Church_records_of_the_Amt_Battenberg.png

Church records of the Amt Battenberg

Privacy Level: Open (White)
Date: 1495 to 1852
Location: Battenberg (Eder), Waldeck-Frankenberg, Hesse, Germanymap
Surnames/tags: Kirchenbuch Battenberg Hessen-Darmstadt
Profile manager: Daniel Bamberger private message [send private message]
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Map of the Amt Battenberg
Violet: Church records covered by this page
Dark orange: Church records covered by
the OFB Wittgensteiner Land
Light orange: Other areas that belonged to
the Amt Battenberg at some point
This profile is part of the Battenberg (Eder), Hessen One Place Study.

Transcriptions of the oldest Lutheran church records of Battenberg (Eder) and the surrounding villages (the old Amt Battenberg), as well as related documents from the relevant time period.

This page was created on 8 October 2022 by Daniel Bamberger.

Deutsche Übersetzung dieser Webseite, automatisch erzeugt (German translation of this website): Google Translate

If you want to share a link to this page, you can also use the shortened URL bit.ly/KB-Battenberg.

Contents

Introduction

Welcome!

The files shared here include transcriptions of the church records of the parishes Battenberg, Battenfeld, and Laisa, with the oldest church records of Battenfeld starting in 1574. The vast majority of the text is in German (some of that Early New High German). There are small sections in Latin, Greek and Hebrew. I may add other records in the future.[1] I do have more transcriptions, but none are ready yet for publication.

In the case of Battenberg and Battenfeld, microfilms of the records are available on Archion.[2] For Laisa and Holzhausen, I have worked with the original books that are kept at the parish office. Most of the later records (1811-1875) are freely available on Familysearch.[3] If you need data for the gap (Familysearch does not have the years 1808-1810, and some later years are missing as well), contact me, I do have photos of the original records that include those years. I also have copies of some of the church records after 1875 (up to the 2000s), but my ability to share those is limited by German data protection laws. Much of that should also be covered by the publically available civil records (Battenberg, Rennertehausen).

A family history book for all the places mentioned above is currently planned. There is no completion date yet, but whatever it is, it will be a long time away.

The city accounts (Stadtrechnungen) provide a wealth of additional
information. The excerpt shown here, dated Dec. 1586,
mentions the burial of Goethe-ancestor Philipp Orth.[4][5]
Transcriptions of all the city accounts are provided
on this page (see below).

Transcriptions of additional documents can be found in Die Einwohner des Amtes Battenberg.[6][4]

I will regularly update the online versions of the files as I work on them (they are all "work in progress"). This includes corrections of errors. Keep in mind that offline versions of the files that you have downloaded do not get updated.

I do not guarantee that any of the information in my transcriptions is correct. If in doubt, please check the original records (some are available online, some are only available at the archive ― that's usually the HStA in Marburg, Germany).

You can also contact me if you have questions or comments. I may or may not be able to help. I usually correct errors in the files as soon as I become aware of them. If you find any errors, please let me know!

List of records and documents

Working at the archive during the summer of 2017.
My gratitude goes to the staff of the Staatsarchiv
Marburg, who so kindly and patiently supported my
work during the countless hours I spent there.

The files provided on this page contain transcriptions of the records that are listed below.

Abbreviations of sources: HStAM (Hessisches Staatsarchiv Marburg), HStAD (Hessisches Staatsarchiv Darmstadt), LWV (Landeswohlfahrtsverband Hessen)

If no source is given in brackets or as a footnote then that article has been compiled by myself, from various sources.

Older versions of some of these files are also available in my "genealogy" collection on Google Drive. (Accessing Google Drive is free, but it requires a Microsoft account.)

In the table below, the records coloured green have been transcribed completely. Light green means there are summaries in table form; orange records are currently worked on; yellow means that the document consists of an index, without details; grey means that transcriptions are planned but that no work has been done yet. Red records are not available or do not exist.

Mixed records  Baptisms Marriages Burials Confirmations 
Battenberg 1624-1807 1808-1842 1808-1840 1808-1838 N/A
Battenfeld 1574-1808 1809-1818 1809-1840 1809-1834 1809-1840
Laisa&Holzhausen  1624-1807 1808-1836 1808-1843 1808-1840 N/A

Title Last update Pages Changes
1 Kirchenbuch Battenfeld (1574-1808) 31 March 2024 1520 Kastenrechnung 1635
2 Kirchenbuch Battenberg (1624-1807) 18 May 2024 1009 Citizens 1749-1765
Amtsrechnungen 1700-1709
3 Einwohnerlisten Stadt Battenberg (1495-1620) 17 May 2024 352 Kastenrechnung 1614-1617
4 Kirchenbuch Laisa&Holzhausen (1624-1769) 26 October 2022 338 -
5 Kirchenbuch Laisa&Holzhausen (1770-1807) 26 October 2022 261 -
6 Genealogy of the Seipp family 21 October 2023 248 -
7 Kirchenbuch Frankenberg (1646-1714) 6 April 2024 225 Minor corrections
8 Battenfeld Dokumente (1574-1735) 17 October 2022 202 Minor corrections
9 Battenfeld Konfirmationen&Heiraten (1809-1840) 27 November 2023 123 Added years 1831-1840
10 Battenberg Geburten (1808-1842) 14 May 2024 111 Added years 1839-1842
11 Laisa&Holzhausen Heiraten (1808-1852) 26 October 2022 108 -
12 Edward Thonen - A forgotten Eureka rebel 4 April 2024 101 Minor corrections
13 Personenlisten 7 May 2024 61 Minor corrections
14 Laisa&Holzhausen Geburten (1808-1836) 29 February 2024 60 Minor corrections
15 Battenberg Heiraten (1808-1840) 29 February 2024 53 Minor corrections
16 Battenberg Tote (1808-1838) 27 April 2024 46 Details 1835-1838
17 Laisa&Holzhausen Tote (1808-1840) 27 January 2024 45 Added years 1831-1840
18 Kilian Rudrauffs Christliche Kometenpredigt, 1681 1 February 2021 22 -
4885

Legend: Dark green = full transcriptions; light green = summaries; yellow = index; grey = other.

Below are the documents that I am currently working on. Transcriptions should be available within the coming weeks or months, although I can not guarantee that work will be finished in a timely manner. These are listed in no particular order:

  • Church records Battenfeld
    • Burials 1809-1834
  • Jewish families, 1700-1770
  • Amtsbußen, 1700-1710
  • Lists of citizens, 1749-1765

Battenberg

Kirchenbuch Battenberg (1624-1807)
The first page of volume 2 of the Battenberg church
records. Note the damage by water, which led to
the partial loss of the first eleven pages.

Places: Battenberg, Kröge, Laisa, Holzhausen
Last update: 18 May 2024

  • Battenberg church records, volume 1, 1624-1769 (Pfarrarchiv Battenberg)
  • Battenberg church records, volume 2, 1770-1807 (Pfarrarchiv Battenberg)
    • Court proceedings (Stadtgerichts-Protokoll), 1667-1728 (HStAM Fonds Prot. II, Battenberg 1)
    • City accounts (Stadtrechnung), 1709 (HStAM Fonds 111 e, 525)
    • Contracts from the Amt Battenberg (Kontrakten-Protokoll, Battenberg, Laisa and Holzhausen), 1763-1773 (HStAM Fonds Prot. II, Battenberg 4/1)
    • Contracts from the town (Kontrakten-Protokoll, Battenberg), 1767/68-1781 (HStAM Fonds Prot. II, Battenberg 3)
    • Defence tax (Landrettungssteuer, with Laisa and Holzhausen), 1619-1620 (HStAM Fonds Rechn. II, Battenberg 15+16)
    • Quartering (Einquartierungen) in Battenberg, 1634 (HStAM Fonds 4 h, 1285)
    • Expenditure for war from the Battenberg parish (Kriegskostenrechnung, with Laisa and Holzhausen), 1640[7]
    • List of citizens of Battenberg (with Laisa and Holzhausen), 1647 (HStAM Fonds 19 b, 1440+1450)
    • List of citizens of Battenberg (with Laisa and Holzhausen), 1668 (HStAM Fonds 110, 5)
    • List of citizens of Battenberg (with Laisa and Holzhausen), 1677 (HStAM Fonds S 222)
    • List of citizens of Battenberg (with Laisa and Holzhausen), 1680 (HStAM Fonds Rechn. II, Battenberg 6)
    • List of citizens of Battenberg (with Laisa and Holzhausen), 1711 (HStAM Fonds S 224)
    • Lists of citizens of Battenberg, 1749 (HStAM Fonds 111 e, 571)
    • Lists of citizens of Battenberg (with Laisa and Holzhausen), 1750 (HstAM Fonds Rechn. II, Battenberg 6)
    • Lists of citizens of Battenberg (with Laisa and Holzhausen), 1760 (HstAM Fonds Rechn. II, Battenberg 6)
    • Lists of citizens of Battenberg, abt.1765 (HStAM Fonds 330 Battenberg, A 226)
    • New citizens in Battenberg (Bürgergeld, marriages), 1600-1632, 1700-1770 (HStAM Fonds Rechn. II, Battenberg 1)
    • New bondsmen in Laisa and Holzhausen (Neue Einfahrtsleute, marriages), 1600-1632 (HStAM Fonds Rechn. II, Battenberg 1)
    • New bondsmen and bailiff's fines (Vogtbußen) in Battenfeld, Allendorf, Rennertehausen, Berghofen, Laisa and Holzhausen (marriages), 1710-1770 (HStAM Fonds Rechn. II, Battenberg 1)
    • Serf tax in Laisa and Holzhausen (Leibeigenenbede, families, marriages, deaths), 1710-1770 (HstAM Fonds Rechn. II, Battenberg 1)
    • Fines imposed by the royal college, from Battenberg, Laisa and Holzhausen (Kollegialbußen, especially from extramarital affairs), 1710-1770 (HstAM Fonds Rechn. II, Battenberg 1)
    • Tax from Beisassen (residents without full civil rights) in Battenberg, Laisa and Holzhausen, 1700-1763 (HStAM Fonds Rechn. II, Battenberg 1)
    • Fines imposed by the Amt (Amtsbußen) in Battenberg, Laisa and Holzhausen, 1710-1765 (HStAM Fonds Rechn. II, Battenberg 1)
    • Protection money from Jews (Schutzgeld) in Battenberg, Battenfeld, Rennertehausen, Allendorf, Bromskirchen and Hatzfeld, 1700-1729, 1750-1766
    • List of burgomasters in Battenberg, 1297-1833
    • List of Viermänner in Battenberg, 1709-1774 (HStAM Fonds 110, 2; 111e, 525)
    • List of emigrants to North America, 1818/1819 (HStAD Fonds G 11, 160 D)
A page from volume 1 of the church records.
The entry is about an attempted murder in Dodenau.
(English Translation:[8])

