Rohrbach
origin of the name
The obvious thing to do to give a nickname to a person was to name them after the place they came from or where they lived. We can therefore assume with some certainty that local names are among the oldest gender names.
The Rohrbach family name is a designation of origin. The village of Rohrbach is located near the hometown of Guggisberg in the "Kirchhöri" Rüeggisberg, from which we can assume that the family descended from this place.
Rohrbach as a gender name in old scripts
In the eighth volume of Bern's historical sources, covering the years 1353 to 1366, a large number of goods and interest are pledged to the monastery bailiff Peter von Kröchtal on March 19, 1354 in a mortgage bond from the monastery of Rüeggisberg. The proceeds from the pledge are used to repay the monastery's debts that were incurred by Lombards in Friborg, Bern and elsewhere. In the list of goods and interest, several Rohrbach are named as follows:
"apud Obernbruglon" (Oberbrügglen / today part of the political community and formerly part of the "Kirchhöri" Rüeggisberg): called Petrus filius Chunradi de Rorbach (de uno prato dicto in Eismatten). He pays interest on his estate (prato) in ice mats at the monastery.
"aput Rigessperg" (Riggisberg): Cunrad Rorbach
"aput Rorbach" (Rohrbach): Ulrich de Rorbach Heinrich, filius Johannis de Rorbach Johannes, filius Ulrich de Rorbach
On June 2, 1354, Rudi von Rorbach and other farmers were named. From then on he was no longer allowed to graze and summer cattle in the office of Rüeggisberg and on the property of the church than he could winter, unless it was done with the consent of the provost, the bailiff and the people who sat in the office.
The family with the name Rorbach and "de" Rorbach was therefore settled with at least four families in 1354 in the village of Rohrbach and the immediate vicinity. Alone in Rohrbach were at least Johannes and his father Ulrich as well as Heinrich and his father Johannes.
​
​
​
​
​
Rohrbach citizen places
​​
From ancient times in the canton of Bern (alphabetical order):
​
Erlenbach in the Simmental
Guggisberg
Innertkirchen / BE around 1720
Oberwil in the Simmental
Rüeggisberg (with old flowering branches in the Zweibrücken area in Germany)
Rüschegg
St. Stephan
Sumiswald / BE from 1928
Electors
Wattenwil
Wynau
Extinct sexes from ancient times in:
​
Belp (Seftigen / BE)
Bern
Frutigen (District of Frutigen / BE)
Langnau (district of Aarwangen / BE
Rohrbach near Rüeggisberg (Seftigen / BE)
Rohrbach near Huttwil (District Aarwangen / BE)
Tuna
Thurnen (Mühlethurnen, Seftigen / BE)
Toffen and Obertoffen (Seftigen / BE district)
Wimmis (Nieder-Simmenthal / BE)
​
​
​
​
​
Rohrbach von Guggisberg
​​
In 1591 the pastor of Guggisberg first kept a record of the baptisms in the "Kirchhöri" Guggisberg. In the first few years the following people are listed in the baptismal register as parents and witnesses who lived together on individual farms and in small village communities in the scattered settlement.
The names of the citizens are as follows:
Werli, Pingeli (Binggeli), Zand (Zahnd), Pÿeler (Beyeler), Marti, Roten (Rothen), Tzutter (Suter), Wider, Schwitzer, Schlegel, Mischler, Gilgen (Gilgien), Krum, Berner, Tzand (Zahnd) , Tzwalen (Zwahlen), Ulrich, Stöckli, Bülman / Bielman (Bühlmann), Gaser (Gasser), Tzbinden (Zbinden), Lienhart, Wisenbach (Weissenbach), Thuringia, Schmid, Ritter, Koli (Kohli), Wasem, uf der Flu , Hirsÿ, Krutter, tzen Studen (Studer), Studimann (Studenmann), Roudo, Burki, Burÿ (Burri), Seyler (Seiler), Fifian, Kisling, Batzen, Stol (Stoll), Graaff (Graf), Juzeler (Jutzeler) , Schumacher, Jenni, Elschinger, Claus, Kündiger, Knöri, Eÿer, Bulffer (powder), Schnider, Tilli, Wenger, Wäber, an Riffenmat, Sandherr, Fluman, Spieler, Guggisperg, Rumpf, im Ried, Dengli (Tingueli) and finally Rorbach.
Rorbach is mentioned for the first time in the following baptismal toboggan entries in Guggisberg from 1592:
​
"Barbli tzwalen is tough on the 16th day Jenners sin father
Cuni, my mother Anna tzwalen, tzüge Uli Burÿ, maids
(Magdalena) Rorbach, Anna tzwalen "
"Hans tzand is tough on the 7th day sin vatter Lienhart,
Sin mother Christina Rorbach, trains Petter Stubj,
Christen Rothen, Barbli Bielman "
"Elsa Wäber is tough on the 21st day
sin father pauli. sin mutter sealing lips
Gittli (Götti), Hans Will ... er Anna Rorbach, Anna pÿeler "
The first recorded Rorbach baptism from 1595 was entered as follows:
"Uli Rorbach is tough on the 5th day of October
Sin vatter Bendicht sin mutter Christina Baller,
Trains Hans Stol, Paule Burÿ Elsa pingli "
The father of this Bendicht (Benedict) Rorbach, whose father was also called Benedict according to the interest books and was born around 1500, is considered the progenitor of the Guggisberger Rohrbach, which does not mean that he has to be the first Rohrbach to settle in Guggisberg has.
