Antonio Quentin Fouquier-Tinville

Niffer is a common French, located in the department of the Haut-Rhin and the area Alsace.

History

History of the church at the 18th century.

the church of Niffer, subsidiary of the church of Kembs.

December 14th, 1726, the community of Niffer, under the signature of Jakob Heitz, writes with Monseigneur the Prinve-Bishop of Basle with Porrentruy, in order to require a vicar resident to serve their church.

On several occasions, Nifférois had raised this request near the priest of Kembs, J. Léonard Unzeitig, had responsible for hearts of the two churches with Kembs and Niffer.

Indeed, the church of Niffer was for a long time a subsidiary company of the church-mother of Kembs, but the faithful ones of Niffer claimed that their church had been in the past a church-mother, which refuted the Unzeitig priest. The essential character of the parish churches was to have the privilege to baptize and bury out of blessed ground. Nifférois claimed that there had been, formerly, a priest established in the village of Niffer which would have baptized there and buried and that of this fact their church would be well a church-mother with equal of that of Kembs. Here terms of their letter:

“… it is out of douttes that it nÿ aÿt Had formerly and in Its Beginning a Priest of Establishes in the village of Niffre, In this quil ÿ has a Principal Church for the village which is Construitte since any time, I.e. since the Construction of the Village, Entourré of a Cemetery considerable adze furnished with Wall, and in which he ÿ has even a Mass grave, or maisonnette for ÿ to put the bones of the departeds, and or he ÿ is Encore Baptistair, which makes an indubitable proof that the ancestres Begging estoint managed Blessed Sacraments by the Priests who deservoints another time this same church enquallity of theirs proper Curés like a Cure particular and separated from that of Kembs, but as undoubtedly at the time of these olden days it will have been that this same Cure Alone nestoit not Suffisante for the Subsistence and Maintains it a priest, and that dailleurs it ÿ did not have much people, made up Village nestant that of Seven or eight households, it indeed estée joingte and Réunie with the Cure of Kembs for estre served by the same Priest…”.

Indeed people of Niffer had found close to their church, a block of stone cut in the shape of basin which they had taken for a stone of baptismal font. They had also discovered close to this stone of the bones what was in their eyes the proof that the church of Niffer was well a church-mother with equal of that of Kembs.

In support of their request, the community of Niffer advances the fact that for reasons of distance of the priest, several people would have died without to have received Blessed Sacraments and that they are obliged by any time to make carry their children in Kembs for making there baptize with all the risks that comprises for the newborns. They also complain about the lack of religious instruction their young people, the priest too being absorbed by a too important cure as people. Lastly, they think that the income of the Unzeitig priest is too considerable, and that this one could largely pay a vicar resident with Niffer.

The Unzeitig priest had reacted violently. According to its clean dires in a letter with the Bishop, “it butted them in a manner of most extraordinary and carried, saying that it is the devil and Lucifer even which inspired them, and that it would like better than both villages made shipwreck in the Rhine…”.

The request of the community of Niffer was rejected by the decree of Official of Basle dated April 27th, 1727.

In 1731, the priest Antoine Christophe Goetzmann succeeds the Unzeitig priest who had a fine tragedy by accidentally slicing the throat with a razor.

The Goetzmann priest was the brother of the Baillif de Landser, the priests of Magstatt-le-Bas and Zimmersheim, and came from a family from notable living the beautiful house of Landser called still today “the house of the Baillif”.

In the years which followed, of 1732 to 1736 at the time of the war of succession of Poland, there were alarms on the face of the Rhine. The Baillif de Landser, brother of the new priest of Kembs, had put his rural militia in alarm, requesting on August 20th, 1734 from the employees of the communes of sound baillage, “to hold at his disposal of the guy courageous, able to hold a weapon if necessary”. He had already sent some to assemble the guard on the Rhine, and the marshal of Coigny, with his men, had pushed back several attempts at crossing of the Rhine with Niffer.

While were held these events, the inhabitants of Niffer had not given up their hopes as for the installation of a vicar resident in their village, and the Goetzmann priest was like his predecessor confronted with the savage will of independence of the community.

Initially, the priest had also succeeded in dated February 14th, 1737 making to débouter the inhabitants of Niffer by a decree of Official of Evêché of Basle. The arguments which he had opposed to those of Nifférois had tipped the scales of episcopal justice in its favor.

