Marie-Madeleine and Edy WOLF	Célestine and Georges WOLF	Colette and Georges WOLF

 

Fernand during service from 1946 to 1995

1/ Origins of the family: the family comes from the village of OBERMENDIG near COBLENCE in Germany. François WOLF was born on 20th January 1721, son of Pierre and grandson of Jean. François died in 1760 leaving a son Quirin born on 27.1.1759 who became a stone-cutter and married Ursula Lupfer born in Guebwiller. Their son Valentin was born on 2nd June 1788 in Guebwiller. He remarried Thérèse Fessler. Valentin was a musician. The couple had a daughter Thérèse born on 2nd March 1828. Thérèse was the mother of Edouard WOLF nicknamed BELCHENWOLF. He was born in Strasbourg on 11th June 1861 and became a clocksmith and married Marie Madeleine CLAUSS, born on 23rd July 1862, from Buhl. Their son Georges Edouard WOLF was born in Buhl on 17th August 1889 and wedded Célestine WAGNER, born in 1906.

1/ From Murbach to the Grand-Ballon: The couple WOLF-CLAUSS, managed the Barnabé Hotel in Murbach. In 1877, the Vosges Club built a stone mountain hut at the Grand-Ballon. This hut was destroyed during the year 1883-1884 and a new building was constructed in May 1886. Edouard WOLF took over the building at the Grand Ballon in August 1892 on the request of the first owner Joseph Althoffer.

Edouard nicknamed "Belchenwolf" remained until the beginning of the First World War when he was arrested by the German troups in Roedelen as a French spy. He just had time to tear up and swallow the message he was bearing when he was arrested by the Germans and made a prisoner over the Rhin.

The Ballon building was destroyed by fire and his wife was evacuated from Murbach to Soufflenheim in the Bas-Rhin county. At the end of the hostilities the WOLF family came back to the heights of the Grand-Ballon in a temporary building. The first bricks of the new and present day Grand Ballon hotel were placed on 17th October 1920. Two years later, Edouard left the heights of the Vosges and integrated the Markstein where he built and managed his own mountain refuge.

3/ The WOLF family at theMarkstein: Edy WOLF's building was situated between the Bellevue Hotel and the present day Wolf Hotel, on Oderen council banns. Edouard sold his lands shortly afterwards to Adolphe Schlumberger for the sum of 42 000 F. His son Georges, born in 1889, returned home in 1926. He had left for the USA in 1905 when he was only 16 years old. He married Célestine WAGNER in 1927, she had accompagned Edouard WOLF to the Grand-Ballon as a waitress.

Georges was nominated first manager of the newly built Bellevue Hotel. He remained there for a year and then left the Markstein for Lautenbach. Edouard WOLF lived in the house of KOLB Charles whilst his son occupied the house belonging at present to HOLTZHEYER. Georges managed a taxi company but his wife insisted on returning to the heights of the Markstein. Thus the situation had changed, A. Schlumberger was now master in charge.

In 1933 Georges bought a permit with the aid of the Sub Prefect of Thann. He then bought some land on the banns of Ranspach situated near the "Petit Chaamois". When the lands were being divided, Mr Schlumberger came to join the Wolf family and the discussion started up: "What are you doing here Wolf", "I'm settling here with a building, I'm coming back to the Markstein" was Georges Wolf father's reply. A. Schlumberger could not bear this idea, a complete eyesore in front of his brand new hotels ! "It's absolutely impossible, in the sales contract, your father swore never to open a commerce on Oderen banns within a 10km radius. " Georges simply replied "The contract concerns Oderen, and here I am on the Ranspach banns" A. Schlumberger, realizing that G. Wolf was not to be put off, proposed 5 acres of land behind his hotels (the actual site of the Wolf Hotel) and as a counterpart, water, sanitary and electrical connections all of which of course were not available on the Ranspach land.

4/ The1939-1945 war: The Wolf family made several expansions up to 1945. During the war the Grand-Hotel which had been closed since 1934, accommodated some 300 German soldiers waiting to be sent to the front. Thanks to these soldiers and ski training courses which were organized by the H.J. of Thann, the family managed to survive.

