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Wampler/Wampfler Newsletter, Winter 1999/2000
From the Wampler/Wampfler Genealogy Web Site
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Section 1.8.a.7
RETURN to INDEX
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Happy New Year to you All. This is the beginning of the fourth century of
Wamplers and Wampflers in America! We begin the millennium with more pictures from
the lands where our forefathers lived in the 17th century. They were taken by Dr.
John M. "Jack" Wampler of Nashville, TN, when he was in Switzerland in March of
1994. These pictures are a perfect complement to those Michael Wampler published
with the last newletter.
Since so many of you receive e-mail using a Web browser, I have left this e-mail with the
HTML formating. I've tried to make it readable as text as well by moving the formating to
separate lines. Let me know if this works or not!
In this newletter we also announce the display of our coat-of-arms and the available
image files of it on our web site. This picture was also taken by Dr. John M. Wampler.
The source image containing the Wampfler coat-of-arms in the Lenk City building is
shown below.
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Legend: Dr. John M. Wampler in front of the Coat of Arms on the wall of
the city building in Lenk, Switzerland. As usual, they are in alphabetical
order, so the Wampfler's are at the end and in the dark!
Photo from Dr. Wampler.
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With the marvels of modern photography, he was able to get that part of the
picture enlarged and enhanced...
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An improved enlargement of the Wampfler Coat-of-Arms. Photo by Dr. John M. Wampler.
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Our new image on the home page was then taken from this picture, digitized,
enhanced a bit and straightened. Having the coat of arms in hand, a visit
to a local book store yielded a book on Heraldry (M. Pastoureau, "Heraldry,
An Introduction to a Noble Tradition, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York, 1997)
and with some Web research the discussion of the new
"Wampfler Coat-of-Arms"
page was developed. A black and white image was also prepared using the
standard engraving substitutions for the colors.
The star and mountain symbols on the coat-of-arms are common to many other
Swiss arms as noted on the Coat-of-Arms page. However, the plant symbol seems
to be fairly unique. It is similar to the ash tree symbol on the arms of the
Swiss town of Niederosch, but unlike many of the tree symbols on Swiss arms,
it is all one color. Jack Wampler speculates that it might be the symbol of
the flax plant, since the early Wampfler's occupations were recorded as linen
weavers. Other agricultural plants (grapes, corn, etc.) are found on Swiss
civic arms.
Jack also sent a couple of pictures of the Wampflen area of the Diemtigen
valley. They both clearly show (see below) the rock face that we believe
represents the origin of the surname (see
Surname page)...
(Wand = wall, fluh = steep mass of rock) -> Wandfluh -> Wampflen -> Wampfler -> Wampler
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The school building that is mentioned in Fred Wampler's book on the Wampfler's
of Europe (F. Wampler, Wampfler (Wampler) Family History,
The 1500s-1700s, privately published, 1986, p. 8 ff) is shown here.
Dr. Wampler points out that "rising behind the school is the grand Wandfluher. That
is not snow on the clift but sparkling white rock. Impressive!...The land to the
right and behind the school is said to have been Wampfler land many moons ago."
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Pictured (L to R) with Dr. Wampler are his wife Nancy and their friends Roland
and Marge. Dr. Wampler says that this picture shows the "small grave yard behind
the school with several Wampfler grave stones of recent origin. NOTE: Burial sites
in Switzerland are cleared and recycled after 25-50 years. That's the reason there
are no really old markers. The land up hill is also said to have been Wampfler land."
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This material is not for commercial use or sale.
