Our Spiritual Heritage
The only true legacy worth leaving to one's progeny as he or she exits this earthly life is the Gospel of Christ, the Good News. Everything else is perishable and transitory. The Apostle Peter reminds us: "For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect." (I Peter 1:18-19) And Jesus challenges us, as we think about how best to influence and shape our own children and grandchildren, with his clear, to the point question: "What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26), and Paul adds, "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." (Eph. 6:4)
Who in our long line of forebearers passed down to us the Good News of Jesus and lived it out for our example? Who prayed for us long before we were born? Some know. About others, we don't know who they were for certain. But there are certain specific events that may give us clues or hint at possibilities.
Martin Luther and the Reformation in Saxony
Martin Luther nailed his 95 thesis to the door in Wittenberg, about 120 miles away from Suhl, in 1517. But the impact of this event did not impact Saxony in particular until 1521 when Luther was convicted of heresy at Worms, and was hidden away at Eisenach by Elector Prince Frederick, 30 short miles from Suhl. The Protestant Reformation was adopted by the people of Suhl in 1544. It emphasized justification by faith and not of works. There were Wackes family members there as part of that important decision! Suhl had less than 3,000 people at the time. From that point forward, every Wackes in our line was baptized and married within, and buried from St. Marien's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Suhl.
Were they all people of faith? We presume that many were. The price at the time was too heavy to pay to play games. During the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) the people of Suhl experienced marauding armies that swept through town. Suhl was located on a straight route from Munich in the south to Erfurt and Leipzig in the north and at the foot of the only passage way from south to north over the Thuringia mountains. In 1634 the Catholic army from Croatia burned the town to the ground. They left several buildings--the major gunmaking shops and in nearby Neundorf, an inn which they used for their headquarters. Built in 1591, Ruth and I ate dinner there with Gunther Wackes our first night in Suhl in 1998.
If you are interested in the causes of this horrific war that reached to tiny Suhl, click the button below "Background."
Were they all people of faith? We presume that many were. The price at the time was too heavy to pay to play games. During the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) the people of Suhl experienced marauding armies that swept through town. Suhl was located on a straight route from Munich in the south to Erfurt and Leipzig in the north and at the foot of the only passage way from south to north over the Thuringia mountains. In 1634 the Catholic army from Croatia burned the town to the ground. They left several buildings--the major gunmaking shops and in nearby Neundorf, an inn which they used for their headquarters. Built in 1591, Ruth and I ate dinner there with Gunther Wackes our first night in Suhl in 1998.
If you are interested in the causes of this horrific war that reached to tiny Suhl, click the button below "Background."
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What caused the war? Rome's attempt to regain Germany from the Lutherans (all Protestants, including Calvinists and Anabaptists, were called Lutherans).
By the end of the 16th century the Protestant Reformation was reshaping the religious landscape of Europe. All of the German states, except for the four southern states, were now Lutheran.
Calvinism was dominant in the Netherlands and among the nobility in Hungary, Bohemia, and much of France.
Sweden, Denmark, and Norway were now Lutheran states. Switzerland, among the German speaking cantons, embraced Lutheranism. Most of the French speaking cantons, led by Geneva, embraced Calvinism. And France had been embroiled in a bloody war between Catholics and Calvinists in the middle to late 16th century. England supported the Huguenots (Calvinists) with money and weapons.)
Council of Trent & the Counter-Reformation
The Roman Church launched its own Counter-Reformation. In 1534 the Jesuit Order was established with a major objective--recapture Europe for Rome.
In a series of three councils held between 1545 and 1563 at Trent, Italy, Roman leaders reaffirmed Catholic doctrine in a series of dogmas.
Two of the more pertinent dogmas were: 1) anyone who teaches that salvation is by faith alone and not by faith plus good works is anathema; and, 2) anyone who teaches that the sole authority for faith and practice is scripture alone and not scripture plus Church tradition is anathema.
