Please accept this correction to a widespread error in the Christoph (Alt Bechtler) story. LENZ BECHTLER never existed. The problem stems from the incorrect translation of Alt Christoph's will. The correct translation of the first line is: "When I die my wife will lose her INCOME WITH BROTHER-IN-LAW LENTZ". The German word in the will that describes Lentz is "Schwager" which means brother-in-law. The German word for brother is "Bruder". Additionally, Lentz is not a given name. It is a surname, along with Lenz.

Thorough research of microfilm of the Church records of Pforzheim reveals "Lentz" as JOHANN WILHELM LENZ. He married Wilhelmina DREHER, the half-sister of Sophia Dorothea Frederica DREHER who was Christoph Bechtler's first wife, making them brothers-in-law. (Christoph was married three times). Both Christoph and Johann Wilhelm Lenz were in the gold manufacturing business and it appears that they were partners. When Christoph died, the partnership dissolved. The arrangement is described in Victoria MacDonald's posting of 1 January 2003.

I have detailed information on the Dreher family in Pforzheim as well as the Bechtlers whose birth place was Broetzigen (once a suburb, now a part of Pforzheim.

Please contact me to help dispel the myth of Lenz Bechtler.

Laurence Sykes