In August 1994, Craig Walsh commissioned Swiss genealogist Kurt F. Laube to research the Wiser (or Wyser) family from Niedergösgen in Switzerland. Mr. Laube conducted his research in person at the State Archives in Solothurn, working from original parish books, land registers, and estate inventories — records that in many cases had never been consulted by a family historian before. His report, reprinted and expanded here, goes back to 1527. This research was subsequently used by historian Beat Hodler in his official history of the town, Niedergösgen. Eine Reise durch die Geschichte (Niedergösgen: A Journey Through History), published by the Einwohnergemeinde Niedergösgen in 2008, in which the Walsh family’s contribution is acknowledged.
Niedergösgen is a community in the district of Gösgen, canton Solothurn, a parish village with a former castle of the barons of Gösgen. Originally it was called “Bötzbach” and was built in 1229 or 1230 by Gertrud I from Gösgen as a castle. Niedergösgen remained in the possession of the family Gösgen until 1444, when the castle was captured and burned by the Solothurnians.
In 1458 the dominion was finally taken over by Solothurn; the destroyed castle was reconstructed and became the residence of the new administration. In 1798 the castle was destroyed by the French army. Niedergösgen belonged to the parish of Stüsslingen until 1838, when it was made into a parish of its own. Part of the castle ruin was built into the Catholic Church of St. Anton, whose tower is listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance.
Today Niedergösgen is perhaps best known internationally as the location of the Gösgen Nuclear Power Plant, which has operated on the banks of the Aare River since 1979. The Wiser family, who served as beadles and innkeepers in the village for generations, would scarcely recognise their home.
Please click here for aerial views of the castle.
Short history of the Wiser family from Niedergösgen
Documents relating to the Wiser family, formerly also written as Wyser and Wieser, can be traced in Niedergösgen from the first half of the 16th century.
Two magnificent stained glass windows in the Catholic Church of St. Anton in Niedergösgen bear the Wyser name. One was donated by Albert Wyser-Mei[er] of Niedergösgen, and the other by Frau Maria Anna Wyser-Näf of Niedergösgen — the inscription on each reading “Gew. von” (Gewidmet von — “Donated by”). The windows, in an ornate Baroque revival style, were almost certainly commissioned in the late 19th century by prosperous members of the family as a mark of their Catholic faith and local standing. Frau Maria Anna Wyser-Näf may be connected to Anna Maria Näf, who appears in the family records as the wife of Ursus Wiser of the third generation.
1527
In this year we find a Heiny Wiser from Niedergösgen among the citizens who swore, before the bailiff, the civic rights. (Note 1: Tractatenbuch p. 102)
Already in the 16th century we find in the records (Urbare, Grundbücher = land register) some Wiser in Niedergösgen who were landowners. Towards the end of the 16th century they were already a respected family.
1585
Hans Wiser (our ancestor) from Niedergösgen received from the government of Solothurn a dress in the State colors (in his function as a beadle). (Note 2: Rats-Manual 1585, p. 22)
1591
Jacob Wiser (son of Hans Wiser), beadle in Niedergösgen, is mentioned. (Note 3: Gösgen-Acten, vol. 7, p. 400)
1595
The house of the above Jacob Wiser burned down. (Note 4: Gösgen-Schreiben, vol. 2, p. 343)
1600
A fine was reduced to Jacob Wiser, the beadle. (Note 5: RM 1600, p. 297)
1619
In the land register of Gösgen we find the beadle Heini Wiser, son of Jacob Wiser, as a land owner. (Note 6: Urbar Gösgen 1619, p. 904, 906, 908, 909)
1626
The above mentioned beadle Heini Wiser received from the government material for a dress. (Note 7: RM 1626, p. 495)
1644
The government allows Lorentz Wiser, beadle from Niedergösgen, to lay out a small garden at the requested place. (Note 8: RM 1644, p. 449)
1683
Franz Wiser, beadle and innkeeper in Niedergösgen, was granted the “right to keep an inn” for his inn called “To the White Cross.” (Note 9: RM 1683, 20.10)
Niedergösgen belonged to the parish of Stüsslingen/SO. The government of Solothurn decided in 1580 that priests should carefully record baptisms and marriages in a book, according to the resolution of the Council of Trient. The priest of Stüsslingen, however, only started the books in 1705. We can therefore trace the Wiser family from Niedergösgen from this date.
