hegnauer.family
hegnauer.family
H2400 The study's number for this person. Cite it and it will always lead here, whatever the spelling.
· A life in the study

Christen Hirschi

Born in 1756 and last recorded at Reutigen in 1790.

born before 1756 died after 20 Aug 1790

Also written Christen Hirschig, Christen Hirschy

Christen Hirschi, whose name the pastors wrote Hirschig, Hirschy and Hirrschi, was a citizen of Schangnau who raised his family in the district of Thun and the Kander valley of Canton Bern, Switzerland, in the 1770s and 1780s. He was very probably the father of Peter Hirschi, and so the great-grandfather of Susanna Katharina Hirschi, who married Leonhard Hegnauer in Illinois in 1866.1–2

Family

Schangnau, the highest commune of the Emmental, was the family's place of citizenship, which a Swiss child took from its parents, wherever it was born.3–4 Christen and his wife, Maria Spring, a citizen of Kirchdorf, had a son Jacob baptised at Kirchdorf on 10 July 1774.5 In March 1776, when their son Bendicht was baptised at Spiez, Christen was living there, perhaps as a smith.1 From 1777 the family lived in the parish of Reichenbach, in the Kander valley, where Maria (1777), Peter (6 August 1779), David (1781), Samuel (1782), another Maria (1784) and Abraham (1787) were baptised; Nickolaus followed at Reutigen in 1790.1–2, 6 The baptisms of Bendicht, Maria and Peter were also entered, from the baptismal certificates, in Schangnau's register of its citizens baptised elsewhere.1

Later years

The record of Christen's death has not been found. His sons stayed in the district of Thun. Peter married at Thierachern in 1803, and Jacob seems to have settled at Reutigen, where a Jakob Hirschi, son of Christian, died in 1845 at seventy-one; in 1814 Jakob stood godfather to Peter's son Christian at Thierachern.7–8

What we know

Proven

  • Birth, 1756
  • Marriage to Maria Spring, 1774
  • Death, 1790
  • 3 homes, from the census and other records

What's still open

  • Birth. Not found. The FamilySearch tree gives 26 Feb 1730, and an earlier WikiTree biography of his son gave "Christian Hirschi, born 25 Feb 1730 at Schangnau"; neither has been checked against the Schangnau baptism register.
  • Death. Not found. The FamilySearch tree's 2 Jan 1793 comes from a burial at Bern whose index entry names no age, wife or residence; possible only.
  • Parents. Not yet identified.

Sources

Sources 1–2

1 Staatsarchiv des Kantons Bern, 1776
2 Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1779

Sources 3–4

3 Schangnau, 2009
4 Bürgerrecht, 2000

Source 5

5 Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1774

Source 6

6 Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1776

Sources 7–8

7 Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1845
8 StABE, K Thierachern 8, 1814

Life in time

before 1756

Birth

proven Sources 5, 10

How we know

  1. 1756 Birth before 1756 · proven

    Not found. He was a father by 1774; the FamilySearch tree gives 26 Feb 1730 (unchecked).

    His first known child with Maria Spring was baptised on 10 Jul 1774, so he was born before about 1756. The FamilySearch tree's birth date, 26 Feb 1730, has not been checked; if the Christen Hirschi who had sons baptised with a Barbara Meyer in 1766 and 1767 is he, he was born before about 1748.

    Sources 5, 10

  2. 1774 Marriage, with Maria Spring before 10 Jul 1774 · proven

    Not found. Their first known child, Jacob, was baptised at Kirchdorf, Maria's home parish, on 10 Jul 1774.

    Christen Hirschi (Hirschig) and Maria Spring are named together as parents at the baptisms of their children from 1774 to 1790 (FamilySearch index; the home-parish copies of 1776–1779 read on the image). The record of their marriage has not been searched for.

    Sources 1, 5

  3. 1776 Residence 31 Mar 1776 · Spiez, Bern · proven

    Living at Spiez ("Schmied [?] zu Spiez", perhaps a smith; the word is not certain) when his son Bendicht was baptised there.

