Joseph Hoser

Joseph Höser , often wrongly Josef Höser , (born September 13, 1890 in Erbendorf , † May 9, 1935 in Regensburg ) was a teacher, local history researcher and chronicler.

Life

Childhood and youth

Joseph Höser was born on September 13, 1890, the illegitimate son of the sacristan Karl Gustav Hör and Anna Höser. Anna Höser raised Joseph and his older sister Maria on their own, but he spent most of his childhood with his maternal grandmother, Anna Scharf, widowed Höser. Since Anna Höser was a single parent and had to provide for herself and the children through her job as a cook, the upbringing of little Joseph, as well as his sister Maria, was in the first years of his life with his grandmother, who also made him a Catholic raised her death. Joseph Höser heard from her first stories and stories from times past. These have had a lasting impact on him.

Early mother's death

At the age of fourteen, Höser lost his mother, who died on July 16, 1904 at the age of only 50. After her death, his older sister Maria Höser, who earned her living as a seamstress, worried about him. The two lived in a small room in the Reichold house, at today's Pfarrgasse 16 am Mühlbühl in Erbendorf.

School and study

After attending the elementary school in Erbendorf from 1896 to 1900, he switched to the grammar school in Weiden , which he left in 1909 with the Abitur. When he was in high school, Höser lived in a student hostel in Weiden. Höser was able to complete his studies at the teacher training college in Amberg in January 1911.

He spent his free time in his hometown of Erbendorf. In the summer months he was often seen in the neighboring gardens with Johann Rupprecht and the Baierl family in Pfarrgasse, where he was recovering from his studies. Höser had a particularly friendly relationship with Johann Rupprecht, a respected master shoemaker.

Rupprecht lived with his family in a so-called "Tripfhäuserl" on the corner of Pfarrgasse and Spitalgasse (today Spitalgasse 1). In addition to his shoe trade, Rupprecht, like his entire family, was musically versed. And he was a so-called “handicraft poet” - Höser himself wrote a report about this Johann Rupprecht under the title A handicraft poet (1919).

Profession and first local history research

From February 15, 1911, after successfully completing his studies, his first assignment was Tirschenreuth as an "assistant teacher". His research into his homeland began when the master shoemaker Johann Rupprecht showed him a historical note about Erbendorf in 1913. There were two documents. One was from the year 1835, recorded by Pastor Karl Phillip Koller from Fichtelberg , the second document came from the Amberg high school professor JG Hubmann (1849).

For Höser, these documents gave cause to research more closely, as the documents were not complete. To find out more, Höser rummaged through the files of old Erbendorf town houses, the city registry, and the Catholic and Protestant parish archives. He insisted on talking to old citizens of Erbendorf about old times. In this way, for example, he received the Erbendorfer Nachwächtergesänge from Mrs. Dilling . For his work, Höser found the support of the mayor, the city council, the district office in Kemnath and above all the citizens of Erbendorf.

After Höser had sifted through the archives of parish offices, forestry and community administrations in Erbendorf and the surrounding area and no new material could be found, he turned to the state archives in Amberg and Munich, to state libraries in Regensburg and Munich .

Nor did his research stand still when he was promoted and transferred. With effect from November 16, 1914, Höser was promoted to "school administrator" at the school in Tirschenreuth. During this time he wrote his essays The former Tirschenreuther Schloss , The Tirschenreuther Fischhof and Remembrance of the Distribution of Fish . The story about the nailing of the Cham war landmark came into being after he was transferred to the royal preparatory school in Cham on November 16, 1915 as a school administrator .

For Joseph Höser, sifting through the documents from the state archives turned out to be difficult because he was not always able to undertake the long journeys.