In addition to the usual coverage of baptisms, confirmations, marriages and burials, a "notabilia" section at the end of the first volume of the church records, dating to the tenure of pastor Johann Henrich Knefel (1692-1721), gives some historical information, from weather events to notable incidents like the attempted poison murder mentioned in the image to the right.

The church records are incomplete between 1740 and 1770, with marriage records missing 1742-1770, and deaths missing 1747-1769. The situation is similar for the church records of Laisa&Holzhausen (marriages incomplete 1724-1742, missing 1743-1770; deaths missing 1744-1746 and 1748-1769). Some of the data can be reconstructed from the Kontrakten-Protokoll, which includes marriage contracts for the time from 1763 till 1770;[9] others from the lists of new citizens in Battenberg in the Battenberger Amtsrechnungen, kept at the state archive in Marburg. The serf tax from Laisa and Holzhausen has also been included here, for the same purpose. Some of those lists are also available for the decades before the start of the church records in 1624.

Excerpts from the Amtsrechnungen of 1746-1750
(see text for details)

The image to the right gives an example of how the Amtsrechnungen can be useful: In 1746, Johann Peter Klein from Holzhausen passed away. In 1747, his widow married Johann Hermann Manckel. Starting in 1748, she is listed with her children from both marriages (the example shows the corresponding entry from 1750). Because they married at a time when no marriages were recorded, Johann Hermann Manckel's wife can not be identified from the church records alone, although the godparents of his children indicate a connection to the Lettermann family. With the help of the data from the Amtsrechnungen, and the record of the wife's first marriage to Johann Peter Klein in 1739, she is identified as the daughter of Bernhard Lettermann from Eifa.

An index for the city accounts (Stadtrechnungen) of 1565-1606 is included in the file Kirchenbuch Battenfeld (1574-1808), see below. Transcriptions of the city accounts themselves are provided in the file Einwohnerlisten Stadt Battenberg (1495-1620). I am still working on improving the index (the years 1594, 1596 and 1597 are not yet included). In some cases, it is difficult to connect entries to the right person, like when no surname is given, when a person goes by a byname rather than a fixed family name, or when there are multiple people of the same name. Many of those cases can be resolved by carefully comparing the different year's issues to each other. The index provided here may help with that, incomplete as it may be.

"...and have decided in court that Heiderich should
remove the manure from the common path, and Curt
Sieboth should keep the path clean and swept."
The council resolves a dispute between neighbors.[10]

The proceedings of the municipal court are a collection of a number of different documents. Of historical value are the oaths taken by new citizens and aldermen and the inventories of the town hall. The applications for citizenship by out-of-towners complement the marriage register, especially where the marriage itself happened elsewhere and is not listed in the church records. The kinds of disputes that were arising between citizens give insights into their daily life. The records of enfeoffment include details about land property, inheritances, and citizens' occupations (especially innkeepers).

Citizens of Battenberg request permission to emigrate to
North America (15 Sep. 1818). Between 1817 and 1819, about
600 people from the Hessian Hinterland left Germany.[11]

Please be aware that the "list of emigrants" in 1818/1819 is a list of those who planned to emigrate. Many of them actually left Germany, but some didn't. Among those who asked for permission to emigrate were two of my own ancestors, Melchior Jacobi and Jacob Seipp. Both of them passed away in Battenberg many years later, although Jacob Seipp's stepchildren actually emigrated in 1819. In other words, don't assume that someone emigrated if they are listed here, and don't assume that the entire family stayed in Germany if the head of the household did.

Battenberg Geburten (1808-1842)

Places: Battenberg, Kröge
Last update: 14 May 2024

  • Battenberg baptisms, 1808-1829 (Pfarrarchiv Battenberg)
  • Battenberg baptisms, 1830-1842 (Pfarrarchiv Battenberg)
    • Alphabetical index

Both original volumes include a separate index, but those indices contain a lot of errors and omissions. The index given here was created from scratch.

Battenberg Heiraten (1808-1840)

Places: Battenberg, Kröge
Last update: 29 February 2024

  • Battenberg marriages, 1808-1840 (Pfarrarchiv Battenberg)
    • Alphabetical index

The original volume covers the years 1808-1875; only a part of it is included here. The original comes with its own alphabetical index, but that index contains a lot of errors and omissions. The index given here was created from scratch.

Battenberg Tote (1808-1838)

Places: Battenberg, Kröge
Last update: 27 April 2024

  • Battenberg burials, 1808-1838 (Pfarrarchiv Battenberg)

The original volume does include an index of its own, but that index contains a lot of errors and omissions. The index included here here was created from scratch.

Einwohnerlisten Stadt Battenberg (1495-1620)
First page of the muster roll of Battenberg from 1578.
The list gives the names of citizens, and the weapon
they are equipped with.

Places: Battenberg
Last update: 17 May 2024

There are few documents about the population of the Amt Battenberg from before the introduction of the church records. The main reason for this scarcity, even when compared to the surrounding regions (like the Amt Frankenberg), lies in the destruction of Battenberg's municipal archive in the 19th century. Maybe due to a need for storage space, or for the money, or out of ignorance, the town sold the contents of its entire archive to a paper mill.[12] What little survives today does so because it was not part of the archive at the time. The most useful of the surviving documents are included here:

  • Tax register (Gemeiner Pfennig), 1495 (HStAM Fonds Rechn. I, 9/7; 9/21; 9/26)
  • Forest register (Forstregister), 1552 (HStAM Fonds Rechn. III, 2978) — NEW
  • Muster roll (Musterungsregister), 1552 (HStAM Fonds 3, 1107) — NEW
  • City accounts (Battenberger Stadtrechnungen), 1565 (HStAM Fonds Rechn. II, Battenberg 13)
  • Muster roll, 1568 (HStAM Fonds 19a, 311)
  • City accounts, 1572 (HStAM Fonds Rechn. II, Battenberg 13)
  • Muster roll, 1578 (HStAM Fonds 19a, 217)
  • City accounts, 1582 (HStAM Fonds Rechn. II, Battenberg 13)
  • Wine tax (Weinregister), 1583 (HStAM Fonds Rechn. II Battenberg 14) — NEW
  • City accounts, 1584 (HStAM Fonds Rechn. II, Battenberg 13)
  • City accounts, 1585 (HStAM Fonds Rechn. II, Battenberg 13)
  • Muster roll, 1586 (HStAD Fonds E8B, 140/4)
  • City accounts, 1586 (HStAM Fonds Rechn. II, Battenberg 13)
  • City accounts, 1588, fragment (HStAM Fonds Rechn. II, Battenberg 13)
  • Muster roll, 1589 (HStAM Fonds 19a, 207)
  • City accounts, 1589 (HStAM Fonds Rechn. II, Battenberg 13)
  • City accounts, 1589, townhall furniture and equipment (HStAM Fonds Rechn. II, Battenberg 13)
  • City accounts, 1594 (HStAM Fonds Rechn. II, Battenberg 13) — NEW
  • City accounts, 1595 (HStAM Fonds Rechn. II, Battenberg 13)
  • City accounts, 1596 (HStAM Fonds Rechn. II, Battenberg 13) — NEW
  • Turkish tax, 1596 (HStAM Fonds 74, 22)
  • City accounts, 1597 (HStAM Fonds Rechn. II, Battenberg 13) — NEW
  • City accounts, 1606 (HStAM Fonds Rechn. II, Battenberg 13)
  • Schönstadt tithes (Schönstädter Zehnt), 1609-1610 (HStAM Fonds 340 von Schönstadt, 7) — NEW
  • Forest register, 1610 (HStAM Fonds Rechn. II, Battenberg 5) — NEW
  • Schönstadt tithes, 1613-1614 (HStAM Fonds 340 von Schönstadt, 99) — NEW
  • Schönstadt tithes, 1614 (HStAM Fonds 340 von Schönstadt, 100) — NEW
  • Accounts of the Laisa treasury (Kastenrechnung), 1614 (HStAM Fonds Laisa 1, Jg.1614) — NEW
  • Accounts of the Laisa treasury, 1615 (HStAM Fonds Laisa 1, Jg.1615) — NEW
  • Schönstadt tithes, 1616 (HStAM Fonds 340 von Schönstadt, 101) — NEW
  • Accounts of the Laisa treasury, 1616 (HStAM Fonds Laisa 1, Jg.1616) — NEW
  • Accounts of the Battenberg treasury, 1616 (HStAM Fonds 318 Marburg, Battenberg 1, Jg.1616) — NEW
  • Accounts of the Laisa treasury, 1617 (HStAM Fonds Laisa 1, Jg.1617) — NEW
  • Accounts of the Battenberg treasury, 1617 (HStAM Fonds 318 Marburg, Battenberg 1, Jg.1617) — NEW
  • Accounts of the Battenberg treasury, 1618 (HStAM Fonds 318 Marburg, Battenberg 1, Jg.1618) — NEW
  • Accounts of the Battenberg treasury, 1619 (HStAM Fonds 318 Marburg, Battenberg 1, Jg.1619) — NEW
  • Defence tax (Landrettungssteuer), 1619-1620 (HStAM Fonds Rechn. II, Battenberg 16) — NEW
Excerpt from city accounts of 1597: No fair
was held that year due to "the great dying".
The corresponding tax revenue was written off.[5]