From various records in the State archives in Solothurn, Kurt Laube researched the beadles from Niedergösgen before 1705, who can most probably be taken as ancestors of the Wiser family. At that time, the charge of a State beadle was transferable from father to son.
- Hans Wiser — beadle before 1585
- Jacob Wiser — beadle about 1600
- Heinrich Wiser — beadle about 1626
- Lorenz Wiser — beadle about 1644
- Franz Wiser — beadle from 1683 to about 1700 (documentary proof)
- Felix Wiser (son of Franz Wiser)
From the book of baptisms from Stüsslingen, starting 1705, it was possible to research the generation of Felix Wiser as the first generation of Wiser from Niedergösgen with full documentary proof.
Stained glass window in the Church of St. Anton, Niedergösgen, donated by Albert Wyser-Mei[er] of Niedergösgen.
1st generation: FELIX WISER from Niedergösgen (1684–1724)
(innkeeper, farmer and beadle in Niedergösgen)
Felix Wiser, son of Franz Wiser, beadle and innkeeper in Niedergösgen, was born in 1684. According to an entry in the death book, he died in 1724 at the age of 40. He married, before 1705, Barbara Schenker.
To see the Wiser family tree, starting with Felix Wiser, please click here.
The couple had ten children:
- Leonz — baptized 1705
- Anna Margaretha — baptized April 16, 1706
- Ursus — baptized March 9, 1707
- Anna Maria — baptized May 13, 1708
- Franciscus — baptized November 3, 1709
- Elisabetha — baptized February 1, 1712
- Elisabetha — baptized March 23, 1713
- Maria Ursula — baptized October 3, 1714
- Jacobus — baptized June 27, 1716
- Joan Jacobus — baptized September 16, 1717
All the children were born in Niedergösgen and baptized in the church of Stüsslingen.
The children:
- Leonz — became a blacksmith and settled in Alsatia.
- Anna Margaretha — married February 4, 1732 Joan Jacobus Wiser in Stüsslingen.
- Ursus — became a shoemaker in Niedergösgen. He married in Stüsslingen January 22, 1731 Anna Maria Brunner from Olten.
- Anna Maria — died in childhood.
- Franciscus — became a town clerk and innkeeper in Niedergösgen. He married in Stüsslingen February 4, 1732 Anna Soland from Kienberg. The couple had seven children. Franciscus Wiser died March 15, 1784 (see second generation).
- Elisabetha — died in childhood.
- Elisabetha — married in Stüsslingen February 5, 1731 Jacobus Gisi from Niedergösgen.
- Maria Ursula — married Hans Meyer.
- Jacobus — became a farmer in Niedergösgen.
- Joan Jacobus — became a farmer in Niedergösgen.
Felix Wiser was a clever man. From his father he took over the inn “To the White Cross” as well as the charge of beadle from Niedergösgen. He also owned a rather large farm. Felix Wiser died young, at the age of 40, on February 5, 1724. The widow, Barbara Schenker, continued with the inn and the farm. For the underage children an orphan’s ward was appointed.
The inventory of Felix Wiser’s estate was made on February 10, 1724. (Note 10: Inventare and Teilungen Gösgen 1708–1731, vol. 4, Nr. 29) The property left was estimated at 5,174 pounds:
| The inn | 600 pounds |
| Meadows | 2,100 pounds |
| Arable land | 1,700 pounds |
| Agricultural utensils & household effects | 774 pounds |
| Total | 5,174 pounds |
| The debts were | 1,461 pounds |
| The dowry of the widow | 520 pounds |
According to the widow’s wish, Barbara Schenker, the division of the property and handing over to the children took place on December 10, 1731. (Note 11: Inventare und Teilungen Gösgen 1728–1741, vol. 5, Nr. 4)
The widow at first kept the house with the inn “To the White Cross,” with the orchard and some meadows. The heirs were: Leontz Wiser in Alsatia, Urs Wiser, Franz Wiser, Jacob (Joggeli) Wiser, Hans Jacob Wiser, Margreth Wiser, Elisabeth Wiser, and Maria Wiser.
