Our Ancestral Villages and Towns

Genealogy and How suggests that a little research on the literal meaning of German town names can provide some insight as to how our ancestors lived in the "old country." From what I've learned about our own ancestors' homes, it is often not as simple as looking up words in a German-English dictionary. While some names are based on a local geographic feature, others are named after early inhabitants, or are based on the old Roman town names. Most have become distorted over the centuries.

Below is a summary of some of the information I've found. Note that the linked English translations are very crude.

Becherbach: Krauss family
Becher: This probably refers to the "Pechbrennern" (pitch burners) that were used there.
Bach: brook

The Becherbach area has been inhabited since neolithic times. Roman roads criss-cross the region. Today it is in the state of Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.

• Official Becherbach website
• Becherbach Wikipedia entry (English translation)
• For more information about the Krauss family start here.

Bregenz: Einsle family
Bregenz is a town in Austrian Alpine state of Vorarlberg. The area has been settled for thousands of years. The city of "Brigantium" was founded by the Romans in 15 BC. The name Bregenz is derived from the Roman name.

• Official Bregenz site
• Brengenz Wikipedia entry (English translation)
• Bregenz photo album
• Start here for more information about the Einsle family.

Dornbirn: Wehinger Family
Dornbirn is a town in western Austria in the Alpine state of Vorarlberg. The name Dornbirn is derived from "torrin puirron", meaning the "settlement of Torro" after the name of a resident farmer. The the first recorded use of the name was in 895.

• Official Dornbirn web site
• Dornbirn Wikipedia entry (English translation)
• Dornbirn Photo Album
• Start here for more information about the Wehinger family.

Ebeleben: Wenkel family
Ebeleben was first settled between the 4th and 6th century, and the first documented use of the name was in 1198 (Duke Fridericus de Eveleiben). The meaning of the name is unclear.
Ebeleben is in the German state of Thuringia.

• Official Ebeleben site (click the links under "Geschichte" for pictures).
• Wikipedia entry for Ebeleben (English translation
• Start here for more information about the Wenkel family. (See also Bierwirth.)

Grosswenden or Großwenden: Bierwirth family
Gross or Groß: large.
Wenden: in this case it refers to the old German word for "Slavs" (English translation). The towns of Grosswenden and Kleinwenden were founded during the Middle Ages by Slavs who had migrated west. Today Großwenden and nearby Klein(small)wenden are part of the greater municipality of Großlohra in the German state of Thuringia.

• Wikipedia article about Großlohra and its castle. (English translation)
• Großwenden Evangelical (Protestant) Church Information
• Start here for more information about the Bierwirth family. (See also Wenkel)

Gross-Zimmern: Stumpf family
Gross or Groß: large or greater
Zimmern: literally rooms, but the derivation is slightly different

• Official Groß-Zimmern website
• Groß-Zimmern Wikipedia entry (English translation)
• Start here for information about the Stumpf family.

The town was first mentioned in 1250, when the Abbey of Fulda Groß-Zimmern gave the fiefdom of the deceased George von Zimmern to the counts Diether und Eberhard von Katzenellenbogen. The 13th century name "Cymmern Superior" developed into Groß-Zimmern (also called over the centuries "Obernzimmern", "Zummern", "Zymern", "Zymmern", "Großen Zymern", "Oberzimmern" und "Großen Zimbern").Groß-Zimmern is in the present-day state of Hessen in Germany.

Michelbach: Eckert family
Michel: Michael
Bach: brook
There are several Michelbachs in Germany. Our Eckert family was probably from the village of Michelbach that lies outside of Fränkisch-Crumbach in the Odenwald (Oden Forest) in the state of Hessen, Germany.

• Official Fränkisch-Crumbach website.(Map showing Michelbach).
• Odenwald Wikipedia entry (English translation)
• Fränkisch-Crumbach Wikipedia entry (Enlish translation)
• Start here for more information about the Eckert family.

Nierstein: Leip Family
Nier: ? One interpretation of the name is "stone house of Naro".
Stein: rock or stone

Nierstein lies in the wine growing region along the Rhine river in the German state of Rheinland-Pfalz.Romans founded the town of Bauconica on this site almost 2000 years ago. The name Nierstein was first recorded in 882 ("Nerinstein" in a confirmation record).

• Official Nierstein website
• Nierstein Wikipedia entry (English translation)
• Nierstein History Association (click on map)
• Nierstein photos
• Start here for information about the Leip family.

Oppenheim: Lepp Family
Oppen: probably after a Frankish nobleman named "Obbo"
Heim: home

Oppenheim lies in the wine growing region along the Rhine river, adjacent to the town of Nierstein (see above). By the 4th century there was a Roman settlement on the site. In about 510 a Frankish nobleman, probably named "Obbo" established a manor (Hofgut) around which the village of Oppenheim grew.

• Official Oppenheim website (click on map)
• Oppenheim Wikipedia entry (English translation)
• Oppenheim photos
• Start here for information about the Lepp family.

Schönborn: Jaeger family
Schön or Schoen: beautiful
Born: spring or fount

Schönborn is near the village of Becherbach in Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany.

• Official Schönborn website
• Schönborn Wikipedia entry (English translation)
• For more information about the Jaeger family start here.