The solution was to have the documents requested from the state archives in Cham by his pastor, Pastor Seidl. So Höser could go through the files in peace in the rectory. This procedure of "transferring documents" to church facilities or institutions was common in earlier times, as the archives could assume that the files at these facilities were treated with care and of course returned in full. Joseph Höser also did this at his later place of residence in Regensburg. Here the files also went to the parish office of the residence.

marriage

On August 3, 1915, Joseph Höser married Fraulein Karoline Bogner from Erbendorf. The Bogners ran a pastry shop on the Lower Market in Erbendorf. The father was a district chimney sweeper. Caroline's mother was born Lang. Your ancestors come from the Mittelmühle near Thumsenreuth . The church and civil wedding took place in Erbendorf. From this marriage the four daughters Anna (1916), Erna (1921), Theresia (1925) and Maria (1928) emerged.

illness

Shortly after his wedding, Höser was called up to Grafenwöhr during the First World War . Here he fell ill with rheumatism , as a result of which Höser had to struggle with a heart valve defect that accompanied him throughout his life. For this reason he was discharged from military service after a short time and a little later went to Cham with his wife Karolina (nickname Lina), where he was already a teacher. This emerges from a "certified copy of October 5, 1943 from the birth register of the registry office Cham No. 56", from which it can be seen that he was two days after the birth of his first child, Anna Maria Karolina Höser (born November 7th 1916), on November 9, 1916, reported the birth of his daughter for the issuance of a birth certificate. This copy already identifies him as a teacher. At that time in Cham he could only have been an employed teacher without civil servant status.

Because, after he was promoted to elementary school teacher with effect from October 1, 1918, he was transferred to Regensburg to the elementary school on the Holy Cross, or "Cross School" for short. He was employed at this school all his further life. On January 1, 1920, he was promoted to main teacher at the Kreuzschule. In 1918 the Höser family in Regensburg first moved to the Danube island "Oberer Wöhrd", on the 3rd floor of the residential building Müllerstrasse 1, with a view over the Danube to the famous postcard view, stone bridge with salt barn and cathedral. Due to his nervous disease and the associated claustrophobia, the elementary school teacher Höser was initially unable to get from Oberen Wöhrd to the Kreuzschule on his own. His wife Karolina, always called Lina, had to walk him to school every morning and then back home from school. From time to time helpful colleagues or students found themselves and accompanied him. It didn't go on like this any longer. The Dominican Sisters of the Holy Cross Monastery in Regensburg had their monastery opposite the Kreuzschule and at that time taught strictly only the girls' classes with so-called "school sisters" in the Kreuzschule. The elementary school teacher Höser soon had such a good reputation with these sisters because of his religious, strict and family-friendly way of life that they entrusted him with one or the other class of girls when there was a lack of nurses due to illnesses. You have to keep in mind that at that time girls and boys classes in the school building of the Kreuzschule were strictly separated by locked doors. Through these favors to the school sisters, Joseph Höser gained a great reputation and trust and also got into conversation with the then sister superior "Columba". As a result, Joseph Höser was able to get a vacant apartment very quickly in one of the apartment buildings of the monastery on the 2nd floor of Stahlzwingerweg 10 and moved there very quickly. This resolved the unfortunate matter of the official channels he had dreaded. He lived in this apartment until his premature death.

Local history research

At his new place of residence in Regensburg, Höser was also a founding member of the "Association of Erbendorfer in Regensburg". He was also a member of the Historical Association for the Upper Palatinate and Regensburg . In addition to his teaching post and his family, his research often kept him busy until late at night. This work also burdened him financially, as a lot of travel expenses were incurred. Remember that Höser, who lives in Regensburg, was the editor of the Heimatfest in Erbendorf. He was often on the way between Erbendorf and Regensburg for many weekends and the only means of transport available here was the train. It led from Regensburg via Weiden to Reuth near Erbendorf and then with the " Erbendorfer Bockl " to his hometown. As a result of this additional burden, his health gradually began to suffer. Setbacks in the printing of the Chronicle between 1923 and 1925 severely affected his nerves. Slowly a nervous ailment added to the heart condition.

In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Joseph Höser and his wife Karoline went on many vacation visits to Bavaria and Austria in order to recover from their health. Holiday destinations were the Stubai Valley in Tyrol , Maria Waldrast near Deutsch Matrei , Neustift , Fügen , Maria Eck and many more.

Sometimes he took his children with him on vacation or during this time they spent the holidays in Erbendorf with their grandmother Anna Bogner in Erbendorf. Postcards from this period bear witness to this.