    Schangnau's copy of the Spiez baptism of 31 Mar 1776 (original register, image read) describes the father as "Christen Hirschig v. Schangnau, Schmied [?] zu Spiez".

    Sources 1, 6

  4. 1777 Residence between 23 Oct 1777 and 22 Jun 1787 · Reichenbach im Kandertal, Bern · proven

    Six children baptised at Reichenbach, in the Kander valley: Maria (1777), Peter (1779), David (1781), Samuel (1782), Maria (1784) and Abraham (1787).

    Schangnau's copies of the baptisms of 1777 and 1779 (image read) and FamilySearch's index of the Reichenbach register (1777–1787).

    Sources 1, 2, 6

  5. 1779 Son born: Peter Hirschi family event

    Their page →

  6. 1790 Residence 20 Aug 1790 · Reutigen, Bern · proven

    His son Nickolaus was baptised at Reutigen.

    FamilySearch's index of the Reutigen baptism register.

    Source 6

  7. 1790 Death after 20 Aug 1790 · proven

    Not found. The FamilySearch tree gives 2 Jan 1793, from the burial at Bern of a Christen Hirschi whose entry gives no age or relatives.

    He is last named as the father at the baptism of his son Nickolaus at Reutigen on 20 Aug 1790. The Bern burial of 1793 (index) names no age, wife or residence, so it may be another man (possible only).

    Sources 6, 10, 11

  • proven
  • family event

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Places in this life

3 places, in order
1 2 3
  1. 1 Spiez, Bern Residence 31 Mar 1776
  2. 2 Reichenbach im Kandertal, Bern Residence between 23 Oct 1777 and 22 Jun 1787
  3. 3 Reutigen, Bern Residence 20 Aug 1790

Family

This page Christen Hirschi bef. 1756–aft. 1790
Wife · m. before 10 Jul 1774 Maria Spring bef. 1760–aft. 1790
Son Peter Hirschi 1779–c. 1851
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Family tree Open this person's page

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Records

Search the archive →
Births and baptisms 1 record · 1779
  • 6 Aug 1779 probable Baptism “Christen Hirschig”, father Reichenbach im Kandertal, Bern Staatsarchiv Bern · O06851
Deaths and burials 1 record · 1793
  • 2 Jan 1793 possible Burial “Christen Hirschi” Bern, Bern FamilySearch · O06803
Also cited as evidence: 15 records filed under relatives
The evidence 6 facts with their grades, 12 sources, and the research notes

Facts

Fact Date Place Grade Sources
Birth before 1756 proven 5 , 10
Marriage with Maria Spring before 10 Jul 1774 proven 1 , 5
Residence 31 Mar 1776 Spiez, Bern, Switzerland proven 1 , 6
Residence between 23 Oct 1777 and 22 Jun 1787 Reichenbach im Kandertal, Bern, Switzerland proven 1 , 2 , 6
Residence 20 Aug 1790 Reutigen, Bern, Switzerland proven 6
Death after 20 Aug 1790 proven 6 , 10 , 11

