Posted By:	Gary Skarka
	Email:
	Subject:	Interesting Evolution of One Branch of Schleichers
	Post Date:	March 14, 2007 at 13:10:42
	Message URL:	http://genforum.genealogy.com/schleicher/messages/243.html
	Forum:	Schleicher Family Genealogy Forum
	Forum URL:	http://genforum.genealogy.com/schleicher/

I am posting this to see if anyone on this forum has additional information from what I have learned so far. My connection to the Schleicher family came as a bit of a surprise. My Great Grandmother was Maria Magdelena von Rosenthal, b. Mainz, GE, d. Jersey City, N.J., U.S.A.. She immigrated to America with her parents in the 1860s. She married Philip Dexheimer. Their daughter Harriet was my grandmother. In trying to trace her line, I kept running into a roadblock at her father, Martin von Rosenthal. I actually had given up on further research when I heard from a gentleman in Koln, GE named Franz Schleicher. He provided me with the following information. In the early 1700s, the Schleichers lived in Aachen, GE. They produced bronze and were fairly prominent. At some point they got into conflict with the local government over a religious issue. I believe they were Catholic, but the government was "favoring" Protestants at that time. The Schleichers packed up and moved about 40 km to the east to Stolberg. There they set up their bronze making again and became very prosperous. I don't recall all the specific dates because I am doing this from memory and don't have my data in front of me. The branch of this family headed by Matthias Schleicher, who was married to a Mechtilda Pelzer, built a large estate and named it "Hof Rosental", which meant "House of Roses". The branch of the family who lived in this house began stating their hame as "Schleicher von Rosental", meaning Schleichers from the House of Roses. The reason given for this "distinction" was that apparently "Schleicher" meant a lazy person, or as we say in English, "Slacker". Matthias wanted to be distinguished fron the "run of the mill Schleichers". A generation later, Matthias' son, who I believe was also named Matthias...who was married to a Gertrude Lynen...dropped the "Schleicher" all together and just used "von Rosental". This branch connects two generations later to my GG. Grandfather, Martin von Rosenthal (note the "h" is now added). When they came to America, they dropped the "von" and were just known as "Rosenthal". The "Hof Rosental" is still standing in Stolberg and is now a museum. I also have information that takes the genealogy of this line, through one of the wives, to Charlemagne. Franz Scleicher also told me that many of our ancestors in this line have their portraits in the City Hall of Koln, GE. He has invited me to come see them. One of this days I will go!! He also advised me that "Schleicher" is pronounced "Schleisher" (not "Schleiker" as we pronounce it here in America). If anyone wants the detail, dates, etc., let me know.