Höser writes on a card that he feels better in the mountains than in Regensburg. That may have been due to the fresh air and beautiful nature. He wrote many cards with humor to his daughter Erna with the following addressee: "Ernerl" or "Hauptlehrerstöchterlein".

Articles and texts for the magazine Die Oberpfalz and the Regensburger Anzeiger kept Höser busy after his great work History of the City of Erbendorf .

As a loving family man, he was always available for his family. The whole family often visited their hometown of Erbendorf, where Bogner's grandmother lived. Joseph Höser had kept a diary for each of his children, in which he entered all incidents and events that affected the respective daughter. Höser wanted to give these diaries to his daughters on their 21st birthday. However, he could not complete the project - his death came before him.

Höser received his last promotion with effect from February 1, 1929 as main teacher.

During a visit to the Höser family in Regensburg, Joseph Höser's sister Maria died of pneumonia at the age of 52. Most recently she was employed as a parsonage in Marienheim near Neuburg / Donau .

In January 1935 he fell ill with the flu, which confined him to bed for a long time. There was also a phlebitis . At the end of April 1935 he was allowed to get out of bed for the first time. However, from lying in bed for a long time, pneumonia caught up with him, which resulted in his quick death from an embolism on the night of May 8th to 9th. At the age of only 44, Joseph Höser died on the night of May 9, 1935 on the second floor of his apartment, Stahlzwingerweg 10, in Regensburg. The bedroom in which he died are the 3 corner windows on the 2nd floor, one of which faces the Kreuzschenke beer garden and two windows face the Stahlzwingerweg. Joseph Höser passed away that night lying in the marriage bed on the left side of the bed next to his beloved wife Lina, who woke up from the rattle caused by the pulmonary embolism. According to her statements to the grandson Günter Busbach, son of her eldest daughter Annemarie, death occurred very suddenly. His wife Lina remained absolutely loyal to her husband Joseph until her own death.

The popularity of Joseph Höser was shown by the large number of people attending the funeral. In addition to many school classes who said goodbye to their teacher, a large group of teachers was also present. The participation was also evident. This is how cathedral dean Dr. Reichenberger, Vicar General Dr. Höcht, University Director Dr. Heidingsfelder, cooperators of the Herz-Jesu parish, city pastor Master of St. Wolfgang and many, many others.

No music accompanied him on his last walk. In a newspaper obituary, however, this was beautifully paraphrased:

“... No loud music accompanied main teacher Höser on his last course. And yet there was music around this endlessly long train of those who suffered: the music of spring, which has now entered nature in full roar; the music from the throats of the birds that populate the cemetery; the music from grateful hearts that were devoted to the fading and the music of the prayer that was said for him on the long way to the grave ... "

Pastor Stöcklein gave an obituary that went to the heart. District school councilor Held spoke on behalf of the city school authorities. Höser's senior teacher Meidinger paid tribute to his colleagues from the Kreuzschule.

Senior Student Councilor Dr. Mayr. Ponnath spoke for the “Heimatverein der Erbendorfer in Regensburg”. The obituary by the mayor of Erbendorf, Heinrich Tretter, concluded.

Höser's friend Michael Lassleben from Kallmünz published an obituary for the great local researcher in the journal Die Oberpfalz in 1935 .

Höser's grave can still be seen in the Upper Cemetery in Regensburg today. There he is buried with his wife who died in 1978.

The creation of the chronicle

When the manuscript for Höser's chronicle was finished in 1923, Höser started looking for a publisher. At that time, the Erbendorf parish priest Heigl published the church gazette for the Catholic parish of Erbendorf . He agreed to print the chronicle as a supplement to the church gazette. The history of the city of Erbendorf thus appeared for the first time as a supplement to the church journal once a week.

Unfortunately, the church gazette ceased its publication for cost reasons. It was an uncertain time. Inflation in Germany reached its peak by autumn 1923. By then, 48 pages of the chronicle had been printed as a supplement. Höser had lost his first publisher.

During 1924 Johann Scheuerer, owner of the “Volkshausdruckerei” in Erbendorf, suggested that Höser's work be published as a book. Scheuerer, who had his print shop in the Volkshaus, where the small hall is located in today's Kolping House in Pfarrgasse, was the editor of the Erbendorfer Volksbote at the time .

