Kramis Family by Arnold Kramis

In this house, which is located close to the 'Zolihaus' in REUSSBOHL, in 1866 the first comprehensive school was established.

In the Section "First Appearances" I will mention the investigation of Alois Halischi from ALTWIS. He studied the branch KRANMOOS in BEROMONSTER. Thanks to him we know about the first written reference of our name.

The investigation of our name between the 15th and 18th century still needs to be done.

COLLABORATORS

Key information about our family I received from:

• Anton KRAMIS, LUZERN
• Josef KRAMIS, SIRSEE
• Alois KRAMIS Jun., RAIN.

A special thanks goes to my son in law Werner lsenschmid, Luzern. He made a computer output of my documents as well as of the family tree.

Two family reunions took place in LUZERN:

1. First reunion: January 24, 1982 at the Restaurant Kolping in LUZERN (about~1OO participants).
2. Second reunion: October 25, 1987 at the Restaurant St. Josef in RAIN (about 150 participants).

The present document is based on the knowledge I reached by January 1, 1991. I would like to ask all, who are interested in the KRAMlS- family tree to communicate with me about any additions or corrections.

Luzem, December 1990

by Arnold Kramis

The Family Name KRANMOOS- KRAMIS

Introduction

The main impulse to study the history of the family name KRAMIS from Hildesrieden I got from Nick KRAMlS¹ during his visit to LUZERN in 1967. During this first and unfortunately also his last trip to Switzerland he visited the office of the municipal of HILDISRIEDEN. The officer gave him a list of the parents and siblings of his father Nikolaus KRAMIS-Muff. From Nick I heard for the first time about the destiny of the two brothers who emigrated in 1880 to AMERICA.

I already knew about our relatives in MEXICO. I was about 10 years old when Josef KRAMIS from MEXICO knocked at our door. He had emigrated in 1905 and was on his second world trip leading him to his homeland. He was a cousin of the two emigrants to the USA. While the two brothers left Switzerland for economical reasons, the spirit of adventure drove JOSEF KRAMIS. In MEXICO he soon found a good position as an accountant. He married a Mexican woman of Spanish descent.

During my trips to the USA and to MEXICO had the opportunity to get to know the descendants of the three emigrants. It was a pleasure for me to realize that most of them were much interested to know more about there family history.

The first joint family reunion of the USA and MEXICAN branch of the KRAMIS family took place in 1987 in GALVESTON by HOUSTON (Texas). 50 adults and 10 kids participated during the thanksgiving days at this reunion. The large number of participants was a proof of the still existing family bond. A second reunion happened in 1989 in Mexico City.

Having completed now the family tree of the immigrants I could start to focus on the Swiss branch. In the archive of the canton of LUZERN I was able to locate the roots of all the living members of the family KRAMIS from HlLDISRIEDEN: Augustin KRAMIS, married to Elisabeth Filliger, married first to Elisabeth Fleischlin. The branch of KRAMIS-Fleischlin, "von der Strass" died out in the 19th Century.

I am now satisfied with my goal to have found the roots of our family tree, which encompasses the time period from about 1750 to today. I am aware that this can only be an intermediate step, since several gaps still exist within this time period.

Up to now I could not identify a link to the KRAMIS line living in BERN. I'd like to mention the musician Hans KRAMIS (1480-1541) who came from the ELSASS and who worked in BERN, FREIBURG and BASEL.

In the canton of LUZERN our name is documented in the 18th and 19th centuries in HILDISRIEDEN, RAIN, WOLHUSEN, SCHUPFHEIM, LITTAU and BUCHRAIN. All these families descend from HILDISRIEDEN. At the end of the 19th century the family spread to AEGERI. The first member of this branch I found worked in the spinning mill of NEU-AEGERI. Therefrom the family expanded into the eastern part of Switzerland. Unfortunately I have no information about our branch living in LIUAU (LUZERN).

The following information stems from the former lawyer Peter Haltschi von ALTWIS and was published in the "Seetaler Boote". Peter HbItschi also gave me additional details about the spreading of the family to BEROMONSTER and HOCHDORF. This historically confirmed information gave the family research the necessary impulses.

