This old German clock was made in Germany by Simon Rapp (a clockmaker), brother of Christina Magalena (Rapp) Roesch. It was a wedding gift to Christina Rapp and Jacob Roesch, by her brother. They brought it with them when they came to America in 1879. It was donated to the Richardson County museum by their daughter, Mary (Roesch) Fischer. The clock was missing the hands and did not run when it was donated. It was open on the sides, top, and bottom with bucket weights under it which would hold sand. The word Rapp (the clock makers name) was written on the clock some place. Rapp was pronounced like it rhymes with cop.
The front of the clock has the words Christina Roesch and Jacob Roesch all written in German. The painted face has a column painted on the right and left sides of the face. At the top of the face is a picture. Nancy Cheshire found that the picture is a scene of small monastery on the side of Rigi mountain overlooking Lake Lucerne. Under the picture is written “Das Klosterli auf dem Rigi” which translates to “the small monastery on the top of the Rigi”.
Additionally, Wilbur Roesch (a Grandson of Jacob and Christina Roesch) has in the Museum Military Room the following:
Wilbur Roesch Military Uniform and Boots
Wilbur Roesch pictures
Wilbur Roesch manual typewriter used to type his book
Copy of the book: Life as a Prisoner of War - by Wilbur Roesch
Above is a
Closeup of the Picture on the Jacob Roesch Clock
and the words defined below:
“Das Klosterli auf dem Rigi”
The small monastery on the top of the Rigi
For the non-German speakers you might be interested to know that “Klösterli” is a Swiss German word meaning “kleines Kloster” or small monastery. Click on under line words to access:
“Rigi” refers to a mountain (horizontal rock ledges and grass strips surrounding the mountain west to east) on Lake Lucerne in Switzerland.
Nowadays Rigi Klösterli is a tourist destination in its own right with its hotel and restaurants, but at one time there were Capuchin monks here.
At this place, we are like “hanging” above Lake Lucerne.
Above is another picture of the
Roesch Kitchen Clock
before restoration
Last Modified January 2022
This site designed and maintained by Owen Picton.