Scheurer agreed to print the chronicle. The city of Erbendorf accommodated Joseph Höser by providing the necessary paper for printing free of charge. The circulation was based on the firm orders that were published in magazines and newspapers. These were necessary in order to be able to survive the pressure financially. A “paperback” book cost 5 marks, a “bound” book 6.50 marks.

The plan was to print and deliver the chronicle based on the firm orders after the 1924 Heimatfest.

The chronicle printing under Scheuerer could not be carried out because Johann Scheuerer died after 64 pages. This dealt another severe blow to Joseph Höser, which also affected his health.

After negotiations with Scheuerer's father, who also owned a printing shop in Augsburg, he agreed to continue the printing process. Some time passed - he had not yet printed a single page - when Scheuerer withdrew from his offer because of the great financial risks.

Joseph Höser also suffered greatly from this major setback. But in his need, the Erbendorf town councilors Hans Schiffmann and Albert Fichtner came to his aid. Through her mediation, the city council in Erbendorf was ready to take the financial risk of pressure.

The city also contributed to half of the image printing costs, the other part was able to do so through advertising measures in Erbendorf and with Erbendorf compatriots in the distance, as well as from surrounding communities such as Siegritz, Altenstadt (this is today's Erbendorf district of Altenstadt), Gössenreuth and Wildenreuth, the Evang. and Catholic parish, associations, companies and especially Erbendorf citizens are covered. The publisher was the Oberpfalz-Verlag, Michael Laßleben in Kallmünz .

Printing could finally begin in 1925. In 1926 it was completed. The greatest expense arose from the numerous pictures in the chronicle. For each picture a so-called "wayside shrine" had to be made for printing.

Among the citizens, especially those whose properties were included as a photograph in the chronicle donated. And there were quite a few.

Höser was able to win over his friend Hanns Schultes, a painter from Munich, to decorate the book. Without exception, Schultes created the pen drawings on the basis of photos. The numerous photographs were taken by the photographers Johann Hösl from Krummennaab , Andreas Rasp from Erbendorf, Spahn from Grafenwöhr (Incidentally , Spahn "shot" many numerous photos for the 1924 Heimatfest), Krämer from Mitterteich and Götz from Straubing .

In addition to Schultes, there were several pen drawings by Albert Reich , also a painter in Munich, and a sketch by Johann Brunner, director of studies in Cham.

Correcting the book was a big task for Höser. Höser couldn't possibly do this alone. He got support from Dominicans of the monastery of St. Cross in Regensburg and from the poor school sisters in Erbendorf, here especially from Superior M. Caesaria Brandl. The teacher Betty Herget, senior teacher JB Lassleben in Kallmünz, publisher Michael Laßleben and above all his wife Karoline met him.

After the ups and downs until the chronicle was even printed, the extensive proofreading, Joseph Höser was particularly pleased when he received the news that the city council, by resolution of August 5, 1925, declared that his picture should be added to the front page.

The 1926 edition was quickly sold out. Every family guarded the book like no other. At that time there was no comparable book in all of Bavaria that described the history and development of a place in such detail.

The uniqueness of this book allows it to go into more detail:

The book has a total of 542 pages. As already mentioned, the portrait of Höser was added later, as the printing had already started when the city council decided. On page Roman III is the author's dedication:

In adoration and gratitude to the

Dedicated to the municipality of Erbendorf

from the author

His five-page preface begins with the words:

"Love and admiration for my hometown Erbendorf
wrote this book!"

The book contains 54 chapters on the history of Erbendorf, which Höser has compiled over ten years of self-sacrificing work. The capitals are loosened up with 141 drawings, maps and photos, which are indicated at the beginning of the book in the picture index with the authors.

Höser put a lot of effort into creating a subject and person register. In alphabetical order, he recorded all the names and place names that were used with the respective page number.

The last sentence of the chronicler in the chronicle concerns the mining in Erbendorf. Höser notes: “After the mining chapter had already been printed, I received the good news that the mine had found a well-funded company that would put it back into operation. Good luck for!"