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Our Ancestors in 1800

I've been playing with the Google maps API to generate a map showing where the ancestors of Esther (Kraus) Mabry lived in 1800. I've pinpointed where the Krauss, Wenkel, Stumpf, Lepp, Eckert, and Wehinger families were living in what is now Germany and Austria.

The advantage of using Google maps is that I can insert "pins" with information at different locations. The viewer can zoom in on any point and see either a standard map or a satellite view. I am still learning how the system works, so comments and suggestions would be appreciated.

Map showing where our ancestors lived in 1800.

At the moment only the most recent web browsers (Firefox/Mozilla, IE 5.5+, and Safari 1.2+) can be used to view the maps. I've found that Firefox works the best.

Download Firefox for free.

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The Krauss family from Becherbach

Our Krauss (Krauß) ancestors lived in the village of Becherbach in what is now the German state of Rheinland-Pfalz.

One Village Many States

Becherbach is nestled in the mountains east of the Rhine (Rhein) River in the parish of Gangloff, near the town of Roth. Coins and other artifacts found in this area show that it has been occupied since Roman times. (Map of Becherbach and region)

The earliest documented use of the name "Becherbach" was in 1325. The name apparently has nothing to do with drinking (bechern). Instead, a "Becher" or "Pecher" was a vessel for collecting pitch. "Bach" refers to the town's proximity to a brook.

Over the centuries, the region around Becherbach has been claimed by numerous states.

• In the 15th Century, this area was part of the Graftschaf Veldenz, then the Duchy of Pfalz-Zweibrücken.
• 1688-1697: War of the Palatinate, between France and a coalition lead by Britain.
• 1795 : France occupies the west bank of the Rhein. The region around Becherbach became part of the Cantonof Lauterecken, Département of Mont-Tonnerre (Donnersberg).
• 1816 : After the defeat of Napolean, the region became part of the Kingdom of Bavaria (Königreich Bayern). Note that this is not near the present day state of Bavaria. This region was known as Payrische Pfalz, Rheinpfalz, or Rheinbayern.

Becherbach was part of Bavaria until 1935

The Krauss Family
The earliest record we have of the Krauss family is the marriage of Johann Daniel Krauss and Marie Elisabeth Hoffmann on December 22, 1810 in Becherbach. Based on my (very rough) translation from the French, "Jean Daniel Krauss", age 28 years 8 months, was a bachelor farmer in Becherbach, the son of Jean Daniel Krauss, deceased and Anne Marguerithe née Krauss. He married Marie Elisabethe Hoffmann, age 16 years 6 months, daughter of Pierre Hoffmann and Marie Barbe neé Porr of Roth, both deceased, and granddaughter of Abraham Anne Elisabeth Hoffmann of Desloch.

Johann Daniel and Marie Elisabeth had at least seven children.

Their eldest daughter Catharine, born in 1811, married Abraham Maurer in Becherbach in 1834. The Maurers and their children Johann and Catharine emigrated to America in 1837. Abraham died in 1839 in Monroe County, Illinois. The widow Catharine married a second time, to Jacob Rau, and had three sons, Jacob, Peter and Benedict. Catharine died in Columbia, Illinois in 1869.

Johann Daniel's oldest son (and our ancestor), Daniel Krauss, was born in 1817. In about 1839 he married Catharine Jaeger, of Schönborn. In November of 1839, Daniel's parents gave him property in Becherbach, and by 1845* he had a residence with cellar, barn, stalls for animals and barnyard. As recalled by his daughter Caroline:

“Land was precious, and sheds for livestock were often attached to the house to save space. Cows were taken out each morning to graze where land was not being cultivated. Every member of the family had his work. In many respects it was a simple life.” (from “The KRAUSS Family of Columbia, Illinois and Descendants of the Second Daughter, Caroline” by Florence Young Barnes)

Daniel and Catharine and their eight children (Daniel, Catherine, Caroline, Phillip, John, Jacob, Elizabeth and Peter) emigrated to America in about 1861. They lived a couple years in Whitewater, Wisconsin before finally moving to Columbia, Illinois, joining Daniel's sister Catharine, and his cousins John Maurer, Catharine (Maurer) Kuehner, and the Rau boys. Catharine Krauss died in 1882, and Daniel died in 1887. Both are buried in Evangelical St. Paul Cemetery in Columbia.

*Becherbach Anno 1845 (property tax register). Copy received by Ralph Knowles from the Becherbach Burgermeister in May 1988, and kindly shared with me.

MAPS
•1789 Map of the Pfalz (Becherbach is in the northwestern quadrant, in Herzogtum Pfalz-Zweibrücken (light blue) south of Meisenheim).
•1813 Map of the Pfalz
•1820 Map of Central Europe (the Pfalz region is part of the Kingdom of Bavaria (Bayern)). This is essentially the same as the 1860 map.
1837 Map of "Rheinkreis" region of the Kingdom of Bavaria

BECHERBACH (and related) LINKS
•Photos and History of Becherbach (Stefan Arndt)
•Official Site of the Meisenheim Region (including Becherbach)
•Wikipedia entry for Becherbach (rough English translation - note that "Becherbach" literally means "Cup brook")
•Rockenhausen area (includes Schönborn and Bisterschied)
•History of Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate)
•Emigration from Bavaria to America

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