The starting location of the family was KRANMOOS (today this location is called KRAMIS) and lays in the community HOHEN RAIN of the church community BALLWIL. Kranmoos is one of the oldest possessions of the abbey HOHEN RAIN.

The family "von KRANMOOS" is an old, today often called "autochthone" family of the valley. The name first entered into the history books with the free citizen Rudolf von Kranmoos, who must have been born about 1200.His sons (fihi Ruodolfi de KRANMOOS) appeared in a document on March 12, 1256 together with the other free farmers from the villages RUTZIGEN, ABTWIL, BRONDLEN and UNTEREBERSOL. All these villages were part of the jurisdiction HOH EN RAIN. Brother Heinrich von Lichtensteig, Komtur to HOH EN RAIN and master in Germany made an agreement in March 23, 1284 with the cavalier Diethelm von BALLWIL. The agreement stated forests, fields, "Wunn" and "Weide", but specially the farm KRANMOS and a conflict that he had with Johannes von KRANMOOS. (Among the witnesses: Heinrich von KRANMOOS)

• 1217 the family is documented to live in HOCHDORF
• 1338 Konrad von KRANMOOS lived in UNTEREBERSOL. Heini von KRANMOOS was documented in the oldest list for ammunition of the town of LUZERN in 1349/53 (1349 - 1353).
• 1470 the witness Hinzmann KRANMOOS appears at the court of HOHENRAIN,
• 1547 Hartmann KRANMOQS sits as a member of the jury in the same court.

Let us name finally a few representatives of the important family branch in BEROMONSTER

• 1324 Peter KRANMOOS.
• 1348 his sons Peter and Konrad.
• 1386 a third Peter KRANMOOS, who became a citizen of LUZERN together with 45 people of his community.

About at the same time Ulrich KRANMOOS was chaplain of the prebend St. Katharinen. and was priest of BIRRWIL, and

• 1400 Niklaus KRANMOOS was prebendary.

• ---

The family "von KRANMOOS" around 1400

• 20 March - Margret Kramissin hat angeordnet fur sich vnd Hanns Volly Muller ynd Jackj Lbwen vnd Wildhannsen ire mann vnd ii vordern, dem Lutprieste iii HIIr.
• 11 April - Wernher von Zetzwil hat gesotzt j mutt kernen fur sich vnd sin husfrowen vnd so vss iren geschlechtern verscheiden.
• 23 April - Ruodolif Gartn er hat geordnet fur sich vnd Mechtild vnd Richentina beid sin Husfrowen vnd Grete vnd Arnold ire kind ii s.
• 29 April - Lucien HUsin hat geben fur sich, ir vatter vnd muotter, Anna Fulhaberin, ir schwbster vnd heren fNclaus Kramos ii fiertel kernen.
• 12 June - Peter Kramis hat geordnet fur sich vnd Ita sin Husfrowen vnd sine vorderen ii s.
• 20 October - Burgi Kramos vnd Ita sin Husfrow hand geordnet fur sich vnd ire kind s.

In the year book of the "Chorherrenstift ABEROM()NSTER" we find the following entries:

27. Homung 1400 Johannis de Hentschicken und Margarete Kramerin

29. Mai 1400 Nicolaus Cramos, Prependarius Lucius Ecclesie

(see family tree map at 75% of Actual Size [205k]) (see family tree map at 100% of Actual Size [380k])

The Kramis family which was already present in 1256 soon got some recognition The sons of Peter Kranmoos were related to well respected families such as Gartner, and with H'isso von ZETZWIL, a noble family name of the WIN ENTAL (see enclosures)

It is interesting to note that the name KRANMOOS was changed gradually. In Beromunster we find the following names:

KRANMOOS, KRAMOS, KRAMIS.

1 He was the oldest son of Nikolaus KRAMIS who emigrated to the USA in 1880.

2 Alimend = community land

3 "Seetal" Source: Quellenwerk zur Entstehung der Eidgenossenschaft Luzemer BUrgerbuch