The articles marked as NEW are published here for the first time. All of the others are already included in my book Die Einwohner des Amtes Battenberg,[6][4] and are republished here, with some minor corrections to the text.

The years 1594, 1596 and 1597 of the city accounts are not included in my book because the existence of those documents was unknown at the time of publication (2020). The relevant entry in the Archival information system Hessen (Arcinsys) has since been updated.

The accounts of 1597 include some information about the victims of the plague epidemic that killed nearly half of the town's population that year.

A word about epidemics
Excess deaths in the parishes of Battenberg,
Laisa and Battenfeld, between 1575 and 1650,
in deaths per week and 100,000 people.
A value of 3000 means that 3% of the
population died that week.

By their nature, the church records are great sources for the course of epidemics, at least where the disease actually killed those who were infected. We have to assume that there were many cases of diseases that infected a large number of people, but where few people actually died. That said, for the primary epidemic disease of the 16th and 17th centuries, the plague, mortality was so high (up to 50%) that the waves are clearly visible in the number of excess deaths that were recorded. In fact, between 1597 and 1650, wave after wave of disease, combined with the other effects of war and economic crisis, led to the death of about three quarters of the entire population of the Amt Battenberg.

The people of the early modern period had no concept of germ theory, or even of infectious disease. However, that lack of knowledge does not mean that they were unaware of things that seemed to affect how the disease spread, or that they had no strategies to mitigate the effects (whether those strategies were effective is a different question). In particular, contact with the sick, as well as large congregations or travel, appear to have been discouraged during an ongoing epidemic. After the pastor in Battenfeld had succumed to the disease in August 1597, the examination of his successor was delayed because nobody was allowed to travel to or from Battenberg at the time. During the outbreak of 1636, some wedding ceremonies in Battenfeld were celebrated in the open field outside of the settlement, rather than inside the church, and the ongoing epidemic is given as the explicit reason (although this could be because the church was needed to deal with burying the dead).

Reconstructed total population of the
Battenberg, Laisa and Battenfeld parishes,
between 1350 and 1700

There are no church records available from the Amt Battenberg that document the epidemic of August-September 1597. The pastor of Battenfeld died in the early days of the outbreak; his records of deaths end in December 1596. He probably kept a notebook, from which he had planned to transfer the information to the official records at some point, but his own death prevented him from doing so. Rather than from church records directly, the number of victims of the 1597 epidemic is known from two sources: The Peststein, a monument erected in the Lutheran church in Battenberg in 1620 that commemorates the 255 victims of the disease in the town,[13] and a letter from the Battenberg miller Hans Reese from 1599, in which he complained that about 500 people from the draw area of his mill (which probably included the town of Battenberg, the villages of Battenfeld and Berghofen, and some people from other villages) had died in the epidemic, leading to a substantial decrease in his income due to a lack of customers.[14] The correspondence about the restaffing of the Battenfeld pastorate provides additional information about the timeline.[15]

While the 1597 outbreak appears to have been the first major plague epidemic in at least a couple of decades to affect the region, the disease was likely present before that. The church records of Battenfeld provide evidence for a smaller wave in 1585, identified as plague by the pastor, and another one in the fall of 1596, the year before the "great dying". There is also evidence for an outbreak of some other disease during the spring of 1591.

The course of the outbreaks of 1625 and 1636
in Battenfeld, Battenberg, and Laisa

For the epidemic of 1611, the Battenfeld church records contain a wealth of information, including the fact that the pastor of the village and his family had been the first to die, and that he had probably brought the disease with him after a travel to Marburg. With the outbreak of the Thirty Years War in 1618, the waves of plague became more frequent, and by the 1620s, the church records of Battenberg, Battenfeld and Laisa all document the dramatic decline in population. Even though the war ended in 1648, it took another decade before population numbers started to increase again, and they did not reach pre-1597 levels before the early 18th century.

It is also worth noting that not all waves of the epidemic affected each settlement equally. On the contrary, there were huge differences. Some villages were completely spared from certain outbreaks, or were hit particularly hard. Laisa, for example, was not affected at all by the wave of 1632, while the 1640 outbreak was much worse there than in the other places. In addition, the onset of each outbreak happened at slightly different times from one place to the next. Even on the different town quarters of Battenberg itself, the outbreak of 1597 may have left a very different mark.

Lastly, you are referred to Franziska Meixner's doctoral thesis, in which she examines the response to epidemics in the Battenberg region during the first half of the 19th century.[16]

Witch trials
Excerpts from the witch trial against Margaretha Strüder.
On the left is treasurer Ebel's report about the accusations
against her; on the right is part of one of the complaint letters
that Margaretha's husband wrote to the government.

The late 16th and early 17th century marked the peak of what today is commonly referred to as the witch hunt. In Germany, tens of thousands of people (mostly women) were executed for witch craft, a completely imaginary crime that nonetheless came to define the early modern period. Interestingly, it seems that Battenberg either was mostly spared of this, or its witch trials are not attested. There are known instances of accusations of witch craft from Battenberg, but none that led to an execution, or even a conviction.

The only well documented case of a witch trial in Battenberg is that of Margaretha, the wife of Andreas Strüder.[17] In June 1589, Catharina, wife of the citizen Richard Sins from Battenberg, accused her of having used black magic to hurt her lifestock. The councilmen of Battenberg met for trial, but were unable to reach a verdict, so they referred the case to the court in Marburg. Margaretha was acquitted there, but Catharina Sins did not stop accusing her.

The treasurer of Battenberg, Henrich Ebel, investigated the case. In his report to the state government, Ebel noted that there was no indication that any crime had been committed, nor was there anyone who had anything bad to say about Margaretha Strüder (apart from Catharina Sins, of course). However, he mentioned two incidents: Firstly, that one citizen had seen Margaretha pick up a handful of pebbles shortly before a hailstorm. When questioned about it, Margaretha denied any ill intent. Apparently, this was the incident that led to the accusations from Catharina Sins. Secondly, that, a long time ago, Margaretha's great-grandmother had been under strong suspicion of being a witch herself.

During the summer and fall of 1590, Margaretha's husband Andreas Strüder wrote several letters to the state government, asking for help against the defamation spread by Catharina Sins. Those letters, becoming more and more desperate over time, give a possible motive for the accusations, namely Catharina Sins's strong hatred and grudge against Margaretha. The response from the government, if it ever existed, has not been preserved.

Battenberg's councilmen, in turn, were encouraged to reach out to the scholars in Marburg for legal advice if they have to deal with witch craft in the future. Their insecurity in this case may suggest that this was the first time they had to deal with an accusation of this kind.

Was there an earlier volume of the church records that is now lost?
Excerpt from the church records of Battenfeld, describing the
rediscovery of the earliest volume of that parish's church records:
"The preceding older birth, marriage, confirmation, and death
register, which was started by L. Stippius in the year 1577, was
found by me, the undersigned, under old recopied parish
documents in the attic of the local rectory. It has been logically
arranged and temporarily stored in the older notebook capsule
belonging to the repository. Battenfeld, March 23, 1865. L. Klein"

The available church records of Battenberg begin in 1624, coinciding with the reintroduction of the Lutheran confession and the appointment of a new pastor by the state government. It is possible that this represents the first time that church records were kept in Battenberg. Many other places nearby also have church records that start in 1624 or 1625, while few start earlier than that. It looks as if this is when church records were first made mandatory everywhere. However, there are some hints that point to the existence of an earlier volume of church records for Battenberg specifically, possibly dating back as far as the 1560s.

"As it was accidentally torn by a dog while
I was absent..."
There are many reasons why records may be lost –
including being eaten by a dog, apparently.
Page from the urbarium of the Battenfeld parish.

At some time in the 1690s, pastor Johann Henrich Knefel compiled a list of school teachers in Battenberg, covering the period from 1559 to 1594. The list itself survives as part of the church records, but Knefel made no effort to specify his original sources, most of which probably no longer exist. Some of those documents were likely part of the now lost municipal archive, but Knefel's list includes biographical information (like marriage and death dates, or the names of spouses) that suggest the use of church records. If that's true then Knefel's list also indicates that those church records had a gap, starting around the time of the death of pastor Gideon Fulder in 1597, and lasting until 1610 or later. A similar gap exists in the church records of Battenfeld, which don't cover the period from late 1597 to early 1606.

