THE BORSINGER CHRONIK

18th GENERATION

ANDREAS JOH. BENEDICT (8/2/1757-1/101810) Pater Johannes Evangelista Muriensis OSB. Profess 1774

During the Time of the Napoleonic occupation of Switzerland he accompanied his Abott Gerold II on his way through Austria and Moravia. One day at the Schoeneck, where he spent the summer saying Mass at our chapel, Pater Jodok Rigert told me that he just received an 800 page diary of P.Johannes Evangelist, the diary, however, was incomplete. Many years later, in 1930 I got in touch with P.Jodok Rigert, O.S.B of Sarnen, a friend of the Borsinger of Schoeneck and on my request he has done some researche on P.Subprior Johannes Evangelist.

He was , however, not able to obtain the Diary again but used for his main sources the two volumes “History of the Monastery Muri-Gries”,written by P.Martin Kiem. Out of it he sent me the following notes: “P.Johannes Evangelist Borsinger, born at Baden in 1757,made his monastic vows in 1774 at the Monastery of Muri (Aargau, Switzerland). Later on he became Subprior (not Prior because in Muri as well as in Einsiedeln there are no Priors, there are Dekans and the Dekan’s substitute is the Subprior).As deported (or expelled from Switzerland’s territory) Subprior,he accompanied the Prince Abott Gerold II on his flight all the way to Moravia. After the return to the Estate Glatt, owned by the Muri Monastery as its most important estate in Sigmaringen (Germany), and following the Amnesty in Novemver 1801 of all the on Jan. 21,1799 deported heads of the monastery, which was P.Gregor Koch, Decan; P.Johannes Evangelist Borsinger, Subprior; P.Adalberg Renner, Oeconom; P.Leodigar Schmid,Secretary; P.Othmar Bossard,Chief of the Lithurgy and P.Martin Fassbind Custodius. P.Johannes Evangelist did not return as Subprior to Muri -he was replaced by the Abott by P.Meinrad- and he was made Oeconom at the Monastery’s estate in the Canton Thurgau by the name of “Klingenberg”, where he compleated his “Diarium” on Jan.21, 1802, and where he died on Jan.10, 1810.
The above named heads of the monastery who were deported on Jan.21, 1799 had allready been captured in July 1798 at the monastery (and not at the Castle of Horben) by the deputy of the Helvetic Directory,and on July 28-30,1798 were imprisoned in Aarau (not in Bern) into the State prison, the reason for it was:The concealment of the Monastery’s treasures! and for the same reason on Jan.21,1799 they were deported by the Police and escorted to Zurzach, a town on the Rhine river and the Swiss-German border, where they were left free into their exile.
In the “Diarium”which at the present consist of 374 pages, Father Johannes Evangelist is becoming quiet familiar to us. In his handwritten diary he excells in his beautiful handwriting as well as in an orderly, perspective presentation of the itinerary which shows us his careful and acurate as well as studious formal education. The long trip started from Glatt to Zwiefalten-Wiblingen, Augsburg-Freising, Weihenstephan, St.Veit-Altoetting-Salzburg-Berchtesgaden-Lambach-Kremsmuenster-Melk-Goettweig-Znaim (in Moravia) and almost on the same way back to Glatt. It is interresting with what delight and pleasure P.Johannes Evangelist absorbs all the trips impressions: Prelats - Princes - Ducs and Nobles of all kind are the people with whom he mostly gets in touch,-because as a member of the ”Most Serine Monastery of Muri” he as well as his brother monks is a “Noble”. He describes the traveled provinces, countries and sceneries vividly and to the point, he reports intelligently the objects of interests of art and science (Libraries), not missing the pleasure of the royal and princely banquets, nor missing the eloquence from the pulpit on the occasion of big churchly solemnity in one of the foremost Benedictine Monasteries of Austria. And toward the end of his diary he is making a note:-those three years, truly, were a recreation for me in these times I have seen more and learned more than in all my life before.
P.Jodok found as well a fascicle of correspondence, given to him by P.Leodegar Schmid, in the archives. Written by P. Secretary to the Prince Abott Gerold II. In a letter dated May 6,1798 he found the following sentence:”A letter dated April 2,1798 from mister Schneeweli, Inkeeper of the “Red Shield” in Baden has arrived for the father Suprior” -- and on diffeent places it says:”As we hear from Mr.Schneeweli of Baden- brother inlaw to our subprior- we today have been accused by the Assembly of Mellingen-- (April 14,1798)

