Introduction

Today there aren’t any descendants of the Thut from Zofingen. The line must have been pretty small und usually today you only know the famous sheriff and innkeeper Niklaus Thut or «Claus Tuto» like he was mentioned first time in 1371.

A lot of people think that the star of Niklaus Thut which he also used as a signet ring, might be the family flag of the Thut from Zofingen. In fact this star is a «brewer› star» from the inkeepers rank/status. It also hang on his tavern «Wilden Mann» (wild man) in the Oberstadt (upper town).

 

Heraldry

In the swiss genealogical-heraldry web-catalog (www.chgh.net) there is one family crest about the Thut from Zofingen.

Thut from Zofingen AG description:
in blue on a golden triple-mount golden six-ray star. On top a golden Maltese cross.source:
Die Helden von Sempach, von Puskian, 1886.

Relation to Seengen

The only hard evidence that confirms a releation to Seengen is a family crest which looks nearly the same as the one from Seengen.
All other evidences might be burnt in the town fire 1396. Historians believe that the roots of Niklaus Thut came from Seengen too, because the Thut line from Seengen also was eminent and the Thut line from Zofingen is just a really small line which became extinct in the 15th century.

In 1357 in Zofingen there was named a «Johans Tuto» who was witness by a manor selling. It’s possible that this Johann Thut ist the same like the «Jenni (Johann) Thut» mentioned in Seengen in 1400.

Im pretty sure that there are still some more information, and if I find out more, I’ll let you know.

Zofingen

Zofingen as a small town, is located in the south-west of the Canton Aargau in the valley of the river «Wigger» (Wiggertal). In my opinion Zofingen has one of the most beautiful historic center of Switzerland.

In the Middle Ages as the tension between Habsburg and Lucerne (Swiss Eidgenossen) began arise, Zofingen stand constantly on the side of Habsburg and fighted on July 9th 1386 in the battle of Sempach on the their side. Twelve men of Zofingen fell. Also Niklaus Thut. The legend says, he put the banner of Zofingen into his mouth, to prevent a defeat. This story became a legend in Zofingen in the 16. Century, and today the city of Zofingen is also know as «Thutstadt» (Thut City) and on the «Thutplatz» (Thut square) there is the «Niklaus Thut Brunnen» (fontain of Niklaus Thut).