Origin of Family Crest
Constantin Gehriger with wife Adriana Gehriger Gil in front of the carved family crest
“Gehriger 1564” is an independent Consulting Company engaged in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering since 1988. “Gehriger 1564” is also involved in real estate investments and property management. The name “Gehriger 1564” originates from the family crest that has been traced back to the year 1564 in the rural State of Bern, Switzerland. The Gehriger family has two branches. One originates from Attiswil, the other from Melchnau. Both are small towns in the State of Bern.
The description of the family crest is taken from a letter written to Karl Gehriger, painter in Wiedlisbach (State of Bern, Switzerland, ca 1940):
“The Gehriger family crest (from Melchnau) you have been searching for looks as follows: On whitish waves a white sea horse under blue sky with 2 golden stars (according to a stained glass window in a church of the 18th century). We noted that our sources of family crests are seals, stained glass windows in churches, sculptures etc. An official heraldry of the rural Bernese families has never existed. Signed G. Kurtz, archivist of the State of Bern”
Oral tradition has it that the two golden stars refer to the two sons of the forefather. Another forefather had five sons and put five stars into his family crest. Later generations felt that they did not want to adjust the number of stars, each time to the number of sons changed, and settled to two stars.
A letter written to Karl Gehriger
Associations
Alumnus of the University of California of Santa Cruz Alumnus of the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland Member of the Rotary Club of Santa Cruz Sunrise
Adriana Gehriger Gil (and Constantin Gehriger, in his spare time) run the Cliff Crest Bed and Breakfast Inn