He had in particular advanced that it was not true that the church of Niffer was mother-church since before the Reform of the 16th century, Kembs and Niffer were served by a priest of Beyond the rhine, that of Blansingen, Pays of Bade, that the stone whom the inhabitants found under the bones was a stoup and not a stone of baptismal font, and that the cemetery had in fact existed only because one had buried there deaths of Kembs of time when troops had camped on the cemetery of Kembs.

As for the argumentation of the distance of the two churches, the Goetzmann priest opposed the fact that it was now easy to go from one village to the other in small a half hour, since the royal way connecting them had been arranged.

He also estimated that the number of hearts which he had in load was not too high in Niffer, because there were only 42 houses being divided into 30 families, the remainder being inhabited by widows, the community not having increased lately. He admits perceiving half of the gross dîme in grains, but question the amount of more than two thousand books which its adversaries advance, while pointing out that moreover, “small the dîme which represents year in year out, one or two small car of hay, is disputed to me and its amount from seven to eight hundred books is also exaggerated”.

Moreover, it estimates that “the inhabitants of Niffer are the lazy one and poor Christians, which it possessive spirit seized since they do not ignore the names of the outlet drains and décimateurs to the load of which they believe that would fall the construction of a house curiale. They do not seek that to get a certain convenience to increase their insolence with depend on their Pasteur”.

In 1738, the community nifféroise makes call of the decrees by which it estimated to be badly judged. The priest Pierre Joseph Bourquin de Clerval on Doubs was made by Claude Emmanuel de Crey, canon of the Famous Chapter of the Church of Besancon, one of sworn synodal the deputy by the Holy See, to proceed to a visit which was to make it possible to determine the exactitude of the dires of Nifférois: “it would be drawn up official report, parts present, of the state of the church of Niffer, gate vault, baptistaire, cemetery, bell-tower and other marks that the aforementioned parts would claim to be able to be used to prove that the aforementioned church is a mother-church or subsidiary company…”.

the parish of Niffer set up in perpetual vicariate.

The tenacity of the inhabitants of Niffer will have borne its fruits, because on April 3rd, 1740, they will obtain perpetual vicariate for their parish and the priest Antoine Christophe Goetzmann will be condemned to constitute a vicar to serve the subsidiary company of Niffer.

This one having, to the liking of faithful of Niffer, neglected to do it quickly, the community introduces François Joseph MOEGLIN who is approved by the vicar general and installed on July 4th, 1740. In order to be able to pay their vicar, Nifférois, according to clean the dires of the Goetzmann priest, “removed by force and violence” the incomes of this one in Niffer. It intervened with Evêché so that a decree, fixing the income of serving of Niffer at a hundred and fifty books according to a declaration of the King of January 29th, 1686, is taken and that the incomes of Niffer are returned to him, with load for him to regulate this amount with the vicar of Niffer.

As of on July 19th, the priest Goetzmann de Zimmersheim, brother of that of Kembs, are indignant at Official at Besancon by calling upon the fact that the inhabitants of Niffer do not meet the conditions of the judgment, in particular with regard to housing indecent and unworthy of the vicar, this one being placed with the cabaret at the village.

One year after, in 1741, the vicar of Niffer will be replaced by Dominique Muller de Wittersdorf and in 1747 the priest Goetzmann de Kembs will be replaced by the priest Gervais Prothais Munsch de Rouffach who was a rather uncommon character who will end up making miracles as we will see it further. He had obtained from the Bishop, considering the presence with Kembs of soldiers and other guards of the Rhine, like because of the vicinity of the Lutherans and of foreigners, the capacity to exonerate the reserved heresy and cases.

May 25th, 1747, the Munsch priest complains with his superior because the vicar Muller de Niffer does not discharge his duties with respect to the community and “which he prefers to remain in his house with his two maidservants of which one has very bad reputation in the village and in bad manners”.

The provost Johannes Heitz and the middle-class men of Niffer ask the Munsch priest to write with his Highness the Bishop of Basle with Porrentruy in order to inform it that their vicar never received of confession, that it had removed the processions of Sunday, that it never made processions on the cemetery Saturday evening as that was the habit formerly and than the rare masses which it celebrated were so late but the peasants who returned of the fields could not assist to with it because they dined at this hour.

June 7th, the priest writes his distress in a missive, on the one hand because of the behavior of his vicar of Niffer and on the other hand because of the fact that the house curiale of Kembs being inlogeable and that not having found of another asylum with Kembs, it is in the obligation to place in a cabaret.

July 1st of the same year, he asks the replacement of the Muller vicar by a vicar “with whom he will be able to work in concert in the vines of the Lord”, but he will not be heard.