The existence of such an earlier volume, which would then have been lost between the late 17th and the 19th century, is not inconceivable. In 1617, the Battenberg parish payed money "for a book bound in pure paper, wherein the names of the baptized, confirmed, proclaimed, married with blessings, and deceased Christians in the Lord shall henceforth be written." That book, which may have been bought to continue an even older one, is now lost.[18] It is known that Battenfeld had a register of communicants, probably started in 1576, which no longer exists.[19] In fact, the oldest surviving volume of the Battenfeld church records almost would have been lost as well, if it hadn't been rediscovered by vicar Ludwig Klein in 1865.[20] If it weren't for Klein's efforts, Battenfeld's church records would start in 1625...

Battenfeld

Kirchenbuch Battenfeld (1574-1808)
A page from volume 3 of the Battenfeld church records
(compare page 188 of the transcription), as it is available on
Archion. The strip of paper that says "Buß-Geld" (penalty) is
in my own handwriting. I accidentally left it in there when
I worked on the original in 2005 or 2006, and it was
digitized together with the rest of the book
a few years later. — Oops!

Places: Battenfeld, Rennertehausen, Allendorf (Eder), Berghofen, Osterfeld, Kröge
Last update: 31 March 2024

  • Battenfeld church records, volume 1, 1574-1647 (Zentralarchiv EKHN)
  • Battenfeld church records, volume 2, 1625-1652 (Zentralarchiv EKHN)
  • Battenfeld church records, volume 3, 1643-1796 (Pfarrarchiv Battenfeld)
  • Battenfeld church records, volume 4, 1772-1808 (Pfarrarchiv Battenfeld)
    • Accounts of the Battenfeld treasury (Kastenrechnung Battenfeld), 1635 (HStAM Fonds 318 Marburg, Battenfeld 1)
    • Urbarium of the Battenfeld parish and treasury (Salbuch der Kirchen- und Kastengüter zu Battenfeld), 1698-1723 (HStAM Fonds S 225)
    • Johannes Born's petition to be compensated for billeting in his house (Gesuch des Johannes Born zu Battenfeld wegen Einquartierungen), 1715-1717 (HStAM Fonds 110, 659)
    • Defence tax (Landrettungssteuer), 1619-1620 (HStAM Fonds Rechn. II, Battenberg 16)
    • Expenditure for war from the Battenfeld parish (Kriegskostenrechnung), 1640[7]
    • List of people in the Battenfeld parish, 1647 (HStAM Fonds 19 b, 1450)
    • List of people in the Battenfeld parish, 1668 (HStAM Fonds 110, 5)
    • List of people in the Battenfeld parish, 1677 (HStAM Fonds S 222)
    • List of people in the Battenfeld parish, 1711/12 (HStAM Fonds S 224)
    • Miscellaneous excerpts from the accounts of the Amt (Amtsrechnungen), 1600-1820 (HStAM Fonds Rechn. II Nr. Battenberg 1)
    • Urbarium of the St. Georgenberg Abbey (Salbuch des Hauses Georgenberg), c.1575 (HStAM Fonds S. Nr. 328)
    • Genealogy of the Stippius family
    • Muster roll, 1568 (HStAM Fonds 19a, 311)
    • Muster roll, 1578 (HStAM Fonds 19a, 217)
    • Muster roll, 1586 (HStAD Fonds E8B, 140/4)
    • Muster roll, 1589 (HStAM Fonds 19a, 207)
    • Serf tax (Leibeigenenbede), 1570 (HStAM Fonds S 37)
    • Serf tax (Leibeigenenbede), 1586 (HStAM Fonds S 219)
    • Turkish tax, 1596 (HStAM Fonds 74, 22)
    • Hearth tithe (Rauchhühner), 1600 (HStAM Fonds Rechn. II Nr. Battenberg 1)
    • Records of the noble von Biedenfeld family, 1500-1600 (HStAM Fonds Urk. 105)
    • Records of the noble von Milchling zu Schönstadt family, 1500-1600 (HStAM Fonds Urk. 129)
    • Index for the city accounts (Battenberger Stadtrechnungen), 1565-1606 (HStAM Fonds Rechn. II, Battenberg 13)
    • Hospitalisations at sanatorium Haina/Kloster, 1718-1773 (LWV-Archiv, Datenbank "Hospia")
    • List of emigrants to North America before 1800

For emigrants to North America in 1818-1819, see Kirchenbuch Battenberg (1624-1807). The muster rolls, serf tax and Turkish tax are only given here in form of an index; transcriptions of the records themselves can be found elsewhere.

Battenfeld Konfirmationen&Heiraten (1809-1840)

Places: Battenfeld, Rennertehausen, Allendorf (Eder), Berghofen, Osterfeld
Last update: 27 November 2023

  • Battenfeld confirmations, 1809-1840 (Pfarrarchiv Battenfeld)
  • Battenfeld marriages, 1809-1840 (Pfarrarchiv Battenfeld)
    • Alphabetical index of marriages

The original volumes cover the years 1809-1878 (confirmations) and 1809-1847 (marriages); only parts of that are included here. The original marriage volume comes with its own original alphabetical index, but that index contains a lot of errors and omissions. The index given here was created from scratch.

Battenfeld Dokumente (1574-1735)
Excerpt from one of the documents (HStAM Fonds 111i, 190).
Here, the collator of the Battenfeld and Battenberg pastorates,
the nobleman von Biedenfeld, is accused of having planned
to beat up pastor Knefel with a stick. The incident came to light
when von Biedenfeld was accused of bribery and duress,
in relation to the appointment of pastor Knefel's successor.[21]

Places: Battenfeld, Battenberg, Hatzfeld
Last update: 11 October 2022

  • Request from Zacharias von Biedenfeld regarding his son's studies (Gesuch von Zacharias von Biedenfeld wegen des Studiums seines Sohnes), 1574 (HStAM Fonds 19a, 432)
  • Restaffing of the pastorate in Battenfeld (Neubesetzung der Pfarrei Battenfeld), 1597 (HStAM Fonds 19a, 410; 19a, 1301)
  • Restaffing of the parish in Hatzfeld (Wiederbesetzung der Pfarrei Hatzfeld), 1657 (HStAM Fonds 110, 121)
  • Controversy over the restaffing of the pastorate in Battenfeld (Streit um die Besetzung der Pfarrstelle Battenfeld), 1672 (HStAM Fonds 110, 44)
  • Petition of the heirs of the hospital director Andreas Stippius (Supplik der Erben des Hospitalvorstehers Andreas Stippius), 1683 (StadtA Frankenberg Fonds A1, 4548)
  • Employment of Johann Christoph Stippius as an assistant for his father (Anstellung von Johann Christoph Stippius als Gehilfe für seinen Vater), 1687 (HStAM Fonds 110, 46)
  • Appointment of the pastor in Battenfeld (Bestellung des Pfarrers zu Battenfeld), 1690 (HStAM Fonds 110, 45)
  • Appointment of the pastor in Battenberg (Bestellung des Pfarrers zu Battenberg), 1692-1722 (HStAM Fonds 110, 37)
  • Dispute over von Biedenfeld's church property in Battenberg (Streit um Biedenfeldische Kirchengüter zu Battenberg), 1702-1703 (HStAM Fonds 110, 191)
  • Employment of Just Peter Gönner as assistant pastor in Battenberg (Anstellung des Just Peter Gönner als Pfarrgehilfe zu Battenberg), 1706 (HStAM Fonds 110, 33)
  • Dispute about the parish competences in Battenfeld (Streit um die Pfarrkompetenzen zu Battenfeld), 1711-1715 (HStAM Fonds 110, 42)
  • Appointment of the pastor in Battenfeld (Bestellung des Pfarrers zu Battenfeld), 1712 (HStAM Fonds 110, 47)
  • Correspondence on the death of pastor Johann Christoph Stippius (Briefwechsel zum Tod des Pfarrers Johann Christoph Stippius), 1712-1713 (HStAM Fonds 110, 43)
  • Accusation over the restaffing of the pastorate in Battenberg (Anschuldigung wegen Präsentation des Pfarrdienstes zu Battenberg), 1722-1735 (HStAM Fonds 111i, 190; 111a, 301)
  • Dispute about the church chair of Eva Maria von Biedenfeld in the church in Battenfeld (Kirchenstuhl der Eva Maria von Biedenfeld in der Kirche zu Battenfeld), 1723 (HStAM Fonds 110, 7042)
Beyond genealogy: Weather reports, architecture, and more

The church records contain much more than just genealogical information. Especially the third volume of the Battenfeld church records, spanning the years from 1652 to 1796, includes a lot of memorabilia, ranging from weather and astronomical observations to descriptions of changes to the church's architecture. They also include some original works of literary value, especially poetry.

Battenfeld's church organ
Descriptions of the old church organ in Battenfeld. In 1782, the
organ was moved from its original place next to the pulpit, to
the west end of the church, where its successor still stands today.
A new gallery was erected in place of the old instrument.
(English Translations:[22])

There are too many of these memorabilia to discuss them all here. To give an example, there are a number of entries concerning the church organ, and they tell a history that still leaves visible traces in the church today – if you know where to look.

