Allenbach_Rhineland-Palatinate_One_Place_Study.png

Allenbach, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany - One Place Study

Privacy Level: Open (White)

Location: Allenbach, Birkenfeld, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germanymap
Surnames/tags: One_Place_Studies Rhineland-Palatinate Germany
Profile managers: Anne Unfried private message [send private message] and One Place Studies Project WikiTree private message [send private message]
This page has been accessed 393 times.
Back to One Place Studies Project

Contents

Allenbach, Rhineland-Palatinate One Place Study

Allenbach is a village in southwestern Germany, county of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is located in the Naturpark Saar-Hunsrück, a nature park mainly consisting of hills, creeks, woodland and fields.

The hamlets of Hüttgeswasen and Pfannenfelshütten are part of this One Place Study. There were some smaller coaler settlements in the woods around Allenbach; these are included here, too.

The villages of Wirschweiler, Sensweiler, Abentheuer and Langweiler though deserve One Place Studies of their own. I will only include those who I can find in the Allenbach church books.

This page is still under construction. I will slowly start by transcribing the Allenbach church books and by creating profiles for all people mentioned. If possible, I will enhance the data from church books by using local sources like Ortsfamilienbücher, valid web resources, archive material, scientific papers etc.

If anybody would like to help, you are very welcome. You could, for example, add the proper category to an Allenbach profile.

This profile is part of the Allenbach, Rhineland-Palatinate One Place Study.
{{One Place Study|place=Allenbach, Rhineland-Palatinate|category=Allenbach, Rhineland-Palatinate One Place Study}}


Geography

Continent: Europe
Country: German
State: Rhineland-Palatinate
District: Birkenfeld
GPS Coordinates: 49.755556, 7.165833
Elevation: 502.0 m or 1647.0 feet


Name

Originally Allenbach was called Ellenbach. "Bach" is the German word for a small river or creek. "Ellen" (engl. "ulna", part of the lower arm) is an old measuring unit but it is unclear if this is the origin of the name.

Sometimes we find the variation "Allbach".

Allenbach should not be confused with Allenbach, now part of Hilchenbach, which is located in Northrhine-Westphalia, another country of Germany.


Administrative Affiliations of Allenbach

  • 1265: Grafschaft Sponheim
  • 1798-1814: Kanton Rhaunen, Saardepartment (during French annexation)
  • 1815: Kingdom of Preußen (Prussia)
  • 1816: Kreis Bernkastel, Regierungsbezirk Trier
  • 1822: Bürgermeisterei Wirschweiler, Rheinprovinz
  • 1969: Landkreis Birkenfeld


Hüttgeswasen hamlet

Hüttgeswasen was a coaler settlement near Allenbach. Between 1740 and 1770 around 50 people lived there. [13] Hüttgeswasen still exists today, with a few houses on the Birkenfeld road.

Pfannenfelshütten hamlet

Pfannenfelshütten was a settlement in the Allenbach forest where wood cutters and coalers tried to make a living. The hamlet probably was founded in 1718/19 and was lived in until around 1740. The coal that was made here was used in the Allenbach smelting works where copper was made from the ores found in Fischbach and Kautenbach mines.

Some of the inhabitants can be found in Allenbach and Wirschweiler church books but as they were mostly catholics, most of them are listed in Birkenfeld catholic church books. [13]

Last names found in Pfannenfelshütten are

  • Herbert(s)
  • Jacob
  • Masui
  • Martin
  • Barbion
  • Conrad


Impressions of Allenbach


History of Allenbach

Allenbach (or then Ellenbach) was first officially mentioned in 1265. Allenbach then was part of the earldom of Sponheim ("Grafschaft Sponheim") and in 1265 the earldom was split into two parts. Main seat of the earls was the Starkenburg, another castle near Traben-Trarbach on the Moselle river. The noble family died out in 1437.

In 1625 the plague took many lifes in the village.

For some pictures and more history, see this Tourism Webpage (in German).

