My daughter and I will be taking a train to Zofingen to see the Niklaus Thut Fountain. That is one of my great grandmother's names and our ancestry has been traced back to Niklaus Thut. Any ideas on other things to do in Zofingen or to see other family related sites. I have been told an ancestor in the mid 1800's had a brush factory there. Two other family names are Walters and Sutter or Suter. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Posted by
Switzerland
408 posts
I’d suggest contacting the Zofingen tourist office - Niklaus Thut is a bit of a local legend, so they may be able to give you ideas or even the name of a local guide/historian who could give you a personalized walking tour. Zofingen has a pretty old town that is worth a look. The town museum might also have information of interest to you - perhaps an email to them would be worth a shot.
If you’re up for a bit of outdoor activity, I know you can also visit the site of the battle where Niklaus Thut was killed. It’s near the town of Sempach, close to Luzern.
Is the brush factory the one founded by Samuel Thut-Walther? This was in Oberentfelden near Aarau (not far from Zofingen) and there is a small museum about the company and the town you can visit on Sundays or by appointment. The website also has a lot of family emigration history info that may interest you (all in German) - many Thut-Walther and Suters mentioned. Aarau is a pretty small town also worth a visit, just 25 mins from Zurich and 20 mins direct train to/from Zofingen.
I live in the area, so send me a private message if you need any info or help and I’ll do what I can!
Posted by
California USA
4100 posts
My son’s family is currently hosting an exchange student from Zofingen. When she gets home from school today I’ll text her to see if she has any ideas too, on a general level, about Zofingen.
Posted by
California USA
4100 posts
Here are the 16 year olds ideas for other fun things to do in Zofingen.
- Zofingen doesn‘t have alot but its old town Altstadt is definitely very pretty and there is a hill called Heitere which is a thing in my town
- There is a little creek the wiggere in Zofingen where you could go on a walk and there is also the woods where you can take a walk
- And you can go on a tour in the Altstadt and learn the history and things
- I got so excited when I heard they will visit Zofingen
A sweet girl’s recommendations for things she likes about her town, enjoy.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thank you all for replying. We have decided to rent a car for one day (May 10th) to visit different sights in and around Zofingen. Samuel Thug-Walther was my great great grandfather so we will be trying to get an appointment for the museum. I do not speak German so It takes me a bit to translate the information.
We are so excited to be visiting Switzerland. We will also be spending time in Zurich and around Interlaken. Once again, thanks, you have made out trip planning so much better.