March 2nd, 1748, a friendly agreement will have made between the two ecclesiastics, Muller promising to improve and Munsch promising to pour the half to him of all its Dîmes and returned to Niffer, that is to say more than what the lawyer of Muller asked.

In 1749, Alexandre Martin Tobie Bernauer de Colmar will become the vicar of the parish of Niffer until the end of the year where it will be replaced by François Antoine Mattez de Landser.

In 1750, it itself will be replaced by Jean Bernard Moll d' Enschenzwiller.

December 13rd, 1751, our priest Munsch de Kembs writes once again with his Highness the Bishop of Basle in order to inform it that the priests of the close parishes had it reprimand while gaussant themselves of him because he claimed to have made miracles in particular on inhabitants of Niffer which he wanted to bring to a true devotion:

“God seemed to suggest me the means by several miracles which it had just operated recently by the intercession of Saint François Xavier called upon by Neuvaine. As I had advised with several people in all kinds of Niferes which obtained all the effect of their request, ones the first day the others in the medium, others at the end of neuvaine. The sick poor of hydropic desperate managed of all the sacraments without employing any human remedy which were at the end, having begun the aforementioned neuvaine felt the help of the Sky at once and going the every day better was at the end of Neuvaine perfectly cured, of paralitic invertérés in the same way perfectly cured with the astonishment of all the world…”.

September 30th, 1753, the director of the ecclesiastical incomes, Stehelin, draws the attention of the Bishop that the Munsch priest and the vicar Jean Bernard Moll de Niffer seek to adapt by all the means most of Dîme. Indeed, Munsch had been adapted during two years Dîme on peas, lenses and hemp like during one year of that on the fruits.

In 1754, the Munsch priest will permute parish with François Guillaume Foltzer de Porrentruy who had in load the hearts of Rumersheim.

..........

After the Revolution, which set up on July 12th, 1790 the civil Constitution of the Clergy, Constitution against which the reaction of the clergy was extremely sharp in Alsace, Jean Georges Brunner de Magstatt-le-Haut, which replaced the Moll vicar in Niffer in 1759, will be one of the rare Alsatian priests to lend oath to subject itself to the revolutionary legislation which aimed to a relaxation of the bonds with Rome and to the formation of a national Church. The major part of the Alsatian clergy refused to be subjected to these requirements and much of priests took refuge in Switzerland and in Germany, others were stopped and even carried out, others still continued to exert their ministry in clandestinity.

Parish independent of the seniority of Habsheim of 1803 to 1808, Niffer became again subsidiary of Kembs until 1820, to cover its independence thereafter.

An investigation of Year XII (1804), mentions the principal furnace bridge of Saint-Ulric and the side furnace bridges of the virgin and of Sebastien Saint. She also recalls the processions which were carried out around the round of applause, in particular that of April 25th towards Kembs like those of the rogations, requesting processions intended to attract the blessing on the goods of the ground, towards Habsheim and Kembs which were held the morning of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday preceding the Rise.

a former family of Niffer: Heitz.

In the history of the village, Heitz seem to have played a great part through the centuries.

In 1508, Meinrad Heitz was the laic administrator of the church of Niffer as the inscription engraved on the lintel of the door of the sacristy of the current church attests some: “Meinrat Hizzi, der Kirchenpfleger zuo sant Ulrich”. There is not any doubt that the name Hizzi is an old form of Heitz.

In 1618, one will find in the files for Polloronus Heitz, Schultheiss de Niffer and his Chrischon marked wife of sorcery also the orthography of Heitz. After the Thirty Year old war in 1665, Lorentz Heitz occupies this function seigneuriale before yielding the place to Hans Georg Heitz who will take refuge in Basle in 1676 at the time of the war of Holland.

First Heitz which one has a hard copy is probably Heinzi Vogeler originating in Small-Pram which sells about 1336 an income in grains. This Heinzi could be well the ancestor of Heitz of our Rhenish area, but no document supports this thesis.

Let us recall, for those which are unaware of it still, that Christianity had destroyed Roman family names and gentilices, which had supplanted them-even to them names autochtones. During the franque time, there are more family names, but only Christian names: individual name, which changes from one generation to another, and which, little by little, is accompanied by a nickname. It is only as from the 13th century that the Christian name - often in a faded form - the name of trade or the nickname - name of the ground, name relative to a characteristic, nickname - tends to become hereditary: Christian name given of wire father, hereditary profession, nickname which passes to the descendants.

The patronym of Heitz, would rather seem in the Rhenish area to be transmitted by the guard of pigs (Heitz) than by the first name Heinrich and indeed a great number of pigsties was indexed from time immemorial in Niffer.

