From: fr@compu.com (Fred Rump from home)
Newsgroups: soc.roots
Subject: Re: Finding Peter Schubmehl in St. Wendel's Prussia
Date: 6 Sep 92 21:22:42 GMT
Organization: CompuData Inc.

eggertj@moses.atc.ll.mit.edu (Jim Eggert x6127 g41) writes:

>In article <9209041648.AA08398@brspyr1.BRS.Com> Dave Schubmehl <daves@BRSPYR1.BRS.COM> writes:
>>	  Another scrap of information that I have indicates that he came
>>	  from "St.  Wendel's, Prussia".  Since the Schubmehl family has
>>	  always been Roman Catholic, this might be either the name of the
>>	  parish, or it could possibly be the name of a town in Prussia
>>	  which is now modern-day Germany.

>There is a St. Wendel in the Saarland, about 25 km NNE as the crow
>flies from Saarbruecken.  Present population is 28000.  You can write
>the local church using the German zipcode W-6690.

There you go. My theory stands. They fought with Napoleon as part of the 
Rhenish Confederation troops. I would head right out to this place to check it 
out myself.



>>	   3. A family legend states that one of Peter Schubmehl's sons,
>>	      Nicholas, fought for Napoleon.  Is there any way I can
>>	      research this to find out whether it is true or not?  Why
>>	      would a Prussian fight WITH Napoleon?

>You should remember that the geographic boundaries of Prussia depended
>strongly on the year.  Prussia grew quite a bit over the centuries.
>The Saarland is now very close to France, but in Napoleon's time it
>was in France.  I think that before it was part of the French
>Republic, St. Wendel was in the Archbishopric of Treves (up until 1798
>or so).  It would have been taken away from France again after the
>Congress of Vienna, and then would be Prussian.

It's not only German history that is confusing. It's history. :-)

Luxembourg, the Sarrland, Elsass, Lothringen were all a part of the old Holy 
Roman Empire of the German Nation. Being that such was nothing but a lose 
confederation of hundreds of smaller principalities that didn't mean a hell of 
a lot except to the princes in charge. As there was contention for land in the 
east so it was in the west with nothing unified in the middle protecting the 
greater interests until Prussia came along. German history in a nutshell.

After the final defeat of Napoleon near Waterloo by Bluecher and Wellington
the place (Prussia) was organized into 10 provinces which later became only
eight.  Each was headed by a Oberpraesident.  These provinces or states of
Prussia were Brandenburg, West Prussia, East Prussia, Pomerania, Silesia,
Posen and Saxony in the East (with Silesia and Saxony being rather recent
aquisitions) and Rhineland, the Lower Rhineland and Westphalia being in the
West.  The latter having been previously conquered by Napoleon with Westphalia
made into a subservient kingdom.  The Sarre was then obviously a part of the
new French Empire and it's people conscripted to fight against Prussia.

(Most of the Eastern territories recently reverted back into their
pre-colonial state.  Something like turning Manhattan back to the Indians I
guess.  But first we'd have to go out west to find some and bring them there.
To the victors belong the spoils even if it's a thousand year old grievance
that needs to be reset.  No wonder the Palestinians are upset.)*

PS *Political sidenote
fred



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