It can be difficult to appreciate what kind of changes were made to the interior of churches over the centuries. The church in Battenfeld saw at least three major renovations since the end of the Thirty Years' War, in 1661/62, 1742/43, and 1954. Large changes to the interior fittings were also made in 1782, and possibly again in the 19th century.

In 1742, as part of a major church renovation, paintings of
the twelve apostles, the four evangelists, the reformer Martin
Luther, and other similar motives, were added to the galleries
on both sides of the nave, to the back side, and to the front of
the old Organ. The latter two portions no longer exist.
(English Translations:[23])

Supposedly, the church was heavily damaged during the Thirty Years' War.[24] The originally existing side aisles are said to have been removed around that time, either because they had been destroyed, or because they were no longer needed. Wooden galleries were installed in 1661, likely together with new pews.

The church organ that is used in Battenfeld today was built by Jacob Vogt from Korbach in 1871. It replaced an instrument from 1815, which was paid for in large part by donations from community members (there are lists in the church records of who gave what). The 1815 organ replaced an instrument that had been moved to the back end of the church in 1782, but which originally stood next to the pulpit.

That old organ had been installed on 10 May 1662, during a major renovation of the church. The church records mention that this instrument had eight stops (including Tremulant and Sternventil) and that it cost 200 thalers. We know about that from the copy of a number of entries that were compiled by pastor Johann Georg Bichmann in 1713. What happened to Bichmann's original source is unclear, it is not part of the church records.

Inscription under the church organ, commemorating
the installation of the new organ loft on 7 August 1815.

When the organ was moved to the west end of the church in 1782, it was repaired, and an additional stop (a Quintatön) was installed by the organ builder Johann Andreas Heinemann from Giessen. The move was necessary because the church had become too small to hold the growing congregation. Heinemann's Quintatön stop installed in 1782 may have been reused for the 1871 Vogt organ (which also has a stop of this kind[25]), although there is no direct evidence that this is the case.

A new gallery and additional pews were installed in place of the old organ in 1782, after which the entire seating plan of the church was redrawn, and was recorded in a newly begun seating register (which sadly no longer exists). As a result, parts of the artwork that had been installed during the renovation of 1742 were removed. Now lost is the painting of Martin Luther, among other things. For the side panels of the newly installed gallery, the paintings were replaced by a simple floral design. The rest, paintings of the apostles and evangelists, can still be seen today.

Observations of a comet
Pastor Henrich Stippius' account of the Great Comet of 1680

The church records of Battenfeld contain the description of a comet by pastor Henrich Stippius. That text is interesting, not only as a record of an astronomical observation, but also in the context of a large shift that was going on at the time, in how astronomical events like this were interpreted. There was a transition to a more rational worldview in general, which was going to lead directly into the period of enlightenment in the 18th century.

What Stippius describes was one of the brightest comets of the 17th century, contemporarily known as Kirchs Komet in the German-speaking world, and now either under its scientific name C/1680 V1, or simply as the Great Comet of 1680. It was the first comet that had been discovered by telescope, and it was soon to be featured prominently in Isaac Newton's Principia Mathematica of 1687, particularly in the development of his theory of gravity (hence why it later became known in England as Newton's comet). Stippius though was neither a rationalist nor an early proponent of the enlightenment. He wrote:

In the year 1680, on the 17th day of December, at the beginning of the night, a terrifying comet was seen throughout Europe and its neighboring lands (as was later learned). The star is small but fiery and yet dark, the tail appeared to be fiery and located near the star, while the other part was almost pale, about 2 steps wide according to the appearance, and its length covered half of our horizon. The star was approximately in the south-west, and the tail shone towards the north. The star was seen for about 2 hours, and the tail for 1.5 hours longer. In short, the appearance was very frightening (it was seen for about 30 days, sometimes brighter, sometimes darker), and it would be desirable that this very terrifying wrath of God would penetrate the hearts of all people in such a way that they would be moved to turn away from sins and ungodly behavior and enter into a new penitent life, in the confidence that the merciful God would then transform the danger and wrath of punishment that might be looming into grace, and instead of threatening punishment, shower us with generous and gracious blessings, which may the Highest give and do for the sake of our dear Jesus, Amen.[26]
In 1672, the congregations of Battenfeld, Allendorf,
Rennertehausen and Berghofen petitioned against the
appointment of Henrich Stippius as their pastor:
"No one in the parish has any desire or love for him, especially
since he gave a trial sermon here and we thought he would
remind and explain to us the Passion, the suffering of Christ.
He has given us a sermon with zeal, and everyone found it
troublesome to listen to him. Now that he has shown such zeal,
and singled out one or the other of us, and has not yet been
appointed as our pastor, what further consequences would it
bring? He wants to force himself on us."[27]

Few comets of the early modern period got as much attention, and sparked as fierce a debate, as this one. Many theologians at the time favored the old idea that comets were bad omens: signs that were sent by god, to warn people of an upcoming disaster if they continued with their supposedly ungodly behavior. Arguing against this traditional view were those who thought that comets were a natural phenomenon. This rational interpretation was about to become fashionable. By the mid of the 18th century, at least among academics, the idea that comets were "bad omens" was seen as nothing but an old-fashioned superstition.[28]

Among the most passionate defenders of the old view was Kilian Rudrauff (1627-1690),[29] a professor at Giessen university. Rudrauff's Christian Comet Sermon, Held in the City Church of Giessen on January 23rd, 1681[30] was a fervent attempt to rebut and ridicule the rationalists' arguments. (For the complete text of the comet sermon, see my transcription here.) Rudrauff also happens to have been Henrich Stippius' direct superior (his superintendent), and the doctoral adviser of Henrich's oldest son Johann Christoph Stippius,[31] who was studying in Giessen since 1678. It is likely that Johann Christoph was present at Rudrauff's "comet sermon", and that Henrich Stippius would have been keen to adopt Rudrauff's worldview. Did Stippius discuss the comet in one of his own sermons, and what did he have to say? We shall never know.

It is interesting that, when Henrich Stippius applied for the position of pastor in Battenfeld in 1672, the congregation was in strong opposition against him, as they found him too harsh, too zealous, and simply unpleasant. Of course their opposition mattered little, and Stippius was appointed against their will. He nonetheless went on to earn the congregation's respect over the 18 years that he served as their pastor.

Conflicts and penalties
Some of the fines awarded by the Battenfeld parish.
Top: In 1719, Jacob Battenfeld's son from Battenfeld is fined
for sleeping during the church service, and for misbehaving.
Middle: In 1730, Anna Gertraud, Conrad Strieder's wife from
Berghofen, is fined for saying that she'd push other's against
the wall if the devil's cattle is in the way.
Bottom: In 1731, Johannes Huft from Allendorf is fined for
refusing to attend his mother-in-law's funeral.

An extensive schedule of fines and penalties was in place to keep order. Many of these fines went to the Amtmann (bailiff) in Battenberg and are recorded in the Amtsrechnungen. Others were collected by the church, and went directly into the Gotteskasten (parish treasury). Some of the latter are listed in the church records. They provide a glimpse into the day-to-day conflicts between the pastor and his congregation. The majority of the penalties were awarded for missing mandatory church services and catechetical instructions, or for carrying out forbidden work on Sundays. Notably, the rules against doing work on Sundays also applied to Jews. This is the only context in which Battenfeld's considerable Jewish population appears in the early Lutheran church records. A few interesting examples of punished offenses, recorded during the tenure of pastor Johann Georg Bichmann, are listed below:

  • 1713: Johannes Henckel from Rennertehausen, for having beer guests in his house at an inappropriate time on Sunday, pays 4 albus.
  • 1715: Johann Daniel Schäfer from Berghofen, for being mischievous with the hat that fell down and was pulled up by a rope; also for being chatty, pays 4 albus.
  • 1715: Henrich Staar's, Adam Benthe's oldest, and Paul, Johannes Paulus's sons from Allendorf, all for throwing stones and doing other bad things in and around the church, pay 4 albus.
  • 1724: Daniel Hofmann and Johannes Henckel, for spitting at others in the church in Allendorf, together they pay 8 albus.
  • 1724: Johannes Becker's wife from Rennertehausen, for running into the school and behaving badly towards Mr. Henckel the school teacher because he had beaten her child, pays 7 albus 4 heller.
  • 1726: Johannes Giebel from Rennertehausen, for willfully pushing some women off the church path into the mud on Ascension Day, pays 7½ albus.
  • 1733: Johann Eckhard Klein from Rennertehausen, for throwing flowers at women in the church on Pentecost, pays 5 albus.
  • 1739: Conrad Steuber from Allendorf, for coming out of the Jew Anschel's house with tailor's fabric on Sunday, pays 4 albus.
  • 1740: The Jew David from Allendorf, for going to the market on Sunday afternoon, pays 8 albus. His rabbi from Allendorf, for carrying a kettle on Sunday while going with David, pays 5 albus.

Laisa

Kirchenbuch Laisa&Holzhausen (1624-1769)
Top of first page of church records of Laisa and Holzhausen

Places: Laisa, Holzhausen (Hatzfeld)
Last update: 26 October 2022

  • Laisa&Holzhausen church records, volume 1, 1624-1769 (Pfarrarchiv Laisa)
    • Place index
    • Name index

The church records of Laisa and Holzhausen are incomplete between 1720 and 1770, with marriage records missing 1742-1770, and death records missing 1748-1769. Some of the missing data can be reconstructed from the lists of new bondsmen, and from the marriage contracts that are available starting in 1763. The lists of new bondsmen also extend for some decades before the start of the church records in 1624. Transcriptions of both documents can be found in Kirchenbuch Battenberg (1624-1807).