In 1766, Jean Heitz plowman 21 years old, Joseph Heitz, 28 year old wet cooper and Jacques Heitz, 20 year old plowman, took part in the drawing lot to enter the provincial militia.

Between 1800 and 1890, out of the 307 celebrated marriages with Niffer, not less than 91 Heitz were concerned as husband or a wife. The witnesses of all the marriages called Heitz were still much more numerous there.

Finally in 1817, a called Joseph Heitz, day laborer of his state emigrate in the United States at the same time as GENG Anne-Marie and of seven other people originating in Niffer.

Other current patronyms of Niffer.

At the 17th century one often finds the name of Henner (Haener) in particular in 1689 by Jérémie Henner, Schultheiss whose blazon appears in the armorial of Louis XIV, while Germain Haener and his/her Germain son, as Ulrich Haener as for them were taken refuge in Basle in 1676.

In 1717, the miller of Niffer Charles Hassler Marie her daughter with Jean-Baptiste Schirmer who will be mayor of Kembs of 1715 until his death in 1736.

The following people, originating in Niffer, all were taken refuge in Basle in 1676 at the time of the war of Holland, mainly in the district Sant Johann: Hartmann Wagner, Bart Ransweiler, Hans Muller, the widow of Zacharius Walter, Cronenberger Nickel silver, the USSR Muller and Andres Meyer.

Other patronyms are often met in the burrows and various documents dating from the XVII in XIXes centuries: Ast, Schirmer, Billig, Escher, Frisch, Staub, Vetter, Boeglin, Erny, Bingler, Musslin, Geiger, Karm Litzler, Ripstein, Blenner, Kessler and Hosly.

The majority of these names are met under various orthographies according to the time and the scribe.

Extracts from the work " Niffer, a past, a histoire" 1995 Raymond Weigel

Administration

Demography

municipal population in 2004: 893

municipal population in 2006: 952

Places and monuments

Personalities related to the commune

the noble ones of Niffer (Nufar).

The family of Niffer appears at the 12th century among the noble ones. The known first, Eppo (Eberhard) of Nuwenuar is quoted like witness in 1135 in a charter of Berthold, abbot of Murbach melting the priory Augustin de Goldbach, where it is expressly indicated as “Liberi” is noble.

In 1168, one finds Uodalricus (Ulrich) quoted like witness on March 15th in a charter where Berthold, abbot of the monastery of Stein amndt Rhein in Switzerland yields a taxable quota to the convent Saint Blaise in Brisgau. In the same charter is quoted Eppo his/her younger brother: “Uodalricus & frater eius Eppo of NIUUARE”. Those are most probably the wire of the Eppo precedent of 1135.

The name of Niffer in its old form of origin, “Nufar”, is made up on the one hand of NAKED coming from old Alsatian NUwerung (Neuerung) = innovation or NUwelig = recently, and on the other hand of FAR coming from FARweg, FERweg = left navigable a river, or FARE, VARE = vat, FERte meaning voyage.

If one accepts as probable the origin of the name of the village of Niffer that F. Langenbeck locates at the Middle Ages and who would mean “new ford”, by allusion to the ford on the Rhine which would have been there, it would be thus the family of noble which would have taken the name of the village in which she probably lived a court (Hof) and it would not be not this family which would have given her name to the village whose one can locate creation at the IX or 10th century.

A court (Hof) was an indivisible unit. At the material level, it was initially the unit of the enclosure: the dwelling, barns, court, the orchard, the garden, tools, animals and people. It is this unit which bore the name, Hofname: more than family name, it was used to designate the inhabitants and carried the blazon, Hofzeiche.

Another family of noble appears in our area shortly after Nufar: Butenheim. The Emperor, the tops dynastes and even their vassal more modest needed a faithful and devoted personnel to manage their goods and to constitute an armed continuation. The military service especially, achieved by these Dienstmannen, was not long in raising the prestige and the row of these servants, so that they formed a privileged and hereditary social class quickly: Ministérialité. According to Bernhard Metz, Butenheim would be a branch junior by Nufar entered Ministérialité of the landgraves of High Alsace, Habsburg what would have been worth to them a social rise higher than that of the elder branch: indeed, it is not thinkable that Nufar had a castle, while Butenheim had at least one of it, with Landser, because to date nothing, no document nor the recent excavations, makes it possible to affirm that Butenheim ever had the castle of the same name located between Small-Pram and Hombourg, close to the village now disappeared from Butenheim, even if there exists a great probability on this subject.

