Stephane Burtschell,  a German migrant, arrived in Alsace in 1823.   He married a young widow, Elisabeth Grunenwald, and they had four children: Etienne, Joseph-Pierre, Paul and Bernard.  

 

Stephan-Etienne (1796-1852) was a master carpenter originating in Budesheim (French department of the Mount-thunder under Napoleon), and was the youngest of ten children.

 

Pierre Paul Burtschell was born in Cernay on the 25th of January 1832.  He was a carpenter and created a small business.  He married Christine Ley in 1854 and they had 16 children.  Pierre Paul was a municipal consultant three times and a corporal fireman.   He died in 1901.  

 

The third child of Pierre Paul and Christine was Pierre Burtschell, and one of Cernay’s  streets bears his name.  He was born on the 24th of October 1857 in Cernay.   He set up the Mechanic Joiner’s Workshop and the sawmill.   In 1904, the sawmill employed 30 workers and the firm for construction had about 100.  He built a big house on Risler Street, Doctor Brellmann’s huse today.  He was municipal consultant from 1896 to 1905 and he was elected “Burgermeister” from 1905 to 1918 and then mayor from 1918 to 1924.  He died the second of April 1924.  

 

During WWI, he was arrested in 1914 because of  collaboration with the French.  He was acquitted, but was compelled to be supervised until the end of the War.  He Welcomed President Poincare to Cernay in 1919.  He was decorated for his service.  

 

He married Louise Pelletier in 1886 and they had four children: Paul, Jules, Julien, and Louisa.  Jules worked in the family firm.  The sawmill was destroyed the 24th of February (year?) by a fire.  

 

Burtschell’s firm helped in the construction of the city after the War.  

 

Jules has three children, and two live in Cernay: Jean-Marie and Genevieve.  Jean-Marie has two sons: Laurent and Yves, who are proud of their great-grandfather Pierre Burtschell, devoted to his city and church.