Hermann Lei (local history researcher)

Hermann Lei (born October 8, 1910 in Langdorf ; † January 18, 2006 in Berg ) was a Swiss teacher and local historian .

Life

Hermann Lei's father, Adolf Lei, came from a Berneck family that was mainly active in the construction industry. His grandfather Jacob Lei came to Thurgau from the Rhine Valley in 1870 . Hermann Lei attended primary and secondary school in Romanshorn , where his parents had moved. From 1927 to 1931 he attended the Kreuzlingen teacher training college .

After a vicariate in Steckborn , he was elected to the Berg Oberschule in spring 1932 (grade 4–8). Hermann Lei also worked in Berg as organist and conductor of the Protestant church choir and the men's choir. On October 8, 1935, he married Hedwig Schweizer von Arbon, who was a lower school teacher in Berg. His son Hermann was born on April 25, 1937 .

Although Hermann Lei came into contact with pacifist currents during his seminar, he did military service and in 1935 achieved the rank of sergeant. Since he recognized the danger posed by National Socialist Germany early on, he became involved in the so-called "Voluntary Border Guard". He performed his active service on the train from Amédée Munz, Bischofszell .

In the spring of 1952 he was appointed teacher for the final classes in Weinfelden. There he was committed to building the upper school and introducing early French.

In 1969 he took over the management of the Weinfelden citizens' archive . He also worked as a local historian, a passion that he followed, especially after retiring as a teacher in 1976. Over 50 publications (newspaper articles, anniversary publications, books) are the result of his pen. He reported on the history of his village in guided tours and lectures.

For his main work Weinfelden, the story of a Thurgau village , but also "in recognition of the services to the well-being of our community", as the local council and citizen administration wrote, he was granted honorary citizenship of Weinfelden in 1983 . In 2000 he received the culture award from the canton of Thurgau.

Fonts (selection)

• History and stories about Weinfelder houses and squares. Weinfelden 1974.
• 150 years of Weinfelden men's choir, 1827–1977. Festschrift for the 150th anniversary of the Weinfelden men's choir. Weinfelden 1977.
• Thurgau customs. With drawings by Victor Leugger. Weinfelden 1977.
• The military readiness in the Landgraviate of Thurgau . In: Thurgauer Jahrbuch , Vol. 52, 1977, pp. 61-105. ( e-periodica.ch )
• Evangelical Weinfelden. A look back. History of the Evangelical Church Community in Weinfelden. Weinfelden 1978.
• Ottoberg and his Schlössli. Published on the day of inauguration April 30, 1977. [Weinfelden 1978].
• From the vineyards "grapes" . In: Thurgauer Jahrbuch , Vol. 54, 1979, pp. 9-20. ( e-periodica.ch )
• Hans Heinrich Bolthauser . In: Thurgauer Jahrbuch , Vol. 57, 1982, pp. 84-99. ( e-periodica.ch )
• Weinfelden. The story of a Thurgau village. Weinfelden 1983.
• Dr. med. Elias Haffter. District doctor and father of a singer, 1803–1861. Diary 1844–1853. Arranged by Carl Haffter and Hermann Lei. 2 vols. Frauenfeld 1985.
• The "Single Associations". Boyhoods in Thurgau. In: Thurgauer Jahrbuch 1985 , pp. 32–51.
• Vineyards that made history. Weinfelden 1997.

literature

• Lei: «Definitely my last work». In: Thurgauer Zeitung , December 8, 1997, p. 9.
• 90 years - and not a bit tired. In: Thurgauer Zeitung , October 7, 2000, p. 18.
• «Me taar em nöd ales believe». In: Thurgauer Tagblatt , December 3, 2004, p. 53.
• "Our ancestors wrote better". In: Thurgauer Zeitung , May 7, 2005, p. [25].

Obituaries

• Thurgauer Zeitung , January 20, 2006, p. 25.
• Thurgauer Zeitung , January 28, 2006, p. 5.
• Thurgauer Tagblatt , January 21, 2006, p. 49.