letters

Johann Jacob Frautschi's Wanderbuch, 1905


About the Original Manuscript:

In 1905 Johann Jacob Frautschi returned to Switzerland for a visit. He traveled with his brother Christian, sister-in-law Elizabeth, and daughter Cecelia. Johann recorded his impressions of the journey in his Wanderbuch, a 51-page journal small enough to place in one's front pocket. The Wanderbuch is usually a work record for a journeyman craftsman, but in this case Johann Jacob seems to have used it mainly a personal diary.
Max Kade Institute has only digital formats of journal, transliterations, and translations. Original journal is in the possession of Janet Spaeth West; images courtesy of Ms. West and Rick Frautschi.

Note: Christian also kept a diary of the journey.

The original Wanderbuch


page 1


pages 2-3 pages 4-5
pages 6-7 pages 8-9
page 10 pages 11-12
pages 13-14 pages 15-16
pages 17-18 pages 19-20
pages 21-22 pages 23-24
pages 25-26 pages 27-28
pages 29-30 pages 31-32
pages 33-34 pages 35-36
pages 37-38 pages 39-40
pages 41-42 pages 43-44
pages 45-46 pages 47-48
page 49 page 50
page 51

Summary:

Travel journal kept by Johann Jacob Frautschi in his original journeyman record book.
The cover has the following information: Cobbler Johann Jakob Frautschi of Saanen, 18 years of age, five feet two inches (Swiss measure) tall, brown hair, average forehead, blue green eyes, a broad nose, average mouth, pointed chin, oval face. He has two birth marks on his right cheek. This Wanderbuch was issued in Geneva on 12 May 1864.

Text:

Translation of pages 15-28, describing the 1905 trip to Switzerland: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
English summary of the Wanderbuch: 1, 2, 3

Summary and translation: Roger P. Minert, Ph.D.

Commercial use prohibited. Copyright 2005, by the The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System


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Created: 1 April 2005

Comments to: kkurdylo@wisc.edu