Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 November 1874 — The Women of Schorndorf. [ARTICLE]

The Women of Schorndorf.

In the southwest portion of Germany is the village of Schorndorf. Although now little more than a mere postal star tion, it wa» formerly one of the strongest fortified towns of Northern Swabia, and the pride of the beautiful valley of the Rems. After the treaty of Westphalia, when the Bishoprics of Meta, Tul and Verdan were ceded to France, the idea entered into the French mind to search carefully through the public records for the names of all towns and cities which during any former period had been the property of either of the three Bishoprics, and to demand them from Germany as a portion of the rightful spoils. Although this preposterous demand failed to be presented in its original shape, it led to a series of hggressions which finally culminated in that devastation of the Palin 1688 and 1689 by the French armies under the direction of Montclas and Melac. Mannheim, R&staat, Baden, Heidelberg and many other places were already in ruins, and the French forces were rapidly advancing toward the boundaries of Swabia, their thirst for robbery and destruction increasing with every step. The Government of Wurtemburg, in the hope of saving Stuttgart, delivered all the towns of Northern Swabia into the enemy’s hands, and the only fortification which had not been destroyed by the French troops was that of Schorndorf, to which the people looked as a ..last hope. . The French commander sat confidently in his camp at Esslingcn, laying plans for his winter quarters in Wurtemburg. The Royal Commissioners had already left Stuttgart to give orders to Schorndorf to fling open its gates to the invading host, and the French gave little heed to this last stronghold of the Wurtemburg Government, so sure were they of its speedy surrender. But exactly at this point was the invading army to meet its check; for within the walls of Schorndorf was a determined man, and, what was still more important, a determined woman! The man was the commander of the fortifications. Peter Krummhaar. Although lie had received the royal command to make a slight show r of resistance, and ihen surrender the city, he refused t« obey.

At length a special messenger apJ eareu lrom Stuttgart stating that the rench commander had given orders to burn the royal residence and take immediate possession of the city, unless Schorndorf complied with the demands made u)«n it. But, in spite of all demands and orders, Krummhaar remained firm. He had strengthened his forces by drawing in large numbers of patriotic villagers from the surrounding country, and was determined to hold out until the imperial army arrived. But treachery and cowardice were so rampant in the highest places that Krummhaar found his strength growing less and less. At length he summoned a meeting in the Town 11 all of all the officials and leading men. to consult upon the possibility of a continued defense.

Frau Kuakelin, the wife of the Mayor of the oi;.>. was a tall woman of about fifty yea:s. whose word was law with all the women in Schorndorf. Of a firm, upright character, she had made herself univer- illy beloved and respected. Her ?>atriotism was of that kind w hich alows nothing to stand in its path, but sacrifices everything to the beloved country. She suspected that the voice of the City Fathers would be for surrender, and, secretly following them to the council hall, she hid herself to listen. As she had feared, the patriotic determination of Peter Krummhaar was overruled, and the city doomed to fall like its sisters. Frau Kuakelin rushed wildly from the hall. Sending messengers through the town, she summoned all the women to assemble before her, armed with whatever they could lay hands on. “We have not laid up riches for these rascally Frenchmen to live and grow fat on.”, said she, “ and Stuttgart will see that Schorndorf will not be humbled in tlie dust, like Tubingen and Asberg.” An army of women was soon assembled. Armed with every conceivable weapon, from a broomstick to a sword, they presented a very strange appearance. Then, with Frau Kunkelin at their head, they marched to the Town Hall, and broke in upon the solemn conclave of their husbands. Frau Kunkelin, advancing toward the astonished City Fathers, made them a speech, in which she called, upon them to protect their homes, closing with these words, addressed to her husband himself: “I will kill you with my own hand if you act the part of a traitor.”

After announcing their intentions, the women proceeded to take possession of the Town Hall, and, organizing themselves into companies, held strict guard over the gates of the city. For two days and three nights the town remained in the hands of the women, the City Fathers, “on pain of death," being compelled to obey theircommands. Meanwhile, Peter Krummhaar was assisting the women in every way. Every moment was a step toward salvation, for the imperial army was rapidly approaching. The mora'l effect, too, of this patriotic uprising of the women was immense, and the whole country which had been cowed down with abject terror rose with one accord to save the Fatherland. The heroine of Schorndorf, Frau Kunkelin, lived manyyears after the uprising of the women took place, and, it is said, related the history to a goodly number of grandchildren and great-grand-. children— AUine