The relationship between Nufar and Butenheim can be supposed on the faith of their vicinity, the freehold goods had by Butenheim with Niffer and of the identity of their blazon (Hofzeiche).

One can have an idea of what was the blazon of these families while referring to the prints of the seal of Johann and Otto de Butenheim fixed for one at a charter of February 9th, 1277 and for the other at a charter of January 13rd, 1278 which are preserved at the Files of the Swiss Canton of Lucerne.

The family of Nufar carried “of sinople to a money lion to a gold fasce stitching on the whole, the heaume surmounted issuant lion of money, the lambrequins of sinople and of money” and Butenheim carried “of money to a sand lion to a fasce of mouths stitching on the whole, the heaume surmounted issuant lion of sand”. One can thus note that the parts of the ecus of the two families were identical, only metals and enamels differed. These characteristics characterize their common origins clearly.

One will find the trace of noble of Niffer of XIIe at the 15th centuries.

July 16th, 1252, BURKHARD and its HERMANN brother are reproduced on a charter of Feldbach. BURKHARD von NUFAR, also known as Ritter (Knight) BURKHARD of ENSISHEIM would have married Gysela and would be deceased about 1290. They would have had a girl, also Gysela which would have married Ritter Werner von GUNDOLSHEIM and would have died in 1347. September 7th, 1275, Knight CONRADUS is quoted like witness of King Rudolf of HABSBURG for the convent of Wettingen and on February 4th, 1284, GERTRUD von NIUFERN is Küsterin (sacristaine) with the convent of Adelhausen. In 1288, one finds brothers MARKWART and RUTLIEB. In 1311 RUTLIEB is quoted as Chevalier of Ensisheim and in 1335 it holds a stronghold of the Abbey of Murbach. At the end of the 13th century, HEINRICUS von NUNVARE is quoted in the “Totenbücher of Stiftes Sant Peter” of Basle and in 1297 it is also named as Henricus of ENSISHEIM.

This time is marked in the villages by the attribution of a legal identity (Gemein) and the popularization of family names. It is as from this moment that the name of NUFAR returns regularly on various documents in particular relating to the role of the rights of the Bishop of Basle and the donation in stronghold of goods.

JOHANN, acknowledged (Vogt) of Sophia, widow of Ludwig von RADERSDORF is quoted of 1325 to 1330. September 17th, 1327, MERKELIN, Knight of Ensisheim and wire of MARKWART an act of renunciation of revenge (Urfehde) towards Strasbourg signs. Its seal comprises inscription “S.MARKWART.D.NVIVAR”. In 1334 are quoted Knight JOHANS and his brother the rider (Edelknecht) OTTO whereas in 1347 one finds Bruder JOHAN, monk with Lucelle.

From 1345, RUTLIEB is quoted. In 1347, his wife, Claere von FALKENSTEIN sell goods with the convent of Thennenbach. In 1358, it is quoted as husband of Katharina von FALKENSTEIN which is the sister of his first wife. December 3rd, 1360, it yields to the convent of Säckingen pre located at Schliegen. In 1361, RUTLIEB von NUFAR, rider and middle-class man of Neuenburg, obtains HABSBURG in stronghold the village of Niffer as well as goods with Ruelisheim, Ensisheim and Battenheim: 'Item be hant enpfangen Rutlieb von Nufar und sin Vettern of the ersten Nufar daz Dorf. - Item Rutlieb und sines bruder kind hand öch enpfangen 53 viertel geltz, 6 cappen und 2 lamber ze Rulshein. - Item 24 viertel geltz und 4 D. geltz ze Ensishein. - Item 12 viertel korn geltz ze Battenhein.

RUTLIEB is indicated like 'Edelknecht, Burger ze Nuwenburg' is 'Rider, middle-class man of Neuenburg. With the Middle Ages, the terms employed to designate the rider in Alsace are “Armiger” (gerere Armed), “Scutifer” (scutum bottle pincers) and make allusion to a military function not fighting. “Edelknecht” points out more dignity, the social status, since Edel wants to say noble, at the same time as a domestic function, Knecht having the direction of servant. This term generally indicated in its primitive direction, the noble young person throughout service which it made near the feudal lord who prepared it with the knighthood, but it is also in its derived direction, a qualifier of simple nobility. In 1345, RUTLIEB and his/her brother WERNLIN sell, in common with their cousins THULMAN and MARKWART which are Edelknecht, of the goods with Am. WALTER von NUFAR with the battle of Sempach on July 9th, 1386.