For the defence tax in Laisa and Holzhausen in 1619-1620, as well as lists of the people in Laisa and Holzhausen (from 1640, 1647, 1668, 1677, 1680, 1711, 1750 and 1760), also see Kirchenbuch Battenberg (1624-1807).

How (not) to use the footnotes

There are lots of mistakes in the footnotes to this old (2009) version, including many miscalculated dates. Most notably, I was not aware at the time that dates before January 1700 refer to the Julian calendar.

These were the first church records I transcribed, and that shows in what I say in my footnotes. Please keep that in mind when you use them!

I plan to correct all of the footnotes eventually, at which point I will remove this note.

Kirchenbuch Laisa&Holzhausen (1770-1807)
Example pages from the church records of Laisa and
Holzhausen 1770-1807 (left), and from the marriage records
1808-1852 (right). Starting in 1808, individual records became
much longer, from single sentences previously to entire pages.

Places: Laisa, Holzhausen (Hatzfeld)
Last update: 26 October 2022

  • Laisa&Holzhausen church records, volume 2, 1770-1807 (Pfarrarchiv Laisa)
    • Index, sorted by names and occasions

Many of the death records include age statements. Please be aware that, at least for the tenure of pastor Johann Conrad Hill (1771-1793), those numbers are often wrong (Hill often miscalculated a person's age), or are connected to the wrong birth entry. Remember that the pastors were often working with the same incomplete records that are available to us, and their reconstructions should not be assumed to be correct.

Laisa&Holzhausen Geburten (1808-1836)

Places: Laisa, Holzhausen (Hatzfeld)
Last update: 29 February 2024

  • Laisa&Holzhausen church records, births 1808-1836 (Pfarrarchiv Laisa)
    • Alphabetical index
Laisa&Holzhausen Heiraten (1808-1852)

Places: Laisa, Holzhausen (Hatzfeld)
Last update: 26 October 2022

  • Laisa&Holzhausen church records, marriages 1808-1852 (Pfarrarchiv Laisa)
    • Alphabetical index

Records between 1844 and 1852 have not been transcribed yet, but they are included in the alphabetical index.

Laisa&Holzhausen Tote (1808-1840)

Places: Laisa, Holzhausen (Hatzfeld)
Last update: 27 January 2024

  • Laisa&Holzhausen church records, deaths 1808-1852 (Pfarrarchiv Laisa)
    • Alphabetical index

The original volume covers the years 1808-1852. Only parts of that (the years 1808-1840) are included here.

Lists of people

Sometimes church records include lists of teachers or
pastors, compiled from original documents that no longer
exist (like this list in the Battenberg church records,
probably compiled from sources in the municipal archive
and elsewhere now lost). These often provide additional
genealogical and biographical information, like the names
of wifes, dates of birth and death, and more. Where
available, those lists were incorporated here.

Places: Battenberg (Eder), Holzhausen (Eder), Laisa, Battenfeld, Rennertehausen, Allendorf (Eder), Berghofen, Osterfeld, Kröge
Last update: 7 May 2024

  • Pastors in Battenberg, 1521-1850
  • Pastors in Battenfeld, 1422-1865
  • Treasurers (Rentmeister) in Battenberg, 1464-1811
  • Bailiffs (Amtmänner) in Battenberg, 1296-1820
  • Sheriffs (Amtsschultheißen) in Battenberg, 1692-1819
  • Ushers (Landknechte) in Battenberg, 1546-1812
  • Court clerks (Gerichtsschreiber) in Battenberg, 1594-1719
  • Town clerks (Stadtschreiber) in Battenberg, 1572-1779
  • Forestry clerks (Forstschreiber) in Battenberg, 1650-1784
In 1624, Battenberg was looking for a new school teacher.
In an attempt to defend their right to present a new
candidate themselves, the town council listed some of the
teachers who they had appointed before, namely Johannes
Lange (1606-1609), Franz Conrad Matthäi (1610-1611),
Valentin Bermershausen (1611-abt.1615), and
Daniel Eder (abt.1616-1624).[32]
  • Schoolmasters in Battenberg, 1495-1843
  • Schoolmasters in Battenfeld, 1574-1965
  • Schoolmasters in Allendorf, 1673-1867
  • Schoolmasters in Rennertehausen, 1627-1843
  • Schoolmasters in Berghofen, 1674-1841
  • Schoolmasters in Laisa, 1660-1833
  • Schoolmasters in Holzhausen, 1669-1863
  • Millers in Battenberg (Mühle unterm Rain), 1568-1833
  • Millers in Battenberg (Füllnhäuser Mühle), 1733-1826
  • Millers in Rennertehausen, 1572-1868
  • Millers in Allendorf (Oberste Mühle), 1578-1817
  • Millers in Allendorf (Kämmersmühle), 1629-1847
  • Millers in Holzhausen (Unterste Mühle), 1629-1827
  • Millers in Holzhausen (Eifenbachsmühle), 1720-1854
In their applications to the government, foresters often
mentioned if their ancestors had served in the position as
well. In 1719, Johann Ludwig Manckel from Holzhausen
wrote that his grandfather Johann Ludwig Barth had been
a forester for 36 years, his father Johannes Manckel for 40
years, and he himself had been a forester for 24 years.[33]
  • Foresters in Battenberg, 1572-1721
  • Foresters in Battenfeld, 1653-1796
  • Foresters in Holzhausen, 1635-1806
  • Foresters in Elbrighausen, 1595-1802
  • Innkeepers (Gastwirte) in Battenberg, 1582-1803
  • Physicians in Battenberg, 1732-1813
  • Surgeons in Battenberg and Battenfeld, 1713-1831
  • Renderers (Wasenmeister) in Allendorf, 1582-1865
  • Postmen (Briefträger) in Battenberg, 1639-1804
  • Sextons (Opfermänner) in Battenberg, 1596-1843
  • Sextons in Battenfeld, 1577-1624
  • Sextons in Rennertehausen, 1596-1731
  • Sextons in Allendorf, 1611-1710
  • Sextons in Berghofen, 1619-1726
  • Sextons in Laisa, 1495-1655
  • Sextons in Holzhausen, 1624-1693

These lists have been compiled from the information available in the church records, as well as various other documents.

Miscellaneous

These are documents that have been deemed useful enough to be published here, but which do not fit into one of the previous categories. This includes documents from outside of the Amt Battenberg.

Kirchenbuch Frankenberg (1646-1714)

Places: Frankenberg (Eder)
Last update: 6 April 2024

Transcriptions of the Lutheran church records of Frankenberg (Eder). Created in collaboration with Carl-Henry Geschwind.

Kilian Rudrauffs Christliche Kometenpredigt, 1681

Place: Gießen
Last update: 1 February 2021

For this, the text of Rudrauff's Christian Comet Sermon (compare the "Observations of a comet" section), held at the parish church in Giessen on 23 January 1681, has been transcribed from the version printed in 1681. The orthography has been modernized.

Edward Thonen - A forgotten Eureka rebel

Places: Wuppertal, Offenbach am Main, London, Ballarat
Last update: 4 April 2024

A research report about Edward Thonen, deposited on 22 August 2023 at the Eureka Centre in Ballarat and at the Museum Industriekultur in Wuppertal. For the latest version, see here. Copyright by Daniel Bamberger and Anne Young, all rights reserved.

Interview with Daniel Bamberger about Thonen's story (on the Black and White podcast): Part 1, Part 2

Genealogy of the Seipp family

Places: Allendorf, Berghofen, Battenberg, Laisa, Holzhausen, Reddighausen, Oberrosphe, Wollmar, Münchhausen (and others)
Last update: 21 October 2023

A one name study of the Seipp family in the Amt Battenberg, consisting of 14 generations of descendants of the first Seipp who lived in Allendorf in the 15th century. This includes branches that moved abroad (particularly to the United States), but excludes all Seipp who can not be connected to the Allendorf branch. Also included are transcriptions of the following documents:

  • Older news about Kröge/Neujägersdorf (Ältere Nachrichten über Kröge/Neujägersdorf), 1768-1786 (HStAM Fonds 111i Battenberg 4)
Index Frohnhausen&Oberasphe Bede- und Türkensteuerregister (1577-1598)

Places: Frohnhausen, Oberasphe
Last update: 6 February 2023

These are indices for two documents: The turkish tax from Frohnhausen and Oberasphe (Türkensteuerliste Gericht Frohnhausen 1577-1598), and the lists of people from Frohnhausen and Oberasphe in 1586 (from Einwohnerverzeichnis Amt Battenberg 1586). Transcriptions of the corresponding original records are included in my book Die Einwohner des Amtes Battenberg (see below).

"Die Einwohner des Amtes Battenberg"

Excerpt from the list of residents of Battenberg in 1495

Aside from the documents listed previously, there are a number of relevant documents that were transcribed for my book Die Einwohner des Amtes Battenberg.[6][4][5][34][35] The two volumes of that book cover the places mentioned earlier (Battenberg, Battenfeld etc); in addition, they also include data about the villages Dodenau, Reddighausen, Eifa, Münchhausen, Wollmar, and (to a lesser degree) the town of Hatzfeld (Eder), as well as Birkenbringhausen, Frohnhausen, Oberasphe and Simtshausen.