Joseph Höser's work

In his historical work, it was his endeavor to present the events truthfully, without political or denominational statements.

In his chronological works he was always guided by a poem by the poet August Sperl:

Dip your pen in caution, chronicler,
and stand high above your work!
Writing a chronicle means exercising the office of judge.
Therefore remember that you must one day give an account of
each of your judgments!
The generations that have fought and suffered
when one century has risen from the other
remain when one generation after another has sunk
in the dust of centuries.

Höser published the results of his more than ten years of research as short reports and articles in newspapers and magazines. Extensive reports were in the Regensburger Anzeiger and above all in the monthly newspaper Die Oberpfalz (Verlag Michael Lassleben, Kallmünz).

Its first publication in this home magazine appeared in the 8th year 1914 under the title Der Bergbau bei Erbendorf .

In the following his articles in the journal Die Oberpfalz with indication of the year / year and the corresponding page number:

• "The mining near Erbendorf" 8./1914, page 9
• “King Wenceslas Visit to Erbendorf 1383” 8./1914, page 83
• "Spottverschen" 8./1914, page 151
• “The former Tirschenreuth Castle” 8./1914, page 198
• “The Marian column in Erbendorf” 9./1915, page 35
• “The Tirschenreuther Fischhof” 9./1915, page 70
• “Memory of the Distribution of Fish” 9/1915, page 74
• “Superstition and War” 10/1916, page 12
• “Nailing of the Cham war landmark” 10./1916, page 72
• “Nailing of the war landmark in Erbendorf” 10./1916, page 119
• “Legends about the beneficiary Weißbach” 10./1916, page 173
• "Max Reger's ancestors" 11./1917, page 30
• "The Pesthaus zu Erbendorf" 12./1918, page 100
• "Der Grenzsteinverrücker" 12./1918, page 39
• “Vom Hoi-Mannl” 12/1918, page 107
• “Braiding again in horses” 12./1918, page 137
• "From spinning and rocking rooms in the Upper Palatinate" 13./1919, page 24
• "A craft poet" 13./1919, page 32
• “The Judengasse in Erbendorf” 13./1919, page 187
• "Der Leichtrunk" 13./1919, page 189
• " Johann Georg Bäumler - a poet from Upper Palatinate" 16./1922, page 162
• “The great conflagration in Erbendorf” 17./1923, page 116
• "Papa Beck" 21./1927, page 153
• "Upper Palatinate ancestors of the poet Friedrich von Schiller" 22./1928, page 134
• "The old mountain town of Erbendorf and its surroundings" 23/1929, page 127
• “For princely favor and grace” 24./1930, page 70
• “Exceptionally hot summers” 27./1933, page 131
• "Upper Palatinate Easter Customs" 30./1936, page 109
• “Der Thama mit'n Hamma” 40./1952, page 231

Some of these reports were the basis for the "History of the City of Erbendorf". Some of them have been completely adopted or incorporated into larger contexts.

In addition to these local history amounts, Joseph Höser published the "History of the Siegritz Knight Festival and its Hofmark" as a printed work in 1920. It was published in the Ponnath printing house in Erbendorf.

He describes the following topics:

• "Oldest, general history of our area"
• "Siegritz as a country estate"
• "Siegritz as a knight or man's fief"
• "Siegritz as an allodial, independent manor"
• "The castle and the manorial property"
• "The relationship between rulers and subjects"
• "Church-religious conditions"
• "History of the community of Siegritz"

In another appendix he wrote about the submerged town of Schnepfenreuth near Neuhaus / Waldnaab (now Windischeschenbach ) and about the hero table in honor of the fallen in World War I in 1914/18 from Siegritz.

Höser donated the original manuscript and the associated sources to the “Historical Association for Regensburg and the Upper Palatinate”. This note is noted in the epilogue “History of the Siegritz Knight Festival”. The original manuscript is dated to 1917.

Höser was not only interested in historical connections. He also enjoyed nature and wrote about it. His second work, the Upper Palatinate Folk Medicine, was written on this subject in 1921 . This booklet was not published in Erbendorf, but by his friend Michael Lassleben in Kallmünz.

