Recollections of a New York surgeon / by Arpad G. Gerster, M.D.

  • Árpád Gerster
Date:
1917
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Recollections of a New York surgeon / by Arpad G. Gerster, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    28/412 (page 4)
    ness in which the love of democratic simplicity exists side hy side with pride of race and family—a curious paradox. Thus it comes, that since olden times burgher and peasant in Switzerland have assumed and still em¬ ploy family arms composed on heraldic principles. The following data were gathered from family rec¬ ords and church registers by the Rev. Ludwig Gerster, Protestant pastor at Kappelen, Canton Berne. The earliest mention of the name Gerster occurs in the official family registers of the City of Basel, as fol¬ lows : Admitted to citizenship: 1378, Heini Gerster of Dietwylen, the weaver. 1412, Heini Gerster of Dornach. 1415, Rudi Gerster of Weltkircli. 1488, Steffen Gerster, the wainwright. Eminent among the Gersters of Basel was John Ger¬ ster, of Kaufbeuren, who was called to Basel in 1482. In those times it was the practice for Swiss Common¬ wealths to appoint aliens rather than natives to their chancelleries (legal and diplomatic services). The mo¬ tive was jealousy; the object, to prevent political pre¬ ponderance of any ot the leading families. A similai phenomenon appears in the medieval free cities of Italy, where the office of “podesta” was habitually entrusted to eminent men of foreign birth and extraction toi simi¬ lar reasons. John Gerster held various offices in the city govern¬ ment of Basel until 1523, when he retired on a pension, lie died in 1531. lie was a friend of Ilans Ilolbein the younger, who painted for him the famous Madonna of Solotlmin. The painting was dedicated as an altar piece in the church of Saint Ursus at Solothurn. The coats ot arms of the founder and of his wife, Barbara Guldenknopi,