In December 1944, the Wolf family lodged and fed German army deserters. On 18th December, the Field Police arrested the family together with the deserters and order was given for them to go down to Lautenbach and appear before the Police. The young Georges Wolf was arrested in Linthal and held hostage as the deserters had not come to the Police Station. He was detained at the Rogelet factory in Buhl and released a few days later so that he could reintegrate his family in Lautenbach.

5/ The Reconstruction: After the war, Georges Wolf and his son started construction work again. The Hotel extension was necessary but the Railways who were the new owners of the complex "Tourism and Work", refused to sell land for the extension of the hotel which had been partially constructed on its lands. The Railways sold the land and the Bellevue Hotel later to the Mulhouse town council. Georges WOLF contacted Emile MULLER, Mayor of Mulhouse at the time, to purchase the land. Georges WOLF father died in 1965. His son took over in 1966 and decided to start up developments and the need for land was once again on the agenda. Again the Mulhouse town council sold the required land and this is the origin of the present day building with its 22 rooms and its dining rooms.

6/ innovation: in view of the changes of the necessities of the users of the mountain, Mister Wolf decides to install a new structure at the edge of the "Federal" track. He innovates and installs " the Bubble ", big transparent igloo.

Extracts from the text of Maurice KECH: S'Lindeblätt N°18 -1999-

-1000 BC: Almost similar to today, the Markstein was covered in woods and stubble fields since the subatlantic period.

beginning of the IXth century : The abbey of Murbach becomes the owner of the Markstein and environment by a donation from Charlemagne. The name Markstein dates back to the milestone limiting the property.

beginning of the XVIIIth century : The inhabitants of Ranspach have the right to grazing land round the Murbach abbey.

1810: Construction of the Markstein farm ( Steinlebach, Treh, Hofried and Morfeld small holding farms date back no doubt to the same period, the Oberlauchen farm is the oldest).

1889-94: Development of the Lac de la Lauch dam

1902: The Vosges Ski-Club of Mulhouse (later Nansen) set up at the Steinlebach farm.

1903: The Vosges Trotters of Mulhouse set up at the Treh farm and later in 1904-1905 at the Markstein farm.

1904: First ski competition organized at the Treh by the VT Mulhouse.

1906: The Ski ClubTreh integrate the attic of the Treh farm

1907: Fitting out a skiers hut at the Breitfirst by the Strasbourg Ski Club 96.

1910: Setting up a small Mertz ski jump on the Grenouillère.

1911: Construction of a refuge for the Vosges Trotters of Mulhouse.

1914-18: The Markstein is occupied by the French. The front is installed on the south side of the Klinskopf. The Steinlebach, Treh and Markstein farms are partially demolished.

1920-21: Construction of the Union Sportive Mulhouse refuge at the Mordfeld.

1922: The Amis de la Nature Mulhouse integrate the Treh farm.

1923-24: Construction on the present site of a big wooden ski jump by the VT Mulhouse.

1923-24: Development of the road network from Dauvillers-Markstein, Markstein-Grand-Ballon and Markstein-Breitfirst.

1924: Construction of the Wolf building, reconstruction of the Markstein farm.

1925: Construction of the Nansen Chalet (Ski Club Vosgien Mulhouse).

1926: Construction of the refuge for the Amis de la Nature Mulhouse at theTreh.

1927-31: Construction of the Grand Hotel by the Schlumberger family from Guebwiller.

1928: Construction of the Ranspach Ski Club Refuge (St Antoine) and the Treh Ski Club.

1929-30: Construction of the Bellevue Hotel and the O.K chalet.

1930: Construction of the Schlumberger chalet next to the "Nansen".

approx. 1925-30: Construction of the Equipment chalet near the Markstein farm.

1933: Construction of the Wolf Hotel, the Sitter chalet, and the Riedisheim Ski Club at the Mordfeld.

