About the
search
The search was as interesting as what the search
uncovered. It required a lot of time-consuming and sometimes difficult research
that took on the character of a quest, one that was fun and satisfying, yet at times
very frustrating. It involved challenging detective work, a mystery (actually
several mysteries) to be solved. Little by little the pieces of the puzzle came
together, missing links in the chain were found, and a more complete picture
emerged.
There are a lot of ways that mistakes can be made
during a genealogy search. Only a search of original records (some of which are
on microfilm or microfiche) can assure accuracy and confirm facts and details.
Most of the original documents found in this search were in German, and many
were found on microfilm copies of the German kirchenbuch (church book) records.
They were in an almost unintelligible handwritten script that requires
experience to read and translate. (Examples of the script can be seen in the "Image
Gallery" pages in the Contents list). I did search those records and was
very careful in all the research I did. I learned how to interpret the script
enough to spot our name and some key words, and used translators when necessary
(which was fairly often, because I don't know German). I made every effort to
be thorough and accurate. I kept a record of the sources I used; a link to a
partial list of those sources is provided, and sources can also be found with
the specific records they refer to. Therefore, anyone who wishes to search the
records themselves or confirm the information I've found and presented on this
site can do so.
If you want to read all about my extensive search to
discover the history and genealogy of our family, “The complete search
history” link on the Welcome page
will take you to a 34 page description of the entire process.
About future
searches and unanswered questions
I am quite certain that we still don't know everything
there is to know about the family, that there is more to learn and there are
new discoveries to be made, especially about the very earliest beginnings of
the family in Switzerland. There are several questions that I think might yet
be answered, and speculations that should be proven or disproven if possible.
(I have found that some of the stories or alleged "facts" about the
earliest Swiss Varnbülers may be false or, at the least, are highly
questionable. More investigation is needed).
For anyone with the interest, time, energy, and most
important, good research skills, there are many possibilities, and many places
to find information. Most are in archives in Germany and Switzerland, but there
are some resources here in the U.S. as well. For success in Germany and
Switzerland (and Austria), an ability to read/interpret German (and early forms
of Swiss/German) is almost essential. (Someone in the family in Germany with
good research skills would probably be the best equipped for this). Knowing how
to read the old script, a special skill in itself, would be especially useful,
as the oldest documents are written with it. Learning about the history of the
times of our ancestors often helps in understanding the context of the
documents that one reads, and can also be an enjoyable and educational side
effect of such a search.
There are so many records available in Switzerland
(primarily at the archives in St. Gallen), and in several other places as well,
that it seems to me one could piece together a fairly complete picture of the
Varnbülers life in the 1400's. Most families are lucky to be able to trace
their ancestry back as far as the 1700's. We are especially fortunate, for in
our case there are records back to at least 1375! For example, there are over
50 pages in the 15th century volumes of the "Urkundenbuch" of the
Abbey of St. Gallen archive with mentions of Hans Varnbüler. We can read (if we
know the language) what he was doing on specific days in the early 1400's! In
Germany there is an entire archive about the barons Varnbüler in the
Württemberg state archive, and extensive records in many other archives. Few
families have access to such detail about their ancestors from such early time
periods, and few countries like Switzerland, or cities like St. Gallen, still
have such good records from those early times. Because of this combination of
(1) records that have survived intact in the area in which our ancestors lived,
and (2) the fact that our ancestors were some of the most important people in
the business and political communities of their time, there is an unusual
wealth of information available. More discoveries are waiting to be made.