The centerpiece of the book is the list of residents of the Amt Battenberg from 1495, a detailed account of the entire population (men, women, and children).

Here is the full list of contents:

Volume 1 (contents)

Book cover (volume 1)
  • Analyse · page 8
    • Das Amt Battenberg · 8
    • Allgemeines · 8
    • Zur historischen Bedeutung der Einwohnerlisten · 9
    • Datierung der Einwohnerlisten · 10
    • Die Abrechnung der Steuer von 1495 · 12
    • Bürger, Bauern und unterständische Schichten · 13
    • Adlige · 15
    • Geistliche · 15
    • Entwicklung der Bevölkerungszahlen im 15. Jahrhundert · 19
    • Entwicklung der Bevölkerungszahlen im 16. Jahrhundert · 40
    • Musterung und Kriegsdienst · 43
    • Vermögensverteilung · 48
    • Schöffen und Schöffenfamilien · 52
    • Männer und Frauen · 54
    • Diener und Gesinde · 60
    • Randgruppen und sonstige Berufe · 62
    • Die Lage der Wüstungen · 65
  • Personenlisten · 67
    • Die Pfarrer, von den Anfängen bis zur Reformation · 67[36]
    • Die Bürgermeister, von den Anfängen bis zur Reformation · 70[37]
    • Die Schöffen, von den Anfängen bis zur Reformation · 71
    • Studenten der Philipps-Universität Marburg · 77
    • Schüler des Pädagogiums zu Marburg · 78
    • Studenten anderer deutscher Universitäten bis zur Reformation · 79
    • Stammlisten der Battenberger Schöffenfamilien · 80
  • Texte · 85
    • 1-I. Gemeiner Pfennig Amt Battenberg 1495 · 86[38]
    • 1-II. Gemeiner Pfennig Pastorei Dautphe 1495/96 · 98
    • 1-III. Einwohnerliste Amt Battenberg 1502 · 102
    • 1-IV. Einwohnerliste Amt Wetter 1502 · 109
    • 1-V. Einwohnerliste Amt Blankenstein 1502 · 119
    • 1-VI. Einwohnerliste Stadt Biedenkopf 1502 · 127
    • 1-VII. Gefälleregister Amt Battenberg, um 1400 · 130
    • 1-VIII. Salbuch des Hospitals Haina 1557 · 135
    • 1-IX. Salbuch von Stadt und Amt Frankenberg 1588 · 149
    • 1-X. Bederegister 1570 · 203
    • 1-XI. Einwohnerverzeichnis Amt Battenberg 1586 · 221
    • 1-XII. Musterungsliste Amt Battenberg 1568 · 250
    • 1-XIII. Musterungsliste Amt Battenberg 1578 · 265
    • 1-XIV. Musterungsliste Amt Battenberg 1586 · 283
    • 1-XV. Musterungsliste Amt Battenberg 1589 · 308
    • 1-XVI. Bericht über die Musterung in Oberhessen 1599 · 314
    • 1-XVII. Schatzungsregister Hatzfeld 1547 · 315
    • 1-XVIII. Salbuch Stadt und Amt Hatzfeld 1590 · 320
    • 1-XIX. Salbuch Dorf und Gericht Eifa 1572 · 389
    • 1-XX. Verzeichnis der unartigen Äcker zu Eifa 1584 · 403
    • 1-XXI. Ergregister Laisa und Holzhausen, ca. 1571 · 407
    • 1-XXII. Schönstädter Zehnt 1562-1582 · 418
    • 1-XXIII. Verzeichnis der Güter im Oberfürstentum Hessen 1577 · 425
    • 1-XXIV. Türkensteuerliste Stadt und Amt Battenberg 1596 · 501
    • 1-XXV. Türkensteuerliste Gericht Frohnhausen 1577-1598 · 522
    • 1-XXVI. Einnahmen von Gütern im Amt Battenberg 1600 · 540
    • 1-XXVII. Abgabe Rauchhühner Amt Battenberg 1600 · 550
  • Quellen und Literatur · 574

Volume 2 (contents)

  • Texte · page 7
    • 2-I. Stadtrechnung Battenberg 1565-1606 · 8[38]
    • 2-II. Anschläge des Amtes Battenberg 1554-1562 · 222
    • 2-III. Kirchenbuch Battenfeld 1574-1597 · 234[36]
    • 2-IV. Dorfbuch des Oberfürstentums Hessen 1577 · 423
    • 2-V. Beschreibung Amt Kellerberg und Battenberg 1583 · 431
    • 2-VI. Herrschaftliche Äcker und Wiesen 1587 · 446
    • 2-VII. Vogtbuch des Vogtgerichts zu Battenberg 1532 · 458
    • 2-VIII. Beschreibung Oberhessischer Ämter 1604 · 460
  • Quellen · 466

Important notes

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Events

Below is a list of past and future events (upcoming events are only listed once there is a fixed date):

See also

License

Unless stated otherwise, I (Daniel Bamberger) publish these files under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.