​
The progenitor of the Rohrbach von Guggisberg family
(the family owner Benedict and 7 of the 900 people in the family tree)
​
​
​
​
​
The village center of Guggisberg
​
​
​
​
​
Rohrbach settlement sites
The Rohrbach's places of residence first listed in the lettuce landlords, baptismal toboggans and census books are Aeugsten, Schmidenhus, Suttershus, Riedstatt. Later also Dürrenboden, Gouggenberg and others. The place Gouggenberg (currently Unter- and Obergouggenberg) consists of two single farm settlements. A somewhat seedy Christian Rohrbach lived there. He has given birth to several illegitimate children and repeatedly made a name for himself. He kept the choir judges from several parishes on their toes. But this one is an exception. The vast majority of Rohrbach were civilized people of the peasant class.
The following graphic shows the places of residence and the habitat of the Rohrbach von Guggisberg.
​
​
Was everyone so well-mannered? There were exceptions, according to Michael ROHRBACH von Erlenbach in 1638
In the spring of 1638 a terrible crime occurred in Erlenbach in the Niedersimmenthal. A Michel Rorbach has thrown himself and his family into ruin. A contemporary manuscript provides information about this and the description shows us how the crime took place. Here is the wording from that time:
Salutem Plurimam
Palm Saturday was the day S. Gertrudae
the 17.ten Martÿ diss 1638 Jars, has one
at Wimmis (.is a castle and parish at the river
river Niesen, and river Simmen, in the Nideren and
and lower Simmen, or Sibenthal, Berner ge=
Bernese region.) as volgen wirt, a person and
Landtman, with name Michäel Rorbach thus judged.
In the beginning he was much at fault, and recently he was
and recently he had been given good, common and believing
and believers, after which he had
himself bodiless for the third time.
time. Which he first of all took in a two
a door, and but the strict one at the
the neck, the will of God, the
and he was prevented from doing so, and after he had
the stove outside, there was no longer any
no longer exists.
As now on the very first occasion his wife,
for the sake of the chastisement of the house, but he
but he decided to make a carving (.so that he could
in his hand, and he had his bodily fourteenth son.
bodily fourteen-year-old son come to him,
asking him to make him a ball as well,
he took the same between his legs, and cut off his gurl.
his gargle, and when the daughter had
standing there spoke: Ätti, how do you do me so desolate,
he killed her right then and there. After
the third child, who lay asleep in the cradle.
his head off completely. And would
such terrible spectaent angents(?) to a neighbor, who was
neighbor, who had asked for a creation from him.
but pregloffen ÿlfertig, und bÿ an=
the trade, that the wages were paid to him for it.
The wages for this were paid to him.
He was broken with the wheel or
and braided on the wheel,
and with his own murder weapon, he has been
he was a man of 30 years, and a Bernese.
30. years, and a Bernese countryman,
called Michel Rorbach, of his own trade a
Treÿer, or beating ball maker. This
great torture and pain, he has overcome with great
with great patience, and heartfelt sorrow, and
and after he had done so, he was ordered to live
that he was commanded to take life.
and happened, he overcame everything by calling on the name of Jesus.
name of Jesus, patiently confessed.
God be with us, and have mercy on us!
Given at Arberg the 22nd of March 1638.
​
His execution in Wimmis
As always, the council in Bern had to be questioned in the event of a death sentence. A corresponding entry is available in the framework manual of the city of Bern. Here, too, there is talk of a ruthless and cruel murder of the turner and ball maker, who was civilized in the valley in the parish of Erlenbach. In the official account of Wimmis of the incumbent Jeremias von Grafenried there are notes about the expenses incurred. The woman would have to be paid for bringing the murderer to the dungeon of Wimmis Castle. The examination and the associated catering for the rural people in the participants' inn resulted in costs. The bill for two wheels had to be paid for the execution. Finally, the wages for the executioner, who had to stain the murderer's knife with blood on his neck until Rohrbach finally died. The lifeless and battered body was wheeled onto the place of execution in Wimmis. As a warning to the subjects, the corpse remained on display for a while and the ravens are likely to have found themselves there. Nothing is known about Michael Rohrbach's motives. A tower book by Wimmis does not exist (anymore) from this period. The questions and answers of the embarrassing questioning (examination) can sometimes be read in such tower books. It must have been an act of desperation by Michel Rohrbach, as he tried to kill himself several times before this crime, after his belongings had been stolen from him because of debts.
​
​
​
​
​
Rohrbach research
​​
Researching the Rohrbach von Guggisberg and Rüschegg clan is a very difficult undertaking. In the neighboring parishes of Wahlern and Rüeggisberg, Rohrbach has also been a citizen since time immemorial. On both sides, baptisms and marriages have taken place. Some Guggisbergers lived in the neighboring parishes and the affiliation was not always clearly recorded. For example, a Rohrbach family and their numerous descendants lived in Rüti near Rüeggisberg for several generations. The news about their baptisms was often sent by letter from pastor to pastor as collective reports to Guggisberg. There were also some problems with the very numerous Christian, whose parents' names were not known. Only the surnames, to Suttershus, uf Gouggenberg etc. or names of marriage and baptismal witnesses could provide information about their affiliation to a certain family. Many an entry in a choir court manual helped and revealed many a secret.
The exploration is inexhaustible and what is accomplished is basically just the tip of the iceberg. Much remains to be fathomed. From 1533, Benedict Rorbach, the progenitor of this clan, began to acquire land and property in the Kirchhöri Guggisberg. He was a farmer and a wealthy farmer. His pedigree shows almost 900 descendants (including the women who were married in). Where did he come from and how are the Rohrbach (Nicklÿ) named around 1533 and 1570 related to one another? All questions that are still unanswered.
In summary, I can say that the Rohrbach von Guggisberg and Rüschegg were consistently honest farmers with their additional commercial income. Individuals stood out as Landtvänner, choir judges or community leaders. Many emigrated to neighboring French cantons and have firmly established themselves there.
​
​
​