Grimms of Heigenbrucken- a grim story
I wanted to find more about Heigenbrucken and this family page came up.I hope one of you, or someone you know, can help solve a family mystery that is a couple centuries old!My grandfather "Opa" was Emil Otto Grimm (b. 27 October, 1905 in Mannheim).
He related the following true story to my mother, Anneliese, who was born in Ludwigshafen (on the Rhein, 28 Dec, 1930.)
His father Quirin Grimm (b. 25 March, 1867 in Heigenbrucken) told the story to him and so follows the mystery.Here is the story:
In the early 1800s Heigenbrucken had a town sheppard.He was a good and faithful sheppard who led his town's flock into the mountains in the summer for grazing and back into the town for warmth and protection in Winter.One year this sheppard fell deeply in love
with a girl and asked the mayor (Bugermeister) for her hand in marriage.The Burgermeister made all crucial decisions for Heigenbrucken and its individuals.He asked the young couple to wait until a suitable sheppard was found. The following year the sheppard asked to marry her again.
Once again, he was denied.Year after year the response was the same, so they married in secret. Children were born into the family and the marriage was not a secret after that.The sheppard wanted to stay home with his love and have the marriage be
legal in the town record, for the church to record it etc.One winter he again pleaded with the Burgermeister.His plea fell on deaf ears and a hard heart."You fool!" said the Burgermeister."Can't you see I never intended for you to marry?You are the best, most faithful sheppard we have ever had in Heigenbrucken! Go out and tend the flock!"The Mayor's word was law and so the sheppard obeyed... or so it seemed.
In the morning, the entire flock was found slaughtered, right down to the youngest lamb
born that spring.The sheppard was sought out and imprisoned.Now here is the mystery-
this sheppard was either Quirin's own father or his grandfather, Englert Aloys.Quirin's mother was Christine Grimm (b. 25 March 1828)
No husband named.Christine's parents were Englert Aloys and Marta Grimm ( both born abt. 1800) all of Heigenbrucken.I need some one to go back and search the town's prison or sanitorium records.I was born in Detroit MI and have no way of getting to Germany any time soon so if any one of you are going to Heigenbrucken to do research, please search for me and send documentation.The story is true.My Opa passed away 25 years ago and my mother does not know if the sheppard was Christine's huband or Marta's. Thank you for your time,
-Liesa [email protected]
PS maybe Christine's husband was a Bollmann?