1934: Compulsory liquidation of the Schlumberger hotels.

1935: Construction of the Hunold chalet.

approx. 1930-1935: Construction of the black Andréa chalet at the Hofried.

1940-45: War damage to farms and refuges.

1946-47: Reconstruction of the Wolf Hotel.

1947: Construction of the Amis des Vosges Wittelsheim-Graffenwald refuge.

1947-48: Opening on the Jungfrauenkopf of the 1st Vosges teleski by the Civil Engineering department

1948-50: Construction of the Notre Dame des Neiges Chapel.

1950: Mr Charton becomes owner of the Markstein teleskis.

1952: Construction of the Amis des Vosges Mulhouse refuge.

1954-55: Reconstruction in ciment of the Large Ski Jump (70m).

1956: The first mountain goats reintroduced into the Vosges in the Ranspach valley

1957: Destruction by fire of the Vosges Trotters chalet.

1958: Construction of the SC Ensisheim refuge and Balducci chalet (to survey the mountain goats).

1958-60: Reconstruction of the Vosges Trotters refuge.

1959: Construction of the Dumas chalet(future Illzach chalet in 1964).

1963: Création of the Markstein hunting preserve.

1964: Installation of the Grenouillère teleski by M.Meyer.

Vers 1964: Gigantic town planning projects for the development of the Markstein (later abandoned)

1965: Construction of the Gerteis chalet.

1966: Opening of "Tourism and Work"

1965-67: Construction of the Point chalet by a group of young people .

1968: Total destruction by the Civil Engineers of the Oberlauchen farm.

towards 1970: Construction of the First Aid chalet.

1970: Fire at "Tourism and Work"

1970-71: Development of the roadnetwork Wildenstein-Treh-Markstein.

1973: Construction of the Edelweiss-St.Amarin refuge at the Hundskopf.

1973-74: The Steinlebach farm becomes the most important center for cross country skiing in the Vosges (Ht Rhin) with new trails towards the Oberlauchen.

1975: Creation of the Markstein-Grand Ballon Development Union.

1976: Transformation of the water network with pumping station and reservoir.

towards 1976: Construction of a parking and a Cross Country Ski School building below the Steinlebach.

1978: Construction of a water purification plant.

1981: Mr Jaegle becomes owner of the Markstein teleskis.

1983-85: Construction of the restaurant and Speck Hire.

1983 and 87: Organisation of the World cup slaloms on the Slalom slope.

1984: Installation of a 40 m ski jump next to the large ski jump

1985: "Tourism and Work" ceases its activities in the Markstein. Toursitra takes over.

1986: Installation of a summer bob sleigh run

1988: Construction of the Markstein House.

towards1990: Installation of a weather forecast station.

1991: Installation of a cross country ski tunnel under the Gubewiller road to the OK chalet

1991-92: Installation of 23 snow canons on the Federal slope.

19.6.94: "Touristra" closes down.

1995: Destruction of the St. Antoine refuge due to a military airplane crash.

27.9.95: Death of Fernand Diemunsch, faithful mainstay of the Wolf Hotel since 1946.

1997-98: Reconstruction of the SC Markstein-Ranspach (St.Antoine) refuge

2000: Repurchase of the " Petit Chamois " by Mister Christian

in March 15, 2001: Death of Mister Hilaire Balducci, owner of the " Small Chamois " from 1956 till 2000

on 2002: Repurchase of téleskis of Markstein by the Community of the Municipalities.

Mai 2003: Increase of the Wolf hotel - restaurant with the "the Bubble" Terrace translucent panoramic internal outside in shape of igloo.

By Robert Buecher and André Doll: S'Lindeblätt N°18 -1999-

S'Lindeblätt -The Haut-Florival heritage notebooks - N°14 et 18 (1999) offer a mine of information about the Markstein. A further volume collecting witnesses and analysis was published during the first half of 2000. Any supplementary information or corrections are welcome.

Information : S'Lindeblätt" 71 A rue Hilsenfirst - 68610 Linthal - Tel :03 89 76 31 48