Hence, all Protestants, from princes to ministers to simple villagers, were heretics and fair game in a holy war. And thus Suhl was razed to the ground by the Catholic Croats in 1634.
Ottoman Turks in Eastern Europe
It was not only the Protestant Reformation that Rome had to contend with, but another enemy threatened from the east, the Muslim Ottoman Turks. The Muslim Turks had by this time subjugated Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Albania, Croatia, Serbia, and eastern Hungary. In 1529, under Suleiman the Magnificent, the Turks laid siege to Vienna, the capitol of the Austrian Habsburg Empire!
Rather than fighting two enemies on two fronts at the same time it was decided that suppressing the Reformation in Germany was the easiest of the two. The word from the Pope to the Austrian Habsburg Emperor was, "Get your house In order."
The Defenestration of Prague 1618
Bohemia (present day Czechoslovakia) had largely become Calvinists. In 1618 the new Habsburg emperor, Mattias, determined to restore the Catholic Church. In a meeting of Bohemian nobles with five pro-Catholic city officials, three of the city officials were "defenestrated" out a third-story window.
When the emperor sent troops to Bohemia, German Lutheran states went to their rescue.
Thus, the Thirty Years War broke out in 1618. The ultimate goal was to crush the German Lutheran states militarily and to eradicate heretical Lutheran doctrine.
For a more in-depth but brief overview of the Thirty Years War go see the Boise State University summary.
By the end of the 16th century the Protestant Reformation was reshaping the religious landscape of Europe. All of the German states, except for the four southern states, were now Lutheran.
Calvinism was dominant in the Netherlands and among the nobility in Hungary, Bohemia, and much of France.
Sweden, Denmark, and Norway were now Lutheran states. Switzerland, among the German speaking cantons, embraced Lutheranism. Most of the French speaking cantons, led by Geneva, embraced Calvinism. And France had been embroiled in a bloody war between Catholics and Calvinists in the middle to late 16th century. England supported the Huguenots (Calvinists) with money and weapons.)
Council of Trent & the Counter-Reformation
The Roman Church launched its own Counter-Reformation. In 1534 the Jesuit Order was established with a major objective--recapture Europe for Rome.
In a series of three councils held between 1545 and 1563 at Trent, Italy, Roman leaders reaffirmed Catholic doctrine in a series of dogmas.
Two of the more pertinent dogmas were: 1) anyone who teaches that salvation is by faith alone and not by faith plus good works is anathema; and, 2) anyone who teaches that the sole authority for faith and practice is scripture alone and not scripture plus Church tradition is anathema.
Hence, all Protestants, from princes to ministers to simple villagers, were heretics and fair game in a holy war. And thus Suhl was razed to the ground by the Catholic Croats in 1634.
Ottoman Turks in Eastern Europe
It was not only the Protestant Reformation that Rome had to contend with, but another enemy threatened from the east, the Muslim Ottoman Turks. The Muslim Turks had by this time subjugated Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Albania, Croatia, Serbia, and eastern Hungary. In 1529, under Suleiman the Magnificent, the Turks laid siege to Vienna, the capitol of the Austrian Habsburg Empire!
Rather than fighting two enemies on two fronts at the same time it was decided that suppressing the Reformation in Germany was the easiest of the two. The word from the Pope to the Austrian Habsburg Emperor was, "Get your house In order."
The Defenestration of Prague 1618
Bohemia (present day Czechoslovakia) had largely become Calvinists. In 1618 the new Habsburg emperor, Mattias, determined to restore the Catholic Church. In a meeting of Bohemian nobles with five pro-Catholic city officials, three of the city officials were "defenestrated" out a third-story window.
When the emperor sent troops to Bohemia, German Lutheran states went to their rescue.
Thus, the Thirty Years War broke out in 1618. The ultimate goal was to crush the German Lutheran states militarily and to eradicate heretical Lutheran doctrine.
For a more in-depth but brief overview of the Thirty Years War go see the Boise State University summary.
