MISC - Not Necessarily Related, Rothermal Research:
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ACCORDING TO THE ARCHIVIST AT THE STUTTGART FAMILY ARCHIVES CENTRE, THE ROTHERMELS OF HÖRLEBACH MAY HAVE BEEN RELATED TO ALL THE OTHER ROTHERMELS IN THE SURROUNDING AREAS - MOST ROTHERMELS IN GERMANY WERE LIVING IN BADEN WURTTEMBURG WHICH WAS A FARMING AREA.
The German inheritance law states that when a father dies his land is divided equally between his sons, after two or three generations with numerous children sons were often left with only one small field, not enough to sustain their families, this is why many of them were forced to move on from their birth village or emigrate abroad.
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Most of the Rothermels who ever resided in Berks County PA are descended from five sons of a Jonannes Rothermel. In 1911 Abraham H Rothermel visited Wachbach but could not find any records concerning his Rothermel ancestors. Another visitation in 1985 failed to locate any records in Wachbach of any person named Rothermel. Although there were numerous Rothermels in Hassloch which is still situated in Baden Würtemberg.
Johannes Roth Ermel
The Rothermel family is well represented in Jordan township, where William W., Lazarus W., Manasses W. and Monoe Rothermel, all sons of the late Isaac Rothermel, reside. The Rothermels have been identified with this section of Northumberland from the beginning of the last century, when Abraham Rothermel, grandfather of the four brothers mentioned, came hither from Berks county, where his ancestors located in an early day.
This Rothermel family traces its genealogy back some four hundred years to one Johannes Rothermel, who won both fame and a name in the early wars of Germany. He was a brave soldier, and so frequently dyed his arm in the blood, of his enemies that his comrades designated him as der Roth Ermel (red sleeve), and in this way he acquired the name Rothermel .Floyd, p923, 924
"Based on Lutheran Church records in the village of Hassloch,Germany, the Rothermel families that migrated to America in the late1600's or early 1700's were the children of Johannes Roth Ermel, birthplace and parents unknown. The relationship of Johannes Roth Ermel of Hassloch with Johann Ludwig Rothermel of Biebershein, Germany has not been established."
"It should be noted that John Jacob Dreibelbis (Treibelbiss), who emigrated to the Port of Philadelphia in 1732, and whose descendants intermarried with many Rothermels in Berks County Pa., was born in Hassloch, Germany April 10, 1709. The birthdates of his five brothers ands isters also appear in the Lutheran Church records in that village as does the birthdates of the children of Johannes Rothermel. "
"Johannes Roth Ermel had three children Johannes Peter Rothermel born ca. 1686 married Maria Margaretha Brunner and secondly Anna Elizabeth Weber; Leonard Rothermel married Margaretha Zimmerman; AnnaCatharina Rothermel married Johan Theobald Fintzel on 2/15/1719."Rothermel Families in America, p. 10
How do the people in these German villages live?" That is a question we are often asked. Well, everyone knows these people to be very industrious. Most of them own a few acres of land which they farm intensively…that is, they grow at least two crops on them annually. Much of the work in the fields is done by the women, assisted by the men in their spare time. Most men have a trade or business which they operate when their services are needed by fellow citizens. We have already mentioned the bakery and bicycle business. Then there are carpenters, blacksmiths, locksmiths, tinsmiths, basket makers, weavers, butchers, taverns and other occupations.
There is a cigar factory which employs mostly girls and buys the tobacco grown by local farmers. Many of the men and youths and young women work at their trade in nearby cities, travelling on bicycles and motorcycles.
The principal crops are wheat, (grown mostly for green fodder), turnips, sugar beets, cabbage, tomatoes, cauliflower, endive and head lettuce. There are many fruit trees - apples, pears, prunes and cherries.
Baden-Württemberg may be regarded as the one German Land in which economic life is dominated by middle-class businessmen and small farmers. Although such world-famous firms as Daimler-Benz started as small workshops in Stuttgart and Mannheim, there is virtually no heavy industry in the region. On the other hand, Baden-Württemberg is the centre for highly specialized mechanical and textile industries. The lack of valuable mineral and other deposits in Baden-Württemberg forces the population to earn its livelihood by the manufacture, improvement, and finishing of goods. Baden-Württemberg produces the majority of all the clocks, watches, and custom jewelry that originate in the country. Substantial amounts of Germany's leather goods, musical instruments, medical instruments, food and agricultural produce, cigars, and hardware are also produced in Baden-Württemberg.
