After the Thirty Years War, Alsace had been largely depopulated. The French Monarchy desiring to maintain the catholic majority in Alsace repopulated the region with Catholic families from Switzerland and Germany. Several families came from Switzerland. These included the KECH - WELCKLE - WERLIN -WALDER - STOERKLIN - MATHIS.
The KECH family originated in Grosswangen, Switzerland (near Lucerne) where Joseph KECH (1675 - 1733) was born. Joseph KECH came from a wealthy family. He emigrated to Linthal prior to 1694 and purchased two farms.
Nicholas WELCKLE born 1643 in the Canton of Berne, Switzerland settled in Bitschwiller with his wife, Verena MEYER sometime prior to 1688. This was probably part of the Swiss resettlement which occurred after the Thirty Years War. Their granddaughter, Anne Marie WELCKLE married Jean HALLER in Bitschwiller. It was their son, Jean Thiebaud who is thought to have built the family home at 6 Rue de la Chapelle. Nicholas' other granddaughter, Barbara WELCKLIN was the great grandmother of Therese REBISCHUNG.
The WERLIN family are descendants of Rodolphe WERLIN (b. abt 1650). His son, Jean WERLIN (b. abt 1678-1758) was born in Aeschelen, Switzerland but moved to Bitschwiller where he met and married Elisabeth CUNRATH (1686-1747) of Bitschwiller in 1711. Their daughter, Marie Anne WERLE married Jean Thiebaut SCHERRER who links to the REBISCHUNG family.
Anne Marie KELLER born about 1668 in Turgovic, Switzerland married Gaspard FREYBURGER (abt 1650 - 1715) of Bitschwiller. Their granddaughter Barbara FREYBURGER married into the REBISCHUNG family.
The WALDER family originated from Canton Soleure where Jean WALDER was born in 1637. He emigrated to Goldbach after the Thirty Years war and married Brigitte RUDLER around 1660. They are linked the the SCHERRER/REBISCHUNG family.
Another Swiss link is to Nicholas STORKLIN born in 1650 in Biberswill, Switzerland. The STORCKLIN/STERCKLE/STOERKLEN descendants are linked to Francoise STOERKLEN (b 1771) in Bitschwiller. The STOERKLEN's married into the HALLER family.
Finally, the MATHIS family is from Erschweil, Switzerland where Ursus MATHIS was born around 1620. He married Elisabeth GRESSLI (b abt 1615) who might have been swiss. Their daughter, Marie MATHIS married Jean Jacques WALDER (also from Switzerland) in Willer and settled in Bitschwiller. There is also some link to Ribeauville which is where Elisabeth GRESSLI died in 1695. They are linked the the SCHERRER/REBISCHUNG family.
A second German link is through Marie RONBICHEL born around 1590 in Veberlingen, Allemagne. She married Mathieu REIN in 1616 in Sewen and they moved from there to Dolleren. The family married into the STEGER/ERHARD/STOERKLIN/HALLER families.
created by Cheryl L. Morgan,
last modified: 29 December 1999