Allenbach Castle

Allenbach already had a fortress, a "Burg" or castle, first mentioned in 1265 as Ellenbach castle.

In 1437 the castle was used as a stud farm. It was the seat of the bailiffs.

In 1511 to 1528 the castle was rebuilt; the timber frame house we can see today was erected.

When French revolutionary troops entered Allenbach, Johann Matthias Sauermilch managed to avoid its destruction. He had bought the castle in 1804, lived in it at the time and ran a linen weaving mill here.

In 1898 Max Purper bought the castle for 5500 Goldmark and hired two architects from Frankfurt to restore it. In a five year long process the facade was kept but the interior was modernized. Since then it is privately owned. It is a listed building. [3]

Smelting Works

Two copper smelting works and melting plants, recorded since the Middle Ages, secured some prosperity for the area. The copper ores mostly came from the mines in/near Fischbach. [1]

On 8 Feb 1439, the rights to extract iron ore in this part of the Grafschaft Sponheim and to run the smelting works in Allenbach were given to Hans Kollenbrenner from Hellenthal/Eifel, Johann (meyer in Morbach) and his son Klaus. [6] On 17 Jul 1795 Johann Matthias Sauermilch as well as his partners Christoph and Jakob Cullmann obtained the licence to turn the lower smelting works in Allenbach into a ferric hammer mill. The Cullmanns sold their share to merchant Franz Langguth in 1801; Sauermilch sold his to the Stumm brothers in 1802. They also bought Langguth's shares. [6]

The massive need for coal led to the establishment of several settlements of wood cutters and coalers in the local woods and to a reduction in beech trees in the area. Hüttgeswasen and Thranenweier are such settlements, they still exist today. [1]

Allenbach Church

Before Reformation was introduced in Allenbach in 1555/1557, there already existed a church or chapel on the castle grounds. In 1437 the priest's duty was to say mass three times a week. [1] The church bells of the old church had been made in 1503 and 1515. This old church, dark and narrow, had become dilapidated by 1777 and had to be pulled down.

Master builder Wahl was commissioned to build a new church; on 19 June 1780 the foundation stone was laid. In 1781 the protestant church we can see today was finished in the classicist style and consecrated on the first advent in 1781. It is located near the castle and contains an organ built by famous local organ builder family Stumm in 1832. [2] [21] The church had cost around 3,900 Reichsthaler, the organ 630 Reichsthaler. Both were renovated again from 1963-1965.

The Allenbach priest also took care of the Wirschweiler parish, a village next to Allenbach. In 1550 there was a quarrel about the tenth of earnings which was due to the church, documents about this dispute seem to have survived. In 1555 Wirschweiler had its own priest who converted to the protestant faith.

A new pastor's house was built in 1567.

During the 30-year-war (1618-1648) both parishes were united again, due to many deaths from battles, lootings and a plague pandemic. [21] 101 people died from the plague alone.

After the death of parson Musculus, his son took over both parishes in 1632. Until 1753 this was kept, with the seat of the parish being in Wirschweiler from 1632 to 1754.

After Musculus junior's death the people demanded their own pastor and got him, too. 1820 saw another union of the parishes, with Bruchweiler taken out of the parish and combined with Sensweiler parish. [21]

In 1881 parson F. W. Kossuth wrote a church chronicle for Allenbach.

Kirchenvisitation 1560

In 1560 duke Friedrich III initiated a "Kirchenvisitation" - a church inspection - in the posterior Grafschaft Sponheim, which involved a test of the protestant parsons' theological knowledge and their giving account as to their activities in the parish (sermons, services, catechism...), also as to the state of morals in their parish and the state of the church and churchyard. Chaplains, schoolmasters and other functions were also interviewed. Allenbach also was a part of these visitations. As there was no church book yet in Allenbach during that time, the records give a valuable insight into the people acting there. [7]

Mentioned in the records on Allenbach are

  • Gerhard Böer, parson
  • Hans Bruch, censor
  • Klaus Flesch, censor
  • Johann von Koppenstein, bailiff
  • Else Ott
  • Klaus Ott
  • Hans Stein, censor
  • Peter Stein
  • Michel Weber, censor
  • Hennen Zipp

They also mention Johannes Besthaupt, parson in Wirschweiler.

