[This is being sent early as I am going tomorrow to Richmond for the Palatines to America Conference.]
The following material, a note on the history of Schwaigern, has its origins in three pages by Pastor Waldbaur in 1905. Earl and Leona Willhoite brought this back from Germany and Fred Westcott translated it.
Various forms of the city name in the records include Sueigera, Sueigeren, Suegeren, Swegern, Swaigern. The oldest document is a record of donation to the Monastery Lorsch in 765. It is to be assumed that a church building followed soon after 765.
The church itself (the city church) is mentioned for the first time in a document of Wimpfen from 1295. The introduction of the Reformation in Schwaigern probably took place between 1520 and 30. In 1531 the Counselor of Heilbronn requests from Wolf von Neipperg a trained preacher. Thereafter B. Wurtzelmann was called to Schwaigern as the first evangelical [Protestant] pastor.
The 30 Years War [1618 to 1648]. The year 1625 lists 222 deaths. The high mortality number is connected with the march of Georg Friedrich of Baden Durlach, who started out from here on the 25th of April with 15-20,000 men, with 20 marksmen and 1,800 pack wagons, in order to follow Tilly. He was beaten on the 26th of April at Obereisesheim. The year 1635 numbers 691 dead. Among them are indeed 186 foreigners. Over 500 deaths occur in the time between May and August. In the month of September and half of October no other deaths are registered, so it is assumed that the inhabitants of Schwaigern had left the town. In the years 1634 to 37, 1,005 persons died. In 1636-37 one finds the notation four times that a person died on the field or on the way to Heilbronn. The vigor of the population is evident in the number of marriages subsequently. After 1625 there were 30, at other times 15. After 1635 there were 45 (otherwise an average of 12). Mostly widowers married widows.
Reformed, Catholics from France and the Salzburg areas were immigrants to the area during the 1600s. In 1674-79, 1689-97, 1702-09, there was a billeting of troops, or troops marching through, with requisitioning, war contribution taxes, shootings. Families died of hunger. In 1713, Anna Maria Heinrich was burned as a witch.
Apparently in 1719, in any case before 1726, Reinhard von Neipperg, who had been elevated to the status of Count by the Emperor, converted to the Catholic religion. In 1748 a Catholic castle chapel was built. In 1755 the Count gave up all right to the naming of the [city church] pastor and transferred the choice to an expanded community representative body.
On the 22nd of Oct. 1811, 90 buildings were destroyed by fire. On the 22nd/23rd of January and 5th/6th of February 1849, there were 18 main and 27 out-buildings burned down. On the 23rd/24th of March 1892, fire destroyed a large section of the city. On the 21st/22nd of May, 1905, an entire section of the city burned between the Schlosskirche [Castle Church] and the Markplatz along with the town hall, 13 residences, and 30 barns. Only the city parsonage remained. The community has also been plaqued by hail storms numerous times: in 1883, in 1897, and 1905.
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.