The kick-off meeting for the family reunion 2024 took place on May 31st!

We distributed some duties and functions among the committee members, we defined some initial tasks and we discussed things that should change or stay "as they always were".

Date of the family reunion: June 21. - 23, 2024

 

Life and family situations change in the 5 years between our reunions. We appeal to all of you to

  • update the Online Familytree so that we can contact you and your relatives with further news
    • Contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you forgot your login or if your e-mail address is no longer active to reset your password
  • help with the planning and/or during the reunion. Many bigger and smaller functions need support
    • The reunion can only take place with enough help from all of you and a well-staffed committee. We also need help to maintain the family tree and to keep our website(s) up to date.
    • Please contact us on Facebook or via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

The family trees for viewing, download and print on are now updated with content of September 18, 2021.

See Online family tree -> Download.

Dear Naeffen-Cousins

At the family reunion one year ago, the journalist Rebekka Haefeli wrote a report about our reunion in the NZZ (Neue Zürcher Zeitung). With that, the idea came up to write a book about the Naeff family. Ronja Sakata and Andreas Müller took on the idea together with Rebekka Haefeli and created a first draft of the idea. The Naeffenfest committee discussed the proposal at the closing meeting of the reunion 2019 (see attachment - german only). The idea got positive feedback. The comittee commissioned the initiators to invite historically interested family members to join the project. Naturally, the question about the projects financial aspect was discussed as well.

The initiators of the project were asked to present a budget which shows the financial possibilities and a time plan. The desirable timeline plans the publication for the next reunion in 2024.

For now, we would like to present the ideas to you and ask if you would like to join this project. We would be very interested in your comments, recommendations and criticism. Aside from collecting documents and images, we need IT specialists which can help to bring the files into electronically readable form. A chapter should also show how our relatives abroad live. Who would like to participate in that? At the beginning of our work we will also examine all existing documents which have been collected by Laurenz Gsell and Renate Altwegg-Im Hof.

Mit herzlichen Naeffengrüssen

 Ronja Sakata
 Andreas Müller

Attachment: Idea to write down the history of the family Naeff from Altstätten as Book (german only)

 

Better late than never! :)

 

The family tree is now available in various forms - one per clan and one with our entire family - for viewing, download, print, ... See Online family tree -> Download.

 

Update Apr. 4, 2020: The family trees can now also be ordered as printed and bound copy. Visit the Downloads section on this page for mor information

 

And the family reunion is already over again - too quickly as always. We had a very great weekend, and I would like to give thanks again to our committee, to all the volunteers which supported us so well and to the many many relatives which make this reunion so special.

 

Here is the link to the article in the NZZ: https://www.nzz.ch/panorama/familienfeier-im-xxl-festzelt-naeffs-laden-350-verwandte-ein-ld.1490784

 

And three more things:

  • We would like to get your feedback about the reunion: What did you like? What not? Where do you see potential for improvement? What did you miss?
  • Many of you took pictures during the reunion. Please send us your best pictures so that we can put them on this website accessible for everyone.
  • Any family tree related requests will be addressed in the next few weeks (due to vacation). There will also be a family tree available for download and print

Contact us through This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

We are counting over 360 registered members! Here is some last-minute information for the reunion.

 

Will be updated when more information is available
Last update: Wednesday, June 19 10:00 am

 

Arrival:

How to get there:

  • Stossbahn (train)
    • Special train 10:52 am / 11:02 am / 11:18 am from the station "Altstätten Stadt" directly to the reunion grounds
    • Regular Stossbahn Time table (Line Altstätten-Gais, stop "Alter Zoll", approximately 5min train ride from Altstätten)
    • Time table leaving "Alter Zoll"
    • The Stossbahn does not automatically stop at "Alter Zoll". A stop has to be requested by pressing the button on the train
  • Shuttle bus
    • A shuttle bus will be available on call (only Saturday)
    • Available Saturday 10:00 am until about 11:00 pm
  • By foot
    • from the Stossbahn parking lot to the reunion grounds: about 1.5km, 30min, 130m height difference, via "Alte Stossstrasse"
    • from the Stossbahn stop "Alter Zoll" to the reunion grounds: about 500m, 5min, mostly flat

Theater:

  • General rehearsal: Friday evening, 7:15pm, in the main tent of the reunion grounds
  • We still need participants for the play! Just join the general rehearsal on Friday evening and we will find a space for you. Or talk to a member of the committee on Saturday by 4pm. There are silent roles as well! ;)

Reunion Program:

  • You can find the reunion program here

Volunteers:

  • There will be a "Volunteer Corner" in the main tent. A plan will show your assigned tasks (where, when, with whom...)
  • Please help us out! Visit the "Volunteer Corner" to take on a spontaneous task - any help is appreciated!

 Name Cards:

  • You can pick up your name card on Saturday after 8.30am in front of/in the courtyard of the Prestegg house. If it rains this will probably be relocated inside the Prestegg or the museum.
  • After the departure of the Stoss-train (shortly before 11am) the name card pickup location will be moved to the tent on the reunion grounds

Registration:

  • You can register yourself or accompanying family members at the name card pickup location on Saturday as well
  • For all last-minute registrations, it is important to read the "Payment" information below.

Payment:

  • We still did not receive the payment from some participants. Please do not send the fee via our bank accounts after Monday, June 17. Otherwise we might not be able to verify your payment.
  • If the wire transfer did not get through - or if you registered late or at the reunion - you can pay on arrival at the name card pickup location. Please bring the exact amount in cash if possible!

Town Tour:

  • The start is at about 08:30 am from the Prestegg at the name card pickup location.
  • If needed, there will be two groups for the town tour.

Committee:

  • To make it easier to recognize the committee members
    • we will wear light gray T-Shirts with a blue Naeffen-emblem
    • our name cards will be printed on light yellow colored paper

Other things in the reunion tent:

  • There will be a laptop computer where you can see and edit your personal details on the online-familytree.
  • You can order DVDs of previous reunions

 

With less than 3 weeks remaining and 350 registered people for the reunion we have closed the reunion registration. For changes to your registration or last minute registrations please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If you are signed up for the reunion you can review the list of all participants here: https://familytree.naeffenfest.ch/anmeldung/participants_simple.php

Family tree printing:

Starting June 1st we began with the printing of the family tree. This means that changes after June 1st might not be visible on the printed family tree in the reunion tent (we will watch for additional changes and include them when possible).

Desserts:

We are in need of more desserts for the dessert buffet Saturday afternoon! Please let us know on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you can contribute (cake, sweets, fruits, ...) - home made or from the bakery :). Hand them to us Saturday morning until 10am in the Prestegg courtyard (when you pick up your name tag) or find a committee member if you arrive later.

Reunion fee:

We still have a few reunion registration payments pending. Please make sure you can complete the payment as soon as possible (or let us know if you can not participate) - it might take a few days to show up in our account and we might not have the possibility to verify late payments during the reunion. See here for payment instructions. We also offer financial assistance if needed.

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