Hello Brian, sorry to disappoint you: Bischwiller, Bas-Rhin, and Bitschwiller-les- Thann, Haut-Rhin, are distinct villages, about 150 km apart. The name of the latter has a "t". Bischwiller, north to Strasbourg, is majorily a Protestant town, that welcomed many French Huguenot emigrants during the 1600's, whereas Bitschwiller, west to Mulhouse, is mainly Catholic. In 1550, Bitschwiller-les-Thann had 23 "fires" (= families). After the 30-Years war, only 4 "bourgeois" and 11 children survived. Later the population increased, mainly due to immigration and development of mine industry. In 1976 : 2 116 inhabitants. Source : Dictionnaire du Haut-Rhin. Etienne > Date: Sat, 4 Oct 2008 01:38:51 -0500 (CDT) > From: brian@amason.net > Subject: Re: [A-L] Obama's Alsatian Roots > > How funny, My great-grandmother and her ancestors come from > Bischwiller-Les-Thann. I know there are two Bischwiller towns in the > area. > I don't see any connection to my family from the data linked in these > emails. However, There may actually be a connection, because he has > some > of the original Dutch settler blood in his line. The Roosevelts are > distantly related by my fsther's tree, and some of Obama's lineage > surnames fall into those Dutch settlements and families. It was a > rather > tight-knit group with considerable inter-marriage, and rather large > families. > > I wonder what the size of Bischwiller was in 1720, and if it is the > same > Bischwiller as mine. I have Bischwiller-Les-Thann ancestors into at > least > the 1600s. > > Anyone ever hear from Robert Behra, anymore? He's not answering any > emails > I send. I hope he's ok, and is just too busy to answer. > > Best regards, > Brian