There was another visitation in 1608.


List of Allenbach Protestant Parsons

The Allenbach protestant church book, starting in 1617, contains a list of Allenbach parsons on the first pages. I have supplemented and corrected them with information mostly from source [9].


Gerhard Böer (1559-1565) He passed his exam during the visitation of 1560 well and also seems to have had a decent life style. Böer was the first protestant parson to take over the Allenbach parish.

Peter Holdenfeld (1565-1576) Holdenfeld came from the Jülich area; Allenbach church book mentions him as "ex Nidlander", from the Netherlands. In 1565 he became school master in Trarbach on the river Moselle and soon after that parson in Allenbach. At the end of 1572 the bailiff complained about him, as he seems to have been a drinker and did not take care of his fields and animals, which were supposed to secure his and his family's subsistence. In 1575 the bailiff also claimed that Holdenfeld had misbehaved during the Brombach fair which almost resulted in the Birkenfeld bailiff putting him into the prison tower, and that he neglected his duties as a parson. The parson denied these allegations, still he was dropped, and he and his family left Allenbach in April 1576.

Friedrich Müntzer (1576-1577) Müntzer was from Simmern and started his career in Allenbach in April 1576. The next year he was offered a post as a parson near Kreuznach where his wife owned land or houses, thus he asked for his release which was granted in August 1577.

Philippus Wurtzel (1577-1582) Wurtzel was from Schmalkalden and 47 years old when he took over as parson in Allenbach. He'd been a school master in St. Lambert near Neustadt an der Haardt before that. After begging duke Johann of Zweibrücken for a post so he could sustain his wife and children, he was tested thoroughly, as he was suspected of Calvinistic tendencies. Wurtzel passed the test and also had good testimonies. Thus he became parson in Allenbach in Dec 1577. He misbehaved, though, was put into the prison tower in 1582 and also lost his post.

Matthias Sahm (1582-1597) Sahm came from Rugen (Ruchsen?) an der Jagst and was recommended by parson Konstantin Kanser to bailiff Richter; he also had testimonies. He had been a parson in Sulzbach from 1578. In 1582 he was given the post in Allenbach. He was not a very learnt man but fulfilled all his duties and was a peaceful person. His wife, though, was called an evil woman. 17 years later Sahm moved to a post in Pferdsfeld.

Matthäus Ramus (1597-1598) Ramus came from Sensweiler, a neighbouring village, and had been a school master and assistant to parson Johannes Besthaubt there. He had just finished his studies and was impatiently waiting for Sahm to leave his post so he could take over. Ramus eventually took over in August 1597 but already was a sick man, and he passed away the following year.

Wentzelaus Fend(ius) (1598-1606) Fend came from Kaaden in Bohemia and had been a parson in Trarbach. Always quarrelling with everybody, he was dismissed there and sent to Allenbach as a punishment for his behaviour. It did not take him long to quarrel with bailiff Richter and the people of his parish, too. The quarrel was settled but things were not right between him and bailiff Richter. In 1606 Fend complained to count Georg Friedrich of Baden about the bailiff's unchristian life style and even violence directed against him and the parson's son Friedrich by Richter. Richter denied and gave a different account of incidents. In the end Fend lost his post, and after paying his debts the family moved to Saarbrücken with the few belongings they had left, where they owned a house, while the parson himself travelled to Bohemia with friends.

Johannes Schwesinger (1606-1614) Schwesinger was from Coburg in Franconia and worked as a deacon in Brombach. He asserted himself against the parsons Fuchs and Porta and was presented to the parish by bailiff Richter in July 1606. He was 23 years old in 1608 and had been studying in Coburg, Jena and Strassburg. In 1605 he had come to Brombach from Strassburg. Schwesinger didn't find a church book in his Allenbach parish so he started the first one. The ones available start in 1617, though. A visitation in 1608 found his knowledge lacking but because of his youth people were lenient. He had good relations with his neighbours, fulfilled his duties but was quarrelling a lot with his wife. Thus he was advised to work on his marriage and drink less alcohol. But after several incidents of drunken fights with others and a fine given to him due to that, he was transferred to Wirschweiler.