In 1324, the Duke Albert the Wise Jeanne wife, only daughter of the last Count Ulrich III of FERRETTE and thus reinforces the position of the HABSBURG in Alsace by heritage. When in 1379, Albert the Wise division his countries between its sons, one of them, Léopold III accepted the Tyrol, Styrie, its possessions of Souabe, of Switzerland, of Brisgau and Alsace. As the archdukes of Austria had a great need for money to provide for their way of life, for guerroyer, or reasons of prestige, they mortgaged grounds, cities and even of the whole provinces in favor of vassal noble and rich person who in compensation, took taxes and imposed often hard people of these batches acquired on contract what involved movements of revolts. Léopold III after its heritage, decided into 1386 to give of the order in its possessions in revolt, to also restore a sure communication between its Austrian and Alsatian possessions like securing the secular road check connecting north to the south while passing by the Swiss Alps, very important road for the trade and also from the strategic point of view. Léopold raised an army in its Swiss countries remained faithful like in Alsace and in the Tyrol, and entered to shift against the rebellious Swiss cantons. From Lucerne, epicentre of the dispute, the valorous strategist and general Petermann von GUNDOLDINGEN mobilized the militia of the cantons and the associated cities. Léopold had a manpower more than double as warriors, infantrymen and riders compared to the cantons, but he was a poor strategist, not knowing to have his forces judiciously. While its cavalry, including one great number of noble Alsatian among which WALTER von NUFAR was, moved towards Sempach and Lucerne, its other troops were dispersed through the cantons without target specifies and only arrived of this fact on the battle field parsimoniously and too late. Petermann von GUNDOLDINGEN, in preparation for a direct attack of Sempach by Léopold, had laid out its infantry in a wood well with the shade, because it made an overpowering heat this July 9th which exténuait people of Léopold under their heavy armours. Into the fury of the combat which engaged, Petermann von GUNDOLDINGEN fell wounded to death. It followed an undulation in the rows of federated, but those found their cohesion quickly, whereas the cavalry of Léopold was found strongly handicapped in its evolutions by the unevenness of the area of the Lake Sempach. This day was tragic for the Alsatian nobility, of many members of feudality found death at the side of the Duke Léopold III. The army of this one had three to four times more deaths than federated and Léopold itself fell mortally wounded in the evening in a battle which finished in rout. It was buried thereafter in the convent of Königshoffen, whereas the major part of deaths, whose WALTERS von NUFAR, found burial in a common grave on the battle field even.

the noble last of Niffer known.

Six years after these facts, in 1392, one finds ROTLIEBIN von NUVAR in the register of Klingenthal to Basle (Klingelthalische Korn Zins Registratur). In 1422, HANS von NUFAR is destined for Neuenburg in the “Mannesgericht der Markgrafen von Baden” and in 1487, KATHARINA, girl of BERNHARD von NUFAR and wife of the knight Hans von RUMERSHEIM sells goods in Rumersheim.

With KATHARINA the line of noble of NUFAR known finishes to date. WHAT BECAME NOBLE NIFFER?

NIEFERN of the Country of Bade.

We saw that Rutlieb von NUFAR was middle-class of Neuenburg about 1361, then that Hans itself was destined for Neuenburg in 1422. It probably acts-there of Neuenburg close to Pforzheim and not to Neuenburg close to Mülheim. However, an article of Albert Krieger published in 1920 in the review “Zeitschrift für Geschichte of Oberrheins”, enumerates a whole list of strongholds (Lehenregister) established in 1386. If the strongholds thus mentioned depended on the Lords of EBERSTEIN, and if they at the time were conceded with many families, the Counts of EBERSTEIN as for them, depended on the authority of the Margrave de Bade and the Dukes of Würtenberg. What is particularly interesting in the enumeration of these strongholds is on the one hand the attributions made with thirds, but especially names of the latter and denomination of certain strongholds and their resemblance to localities of the same name which one meets in our area, but in the past in time. On this subject let us quote sites like Rumersheim, Neuenburg, Michelbach, Hagenbach, Diefenbach and of course NIEFERN. But what is even more curious it is the name of certain holders of these strongholds. One thus finds a stronghold of NIEFERN on the subject of which it is specified: “Die von Nifern sind eines Stamm put den von Dürmenz…” and further “MARQUARD von NIEFERN, awkward von Würgeltal wird 1345-1352 erwähnt…”. This text of 1386 still specifies: “Diz sint die Guter, die ich Ernst von Giltingen zu lehen von der Herrschaft zu Eberstein, die C gewesen sint MARQUARTZ sùn (wire) von WURGENTAL…”.