The property and the debts were distributed among the children by lot. Each of the heirs received land and so on in the amount of 267 pounds. After the death of their mother, the house with the inn “To the White Cross” was taken over by the son Franz Wiser. Barbara Schenker died on February 26, 1736.
Stained glass window in the Church of St. Anton, Niedergösgen, donated by Frau Maria Anna Wyser-Näf of Niedergösgen.
2nd generation: FRANCISCUS WISER from Niedergösgen (1709–1784)
(innkeeper and beadle in Gösgen)
Franciscus Wiser, son of Felix Wiser and Barbara Schenker, was born in Niedergösgen and baptized November 3, 1709 in the church of Stüsslingen. He grew up with his brothers and sisters in his father’s house in Niedergösgen and on February 4, 1732 he married Anna Soland from Kienberg/SO in Stüsslingen. She was the daughter of Ursus Soland and Elisabeth Ripstein, born and baptized January 22, 1707 in Kienberg. Anna Soland gave birth to seven children.
- Maria Elisabetha — baptized November 19, 1732
- Joannes Georgius Antonius — baptized November 13, 1734
- Catherina — baptized April 21, 1737
- Franciscus Antonius — baptized October 21, 1738
- Ursus — baptized October 26, 1746
- Magdalena — baptized November 5, 1751
- Josephus Conradus Georgius — baptized 1755
All children were born in Niedergösgen and baptized in the church of Stüsslingen.
The children:
- Maria Elisabetha — died March 4, 1733.
- Joannes Georgius Antonius — later called Georg, was blind and remained unmarried. He died 1802. According to the inventory dated March 24, 1802 his brothers Franz, Urs, Joseph, and his sisters Katharina and Magdalena Wiser inherited his fortune. Each of them received 285 francs.
- Catharina — married Hans Joggi Meyer, innkeeper from Winznau/SO.
- Franciscus Antonius — became a farmer and innkeeper, inheriting the inn “To The White Cross” from his parents. He was married twice. With his first wife he had a son Johannes and a daughter Elisabeth. His second marriage took place August 6, 1772 in Stüsslingen with M. Ursula Lehmann from Trimback/SO. Franz Wiser died February 1803. His widow Maria Ursula Lehmann sold the inn by auction in 1806.
- Ursus — became a farmer. He married Anna Maria Näf. The couple had five children: Franz Joseph, Franz Jacob, Urs, Magdalena, and Anna Maria Wiser. According to the inventory dated March 24, 1820 Ursus Wiser left behind a fortune of 5,731 francs. The debts were 4,467 francs.
- Magdalena — was married to Joggi Busser from Niedererlinsbach.
- Josephus Conradus Georgius — later called Joseph, became a farmer and married February 9, 1779 in Stüsslingen Katharina Schenker from Obergösgen. The couple had eleven children: see third generation.
Franciscus Wiser was, like his father Felix Wiser, an able man — farmer, innkeeper, and town clerk (apparitor) in Niedergösgen. During his marriage he also bought a farmhouse and the upper house in Niedergösgen. Franciscus Wiser died at the age of 75 years on March 15, 1784. The inventory was made April 20, 1784. (Note 12: Inventare und Teilungen Lostorf 1783–1790, vol. 24, Nr. 103)
The heirs: Georg, Franz, Urs and Joseph Wiser (the sons) and Catharina and Madle Wiser (the daughters).
| Dwelling house | 1,900 pounds |
| Upper house | 375 pounds |
| The inn | 1,500 pounds |
| Meadows and fields | 6,722 pounds |
| Livestock and fruits | 738 pounds |
| Securities | 2,234 pounds |
| Total Assets | 13,469 pounds |
| Debts | 1,800 pounds |
| Total property | 11,559 pounds |
The children agreed to a usufructuary contract with the widow, Anna Soland, as follows: she retained a living room, bedroom and a cellar in the dwelling house, one bed with three plumeau cases and sheets, fruits, butter, oil and so on as well as 106 pounds a year. The two daughters let their brothers have the land, the houses, securities, and the agricultural utensils, for which each daughter received the amount of 1,300 pounds and the son Georg, who was blind, received 300 pounds more than the sisters.
