noodle common to the area). Tired of the everyday noodle, the women of the town decided on defy tradition (yikes!) and serve this rich, cake-like bread instead. To cover their tracks, so to speak, they called it a noodle!
In addition, the Bimeler and Danzer family trees were displayed in the hall, tracing the earliest inhabitants down to today’s residents. To be with these people, with whom some of us had common ancestors (even though they spoke no English and few of us spoke much German), nonetheless was an emotionally moving experience, one none of us will ever forget.
Historical Questions
What did we learn about the Joseph and his family? More than we expected!
Joseph married Barbara Danzer on August 3, 1802 in Ulm, where he was apparently living. Barbara was the daughter of a Merklingen farmer who also owned horses, an indicator of wealth. Why did they marry, you ask? Their daughter, also named Barbara, was born January 18, 1803. Do the math! So, Joseph married an older woman (she was 31, he, 24) and gained financially, and the Danzer family could boast of a legitimate granddaughter. Yes, the birth records of that day note a birth that’s “illegitimate.”
Dr. Ehmer explained how Joseph got his name. Most records about Zoar’s leader use Michael or Joseph as his name or combine the two as was common in that day. In fact, his son, known as Peter, was born Johan Peter. Imagine our surprise when Dr. Ehmer explained that his birth name was “Michael Bäumler,” no mention of Joseph. We’ve known that Bäumler was Americanized to Bimeler. No mystery there. “But how,” we asked Dr. Ehmer, “did Michael become Joseph?” “Ah,” Dr. Ehmer said, learning back, “he wanted to be known by a more Biblical name!”
What have we learned? That people, even our revered Zoar leader, are all human. They had human desires, dreams, fears, and foibles, just as we do today. Does that make them less honorable? Of course not. It makes them more real.
Stay tuned for future tales to Separatist sites as you travel with us on this remarkable odyssey.
