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<p>Sorry your browser doesn't support Frames. Please <b><a href="welcome01.htm">Browse</a></b><b> </b>our "No
frame guided-tour"</p>
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<p><b>If your access to the "No frame guided tour" failed, please read<br>
the following "No frame summary" :</b></p>
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<p><b>About us</b></p>
<p>This Site is published and sponsored by the members of the group •Cousin-Treffen•(grandchildren
of Franz and Katharina Werlen-Jost, from Muenster, Switzerland)<br>
The idea of this site is to bring all Werlen from around the world closer together
by providing a history of the family as complete as possible.</p>
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<p>Coordination<br>
<b>Silvia Beck-Werlen</b>, CH-3006 Bern</p>
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<p>Contact and webmaster<br>
<b>Franco Werlen-Winkler</b>, CH-4153 Reinach </p>
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<p><a href="mailto:werlenf@bluewin.ch"><b>E-Mail</b></a></p>
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<p><b>The name's origin</b></p>
<p><br>
As languages know many dialects and evolutions, there is a large variety of
explanations (e.g. dialect-German Werl = grasshopper, Werlein = a small dike,
Werlin = a face with a tumor). I prefer the following more romantic version
(source: "Geschichte des Wahlfahrtsorts Werl am Hellweg") : In
the 9th century the Emperor Charles the Great persecuted not christianised
Germanics. Documents written in the year 802 named their hidden resistance
camps <b>CASTRUM WERLENSE</b>.</p>
<p>CASTRUM = Latin for Camp<br>
WER = Germanic for Man (e.g.Wer-Wolf / Werewolve)<br>
LEN = Germanic also LEH, LOH or LAON = Holy grove (Hain) or meadow = Mystic
places of positive power, generally near to an environment with an evil aura
(swamps, sinister woods, timberlines and rocks). E.g. OS-LO = Odins holy meadow. </p>
<p><b>WER-LO / WER-LEN = Man at holy meadow or grove</b></p>
<p>From this origins we know today <b>places</b> like WERL, VERLE, WERLENBURG,
WARLO, WERLAON etc. / About 1100 - from the same origin -
the <b>first names</b> WERLI, WERLE, WERLIN, WERENLIN became popular / About
1600 - still from the same origin - the evolution to the first name WERNER.<br>
</p>
<p><b>We will never know, if the origin of a familyname Werlen was the first
name of an ancestor or if an ancestor had a link to the mentioned places</b></p>
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<p><b>Family History</b></p>
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<p>The first Werlen Family was documented in the Valley of Obergoms (Canton Wallis,
Switzerland) in 1340. </p>
<p>In the medieval time other Werlen lines are documented in<b> Loetschental</b> and <b>Schattenberge</b> (both
Canton Wallis) and also in North- and Middle-<b>Germany</b>. (e.g. in Hamburg
a family von Werlen). As far as I know, the German lines are spend. We read
in the Walliser Wappenbuch that all Swiss-Lines came from the Obergoms-Line.
Up to now I found no evidence for dependencies between this lines.</p>
<p>Up to the middle of the 20<sup>th</sup> century the Swiss - Werlen generally
remained in their homeland and lived there as <b>free, brave Swiss mountain-farmers</b> /
cultivating their own land / dedicated to collect in the short-summertime enough
hay to feed in the long, dark wintertime their pride: The milk-cows!</p>
<p>They were also very proud of their homes, the <b>sun-darkened timber
houses </b> / and last but not least, their children / and among
them - an extraordinary large number of sons and daughters, that
served the church. E.g. in the 1690ties from a single family 3 <b>priests</b> /
In the 1940ties 5 brothers were at the same time <b>Swiss-guards</b>. Remarkable
also the latest Werlen-contribution: Abbot Martin. He has been nominated in
2001 at the age of 32. He is worldwide the youngest Roman Catholic Excellency
since the 18<sup>th</sup> century.</p>
<p>The Werlen had also the privilege to live in one of the most beautiful landscape
of the world! Furthermore they were very lucky, that their homes were never
victims of real misery or devastating war-events. In the time-range of
Werlen Family History their native country Obergoms saw a war in 1419 and in
1799. But no Werlen was hurt and the only damage was in 1799 when French soldiers
tried to cool down a stone-oven with cold water!</p>
<p>From 1340 to about the 1950ties a small minority left the valleys where the
ancestors lived and mountain-farming and traditions were dominant. Then <b>within
one generation, all changed</b>: The large majority of the Werlen-community
is no longer living in the homeland of their ancestors. The majority of them
is working at a desk …. from the cow to the mouse!</p>
<p>But wherever they live and whatever they do, they still have a strong
emotional connection to the homeland of their ancestors and they will
not forget their roots.</p>
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<p><b>Access to the Family-Tree</b></p>
<p><b><a href="tutti/names1.htm">Index names</a></b></p>
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<p><b>End of the "No frame summary"</b></p>
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