Karl Armbruster (1614-) Karl was the son of Heinrich Armbruster from Zweibrücken who was a parson in Reichenbach from 1585 to 1608. During his time in Allenbach, in 1617, he seems to have tried to seduce a man named Keyser's wife. Later Karl became a school master in Herrstein. [12: 8] [19:120]

Friedrich Schmoll (1617-1626) Schmoll was born before 1610 in Oelsnitz, Vogtland, as son of Erhardt Schmoll. He worked as a schoolmaster in Birkenfeld, Hunsrück from 1615 to 1617. On 4 Jun 1616, he married Elisabeth Krämer from Birkenfeld. In 1617 he became parson in Allenbach. Later he seems to have remarried after the death of Elisabeth, and in 1626 he became parson in Enkirch. He passed away in 1649 in Enkirch.

Leonhard Glitzenhirn (1626-1630) Glitzenhirn took over from Schmoll in 1626 - according to the handwriting and style of the church book, he did this already in 1624, which is also mentioned on the first pages of the book but might not have been officially so. He was born in 1596 in Ulm as son of Levin Glitzenhirn and studied theology in Wittenberg and Straßburg. In 1624 he became a court chaplain on Birkenfeld castle. He took over as a priest in Allenbach, and in 1630 he became priest in Wolf, now a part of Traben-Trarbach, on the river Moselle. Leonhard married three times and died in 1676 in Wolf.

Johannes Georg Musculus (1630-ca.1640) Johann Georg Musculus was born around 1597 in Traben/Moselle as son of Georg Musculus and Angelika Troß and passed away on 15 Sep 1669 in Idar. [10] (Familienbuch Birkenfeld seems to have conflicting data and gives 1671 in Oberstein as death date & place [11: no. 2543]). He married Anna Sophia Storr in 1624 in Birkenfeld. He was a teacher in Birkenfeld and from 1630 to around 1640 he was a parson in Allenbach (and Wirschweiler). In 1632 the parishes of Allenbach and Wirschweiler were combined. He later went on to a post in Idar, now part of Idar-Oberstein.

Georg Wilhelm Musculus (1656-) Georg Wilhelm was the son of Johann Georg Musculus. He was born in 1630 in Allenbach and died there in 1698. He was married to Eva Kraftlena Corvinus. Georg Wilhelm was an assistant preacher and from 1656 parson in Allenbach and Wirschweiler. The list of parsons in Allenbach church book contains a side note with dates on his and his son's biography but is hard to read.

Johann Carl Musculus (-1710) Johann Carl was the son of Georg Wilhelm and was born in 1673 in Allenbach. He was the third generation of parsons of the Musculus family in Allenbach until in 1710 he moved to a post in Odernheim. His move was ordered by authorities, as in 1708 Johann Carl tried to seduce a married woman in a barn. It took one day for the people in Allenbach to decide that Johann Carl was unfit for his post, and started to boycott his service and the sacraments until Johann Carl was moved. [19:120]

Christophorus Adolphus Liernur (1709-1711) Liernur was born in 1680 in Winningen, son of parson Georg Tilemann Liernur and Anna Katharina Koch. He studied in Gießen, Jena, Leipzig and Straßburg. In 1706 he had a first post in Trarbach. From 1709 to 1711 he was a parson in Allenbach, then went back to Traben for a post. He married Anna Elisabeth Klick in 1706 in Trarbach. In 1740 he published a song book, "Pfaltz-Zweybrückisch Evangelisches Gesang-Buch". He later became a superintendent in Zweibrücken where he passed away in 1748.

Johannes Trein Johannes Trein was from Heiligenbösch, a village nearby.