Research notes

  • Sources: Schangnau's register of citizens baptised elsewhere (K Schangnau 3), read on the image that the Staatsarchiv des Kantons Bern publishes online (27 Sep 2026), and FamilySearch's index of the Kirchdorf, Spiez, Reichenbach and Reutigen registers (entries read 28 Sep 2026). The context is from the Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz.
  • Father of Peter (probable): The home-parish copy of Peter's baptism at Reichenbach on 6 Aug 1779 names his parents as Christen Hirschig of Schangnau and Maria Spring of Kirchdorf.1, 2 That this Peter is the Peter Hirschi of Schangnau who married Maria Stutzmann in 1803, the father of Christian Hirschi of Highland, is probable; the argument is on Peter's profile. It is strengthened by Christian's godfather of 1814, "Jakob Hirschi, the father's brother", who fits Christen's son Jacob, baptised at Kirchdorf in 1774.8, 5
  • Children (index): Jacob, Kirchdorf, 10 Jul 1774 (died at Reutigen 30 May 1845, aged 71, if the burial entry is his); Bendicht, Spiez, 31 Mar 1776; Maria, Reichenbach, 23 Oct 1777 (Schangnau's copy; the index reads 3 Oct and "Zirschi"); Peter, Reichenbach, 6 Aug 1779; David, Reichenbach, 18 Feb 1781; Samuel, Reichenbach, 3 Nov 1782; Maria, Reichenbach, 2 Jul 1784; Abraham, Reichenbach, 22 Jun 1787; Nickolaus, Reutigen, 20 Aug 1790.5, 7, 1, 6 The FamilySearch tree adds a Rudolf (30 Jan 1789), not examined. The second Maria suggests that the first died young, but no burial has been looked for.
  • An earlier marriage? A Christen Hirschi and Barbara Meyer had a son Ullrich baptised at Kirchdorf on 26 Sep 1766, and a Christen Hirschig and Barb Meyer a son Ullrich at Reichenbach on 10 Sep 1767.9 Kirchdorf and Reichenbach are the two parishes where Christen and Maria Spring later had children, so Barbara Meyer may have been his first wife; the FamilySearch tree attaches both baptisms to him. Not proven: no record found links the two families.
  • Birth: Not found. The FamilySearch tree gives 26 Feb 1730, and an earlier WikiTree biography of his son gave "Christian Hirschi, born 25 Feb 1730 at Schangnau"; neither has been checked against the Schangnau baptism register.10
  • Death: Not found. The FamilySearch tree's 2 Jan 1793 comes from a burial at Bern whose index entry names no age, wife or residence; possible only.11, 10
  • Occupation: "Schmied [?] zu Spiez" (1776) is an uncertain reading.1
  • Leads: the marriage of Christen Hirschi and Maria Spring (Kirchdorf, Reichenbach or Schangnau, 1767–1774); Schangnau's family register or Julius Billeter's genealogy of the Hirschi of Schangnau (FamilySearch film 599705, images restricted);12 the Reichenbach register itself (K Reichenbach) for the 1779 entry and the godparents' readings.
  • This profile is part of the Hegnauer one-name study.

Working notes

  • Christen Hirschig (Hirschy, Hirrschi), citizen of Schangnau; smith [?] at Spiez 1776, at Reichenbach im Kandertal 1777-1787, Reutigen 1790; probable father of Peter Hirschi H2192: StABE K Schangnau 3 p. 10 (O06714) records Peter bapt. Reichenbach 6 Aug 1779, son of Christen Hirschig v. Schangnau and Maria Spring v. Kirchdorf (FamilySearch index of the original 68V5-YQ1J); their son Jacob bapt. Kirchdorf 10 Jul 1774 (68VL-R2J2; bur. Reutigen 2 Jun 1845 aged 71, 68VY-21RZ) fits the 'Jakob Hirschi, des Vaters Bruder' godfather of 1814; children in the index 1774-1790; sons Ullrich 1766/1767 with a Barbara Meyer (possibly his first marriage, not proven); FamilySearch tree KCPW-QTS gives b. 26 Feb 1730 and d. 2 Jan 1793 (a burial at Bern, 68VY-M31T, identity not shown) - unchecked

Sources

  1. 1

    Staatsarchiv des Kantons Bern (StABE), K Schangnau 3, Taufrodel [baptism register] 1779–1796, p. 10, "Ausserhalb getauft" [baptised elsewhere] (online PDF image 6 of 131): home-parish copies, from the baptismal certificates, of three baptisms of legitimate children of Christen Hirschig of Schangnau ("Schmied [?] zu Spiez" in 1776) and Maria Spring of Kirchdorf: Bendicht, at Spiez, 31 March 1776; Maria, at Reichenbach, 23 October 1777; and Peter, "an gleichem Ort, gleichen Eltern", 6 August 1779. query.sta.be.ch/detail.aspx?ID=423412 (register image read 27 September 2026).