During the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) the people of Suhl experienced marauding armies that periodically swept through town. Suhl was located on a straight route from Bavaria to Erfurt and on to Leipzig. The only major route through the passage way over the Thuringia mountains north and south was through Suhl.
The outcome
It is generally estimated that about one-third of the German population died from either warfare or disease during the Thirty Years War. It took almost a century (1748) for the German population to reach its 1618 level. That we are here today is a tribute to the Wackes family members who survived that horrific time.
The war destroyed the traditional dominant role of the Catholic empire in Europe and in its place arose independent nation states.
The war ended with no formal treaty. But in 1648 a peace was mutually agreed upon--the Peace of Westphalia.
The outcome
It is generally estimated that about one-third of the German population died from either warfare or disease during the Thirty Years War. It took almost a century (1748) for the German population to reach its 1618 level. That we are here today is a tribute to the Wackes family members who survived that horrific time.
The war destroyed the traditional dominant role of the Catholic empire in Europe and in its place arose independent nation states.
The war ended with no formal treaty. But in 1648 a peace was mutually agreed upon--the Peace of Westphalia.
Major agreements of the Peace of Westphalia (1648):
Perhaps the worst part of the war and its direct impact on the Wackes family was the method of compensating troops for their service. "Feed yourself and clothe yourself with whatever you want, wherever you want, however you want, and consort by force or persuasion with whomever you want.
So when the Croatian army reached Suhl in 1634, the townspeople, including the Wackes families, grabbed everything they could and fled to the surrounding mountains. When they returned, Suhl laid in total ashes. All livestock was gone, all fields stripped bare, all industry destroyed, and all belongings vanished.
The Wackes family has its roots in those ashes.
If your interested in learning more about the Thirty Years War, click the following button.
- Religious liberty was guaranteed for German Lutherans and Calvinists.
- The Calvinist Netherlands was guaranteed independence from the Spanish Habsburgs.
- The independence of the Dutch Republic and Switzerland was recognized.
- The German states were given the right to make treaties and alliances, thus diminishing the authority of the Holy Roman emperor (a.k.a. Austrian Habsburg emperor).
- Alsace was given to France. The majority Germans in Alsace were referred to as "der Wackes."
- France became the dominant power in Europe, replacing their hated neighbor, Austria..
- The Austrian Habsburgs turned their attention eastward towards Hungary, Bohemia, and the continuing struggle against the Ottoman Turks.
- The Spanish Habsburgs became isolated.
Perhaps the worst part of the war and its direct impact on the Wackes family was the method of compensating troops for their service. "Feed yourself and clothe yourself with whatever you want, wherever you want, however you want, and consort by force or persuasion with whomever you want.
So when the Croatian army reached Suhl in 1634, the townspeople, including the Wackes families, grabbed everything they could and fled to the surrounding mountains. When they returned, Suhl laid in total ashes. All livestock was gone, all fields stripped bare, all industry destroyed, and all belongings vanished.
The Wackes family has its roots in those ashes.
If your interested in learning more about the Thirty Years War, click the following button.
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To understand this major war, for simplicity sake, let's look at the war as a football game with four quarters.
The Teams
The teams? Italy, Spain, Austria, the Holy Roman (Habsburg) Empire, the Pope, the German Catholic states (4), and Croatia vs, the German Protestant states (c. 100), Denmark, Sweden, and France.
The Play By Play
Quarter #1 (1618-1629): Habsburgs 1 - Germans 0 -- The Catholic forces from Spain, Italy, Croatia, and Austria almost annihilated the German Protestant armies. During this period the Habsburgs, drunk with early successes, took a step so inflammatory that the German Lutheran populace, like those in Suhl, vowed to fight until death. On March 6, 1628 the Habsburg emperor, Ferdinand II, issued the Edict of Restitution which called for the return of all land formerly held by the Catholic Church, the banning of all Calvinist states (the Netherlands, Saxony, Bohemia) and the expulsion of all Protestants from Catholic states. Thousands of Protestants became exiles. Question: Could this have resulted in a family group called "Wackes" leaving Alsace for Suhl?
