A nineteenth-century Swiss book about the early life of William Tell, illustrated by Herman Fieg, has been found in an offering from an international dealer.
"I felt immediately connected and needing to have it," said Diana Fieg Doyle, who discovered the book online, "and no matter how much it cost, I had to have it: das Buch Ich muss haben!"
Entitled "Der Knabe des [Wilhelm] Tell: eine Geschichte für die Jugend" (The Boy [William] Tell: a Tale for Children), the book, published in 1886, is part of an eight-volume series made available from a national youth library. The 179-page tome, authored by Jeremias Gotthelf, was published by Druck u. Verlag von Gebrüder Kröner, features six metal engravings created by Uncle Herman, brother of Carl Fieg who immigrated to America in 1900 and established our branch of the family.
Originally published in Stuttgart, Germany, it was sold through www.AbeBooks.com out of Lyssach, Switzerland. The engravings depict a number of heroic deeds attributed to the early Swiss liberator William Tell, including the famous feat of shooting an apple off his son's head with a crossbow.
Herman has been described in succeeding generations as the long-lost uncle who vanished into the South Pacific. In retrospect, however, it seems as though he had not vanished at all, but that he knew exactly where he was - Australia. He sent paintings and letters to his brother Carl but presumably lost contact when Carl died suddenly of appendicitis. Not only would Herman not have known Carl's son, Lothar (born, coincidentally, in 1886), or his other nieces and nephews Max, Millie, Bertha, Victor and Martha; he likely didmay not even have known of some of them; hence the assumption of his disappearance.
A number of Fiegs have been uncovered in Australia but they have been, so far, incommunicado. It has not been confirmed, but it seems likely that these are Herman's heirs.
This marvelous volume will remain a treasured heirloom and the family is indebted to Diana for finding it. Since the discovery of this volume, Diana has found another metal engraving online and is waiting to receive it.
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