In 1922 there was an edition on the "History of the Mittelmühle bei Erbendorf". Also published and printed by Michael Lassleben in Kallmünz.

Joseph Höser had a special relationship with Mittelmühle. Not only did the ancestors of his maternal wife Karoline descend from Mittelmühle, but Höser's ancestors on his mother's side also married into the Lang's. One of Lang's offspring, Johann Lang, was a miller in Rodenzenreuth (born July 2, 1657, died April 20, 1728) and married to Barbara Wopperer, miller's daughter from Trevesen (marriage November 14, 1684). Their son Johann Math. Lang was the first Lang at Mittelmühle by marrying Anna Margaret Käs von Mittelmühl, whose descendant is still the owner of the Mittelmühle today under the name Lang. Höser's grandmother, Anna Scharf, née Wopperer, also comes from the Wopperer family.

The married couple Joseph and Karoline had the same ancestors with Johann and Barbara Lang, née Wopperer. Höser noted this fact in the family tree of the Lang family in the published text on page 15 under the symbol **).

Furthermore, the history of the mill and its owners, the land and court rule, happy times and the mill in bad times are told in this booklet. Höser added two pen drawings by his friend Hanns Schultes, a painter in Munich, to the 16-page work.

With "Erbendorf during the World War", meaning the First World War, Höser wrote a three hundred-page manuscript about the time of the war in Erbendorf. The richly illustrated work is in the town book of the city of Erbendorf (archive). It was created in 1922/23.

At the Heimatfest from July 26 to August 3, 1924, Joseph Höser was the editor and therefore responsible for the content of the festschrift.

At the festival, at which the city of Erbendorf celebrated its 800th anniversary, the gymnastics club its 30th and the Erbendorf volunteer fire brigade its 60th anniversary, a commemorative publication was issued, which was printed by the Volkshausdruckerei Scheurer.

In addition to advertising advertisements in Erbendorf shops, Höser designed the festschrift with articles on local history. In addition to articles from his hand, there were also contributions by the district teacher Dobmeier, Pastor JB Lehner from Krummennaab and Pastor Zintl.

Höser's contributions were topics that were taken from the already completed manuscript on the “History of the City of Erbendorf”. These were in detail:

• The Erbendorf city coat of arms
• The Church of St. Vitus
• The Christian land monuments around Erbendorf
• Friedrich Schiller's descent from the Erbendorfer bourgeois family
• Count Palatine Erbr II, the founder of Erbendorf
• From the life of the old Kammerer glazier
• Night watchman Hans
• The last Erbendorf weaver

Other texts were "The so-called old castle near Neuenreuth and the saga of the Schiedermannl", "From the spinning and rocking rooms" and "Siegmund Dietz, the founder and benefactor of the Kallmünz educational institution". Höser was able to win over his friend Hanns Schultes for the artistic design, who designed the beautiful posters for the festival. Schultes loosened up reports with his pen drawings. Back then, the posters for the Heimatfest were up in almost every Bavarian train station.

Honors

Honorary Citizenship

When the chronicle was sealed in 1926, the city of Erbendorf surprised Höser with the fact that his portrait was included in the chronicle. Höser was also visibly happy when a city council resolution of December 16, 1926 made him an honorary citizen of the city of Erbendorf.

The ceremony took place at the suggestion of the municipality of Erbendorf in the large room of the Bishop's Court in Regensburg. Here Mayor Mößbauer handed over the certificate of appointment to the honoree. In addition to Höser's relatives, representatives of the city of Erbendorf and members of the "Verein für Erbendorf in Regensburg" were present at this ceremony. He was particularly pleased that District President Dr. von Winterstein and school councilor Dr. Freudenberg took part in the ceremony. In addition to the personalities, many other guests were invited. The monthly magazine "Die Oberpfalz" reported on the celebration in detail.

swell

Joseph Höser - A life for home . 2nd Edition. Self-published by Jochen Neumann in 2007.

Web links

• Literature by and about Joseph Höser in the catalog of the German National Library
• The original entry in the Erbendorfer Stadtwiki