By considering at which time is located these events and where orthography of the names was not fixed but evolved/moved according to the scribe, one can imagine that all the forms of the name of MARKWART met above have the same etymology: - the MARK root evokes the border, - WART means guard from where MARKWART, frontier guard. - this name is also the diminutive of a first name and the German encyclopedias give following equivalence: MARKWART = MARQUART = MARCUS and also MERKLEN, MARKLA which would like to say small MARQUART.

Is MARKWART von NUFAR, our Edelknecht of 1345 the same one as that quoted in the text of 1386 about the strongholds of Eberstein and is this RUTLIEB, middle-class man of Neuenburg which founded the branch of Niffer Outre-Rhin?

NUEFER of Mulhouse .

From 1396, one finds a family of NUEFER in Mulhouse and one can suppose that the founder of the Mulhousian line was HENMAN (HANS) NUEFER, middle-class man, listed in 1396 and 1406 like witness of sale contracts.

The NUEFER of Mulhouse (which one finds several forms such as Nüfer, Nuofer, Nifer, Nuffer) thus go back to the 14th century and died out in this city at the beginning of the 18th century. One can however believe that the family emigrated at that time in Sundgau because about 1892 one finds NUEFER with Walbach and Kembs. Nowadays, one finds in Mulhouse of the NUEFFER and the NUFFER. NUFER are also present in great number through all the German-speaking Switzerland, in particular in Basle.

The name appears to be rather widespread, because among the middle-class received NUEFER that report one and other Bürgerbücher manuscripts of the files, appear NICOLAS NUFER of Stein amndt Rhein which was allowed in 1595.

In 1500, a chatror of pigs of Gottlieben in Thurgovie, Jacob NUFER asked for the permission of intervene itself in order to help his wife to be confined. The unhappy wife of Jacob NUFER, in work since long hours, could not be delivered in spite of the efforts of thirteen midwives and some lithotomists. Two midwives and the lithotomists lent to him hand-strong. NUFER closed the door of the room of the paturiente, requested lengthily, placed his wife on the table and the abdomen opened to him. The incision was made so skilfully that the child was extracted from a blow, without wounds. When the eleven midwives remained outside heard the cries of the baby, they wanted to enter. NUFER allowed them only when the child had been washed and that the incision had been sutured with the manner of the veterinary surgeons.

On another side one finds in a register of the deaths JACOB NUEFER of Mülebach in Thurgovie, dead on September 12th, 1755 at the 34 years age. Lastly, at the 16th century lived in Nördlingen in Bavaria NüFFER JACOB.

According to Ernest Meininger, it is certainly the village of Niffer which gave its name to the NUEFER of Mulhouse; indeed, much of old Mulhousian families took kind their name of their city or village of origin. It quotes among that which is extinct, in particular the HAGENBACH, LAUTERBURG, PFIRDTER, SCHLETSTADT, SCHLIERBACH, SPECHBACH etc

The dead end of the Shearers, close to the Carry-Young person in Mulhouse, bore the name of NUFFERGASSE originally, then that of Sanct-Urbangasse. In 1482, HANNS NUEFER, Burgmestre of Mulhouse probably remained there. This one, already listed in 1453 as alderman, figure on the table of the room of the Council of the Mulhousian Town hall which takes again the blazons of the successive Mayors of the city.

FRITSCHIN NUEFER, which is the father of Hans Burgmestre, is quoted of 1405 to 1418 while its other wire, HEITZIN appears in Gewerfsbuch in 1462 and 1489. This one had itself a son, LIENHART which appears only in 1489 and JACQUES, the only one who was called NIFER, lived in 1559-1560.

Burgmestre had three wire:

- STEFFAN, which is mentioned of 1489 to 1525 for the size and which, like member of the tribe of the Farmers, votes in 1506 in favor of alliance with Basle. In 1858, during the demolition of the Holy church Etienne of Mulhouse, were updated mural paintings and inscriptions; one of these last had milked with the foundation of a lamp with perpetuity by Steffan NUEFER. - HEINRICH, is quoted of 1489 to 1500, while his/her brother - CRISTEN is of 1489 to 1513.

The son of this last, CRISTEN, figure in 1515 in the Mulhousian quota which made the countryside of the Milanese. He was member of the tribe of the Farmers and discharges the size of 1521 to 1531.

HANS, probably the son of STEFFAN, is noted in Gewerfsbuch for the payment of the size of 1521 to 1531 also.