Division:
- After decision by lot Franz Wiser received: the inn, meadows and fields and took over part of the debts.
- Urs Wiser received the upper house with orchard, meadows and fields and took over part of the debts.
- Joseph Wiser received the father’s dwelling house with orchard, meadows and fields and took over the remaining debts.
Anna Soland, the wife of Franciscus Wiser, died after 1784.
3rd Generation: JOSEPHUS CONRADUS GEORGIUS WISER from Niedergösgen (1755–1830)
(Farmer)
Josephus Conradus Georgius Wiser, later called Joseph, son of Franciscus Wiser and Anna Soland, was born in Niedergösgen and baptized February 12, 1755 in the church of Stüsslingen. He grew up in his father’s house with his brothers and sisters and married Katharina Schenker, daughter of Ursus Schenker from Obergösgen, February 9, 1779 in Stüsslingen. The couple had eleven children:
- Konrad — baptized December 16, 1779
- Johannes Petrus — baptized August 15, 1800
- Elisabeth — baptized —?—
- Franciscus Salesius — baptized January 29, 1783
- Anna Maria — baptized December 18, 1784
- Maria Franzisca — baptized March 11, 1786
- Victor Antonius — baptized January 18, 1787
- Franciscus Silvester — baptized December 31, 1789
- Maria Katharina — baptized January 6, 1792
- Ursus Josephus — baptized March 24, 1794
- Alois Josephus Maria — baptized July 18, 1797
All the children were born in Niedergösgen and baptized in the church of Stüsslingen.
The children:
- Konrad — became a veterinarian and settled in Huggerwald near Kleinlützel/SO.
- Johannes — became a farmer in Niedergösgen.
- Elisabeth — married Leontz Gyger, tailor, in Niedergösgen.
- Salesius — became a farmer and settled in Kappel/SO.
- Anna Maria — died in childhood.
- Maria Franzisca — died in childhood.
- Victor Antonius — died in childhood.
- Franciscus — became a farrier in Niedergösgen.
- Katharina — married Joseph Herzog, a schoolteacher from Schönenwerd.
- Joseph — became a hatmaker in Niedergösgen.
- Alois — became a colonel of the Swiss Army and war commissioner. He married Katharina Herzog from Schönenwerd. Alois Wiser died on October 28, 1870 in Solothurn.
Joseph Wiser became a farmer. He had inherited the paternal dwelling house and some meadows and fields from his parents. During the marriage, Joseph Wiser bought a second house, Nr. 86, with a smithy and a hatmaker’s workshop, as well as some arable land.
The couple, Joseph Wiser and Katharina Schenker, gave over their property to their children, as mentioned in the inventory. (Note 13: Inventare und Teilungen Niedergösgen 1822–1831, vol. 2, Nr. 9)
Heirs were the sons Konrad, Salus, Franz, Joseph, Alois and Johannes Wiser and the daughters Elisabeth and Katharina Wiser.
| The farm house with barn and stables, No. 24 | 3,600 francs |
| Store house, No. 78, with cellar | 100 francs |
| House with smithy and hatmaker workshop, No. 86 | 1,050 francs |
| Meadows | 1,550 francs |
| Arable land | 2,720 francs |
| Purchased land | 650 francs |
| Livestock, fruits, hay | 454 francs |
| Securities | 1,581 francs |
| Total Assets | 11,705 francs |
| Total Debts | 4,445 francs |
| Net Property | 7,260 francs |
Usufructuary contract: Joseph Wiser and Katharina Schenker let their children have all the goods mentioned in the inventory, however, they retained: a pigsty, firewood and so on; the use of the entire orchard; one cow; the right to live in house Nr. 24, with half of the kitchen, a bedroom, the small cellar, half of the cow house, and half of the yearly rent of 108 francs. Should all this not be sufficient, the sons were to be under obligation for extra payment. Should one of the sons die, the orchard would be allotted to the remaining sons, who would then pay the parents 225 francs more. In case of illness of the parents, the children were required to cover the costs of the doctor and medicine, as well as the costs of the funeral in case of death.
Compensation to the daughters: The six sons took over the complete property and paid to each of the sisters 680 pounds or 1,020 Swiss francs.
