Hostettler Variants in Europe

Date: After 22 Dec 2021
Location: Europe
Surnames/tags: Hochstetler Hochstattler Hostettler

There are still many open questions about the family of the 1738 immigrant Jacob Hostettler.

I wonder how many of the descendants of the immigrant are aware that Jacob Sr. had a twin brother Peter who could just as likely have been the immigrant's father?

The three principal researchers who were assisting the JHFA organization have all passed way. I am not aware of anyone other than myself who is actively doing Hostettler research in Europe.

The currently accepted position of the JHFA is that the father of their 1738 immigrant is the Anabaptist teacher Jacob Hostettler of Winterkraut, Canton Bern, Switzerland. The prior researchers were fixated on this man because he was associated with the Jacob Amman who was active in the Anabaptist enclave of Saint Marie aux Mines (Markirch) in Alsace,

It was not until about 2005 that the Rev. Paul Hostettler, a retired Pastor living in Berne, identified the Anabaptist teacher Jacob Hostettler as the 7 Feb 1669 son of Ulrich Hostettler and Anna Beyeler of Winterkraut, Bern Switzerland.

Jacob Sr. had a twin brother Peter, who turns out to be the other Anabaptist teacher known to be in Markirch, and the brothers had rented properties near each other in Echery. We knew very little about this Peter.

This puts a whole new slant on the assumption that Jacob Sr. was the father of the 1738 immigrant Jacob. The father of the immigrant could just as likely have been either one of these twins. More research needs to be done.

I have in my possession a spreadsheet containing every Hostettler birth and marriage entry in the church books of Wahlern and Guggisberg parishes (including Hostettler), from inception in 1577 through about 1730. I have recently added many more Hostettler records (taken from research materials sent to me by JHFA members) to the spreadsheet). Analysis of this spreadsheet data has enabled me to prove that the Anabaptist teacher Jacob Hostettler came back to his home in Winterkraut and died there 18 Jan 1728. I have also identified his marriage to Anna (maybe Verena) Zimmerman on 6 Mar 1698 in the Wahlern church.

The same spreadsheet was used to determine that Peter Hostettler, who was known to have a brother in law named Ulrich Mischler, was married on 19 Aug 1692 to Anna Mischler in the Wahlern church.

The brother Peter was last known to have moved with his family from the Markirch area to take up residence in Breisach in Baden, Germany in 1730. I’d like to determine whether his 18 year old nephew (or son) Jacob went with him, and in which of the Anabaptist enclaves Jacob might have have married and had his children before emigrating in 1738.

At this point, absolutely nothing is known for certain about the first 26 years of the immigrant Jacob's life. No parents, no wife, no childrens' births. The ancestry of all Jacob Hostettler descendants is incomplete, and ought to be fixed.

I am interested in starting a group of collaborators who are willing to pursue this line of research with me.

Experience in reading German (or French) records is not necessary. What I want is a group of clear analytical thinkers who can collaborate/brainstorm/group-think a plan for attacking these remaining Hostettler family mysteries.

Of course, experience in reading, transcribing, and translating European records would be a big plus. I'm pretty good at deciphering names, dates, locations, but I have a very limited German or French vocabulary for reading the textual parts of such entries. Persons with those skills would be a very welcome addition to the group.

If there is anyone who is interested in helping to pursue this line of research with me, please use one of the links above to send me a private message, trusted list request, or post a public message on this page. Or reply by direct email to bfosnocht at charter.net