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Sources and footnotes

  1. ↑ Due to the considerable workload involved (the documents discussed on this page include close to two million words in total, which took thousands of hours to transcribe), I have decided that there will be no systematic transcriptions of the church records that are younger than 1808. I have to make a cut somewhere. Why I made the cut in 1808: The Napoleonic wars and the end of the Holy Roman Empire brought on significant changes to politics and administration. In 1807, the government of the newly formed Grand Duchy of Hesse (the successor state of Hesse-Darmstadt) decided to change how church records had to be kept. One consequence was that individual entries got a lot longer (compare the example here). Transcribing entire church books becomes a lot harder from that point. Another consequence was the introduction of "backup copies" of the church records, which had to be delivered to the state government. Many of those backup copies are now available on Familysearch and Ancestry, often even indexed and searchable.
  2. ↑ Hessen-Nassau: Zentralarchiv der Evang. Kirche > Dekanat Biedenkopf, https://www.archion.de/de/browse/?path=40821-751828
  3. ↑ Deutschland, Hessen-Nassau, Personenstandsregister und Kirchenbücher, Kirchenbücher 1701-1875, Laisa Bürgermeisterei, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:9398-2C95-T
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Bamberger, Daniel: Die Einwohner des Amtes Battenberg, Band 2: Quellen zur Bevölkerungsgeschichte II (1532-1606), Marburg, 2020. https://books.google.de/books?id=-Of2DwAAQBAJ
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Paulus, Jörg: Daniel Bamberger hat alte Einwohnerliste für Battenberg erforscht, in: Hessische/Niedersächsische Allgemeine (HNA), 11 October 2020. https://www.hna.de/lokales/frankenberg/das-gibt-es-fuer-keine-andere-stadt-90066457.html
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Bamberger, Daniel: Die Einwohner des Amtes Battenberg, Band 1: Quellen zur Bevölkerungsgeschichte I (1400-1600), Marburg, 2020. https://books.google.de/books?id=Duj2DwAAQBAJ
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Praetorius, Otfried: Zwölftausend Einwohner der Landgrafschaft Hessen-Darmstadt um 1640 aus Kriegsschadenverzeichnissen u. a. Listen ausgezogen, HfV, Darmstadt, 1940.
  8. ↑ Kirchenbuch Battenberg, Band 1, p.393l.
    In the beginning of March 1707, Mr. Schlierbach from Dodenau sent me a piece of cake that was baked by Gerlachin from Reddighausen and had a significant amount of white arsenic added to it, with the intention of using it to poison her brother-in-law. Mr. Lucan and I examined the matter and found out that Feiselin, the wife of the blind man, gave it to her and encouraged her to use it. This Gerlachin committed suicide while in custody, using the same arsenic that was found during the autopsy on her. Therefore, she was placed on a scaffold according to the ruling of the princely government, with her head facing the horse, and was thrown without a coffin into a deep hole or grave under the wood chips on March 16th of that year.
  9. ↑ The Kontrakten-Protokoll is included here in form of a summary of only those records that are related to Battenberg, Laisa or Holzhausen. Digitizations of the full document (without transcription) can be found at https://arcinsys.hessen.de/arcinsys/detailAction.action?detailid=v1838390.
  10. ↑ Stadtgerichts-Protokoll, HStAM Fonds Protokolle II Nr. Battenberg 1 (1667-1728).
  11. ↑ Gesuche um Auswanderungserlaubnis aus Oberhessen nach Nordamerika (Einzelfälle), 1817-1819, HStAD Fonds G 11 No 160 D.
    Only available as a digitization created in 1932. The original record was destroyed during World War II.
  12. ↑ Sieburg, A.: Vorwort zum Bestand 330 Battenberg, 1 October 2008, https://digitalisate-he.arcinsys.de/pdf/hstam/330%20battenberg/findbuch.pdf
  13. ↑ Degen, Amadeus: Die evangelische Kirche ist geöffnet. Corona machts möglich. 6 April 2020, myhimat.de. https://www.myheimat.de/battenberg-eder/c-ratgeber/peststein-von-1620-zur-erinnerung-an-die-verheerende-seuche-von-1597-mit-255-toten-vive-memor-lethi-lebend-gedenke-der-vergaenglichkeif-so-beginnt-der-text-zum-gedenken-an-den-ehemaligen-rentmeister-h_pic777765_a3151886#gallery=default&pid=777765
  14. ↑ Angelegenheiten der landgräflichen Müller in Battenberg, HStAM Fonds 19 a No 826 (1585, 1599), https://arcinsys.hessen.de/arcinsys/detailAction.action?detailid=v2115779
  15. ↑ Neubesetzung der Pfarrei Battenfeld, HStAM Fonds 19a, 410; 19a, 1301. See Battenfeld Dokumente (1574-1735).
  16. ↑ Meixner, Franziska Maria: Gesundheitswesen im Großherzogtum Hessen-Darmstadt im 19. Jahrhundert am Beispiel des oberhessischen Hinterlandes (bis 1866), Quellen und Forschungen zur Hessischen Geschichte 188, Darmstadt und Marburg, 2022.
  17. ↑ Verdacht der Hexerei gegen Margretha, Ehefrau des Andreas Strueder zu Battenberg aufgrund des Geredes der Ehefrau des Richard Sinsen, HStAM Fonds 260 Marburg No 414 (1590), https://arcinsys.hessen.de/arcinsys/detailAction.action?detailid=v79747 (Transcription)
  18. ↑ 1 fl. 2 alb. 3 Hlr. Vor ein Buch mit reinem Pappier ingebunden, darin die Namen der Getaufften Confirmirten, Proclamirten, ehlich eingesegneten undt in dem Herren Verstorbenen Christen, hinfuro sollen geschriben werden., HStAM Fonds 318 Marburg No Battenberg Nr. 1/Jg. 1617, Kastenrechnung, f.20v, https://arcinsys.hessen.de/arcinsys/detailAction.action?detailid=v6650377 (transcription)
  19. ↑ From the burial of Enchen Pickhan in Kirchenbuch Battenfeld 1574-1808, 1 Nov. 1580: Enchen, Johan Pickhans Fraw, so fünff Tage lang schwach gewest, doch des Herrn Abendmahl nicht begert noch entpfangen, gestern zu Abend plötzlich, on Jemands Bey sein verscheyden, Ich sie auch unter den Cummunicantes im Register von 4 Jaren nicht gefunden, Ist heut, Omnium Sanctoris, on Singen, und Predigt, andern zum Expl hieher begraben.
  20. ↑ Compare the presentation given by Klein in November 1907, at the Verein für Hessische Geschichte und Landeskunde, affiliated society Marburg: "Was der Vortragende aus dem mit dem Jahre 1575 einsetzenden Kirchenbuche von Gemünden a. d. Wohra und einem andern bis 1568 zurückreichenden Kirchenbuche von Battenfeld, das Herr Klein vom drohenden Untergang rettete, mitteilte, bildete den Hauptreiz seines mit ungeteilter Aufmerksamkeit gehörten Vortrags." https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_rm0vAAAAYAAJ/page/n189/mode/2up
  21. ↑ Präsentationsrecht der Familie v. Biedenfeld zu Berghofen, 1722-1735, HStAM Fonds 111 i Battenberg No 190.
  22. ↑ English translations:
    This year [1782], the organ located opposite the pulpit was also moved down the church and repaired by the organ builder Heynemann from Giessen. A new register, called Quintatön, was also added. Heynemann was paid 155 guilders and was given free board and lodging as well as free transportation. This relocation was done to gain more space in the church, and it resulted in a complete change to the church's layout. A new seating chart was created and all expenses were divided and collected from the congregation.
    An organ with 8 registers, including a tremulant and star valve, which was completed and delivered on May 10, 1662, for a total of 200 guilders, including a tip for the organ builder's son. May God grant that it serves for the building up of the church.
    Having it painted costs 6.5 kreuzer for the paint provided by the church, but the cost for the painting work is 11 kreuzer, which was willingly paid by the parish children. It was finished within 3 weeks in 1662.
  23. ↑ English translation:
    In the year 1742, the congregation of Battenfeld repaired the interior of the local mother church, whitewashed it, painted the chairs with care, and had the 12 apostles, 4 evangelists, and portraits of Luther and others painted on the organ and elsewhere throughout the church. In the year 1743, the congregation had the organ in the local church refinished and repaired.
  24. ↑ Compare 1200 Jahre Battenfeld, 1978, pages 33-38 (Google Books). I say "supposedly" because, although this claim is repeated often, I am not aware of any direct evidence that such damage actually occurred. No proper archeological studies have ever taken place at the site, and the memorabilia regarding changes to the church only start with the pastorate of Johannes Wallenius in 1652.
  25. ↑ Compare the disposition of the Vogt organ, http://www.orgbase.nl/scripts/ogb.exe?database=ob2&%250=2020365&LGE=DE&LIJST=lang, https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evangelische_Kirche_Battenfeld#Orgel
  26. ↑ Archion.de: Hessen-Nassau: Zentralarchiv der Evang. Kirche > Dekanat Biedenkopf > Battenfeld > Taufregister 1652-1772, Trauregister 1652-1776, Beerdigungsregister 1652-1776, Konfirmandenregister 1652-1775, Pönitentenregister 1653-1681, Bild 13, http://www.archion.de/p/9308f7f667/.
    Incidentally, there is a second description of the same comet in the church records of the village of Oberrosphe, 18 km south-east of Battenfeld. Pastor Johann Hermann Manger wrote that the comet was visible at noon, during daytime: On the 16th of December of the same year [1680], a terrifying comet was seen here in Obernrosphe and in other places for a long time. Its tail stretched towards the north, while the star was seen at noon. It appeared as a small, pale star. (Anno Eodem Den 16 T. Decembris wurde alhier zu Obernrosphe und an andern Orten mehr ein schrecklicher Comet gesehen lange Zeit, streckte seinen Schweiff nach Mitternacht, der Stern stunde gegen Mittag, war anzusehen ein klein bleich Sternlein.), Archion.de: Kurhessen-Waldeck: Landeskirchliches Archiv Kassel > MarburgLand > Oberrosphe > Kirchenbuch 1641-1775, Bild 516, http://www.archion.de/p/e80a020bdf/.
  27. ↑ Streit um die Besetzung der Pfarrstelle Battenfeld (1672), HStAM Fonds 110, 44. For a transcription of the full document, see Battenfeld Dokumente (1574-1735).
  28. ↑ Robinson, Howard: The Great Comet of 1680. A Study in the History of Rationalism, 1916.
  29. ↑ Rudrauff, Kilian, in: Hessische Biografie, https://www.lagis-hessen.de/pnd/116672242.
  30. ↑ Rudrauff, Kilian: Christliche Kometen-Predigt, Gehalten in der Stadtkirche Gießen am 23. Januar 1681, Frankfurt, 1681 (digitisation).
  31. ↑ Stippius, Johann Christoph: De triplici Christi officio et utroque ejus statu, Gießen, 1684. Printed in: Rudrauff, Kilian: Sylloge Extensior Controversiarum Theologicarum, Gießen, 1686, pages 251-278 (digitisation).
  32. ↑ Schuldienst in Battenberg, HStAM Fonds 318 Marburg No 598 (1624-1626), https://arcinsys.hessen.de/arcinsys/detailAction.action?detailid=v1259879
  33. ↑ Bestallung der Förster zu Holzhausen/Hünstein, HStAM Fonds 110 No 727 (1668-1772), https://arcinsys.hessen.de/arcinsys/detailAction.action?detailid=v155959
    Note that the document is labelled incorrectly in the archival system. It mostly refers to Holzhausen/Eder, not Holzhausen/Hünstein.
  34. ↑ Paulus, Jörg: Einzigartiger Blick in die Geschichte. Daniel Bamberger hat Einwohnerliste für Battenberg erforscht und auch Daten aus dem Hinterland ausgewertet, Hinterländer Anzeiger, 17 October 2020, page 16.
  35. ↑ Adel, Mark: Stammbaum ist mehr als nur Geburt und Tod. Daniel Bamberger hat eine bislang nicht bekannte Einwohnerliste aus dem Jahr 1495 entdeckt, in: Frankenberger Zeitung, 15 June 2013.
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 This is an earlier version of, and is superseded by, what is now part of Kirchenbuch Battenfeld (1574-1808).
  37. ↑ This is an earlier version of, and is superseded by, what is now part of Kirchenbuch Battenberg (1624-1807).
  38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 This is an earlier version of, and is superseded by, what is now part of Einwohnerlisten Stadt Battenberg (1495-1620).




Images: 62
Coat of arms of Battenberg (Eder)
Coat of arms of Battenberg (Eder)
Map of Amt Battenberg
Map of Amt Battenberg
Laisa church records, top of first page
Laisa church records, top of first page
Excerpt from city accounts
Excerpt from city accounts
Excerpt from documents about Battenfeld parish
Excerpt from documents about Battenfeld parish
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Snell-2717 Jane (Snell) Copes
Daniel, I just just happened upon this page. What a labor of love and stamina! Thanks you for your work and care.
posted by Jane (Snell) Copes
Bamberger-113 Daniel Bamberger
Thank you, Jane! It's still "work in progress", but I'm happy to share what I have.
posted by Daniel Bamberger

Categories: Germany Project | Allendorf (Eder), Hessen | Battenberg (Eder), Hessen | Battenfeld, Hessen | Berghofen (Battenberg), Hessen | Frankenberg (Eder), Hessen | Frohnhausen (Battenberg), Hessen | Holzhausen (Hatzfeld), Hessen | Kröge, Hessen | Laisa, Hessen | Osterfeld (Allendorf), Hessen | Rennertehausen, Hessen