Quarter #2 (1630-1635): Habsburgs 0 - Germans 1 -- King Gustavus Adolphus of Lutheran Sweden, master military tactician and aided by French money, (Wait a minute! I thought the French were Roman Catholic!), drove the Habsburgs (a.k.a the Holy Roman Empire) back to Bavaria and Austria.
Quarter #3 (1635): Habsburgs 1 - Germans 0 -- King Adolphus was killed in battle and the Swedish/German forces went into disarray. Both sides were exhausted. When Wallenstein, the key general of the Habsburgs, attempted a secret peace agreement, he was assassinated by his own troops. A temporary "time out" was called, but the Habsburgs gained the advantage.
Quarter #4 (1636-1648): Habsburgs 0 - Germans 1 -- Cardinal Richelieu (yes, that's right, a Catholic cardinal) and chief minister to Louis XIII of Catholic France entered the war on the side of the Lutheran Germans! Surrounded by the Spanish Habsburgs who controlled Spain, the Netherlands, and Italy, and the Austrian Habsburgs controlling Austria and Hungary, France was surrounded.
To prevent the Habsburgs from becoming the dominant political and military power in Europe, France entered the war on the Protestant side. By 1648 both sides were bloody, battered, and exhausted. An approximated 8,000,000 had died, the majority of them Germans. The German population figures for 1515 were not equalled again until 1750. German agriculture and industry were destroyed and religious prejudices were ingrained for generations.
The Teams
The teams? Italy, Spain, Austria, the Holy Roman (Habsburg) Empire, the Pope, the German Catholic states (4), and Croatia vs, the German Protestant states (c. 100), Denmark, Sweden, and France.
The Play By Play
Quarter #1 (1618-1629): Habsburgs 1 - Germans 0 -- The Catholic forces from Spain, Italy, Croatia, and Austria almost annihilated the German Protestant armies. During this period the Habsburgs, drunk with early successes, took a step so inflammatory that the German Lutheran populace, like those in Suhl, vowed to fight until death. On March 6, 1628 the Habsburg emperor, Ferdinand II, issued the Edict of Restitution which called for the return of all land formerly held by the Catholic Church, the banning of all Calvinist states (the Netherlands, Saxony, Bohemia) and the expulsion of all Protestants from Catholic states. Thousands of Protestants became exiles. Question: Could this have resulted in a family group called "Wackes" leaving Alsace for Suhl?
Quarter #2 (1630-1635): Habsburgs 0 - Germans 1 -- King Gustavus Adolphus of Lutheran Sweden, master military tactician and aided by French money, (Wait a minute! I thought the French were Roman Catholic!), drove the Habsburgs (a.k.a the Holy Roman Empire) back to Bavaria and Austria.
Quarter #3 (1635): Habsburgs 1 - Germans 0 -- King Adolphus was killed in battle and the Swedish/German forces went into disarray. Both sides were exhausted. When Wallenstein, the key general of the Habsburgs, attempted a secret peace agreement, he was assassinated by his own troops. A temporary "time out" was called, but the Habsburgs gained the advantage.
Quarter #4 (1636-1648): Habsburgs 0 - Germans 1 -- Cardinal Richelieu (yes, that's right, a Catholic cardinal) and chief minister to Louis XIII of Catholic France entered the war on the side of the Lutheran Germans! Surrounded by the Spanish Habsburgs who controlled Spain, the Netherlands, and Italy, and the Austrian Habsburgs controlling Austria and Hungary, France was surrounded.
To prevent the Habsburgs from becoming the dominant political and military power in Europe, France entered the war on the Protestant side. By 1648 both sides were bloody, battered, and exhausted. An approximated 8,000,000 had died, the majority of them Germans. The German population figures for 1515 were not equalled again until 1750. German agriculture and industry were destroyed and religious prejudices were ingrained for generations.
