DÖLF BARBEN Tracey Jones (56) lives close to Philadelphia and works at a school. She visited Switzerland with her husband last year. In St Gallen, she discovered one of the houses in which her grandmother had lived as a child. She was deeply moved by the experience, she tells us. Pete Thalmann, 80, lives in Holliston near Boston. The former electrical engineer spends his summers on the Cape Cod peninsula. He wants to travel to Switzerland this autumn. His itinerary will include the hamlet of Eggetsbühl near Wängi (canton of Thurgau), where his great-grandparents lived. Jones and Thalmann have a few things in common. Both have been interested in history and, in particular, the history of their respective families since they were teenagers. Both wanted to trace these family roots – doing the groundwork, pursuing leads and overcoming hurdles along the way. Both also know Kurt Münger. Münger, 74, is the president of the Swiss Society for Genealogical Studies (SSGS). He says that the SSGS receives more and more inquiries from people abroad who are interested in their Swiss ancestors. “We try to help them as much as we can in our voluntary capacity.” Münger grew up in eastern Switzerland and lives in Gossau, but his family originated from the canton of Berne. In around 1900, many Bernese farmers moved to Thurgau to start a new life. Migration also plays a big role in Münger’s family history, albeit on a smaller geographical scale. He says he regards himself as an inquisitive soul who wants to understand as well as discover. Münger studied chemistry and wrote a doctoral thesis on specific molecules. People who up sticks to start afresh elsewhere remind him of what molecules do. Curiosity and perseverance All genealogists are driven by curiosity, he adds. A healthy, not a lurid curiosity. It can take you far, provided you keep persevering: “The investigations are not always easy.” Tracey Jones did her initial research online, delving through various archives until she stumbled upon Tracing their roots to Switzerland Tracey Jones and Pete Thalmann, both from the US, sought professional help to trace their family roots back to Switzerland. They were deeply moved by what they discovered. Both their cases illustrate how important tracing ancestry can be for those who live far away from the homes of their forebears. joyed when she was able to show him photos of her visit. “Moments like that are priceless.” Pete Thalmann would agree. His priceless gift from the past was an article written by his grandfather that appeared in a newspaper in Baltimore. John J. Thalmann left home after learning to become a dressmaker. He met the love of his life, Mathilde Bos, in Paris. The couple then emigrated to Baltimore. But tragically, six of their children died. “Baltimore was a hellhole back then,” says Thalmann. For fear of losing all their children, his grandparents returned to St Gallen for a while. Thalmann’s father was two at the time. Thalmann would have liked to have found out where his father later went to school. “But I hit a dead end.” He is all the more intrigued as to what his ancestors were like as human beings. “My grandfather and my father were gentle souls, but they didn’t shy away from taking risks,” he says. “I am just the same.” Thalmann built up his own business and was a go-getter. “And life dealt me heavy blows, like it did them.” He lost one of his daughters – and his wife. Mistakes are easy to make It is much easier these days to search your ancestry than it used to be. Everything is digitalised; even old church records are available online. There are also people happy to do the heavy lifting for you – provided you cough up enough money for their services. This is where Münger urges caution. Mistakes are easy to make if the research is done in a hurry. For example, what if there are two possible male ancestors who have the same Kurt Münger. The SSGS president referred her to a genealogist with local knowledge, who provided her with the decisive leads. Jones then travelled to Switzerland. She says her grandmother never reminisced much about her childhood or teenage years, although she was very proud of where she came from. “To see where she grew up and which houses she lived in was extremely moving.” Her father had never been to Switzerland and was over- “To see where my grandmother grew up and which houses she lived in was extremely moving. Moments like that are priceless.” Tracey Jones, USA Swiss Review / October 2025 / No.4 10 Society
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