This one had itself three wire: - HANS, shoe-maker, middle-class receipt in 1588, had as a woman Apolline WEBER, and had of them several children who had to die in low age. It was Zunftmestre of the tribe of the Butchers of 1574 to 1589, year when he became member of the Council, and died after 1617. - STEFFAN, tailor, was allowed with the middle-class in 1590 and had as a wife Anne ZIMMERMANN - MATHIS, middle-class receipt in 1595, married in first weddings Marguerite BRINCKEL, which gave him a son, MATHIS the young person who follows; in second weddings on January 13rd, 1623, it had as a wife Salome SCHWERTFEGER who gave him a girl. It had one of the detached houses surrounded by fields which rose in the vicinity of the rural vault Saint-Sebastien located on the limit of the banns of Mulhouse and Riedisheim.

His son, MATHIS the young person, middle-class man on November 3rd, 1617, had his first woman, Elisabeth SCHAMSER, nine children including two wire which follow. He was Zunftmestre in 1660, remaria on July 30th, 1666 with Anne KRüSIN and died the following year.

MATHIS, metal worker, middle-class receipt on May 14th, 1655, took for woman Barbe GEYELIN. On five children, three girls alone survived. He died on April 4th, 1690. His/her brother, JEAN-THIEBAUT, landlord of the Moon, register as middle-class on January 29th, 1666 which is the date of its marriage with Catherine STEINBACH, died in 1682, by forsaking eight children, whose only one son on five arrived at the adulthood, that is to say

MATHIS, born in 1681. It is with the latter, registered voter in Bürgerbuch under dated January 15th, 1707, which one loses the trace of the family; Mathis does not appear in the register of the marriages, nor later with that of the deaths, from where the proof of its emigration quite naturally seems to rise.

Are these NUEFER of Mulhouse descendants of noble of Niffer? Nothing makes it possible to affirm it, but it is necessary however to raise the following points which, while leaving their possible relationship in the field of the assumptions, plead in favor of the possible one.

We saw that the founder of the Mulhousian line was HENMAN, first name also interprets by HANS, which would be originating in the village of Niffer about 1396, middle-class man of Mulhouse and witness of sale contracts.

We also saw that in 1422, a noble family member of NUFAR was destined for functions in Mannesgericht of the Margrave de Bade and that this one bore also the name of HANS. Would these two HANS be a single character who before taking his functions with the Country of Bade, would have settled in Mulhouse between 1396 and 1422?

It also should be noted that at the time where happen these facts, the inhabitants of Mulhouse were divided into several classes which did not have the same statute. Only the noble ones, the patricians and some rare privileged had conquered the title and the quality of Middle-class man (burgenses, cives). The craftsmen, small farmers, wine growers and other drapers were not middle-class. At the end of the 14th century, these classes infiltrated little by little in the middle-class, but only the noble ones and the patricians could belong to the Council of the city and cover loads.

MERKLEN of Thann, descendants of MERKELIN von NUFAR .

According to a recent study, the MERKLEN of Thann would be descendants of MERKELIN von NUFAR, knight of Ensisheim. After checking, we think that a bad interpretation of the complicated genealogy of the various families von HUS is at the base of an error on this subject and we will thus give here this genealogy only for information:

MERKELIN, wire of MERKELIN, knight of Ensisheim would have married with Engelburga von HUS about 1350 and would have had a son MERKELIN WIGHERR von HUS who would have married itself with Sophie of RUEST. Their son, MERKELIN says “Achtstädtefeind”, would have married Ottilia Wielin von WIENEDEN and they would have had in their turn a son, JOHANNE MERKELIN which would be the ancestor of the MERKLEN of Thann.

However according to our own research, on the one hand the marriage between MERKELIN von NUFAR and Engelburga von HUS is not sure, with the result that if MERKELIN WIGHERR von HUS is well the son of Engelburga, it is perhaps not that of MERKELIN, and on the other hand, MERKELIN says “Achtstädtefeind” is not the son of MERKELIN WIGHERR von HUS, but the son of its cousin HUG von HUS. According to the work " Niffer, a past, a histoire" 1995 Raymond Weigel

See too

Common of Haut-Rhin
Niefern, hamlet of Uhrwiller in the the Low-Rhine

External bonds

Niffer on the site of the national geographical Institute
Niffer on the site of INSEE
life in Mulhouse
Niffer on the site of Quid
Localization of Niffer on a chart of France and communes bordering
Plane on Niffer on Mapquest
site of Niffer
Old images of Niffer
work: Niffer, a past, a history

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