Parson Metzger In 1754 the parishes of Wirschweiler and Allenbach were separated again.

Parson Martini

Johann Nickel Caspari (1762 - 1767) Johann Nickel Caspari was born on 18 Apr 1724 in Trarbach as son of Johann Peter Caspari. He passed away on 24 Jun 1795 in Wolf/Moselle. He was parson in Enkirch (1746 - 1754, in Herrstein (1755 - 1762) and from 1762 - 1767 Pfr. in Allenbach. On 14 Jul 1762 he married Susanna Maria Hammes from Traben in Birkenfeld. He later moved on to another post in Nohfelden (1767 - 1778). [11:#545 ] [20:3]

Karl Ludwig Stumpf Karl Ludwig consecrated the newly built church in December 1781.

Parson Barz (1820-1845?) Barz was born in 1775 and ordinated in 1797. From 1820 onwards he was pastor in Allenbach-Wirschweiler. He was given emeritus status in 1845. He seems to have passed away in 1850. [22:96]

F. W. Kossuth Kossuth wrote a church chronicle in 1881.


The list also mentions Friderich Fuchs from Sötern and Johannes Besthaupt as parsons in Allenbach. The article [9] does not mention them as such.

Other Church Posts

  • Hans Bruch, censor, mentioned 1560 [7]
  • Klaus Flesch, censor, mentioned 1560 [7]
  • Hans Stein, censor, mentioned 1560 [7]
  • Michel Weber, censor, mentioned 1560 [7]
  • Johannes Schreiner, church servant, +1625 [14]
  • Philip Bock, censor, +1625 [14]
  • Anton Hut/Hirt, sexton, mentioned 1619 and 1621
  • Matthias Schmidt, "Kirchenschaffner", mentioned in 1632
  • Philipp Scholl, church servant, (+1632)
  • Bast Schmidt, church servant, mentioned 1635
  • Hans Peuer (?), church herder (?), mentioned 1643
  • Johann Peter Märcker, censor (and juryman), mentioned 1735


Population

Early Names and Numbers

The number of inhabitants of Allenbach varied over the centuries. [1] [2]

  • 1607: 64 families
  • 1625: 19 families (due to the plague and 30-year-war)
  • 1699: 19 inhabitants
  • 1772: 80 inhabitants
  • 1790: 107 inhabitants
  • 1815: 579 inhabitants
  • 1835: 885 inhabitants
  • 1843: 725 inhabitants in 94 houses
  • 1871: 668 inhabitants
  • 1905: 569 inhabitants
  • 1939: 611 inhabitants
  • 1950: 602 inhabitants
  • 1961: 698 inhabitants
  • 1970: 743 inhabitants
  • 1987: 730 inhabitants
  • 1997: 712 inhabitants
  • 2005: 695 inhabitants
  • 2011: 650 inhabitants
  • 2017: 646 inhabitants

Church books for Allenbach start in July 1617. For some years entries are missing.

There are 6 christenings in 1617 and 12 in 1618. The numbers then vary between 2 and 15 a year until 1632, when there are 21. It is possible, though, that pages or entries are missing.

The number of weddings also vary between 0 and 12 until 1634 - none are recorded between 1634 and 1655 but these might be recorded on the pages of another church book.

Between 1617 and 1627, burials peak in 1625 (plague pandemic, 109 burials) and 1623 (26 burials).

Last names in the early years of the first church book are

Adam, Bach, Bastian, Bauer, Bock, Born, Brücher, Buß, Christmann, Cüntzer, Fickeisen, Fickes, Flesch, Fuchs, Geier, Gerhards, Grab, Hirt/Hut, Huckes, Knop, Kob, Laux, Mercker, Momper, Müller, Neeß, Nicklas, Philippi, Reichard, Risch/Riss/Resch/Rösch, Schmied/Schmidt, Schneider, Schreiner, Schwinn/Schwind, Stier, Studer, Stüper, Sturm, Stumm, Weber, Widmann, Wigandt, Zirbes

Some people are not mentioned by their correct last names but with their professions. This makes it sometimes hard to combine data into families.

