John Blankenbaker's Germanna History Notes
Note 327
In 1670, Edenkoben in the Palatinate had a population of about five hundred.
This number was less than in previous times due to the ravages of the Thirty
Years' War. Immigration from Switzerland, France, and other German regions
helped the city grow. Let us say that by the early 1700's, the population
was up to one thousand.
Disease and sickness limited the growth rate. In the Spring of 1735, 37
people died of a plague; in 1743, 32 died. During the first two and a half
months of 1750, 26 children died, the oldest of whom was seven. In 1755, 31
children died in four months. In 1762, 64 passed away during the first half
of the year. In 1768, from February to August, 50 people died, including 30
children. In 1783, a total of 135 people succumbed, which was 48 more than
were born that year. Small pox was the chief culprit for the children.
I am taking the numbers from a talk at the Pennsylvania chapter meeting of
Palatines to America by Dr. Alfred Hans Kuby, a life long resident of
Edenkoben, who has researched the church and civil records to unfold the
history. Dr. Kuby makes the point that as the town rebuilt its population it
grew very crowded. Land around the town was needed for grazing, grain, and
grapes. It is no wonder that the reports of "lots of cheap land" and "free
exercise of religion" by agents for William Penn were received so receptively.
As to the state of education, in 1721, an order was issued to the larger
communities, such as Edenkoben, to employ a school girl to motivate other
girls to learn to read and write. This implies that the boys were compelled,
and girls were encouraged, to go to school.
Many years there were general crop failures. This made an extreme hardship
for the citizens since taxes went on and on. One tax in 1730 was a per
capita assessment to pay the costs for the Prince Elector to build an
enormous castle at Mannheim (housing Mannheim University today). The Prince
was called an Elector because he was one of the limited number of people who
voted on the election of the German Emperor. At the time, Heidelberg was the
capital city of Kurpfalz, which we know today as the Palatinate.
A government order of 1749 prohibited citizens from leaving for Pennsylvania
without official permission. Included in the prohibition was a ban on
selling property by those who had permission. The order may have been in
response to the large number of people who wanted to leave. In the three
years from 1749 to 1752, almost 70 people did leave for Pennsylvania. A
major reason was poor economic conditions arising from bad weather. The
minor religious oppressions were a factor also.
Ludwig Walter led a cow across the street during the Catholic church
services on St. Mary's Ascension day. He was fined one Florin to be paid to
the Catholic church. Other recorded fines included ones for turning the hay
(to dry) and hanging laundry.