>X-From_: KOEHLER-L-request@rootsweb.com Sun Oct 3 07:16:53 1999 >Resent-Date: Sun, 3 Oct 1999 05:15:18 -0700 (PDT) >From: "Tip Koehler" <zamboni@ime.net> >Old-To: <KOEHLER-L@rootsweb.com> >Subject: Re: [KOEHLER] An origin for Koehler? >Date: Sun, 3 Oct 1999 08:14:03 -0400 >X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.1 >To: KOEHLER-L@rootsweb.com >Resent-From: KOEHLER-L@rootsweb.com >Reply-To: KOEHLER-L@rootsweb.com >X-Mailing-List: <KOEHLER-L@rootsweb.com> archive/latest/928 >X-Loop: KOEHLER-L@rootsweb.com >Resent-Sender: KOEHLER-L-request@rootsweb.com > >To date, I've only traced my Kohlers back to 1774. Johann Kasper Kohler was >a webermeister (master weaver), was born in Kunsdorf, Vogtland, Germany and >moved to Cossengrun (just south of Greitz, not too far from the Czech >border). Based on my understanding of the German language, I would postulate >that the Kohler lines originated in the forrested regions of >Germany/Austria/Switzerland and many lines are unrelated as a Kohler was an >occupation. very much the way the name Smith originated from the occupation >of blacksmithing. "Die Kohle" (no umlaut over the "o") means charcoal and >the building where the wood was smoldered is a Kohler (with the umlaut). In >recent times it has been adapted to refer to all types of coal. Some people >have speculated that Kohlers were coal miners. But German words are often >built on the literal meaning of the word and as mineral coal came to being, >it was refered to as Steinkohle (stone coal), implying that the base root of >the word, Kohler, refers back to a predecesor (charcoal). So, at any rate, >these people must have been in forrested areas to cut wood and make >charcoal. There must have been Kohlers scattered all through early times to >make the charcoal to provide the source for winter heat to villages, very >much the same way each town had a blacksmith. My guess is that, with the >coming of coal in Germany (the mineral), it became more and more difficult >for a Kohler to make a living making charcoal and moved on to other >occupations and scattered from the woodlands. This must have occurred so >long ago that the meaning true origins of the name are not as widely known >as other names like Smith, Shumaker, Weaver, etc. It also would explain the >many variations of the name (Kohler, Koehler, Kayler,etc) that have >developed. > That's a recap of my research of the name. If anyone has any Kohlers >which hail from Southeast Germany, in the Thuringen area, near the Czech >border from the towns of Cossengrun, Kunsdorf, Schonbach, Greitz, >Elsterberg, Hohndorf, or any town in that area, I'd like to hear what they >have. >Tip Koehler > >-----Original Message----- >From: SwimBails@aol.com <SwimBails@aol.com> >To: KOEHLER-L@rootsweb.com <KOEHLER-L@rootsweb.com> >Date: Sunday, October 03, 1999 1:28 AM >Subject: Re: [KOEHLER] An origin for Koehler? > > >>Thanks, Russ! The response of Keil (to the far North by the sea, I >suppose) >>doesn't quite fit with my family speaking high German...but then for the >time >>I am referring to...it was all regional dialects :-) >> >>Thanks again. And, that is a great idea by the way, asking whom on this >list >>has traced their ancestors back the furthest and to what area would that >be? >>Good thinking! >> >>Jean >> >> >>==== KOEHLER Mailing List ==== >> Rootsweb ~GIVES~ us so much. Please consider becoming a supporter. >> >> > > >==== KOEHLER Mailing List ==== > To search the archives >http://searches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl > Mary Ann Kaylor Morgan County ILGenWeb Coordinator & Mail List http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilmorgan/morgan.htm Sangamon County ILGenWeb Coordinator, Mail List & GenConnect Cluster Boards http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilsangam/sangamon.htm Menard County ILGenWeb Mail List MENARD-L-request@rootsweb.com - ------------------------------------------------ KAYLOR-L-request@rootsweb.com & GenConnect Cluster Boards KALER-L-request@rootsweb.com TEDROW-L-request@rootsweb.com