People from Other Places

Naturally people from other places than Allenbach are mentioned in the church books. Some places turn up quite often, thus I created subcategories for them. Most are from Wirschweiler and Sensweiler, as these villages are close to Allenbach.

Nearby towns and villages


Mark Thalfang and Hermeskeil area


Morbach area


Moselle area


Saarland


Further or far away


Unclear Places

Notables of Allenbach


Officials of Allenbach

Mayors of Allenbach

  • Hamman Veit (+1625)
  • 1892–1912 F. Näher
  • 1912–1916 K. Keßler
  • 1928–1932 J. Purper
  • 1932–1945 K. Müller
  • 1945–1946 W. Fuchs
  • 1946–1947 K. Schmidt
  • 1948–1956 F. Röper
  • 1956–1960 A. Cullmann
  • 1960–1974 O. Paulus
  • 1974–2004 E. Steuer

See source [4]

Bailiffs in Allenbach

  • around 1560, 1575/76: Johann (Hans) von Koppenstein [7] - Koppenstein passed away in Allenbach before April 1582, as on 8. Apr 1582 his possessions (for example mine shares) were distributed. He had heirs in the Hunsrück area as well as in Trier, Oppenheim and Annweiler. [8]
  • around 1562 (-1572?) : Johann von Rendsdorf [15]
  • around 1576/1577: Hans von Franken
  • around 1591: bailiff Neumann
  • 1590, around 1598: Michel Richter
  • around 1594 - 1619 Hans Friedrich Keller
  • Michael Judex (+1625, was bailiff twice?)
  • around 1627 - around 1636: Johann Anton Winkelsess (son of Markus Winkelsess, bailiff in Trarbach)
  • around 1641/42, 1645: Johann Carol Schwebel [16:178]
  • 1648-1653: Georg Daniel Patrick (1654-1671 "Landschreiber" in Trarbach), son of Daniel Patrick (pfalz-zweibrücken councillor and 1600-1628 "Landschreiber" in Trarbach) and grandson of Gerhard Patrick ("Landschreiber" in Kreuznach) - a "Landschreiber" was a kind of high-ranking bailiff [15]
  • 1654 - 1666 Johannes Caspar or Caspari [16:26]

Keller in Allenbach

A "Keller" or "Kellner" (lat. cellarius) was responsible for the treasury in a certain place or region. He had to make sure everybody paid their leases to the Lords of the land, sometimes as natural produce.

  • 1776/81 Karl Christian Heinrich Schreiner (+1764 Trarbach) [16:175]


Jurymen of Allenbach

  • Valentin Schneider (+1625)
  • Claß Fickeisen, +1625
  • Gerhardt Schmidt, +1625
  • Philip Bock, +1625
  • Hans Peter Weber, +1625
  • Weyrich Mercker, mentioned 1627
  • Christmann Laux (+1627)
  • Johannes Brüch, mentioned 1632
  • Buriches Weber, mentioned 1632 as senior
  • Johann Jacob Keßler, mentioned 1735
  • Johann Peter Märcker, mentioned 1736, also censor

Other Official Posts in Allenbach

Messenger

  • Johann Georg Nonnweiler, Amtsbote (official messenger) in Allenbach 1726-1748, probably moved to Feckweiler
  • NN Zang, Amtsbote (official messenger) 1788 [16:216]

Meyer

A "Meyer" was an independent big farmer and/or a clerk who controlled land leases and duties for the noble land owners.

  • Hans Dietrich Reichard/Reinhard, mentioned in 1622
  • Wendel Born, mentioned in 1624
  • Nicklas Schuhten, mentioned in 1631

Forester

Büttel

A Büttel was a servant of the law - he acted as a messenger for the law and also as a kind of policeman.