Division of the heritage among the sons:
- Konrad Wiser receives property in the amount of 1,170 pounds
- Salus Wiser receives property in the amount of 1,075 pounds
- Franz Wiser receives property in the amount of 1,170 pounds
- Joseph Wiser receives property in the amount of 1,170 pounds
- Alois Wiser receives property in the amount of 1,127 pounds
- Johannes Wiser receives property in the amount of 1,880 pounds
The division was made by lot. Katharina Schenker died on August 23, 1826. Joseph Wiser died on February 14, 1830 at the age of 75 years. They were both buried in Niedergösgen.
4th generation: ALOIS WISER from Niedergösgen (1797–1870)
(Colonel in the Swiss Army and Quartermaster General)
Alois Josephus Maria Wiser — christened with the full name Joseph, Alois, Maria — was born on July 18, 1797 in Niedergösgen, the son of Joseph Wiser and Katharina Schenker, and was baptized in the Catholic Church of Stüsslingen. As a farmer’s son he chose a career in the Army and rose to become a professional soldier of considerable distinction.
On May 14, 1832 he married Katharina Herzog from Schönenwerd/SO at the Catholic Cathedral in Solothurn. Katharina was the daughter of Ursus Petrus Herzog and Anna Maria Balli of Schönenwerd, born May 17, 1801 in Schönenwerd. The Balli family connection is significant: it links the Wiser family directly to the Bally shoe enterprise of Schönenwerd a full generation before Bruno’s involvement in Montevideo, and the same family name appears again as godmother to Bruno’s child in 1873.
The couple had five children:
- Alfred — born March 15, 1833 in Solothurn. A merchant, he married Maria Helena Mueller on November 14, 1864 in Gersau/SZ and lived in Aarau/AG.
- Otto Josephus — born May 20, 1835 in Solothurn. A businessman in Aarau who later became a manufacturer in Schönenwerd/SO — manager of the Alexander Bally silk ribbon factory, councillor of the canton Solothurn (1876 and 1881–1887), and battalion commander. He died August 2, 1914.
- Ida Rosalia — born November 20, 1837 in Solothurn. Remained unmarried and died of typhus on September 23, 1855 in Solothurn, aged 17.
- Mathilde Elisabeth — born October 26, 1840 in Solothurn. Died in infancy.
- Bruno Albert — born November 6, 1841 in Solothurn. A businessman, he married Elisa Schönhals from Germany on February 3, 1869 in Montevideo, Uruguay. He died December 7, 1895 in San Francisco, California. See 5th generation below.
Alois Wiser was elected administrator of the Quartermaster Store of Solothurn in 1839 and held this position until his death. He also served as Quartermaster General. Earlier in his career he served 1817–1820 in the service of the Netherlands, and 1822–1830 in French service, where he distinguished himself as an officer and received the Order of the Holy Ferdinand.
Alois Wiser died of stomach cancer on October 28, 1870 in Solothurn. The estate was settled on April 24, 1871. (List of beneficiaries and heirs of Canton Solothurn, 1870–71, Volume 82, Number 37.) The estate was valued at SFr 44,665.59 with no debts. The heirs were:
- Alfred Wiser, a son
- Otto Wiser, a son
- Bruno Wiser, a son, living in America and represented by Friedrich Baumann
- Katharina Wiser-Herzog, the widow, who served as beneficiary and trustee
5th generation: BRUNO ALBERT WISER from Niedergösgen (1841–1895)
(Businessman)
Bruno Albert Wiser was born on November 6, 1841 in Solothurn, the son of Alois Wiser and Katharina Herzog, and was christened there. He grew up with his brothers and sisters in Solothurn and developed into a businessman.
The family had close connections to the Bally enterprise of Schönenwerd — Alois Wiser’s wife Katharina was the daughter of Anna Maria Balli, and Bruno’s brother Otto later became manager of the Alexander Bally silk ribbon factory. Bally, founded in 1851, became one of the largest shoe manufacturers in Europe, opening their first Latin American office in Montevideo in 1870. Bruno’s emigration to South America almost certainly had something to do with the Bally enterprise — historian Beat Hodler concludes as much, noting that the family was related to the Bally family.
