Occurrence in Glarus

​

Glarus / Näfels / Schwanden

​

​

About the Feldmann Family

​

The name suggests an original residential or occupational designation.

 

The Feldmann family is an old-established family whose place of origin seems to be Schwanden. Already in the 16th century families settled in Glarus and Näfels. For the first time a Feldmann is mentioned in a document in 1372, in which year Rudolf Feldmann is named as one of the 42 guarantors. In 1385 he makes his seal available to a compatriot. In 1395 a Johann Feldmann is one of the guarantors for the annual tax to the monastery Säckingen. Since the middle of the 16th century, various members of the family have lived in Schwanden. In 1542, for example, master blacksmith Michael Feldmann, who served the congregation as a church keeper, was handed down. From 1543 an Ulrich Feldmann is mentioned in the files several times. In 1551 Thys Feldmann served as Freibergschütze, and in 1555 a Hans Feldmann represented the Tagwen (civil community) in a dispute. By the way, the family in Schwanden was never very numerous, and their relatives did not hold higher offices in earlier centuries. The Feldmann were craftsmen and often served the church as sexton. In earlier centuries several members of the family wore the otherwise not very common name Levin.

 

The Feldmann from Glarus undoubtedly came from Schwanden, since they renewed the Tagwenrecht (citizenship) there several times. In 1560 a Feldmann was already the owner of a house in the main town of Glarus, and since the end of the century a butcher's family has been proven in Glarus, who also practiced their profession in the 17th and 18th centuries. Some have become known as Mätzen dealer (Mätzen were wool cloths, which were mainly produced in Glarus and were also used there as clothing). Only Jakob Feldmann (who died in 1655) held a higher office. During three terms of office, he served as bailiff at Werdenberg Castle and as Landesfähnrich (ensign) and Landeshauptmann (governor) in Glarus. The family then achieved significance in Switzerland through Colonel Rudolf Markus Feldmann (1869-1947). At a young age he taught at the Gymnasium in Thun and then worked as head of the section of the general staff department and head of the military welfare department as well as a lecturer in military science. His son Markus Feldmann (1897-1958) first made a name for himself as a lawyer, editor and member of the National Council, and from 1951 to 1958 he was a Federal Council of Switzerland.

 

The Feldmann from Näfels do not know exactly whether they came directly from Schwanden or took the detour via Glarus. They apparently go back to Hans Feldmann, who together with his son Jakob became a citizen in 1598 for ten guilders each and became the progenitor of a family that is quite numerous today. In old Glarus the family did not provide any magistrates worth mentioning. Members of the family served the country as caretakers, ship masters, masters of the country scale and messengers. Some distinguished themselves as master stove fitter. Franz Jakob Feldmann became provost of the Bischofszell canon monastery in 1754. Today, a Feldmann from Näfels runs a printing press in Schwanden in the second generation.

​

Interpretation of the Family Crest

​

​

Sources

 

Historisch-Biographisches Lexikon der Schweiz, Band 3, p 134

Stucki Fritz, 50 alte Glarner Familien, p 29-30

Tschudi-Schümperlin Ida / Winteler Jakob, Wappenbuch des Landes Glarus, p 30-31