  • Paul Momper (+1627)
  • Philipp Schmietz, mentioned 1631

Different Professions in Allenbach

Employees of the Allenbach smelting works

Smeltig works in German is "Hütte". Many people in the church books are not mentioned with their full name but instead with their affiliation to the smelting works together with their first name. So Peter Schmidt could be "Hütten Peter" in the church books. This happens frequently.

Professions mentioned as working at the smelting works are

  • Hüttenknecht (farmhands at the smelting works)
  • Hüttenschreiber (clerks)
  • Schmelzer (smelter)
  • Garmacher (smelter who clean the brittle black copper from residues in another smelting process), also Garmeister (probably a master in this particular trade)
  • Vorläufer (?)
  • Rostscheider (?)


Mine bills list these and more people we also find in the Allenbach church books (15):

Smelters

  • Stoffel Weber, smelter and "Garmacher", mentioned 1621, probably identical with Schmelzer (smelter) Stoffel, mentioned 1575/76, and Christoph Weber, "Garmeister"
  • Schmelzer Paulus, mentioned 1575/76
  • Schmelzer Andreas from Allenbach, godfather in Jan 1591, also a "Garmacher", probably identical with Andreas Kob, mentioned 1593/94
  • Hutten Leonhart, smelter, maybe identical with Leonard Seidel, smelter and "Garmacher"
  • Hans Sturm, smelter and smelting works servant, mentioned 1624
  • Jost Sturm, smelter
  • Hans Weber, smelter, mentioned 1632 and before
  • Nicklas Rösch, mentioned 1633, 1645
  • Clas Buß, mentioned 1634, also a joiner
  • Johann Nickel Simon (+1701)
  • Johannes Knieling (?), smelter, mentioned 1744

Garmacher

  • Stoffel Weber, mentioned 1621, probably identical with Schmelzer (smelter) Stoffel, mentioned 1575/76, and Christoph Weber, "Garmeister"
  • Schmelzer Andreas from Allenbach, godfather in Jan 1591, probably identical with Andreas Kob, mentioned 1593/94
  • Leonard Seidel, smelter and "Garmacher"
  • Nicklas Rösch, "Rostschneider"? and "Garmacher", "Garmeister"

Roaster

Clerks

Rostschneider

  • Hans Peter Sturm
  • Nickel Simon or Sienon, "Röster" (roaster?)

Vorläufer

  • Hans Weber
  • Claus Schreiner

Menials

  • Nicklas Risch, smelting works servant, mentioned 1617
  • Hans Sturm, smelter and smelting works servant, mentioned 1623, 1624
  • Wendel, smelting works servant, mentioned 1625
  • Clas Neß, smelting works servant, mentioned 1638
  • Clas Buß, smelting works worker, mentioned 1644

Unclear Positions

  • Huten (from Hütte = smelting works) Werich, mentioned 1575/76
  • Hans Kob, mentioned 1620, probably son of Andreas Kob
  • Büriches Weber, "Guss..." (=casting), mentioned 1623
  • Hüten Hans, mentioned 1625

Craftsmen and -women and other Professions

Bakers

  • Johannes Beier, mentioned 1633

Brewers

  • Johannes Becker or Brücher, beer brewer, mentioned 1631, 1635

Carpenters & Joiners

  • Nicklas Schmid, mentioned 1622 (?)
  • Clas Neeß, mentioned 1631
  • Clas Buß, mentioned 1634, also a smelter
  • Johannes Kellermann, 1738; maybe the maker of church interior in Allenbach

Clockmakers

  • Johann Jakob Faust, descendant of clockmaker dynasty Frantz from Engelfangen, mentioned in Allenbach from his marriage in 1734 until his death

Goldsmith

  • Johann Nickel Märcker, mentioned 1737

Gunmakers

Herdsmen

  • Conrad Stüp, swineherd, mentioned 1623
  • Matthes ("Kuhtheiß"), cow herder, +18 Aug 1624
  • Hans Klepper, mentioned in 1630 (?)
  • Clas Mercker (possibly), mentioned 1643

