130 years ago a tragedy occurred in Tannenberg.
Seven children of the Spöttel family died within a few days.
The village history working group would like to remember the events.
Tannenberg
- "And I'll be a hundred, and I'll be more, I'll never forget the one!"
A month in which seven of his younger siblings died of an insidious disease called diphtheria.
Because of the current relationships between topic and time, the Burggen working group on village history has now - 130 years later - taken up the events again and dedicated one of its windows to the "tragedy of the Spöttel family", explains Bruno Faller.
While the village community center is being built, the working group is housed in the former building of the Kreissparkasse.
Those interested can read Carl Spöttel's moving accounts there.
Carl Spöttel described the tragic events
He was the second oldest child and at the critical time in a teacher training course in Landsberg.
In December 1890, for Christmas, he had visited his parents and nine siblings.
His father picked him up at the Schongau train station and "told me to my horror that the sore throat had broken out in Tannenberg", Carl Spöttel looks back in the old newspaper report.
But at that time the family was still doing well.
They even had a small Christmas tree for the first time, which the younger siblings in particular enjoyed.
During this Christmas party, however, the mother spoke “melancholy words” that Carl remembered deeply because of the following events: “How will it be next year?
Are we all still together like today? ”She said.
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Death picture for seven children of the Spöttel family.
© Private
Then, shortly after Carl had traveled back to Landsberg, “doom crept into my father's house”. He received news that all of his siblings were gradually falling ill with diphtheria, as the parents cared for their children until they were exhausted, every half hour Gave medicine - and yet were powerless.
Bad news from Tannenberg reached Carl Spöttel
“Meanwhile I had terrible days in Landsberg.
Days of fear and anxiety on the one hand, and hoping and bitter waiting on the other.
Often I thought that I could no longer bear the unknown, I wanted to get up and away, home, home! ”Describes Carl.
And in retrospect he was glad that his teacher prevented him from returning to Tannenberg during this time.
On January 23, 1891 he received the first bad news of the death of his sisters Theres and Maria.
It should continue like this for the next few days.
By January 30, seven of the ten siblings had died.
Solitary funerals followed.
Carl did not return home to his family until Easter.
“I found my poor parents old,” he reported.
Two brothers survived the disease but were still marked by it.
“Joseph labored with two crutches;
Adalbert saw everything twice, and his pronunciation was almost incomprehensible. ”Even years later, Carl saw the blue crosses on the family grave in front of him, even if meanwhile“ a simple marble stone announced the terrible tragedy of the Spöttel family to the visitor ”.
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Those interested can read the history of the Spöttel family in a window belonging to the Village History Working Group in Burggen.
© Private
The village community working group in Burggen recalls the tragedy
Three big windows
the working group Dorfgemeinschaft Burggen uses its current accommodation in the outbuilding of the former Hutter restaurant for exhibitions.
While one can read the story of the Spöttel family, another is dedicated to the house name of Burggen.
In the third window you can see a certificate that the former mayor Michael Faller received from all local associations on January 16, 1974 for his 25th anniversary with the company.
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