Glassmakers part 10 The Glassworks at Kourtzerode-Waltembourg (page 55) There are no records recording the creation of this glassworks. It was probably established by the Lord d'Elvert de Bourscheid. The glassworks was constructed to the south of St. Jean Kourtzerode and led to the establishment of the village of Waltembourg. The name Valdebourg appears for the first time in 1714 and Waltembourg comes into use when the ovens were extinguished in 1724. It's through parish registers that we learn of the move. In 1696 we no longer find any names in the register at Marmoutier and the register in Bourscheid which was opened in 1698 denotes the presence of glassworkers at Kourtzerode. Between 1698 and 1706 we find the names of Michel Schwerer, Jean Wolff Schwerer, Jacob Spengler, Joseph Schwerer. In 1712, Nicolas Fischer and Jean Schwerer's son are of marriageable age. In 1715 we note the presence of Mathis Moser. In 1717 Frederic Lorentz, a Lutheran who converted to Catholicism is an engraver at Kourtzerode. Jean Wolff Schwerer was the provost at the glassworks (Wolff is a diminutive of Wolfgang, the name which appears in the registers of Marmoutier). He will give two of his daughters (Dorothee and Christiane) in marriage to Jacques Burgun and Pierre Stenger of Meisenthal-Soucht, both of whom will come to work at Plaine de Walsch. He died in his 60's in 1716. The glassworks were established in the gardens to the south of the city hall in the center of the present day village. It still existed in 1721 because Georges Walter says that the fifth co- proprietor of the glassworks at Goetzenbruck, Pierre Stenger, worked at Waltembourg and was called to rejoin his colleagues at Meisenthal. He was the son of Jean Stenger and Ursule Betz of Troisfontaines and had just married Catherine, daughter of Jean Wolff Schwerer and Christine Andres. The "Reichsland Elsass Lothringen" states that the glassworks ovens were extinguished in 1724 for lack of fuel. The fires were probably extinguished in 1723 because that is when Joseph, Jean Wolff and Jean Schwerer, master glassmasters of Kourtzerode obtained permission to create the glassworks at Dannelbourg. Archeological studies indicate that a pottery probably succeeded the glassworks. Glassworks at Dannelbourg (page 56) This glassworks is known to us from maps in the archives of La Ville de Phalsbourg as well as from documents from the archives of Nancy. June 15, 1723 Joseph, Jean Wolff and Jean Schwerer, master glassmakers at Kourtzerode applied to the sire D'Elvert to appeal to the Duke Leopold to permit them to establish a glassworks. The glassworks would include 8 furnaces and 2 studios. Homes would be built for the workers and their aides. On July 6, 1723 Duke Leopold signed the authorization. The finance council was to finalize conditions and included a clause that the glassworks should be completed in a year. The contract was submitted to the tax department of Lorraine on July 29, 1723. One of the documents carries the signature of Joseph Schwerer. The glassworks probably was closed in 1744. The land survey done for the contract for the principality of Lixheim, in the presence of the glassmaker Jacob Mathis - husband of Christine Schwerer and brother-in-law of Joseph Schwerer. Jacob represented the Joseph, Jean Wolff and Jean Schwerer. Nothing remains of this glassworks and it is supposed that it was destroyed shortly after 1744. It seems that the relationships of the glassmakers at Dannelbourg represented a very tight family circle. The lack of inscriptions in the parish records does not reveal the relationship between the founders - Joseph, Jean and Jean Wolff Schwerer. The other glassmakers are Joseph Schwerer, brother-in-law of the preceding; Martin Mathis who established the glassworks at Hohlhagen near Ribauville - husband of Anne Marie Schwerer; Martin Bregeler, husband of Marie Elisabeth Schwerer; Sebastien Meyer, husband of Marie Barbe Trefone. The brothers Jacob and Martin Mathis were born in 1701 and 1706 in Ribauville to Jean Jacques Mathis and his second wife Agnes Siegwart who he married in 1698 at Ribauville-Dusenbach. He married his first wife in 1678 at Soultz. Her name was Marie Engel, daughter of Urs Engel and Elisabeth Maister. Jean Jacques Mathis who was born in 1656 at Soultz was the son of Ursus Mathis and Elisabeth Gressler. A crucifix erected in 1728 in the center of the actual village of Dannelbourg reminds us of Joseph Schwerer. The Glassworks at Eigenthal (page 58) After the extinction of the first fire at Wolfingerthal (Wangenbourg) around 1680, six glassmakers left their colleagues to create the glassworks at Eigenthal. The location has not been established because of the many variations of spellings (list from page 58). The establishment of the glassworks took place between 1678 and 1680 dating from the early parish registers in Walscheid. The names of the glassmakers taken from the registers in 1680 are: Mathis Stenger, Joseph Greiner, Martin Gerard, Adam Greiner, Jean Georges Stenger, Vincent Fischer, Michel Moser. Michel Moser doesn't appear in the register until 1684 although he must have come with the first settlers. The respective spouses are Marguerite Andres, Catherine Leroy, Anne Andres, Chistiane Schwerer, Elisabeth Schwerer, Anne Greiner and Elisabeth Andres. All of them except Catherine Leroy are daughters of glassmakers already mentioned. Christian Strel, forester, and Pierre Andres, glassmaker appear in 1688 and 1691 respectively. The parish records of Abreschviller mention Guillaume (William), Jean Georges and Mathis Peron as master glassmasters and their spouses, Ursule Peth (Betz), Elisabeth Schwerer and Marguerite Andres. Intrigued by this unknown patronymic in the group we have been able to determine it was the surname of Stenger which we will find again inscribed under the true name at Walscheid. [to be cont'd] ==== KUNKEL Mailing List ==== If you have any problems with this list please contact Janet Reinhold, [email protected]