On October 25, 1862 Bruno received a travel pass and left Switzerland for Montevideo, Uruguay, where he would live for approximately nine years. On February 3, 1869 he married Elisa Schönhals in the German-Evangelistic Church in Montevideo. Elisa was the daughter of Johann Schönhals, evangelistic vicar of Simmersbach, Hessen Darmstadt — a German family whose own history will be told separately.
His cousin Katharina Wyser (1826–1901), who for many years ran the post office in Niedergösgen as an unmarried woman, kept a wide-ranging diary that is today an excellent historical source. In her diary she preserved a farewell poem dedicated to Bruno on his departure in 1860:
Dem Bruno Wyser ins Stammbuch bei seiner Abreise nach Amerika 1860
Wenn auf dem Blatt nach langer Zeit dein Aug einst sinnend ruhen bleibt
dann mög vor deinem Blick erscheinen
das Haus, umgeben von den Bäumen;
In dessen Schatten du einst spieltest
Nach der Scheibe mit der Armbrust zieltest,
Und manche liebe Ferienzeit
So sorglos dich mit uns erfreut
Du willst nun in die Fremde gehen
Wir werden lange dich nicht mehr sehn.
Möge nun in deinem Leben,
Gott viel Glück und Heil dir geben
Und dein guter Engel mit dir gehnFor Bruno Wyser: at his departure to America in 1860
(Translated by Ingeborg Gowans)When, after many years, you will return to this page and recall old times
may you remember the house nestled among the shade-giving trees,
where you used to play, trying bow and arrow,
where you spent many a day, enjoying carefree hours with us.
Now you are off to foreign lands
and we shall not see you anymore.
May God grant you good health and wellbeing in your life.
May your Guardian Angel walk before you.
Bruno and Elisa had seven children, born across four countries over nearly two decades:
- Ida — illegitimate daughter, born October 31, 1867 in Montevideo. She later married Albert Widmer in Australia. Ida died aboard the Matson liner Mariposa on March 3, 1941, at sea near Samoa (Latitude 14°48’S, Longitude 172°15’W), aged 73. Her New South Wales death certificate records her as “late of Honolulu” — she had been living in Hawaii and was almost certainly being transported back there from Australia when she died of bronchopneumonia and heart failure. The Mariposa ran a regular monthly service between Sydney and Honolulu via Auckland, Suva, Pago Pago and Honolulu. Her death was recorded in the diary of Helen Wilkinson (wife of James Wilkinson’s brother) and discovered by Carolyn Wilkinson.
- Maria Constantina — born December 31, 1871 in Aarau/AG, Switzerland. By this date Bruno had returned to Switzerland.
- Emilia Katharina (Lily) — born April 5, 1873 in Niedergösgen. Her godmother was Emilia Balli — confirming the direct family connection to the Bally enterprise. Lily later married James Wilkinson in Honolulu, Hawaii.
- Alfred Alois — born May 24, 1874 in Niedergösgen.
- Otto Edwin — born October 6, 1875 in São Paulo, Brazil. Bruno had by this point moved on from Switzerland to Brazil.
- Bruno Otto (also known as William W. Wilson) — born approximately 1883 in Australia. He died December 1, 1947 in San Leandro, California.
- Fannie — born September 29, 1884 in Glebe, Australia. She married Jack N. Jurgensen in Hawaii — Jack was the owner of Borthwick’s Mortuary, one of Honolulu’s most prominent funeral establishments, and the couple owned considerable land in Waikiki. They had no children, and their Waikiki holdings passed to charity. Fannie died March 28, 1971 in Oakland, California.
The arc of Bruno’s life, pieced together from Swiss archives, church records, ship manifests, and Hawaiian newspapers, traces an extraordinary journey:
- October 25, 1862 — leaves Switzerland with a travel pass
- 1862–1871 — Montevideo, Uruguay (nine years)
- 1871–1876 — returns to Switzerland; lives in Aarau then Niedergösgen
- 1875–c.1882 — São Paulo, Brazil
- c.1883–1884 — Australia
- January 19, 1895 — arrives in Honolulu from San Francisco aboard the S.S. Australia, recorded in the Hawaiian Star as “seeking employment;” takes the oath of allegiance to the Republic of Hawaii within ten days
- December 7, 1895 — dies in San Francisco, California
An 1887 marriage certificate lists Bruno’s occupation as carpenter — a long way from the Bally leather trade of his Montevideo years, and a reminder that the life of an emigrant in the 19th century was rarely a straight line.