JOSEPH, SEBASTIAN, ALEXANDER, son of Joseph,Fridolin, Mauritz and Katharina Zimmermann,born Jan.20,1753 and died Dec,17,1830. He earned merits at the foundation of the Canton Baden.On Nov.27,1786, at the age of 28, he married Maria Judith Sar von Diessenhofen,who was 5 years older and apparently,there are no offsprings. Maria Judith was born Dec.5, 1753 and died Jan. 1,1834 at the age of 81.I haven’t found any notice about the Sax von Diessenhoven.

Anton Wiederkehr and Anna Maria Wanger,who was born March 17,1735 and died March 5,1802 in her 67 the year of life.The name Wiederkehr goes back in Baden to 1626. After the death of her husband on June 6,1799 she moved into the Paradise, the home of her daughter Lucilla,newly wed to the bookbinder Diebold.
My granduncle (my mothers fathers brother) Pater Norbert Flueler was Archivar at the Monastery of Einsiedeln, and while I was visiting him during my studies there at his office in the Archives, I mentioned that I am interested in my families history when he pointed to a portrait up on the right side of the room, saying “that’s Pater Phillip Borsinger”. And P. Norbert gave me all the papers he had of P.Phillip which were written in the old German handwriting. Luckely in my first 3 years of school I did lern to read and write this type of writing and was able to type it down on my typewriter. The paper of the introduction of his son to the Abott,Decan and Chancellor of the monastery, was written by hand by Joseph Fridolin Mauritz,and goes as follows: “I, Joseph Fridolin Borsinger of Baden request in a honest and manly way from the most reverend and honorable K.K Prince Abott and Master Marianus, my most venerable master, as well as from the reverend and highly educated Mister Dekan and Capitulares of the High Princely Monastery of Einsiedeln,my most gracious masters to accept my dear son in your Holy Order and your church with benevolence.
I, therfore, contest with all my honesty and with testimony of the truth the following facts for which I can testify for and for which I promiss to stand up for:

1) That he,my son has actually completed his 15 th year of age.
2) That he has received the Hl.Sacrament of Confirmation.
3) That he originates from truly married parents and grandparents with high morales up to and including the 4 th generation without any signs of immorality.
4) That he enteres the Holy Order without being forced, without fear,without promise by anyone.
5) That he is not suffering of any undisclosed illness or health defect.
6) That he has no bloodrelatives up and exluding the 4th generation, nor any close friends at the princely Monastery of Einsiedeln.
7) That he is not under any contract of anyone for work or life, by whatever title or whatever matters you would call it.
8) That any inheritance of my son, now or in the future, would go to the Monastery of Einsiedeln, except if exceptions are now made bv special arrangement between him and the princely Monastery.
9) That when ever my son needs clothing and other things for his Novitiate and his Ordination, I shall pay now or make arrangements for payment, which is 200 Empire Gulden including 7 Louis d’or for his room and board, 14 Fr and 20 Batzen for transportation as well as a vestment for his First Mass. I now confirm as true that according to my knowledge all the above written facts and information are true and, therefore, I state and promise to the most reverend H. Prince Abott as well as to his Dekan and the Gentlemen of the Curie that by the power of this letter, if I ,in one or another case of my statement , am found not to be true or I have not kept my premises by which action I have brough hardship to the Monastery, - that I or my off springs shall and will compensate the Monastery without any commission

This to be true testimony I am signing it not only with my handwritten signature , but will apply my seal, on the 2 nd day of the month of February 1778.
Because I did not have my own seal with me I am using the seal of His Eminence, Pater Instructor, but have made my own imprint (Seal of Maria Einsiedeln)