    In the archive: O06714

  2. 2

    "Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1418–1996," database, FamilySearch, baptism of Peter Hirschy, 6 August 1779, Reichenbach im Kandertal, Bern; parents Christen Hirschy and Maria Spring. FamilySearch record 68V5-YQ1J

    In the archive: O06789

  3. 3

    Anne-Marie Dubler, "Schangnau," Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz (HLS), version of 2009 (updated 8 July 2011), hls-dhs-dss.ch/de/articles/000516/2011-07-08 (accessed 28 September 2026).

  4. 4

    Rainer J. Schweizer and Christina Müller, "Bürgerrecht," Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz (HLS), version of 2000 (print-edition article, updated 11 January 2021), hls-dhs-dss.ch/de/articles/008969/2021-01-11 (accessed 27 September 2026).

  5. 5

    "Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1418–1996," database, FamilySearch, baptism of Jacob Hirrschi, 10 July 1774, Kirchdorf, Bern; parents Christen Hirrschi and Maria Spring. FamilySearch record 68VL-R2J2

    In the archive: O06799

  6. 6

    "Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1418–1996," database, FamilySearch, baptisms of children of Christen Hirschig (Hirschy) and Maria Spring: Bendicht, Spiez, 31 March 1776 FamilySearch record 68VR-KFZW; Maria ("Zirschi"), Reichenbach im Kandertal, 3 October 1777 FamilySearch record 68VR-4LNP; David, Reichenbach, 18 February 1781 FamilySearch record 68VR-WJTP; Samuel, Reichenbach, 3 November 1782 FamilySearch record 68V5-BH57; Maria, Reichenbach, 2 July 1784 FamilySearch record 68VR-S7JR; Abraham, Reichenbach, 22 June 1787 FamilySearch record 68VT-6JV6; Nickolaus, Reutigen, 20 August 1790 FamilySearch record 66JF-5LTV. The 1777 and 1781 entries are attached to the couple in the FamilySearch tree; the mother's name in them was not read.

    In the archive: O06805 , O06806 , O06807 , O06808 , O06809 , O06810 , O06811

  7. 7

    "Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1418–1996," database, FamilySearch, burial of Jakob Hirschi, 2 June 1845, Reutigen, Bern; died 30 May 1845, aged 71 years; father Christian. FamilySearch record 68VY-21RZ

    In the archive: O06800

  8. 8

    StABE, K Thierachern 8, Taufrodel 1800–1833, p. 170 (online PDF image 88 of 280): baptism of Christian, 28 August 1814, born the 18th; parents Peter Hirschi and Maria Stutzmann, at Uebeschi; godparents Christen Stutzmann, the mother's brother, Jakob Hirschi, the father's brother, and Susanna Stutzmann of Uebeschi; citizenship column: Schangnau. query.sta.be.ch/detail.aspx?ID=233184 (register image read 27 September 2026).

    In the archive: O06091 , O05923

  9. 9

    "Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1418–1996," database, FamilySearch, baptisms of Ullrich Hirschi, 26 September 1766, Kirchdorf, Bern, parents Christen Hirschi and Barbara Meyer FamilySearch record 68VL-LVC3; and of Ullrich Hirschig, 10 September 1767, Reichenbach im Kandertal, parents Christen Hirschig and Barb Meyer FamilySearch record 68VR-4Z8W.

    In the archive: O06801 , O06802

  10. 10

    FamilySearch Family Tree, Christen Hirschi, KCPW-QTS ("26 February 1730 – 2 January 1793"), husband of Maria Spring, M2MZ-7KL, with ten children from Jakob (1774) to Niklaus (1790), among them Peter Hirschi Sr., LR4Y-6HR (viewed read-only, 28 September 2026; compiled data, not checked against the records except where cited here).

  11. 11

    "Switzerland, Catholic and Reformed Church Records, 1418–1996," database, FamilySearch, burial of Christen Hirschi, Bern, Bern; death 2 January 1793; no age or relatives indexed. FamilySearch record 68VY-M31T

    In the archive: O06803

  12. 12

    Julius Billeter, "Genealogy of the Hirschi family of Schangnau, Kt. Bern, Switzerland, abt. 1650–1910" (typescript, 1919, 86 pp.), Family History Library microfilm 599705, DGS 8129866; images restricted (not viewable online); not viewed.