At least two of Bruno’s children settled in Hawaii — Lily (Emilia Katharina) Wilkinson and Fannie Jurgensen — which explains why a memorial to Bruno stands at Oahu Cemetery in Honolulu, erected by his family. Whether the grave contains his remains, or serves as a memorial to a man who died far away in San Francisco, remains an open question. The Oahu Cemetery records indicate a body in the grave; the family’s view is that it may be ashes, if anything — cremation was rare but not unknown in 1895, and transport of remains by steamship between San Francisco and Honolulu was certainly possible.
Bruno married Elisa Schönhals from Germany — a family with its own substantial history, rooted in the evangelical clergy of Hessen Darmstadt, which will be told separately.
The most important personalities of the Wiser family from Niedergösgen:
Alois Wiser (1797–1870) — colonel of the Swiss Army, 1817–1820 in service of the Netherlands, 1822–1830 in French service, where he distinguished himself as an officer and received the Order of the Holy Ferdinand; war commissioner of Switzerland; manager of the arsenal.
Otto Wiser (1835–1914) — son of Alois Wiser; manager of the silk ribbon factory of Alexander Bally in Schönenwerd/SO; 1876 and 1881–1887 councillor of the canton Solothurn; military rank of battalion commander.
Konrad Wiser (1805–1871) — son of Konrad Wiser; councillor of the canton Solothurn (1856–1871).
Bruno Albet Wiser (1841–1895) — businessman, connected to the Bally shoe enterprise; active in Montevideo, Uruguay and San Francisco, California; arrived Honolulu January 19, 1895. Click here for more information about Bruno and his children.
Katharina Wyser (1826–1901) — postmistress of Niedergösgen for many years; kept a detailed diary that became a primary historical source for Beat Hodler’s history of the town. Her farewell poem to her cousin Bruno in 1860 is preserved above.
The author at the Niedergösgen lookout point, with the Gösgen Nuclear Power Plant visible in the background — a somewhat more recent addition to the village than the Wiser family.
Annotations (source references from Kurt F. Laube’s research, State Archives Solothurn):
Tractatenbuch p. 102ff
RM (Rats-Manual) (resolution of the government) 1585, p.22
Gösgen-Acten vol. 7, p. 400
Gösgen-Schreiben vol. 2, p. 343
RM 1600, p. 297
Urbar Gösgen 1619, p. 904, 906, 908, 909
RM 1626, p. 495
RM 1644, p. 449
RM 1683, date 20.10.1683
Inventare und Teilungen Gösgen 1708–1731, vol. 4, Nr. 29
Inventare und Teilungen Gösgen 1728–1741, vol. 5, Nr. 4
Inventare und Teilungen Lostorf 1783–1790, vol. 24, Nr. 103
Inventare und Teilungen Niedergösgen 1822–1831, vol. 2, Nr. 9
Archives records used at the State Archives Solothurn:
Pfarrbücher (parish books) of:
Stüsslingen with Niedergösgen (baptisms, marriages, deaths) 1705–1839
Kienberg 1585–1853
Obergösgen 1665–1835
Zivilstandsregister N.gösgen 1836–1875
RM (Rats-Manuale) 16th to 19th century
Gösgen-Acten 17th to 19th century
Gösgen-Schreiben 17th to 19th century
Urbare Gösgen (land registers) 17th century
Inventare und Teilungen Gösgen 17th to 18th century
Inventare und Teilungen Lostorf 18th century
Inventare und Teilungen Niedergösgen 19th century
Sources and acknowledgements:
Original genealogical research: Kurt F. Laube, Swiss genealogist, commissioned August 1994.
Additional research and historical context: Beat Hodler, Niedergösgen. Eine Reise durch die Geschichte, Einwohnergemeinde Niedergösgen, Olten, 2008.
Diary of Katharina Wyser (1826–1901), preserved in Beat Hodler’s research.
Hawaiian Star, January 29, 1895.
Walsh/Wiser family genealogy: lordoflucies.com/tng
© Copyright 1998–2026 by Craig W Walsh