Hunter

  • Christoph Kampradt, mentioned 1738
  • Martin Kampradt, mentioned 1751


Innkeeper

Mason

  • Niklas Schichten or Schuhten, mentioned 1631


Midwifery

  • Ursula, wife of Christoph Weber, +1625 as victim of the plague pandemic

Millers

  • Peter, mentioned 1625
  • Theiß Bohlen, mentioned in 1626-1628, 1631, 1633 and 1635
  • Johannes Hörcher, saw miller, mentioned 1634
  • Nilius Müller, mentioned 1639
  • Franz NN, mentioned 1649
  • Johannes Jungbluth, mentioned 1747

Roof Layers ("Leyendecker")

A "Lay" or "Ley" in German is a piece of slate rock. Slate slabs were and still are extensively used in the Hunsrück area for roofing but it requires some skills.

  • Adam Buß, mentioned 1619 and 1623
  • Adam Veß, mentioned 1624, +1625
  • Endres Rösch, mentioned 1639

Schoolmaster

  • Philip Schmieten, mentioned 1635
  • Johann Jacob Risch, mentioned 1742

Schößler or Schüssler

A Schüssler was a woodturner specialized in producing wooden bowls.

Servants

  • Maria Wallrat, daughter of Jacob Wallrat from Birkenfeld, employed in Carl Richter's household, +1625 as victim of the plague pandemic
  • Barbara Burgert from Birkenfeld, employed in Georg Roth's household, +1625 as victim of the plague pandemic
  • Agnes Pester/Vester, bailiff's handmaid, mentioned 1634
  • Maria, granddaughter of Clas Cle from Rhaunen, handmaid at the bailiff's house

Shoemakers

  • Johann Hein (?), mentioned 1630, 1631
  • Hans Hörs (?), mentioned 1635
  • Gabriel Müller, mentioned 1633, 1639

Smiths

  • Eberhard Stoffel, mentioned in 1618
  • Claß Gauer or Bauer, mentioned in 1624
  • Philipp Scholl, mentioned 1631
  • Nicklas Göger, mentioned 1632
  • Nicklas Meyer, mentioned 1632
  • Hans Schuster, mentioned 1644
  • Nicklas Purcher/Porcher, mentioned 1646

Tailors

  • Haman Scholl, mentioned 1625 (could also be a smith, handwriting hard to read here)
  • Johannes Flor/Flör, mentioned 1640

Genealogical Resources for Allenbach

Church Books - Online Access

Three protestant Allenbach church books have been digitalized and can be viewed - against a fee - at archion.de.

  • baptisms 1617-1754, marriages 1617-1754, burials 1617-1753, comments 1555-1709
  • baptisms 1754-1798, marriages 1754-1798, burials 1754-1798, confirmations 1762-1797, comments 1555-1849
  • baptisms 1798-1839, marriages 1798-1839, burials 1798-1839

Missing passages in the first church book of Allenbach

Some passages are missing in the first church book. For example the last christening record in 1620 is from 30 Feb [sic!]. It's followed by a remark on a missing church book and thus missing entries. Next entry is from August 1621. In 1619, for example, there were 1-3 christenings a month. In 1622 there was a christening in average every second month. So there should be roughly between 8 and 17 entries missing in 1620/1621.

There are no christenings recorded in 1636, which is odd. Between Feb 1640 and Mai 1643 again there are no entries. In 1646 again 16 entries are missing (here they are numbered).

In general the readability of the handwriting and the diligence in keeping records is not always the best. Sometimes the order of the entries is completely wrong, sometimes names of godparents and other data is missing. Parsons generally did not give much information about the people they recorded.

IGI Batch Numbers

Allenbach Batch numbers for IGI

  • baptisms, 1617-1798, no. C99123-1
  • marriages, 1617-1798, no. M99123-1

Ortsfamilienbücher

Allenbach citizens can be found in "Familienbüchern" (family books) of the area, first and foremost the family books of Birkenfeld and Thalfang.

  • Giebel, Armin. Familienbuch Standesamt Thalfang bis 1934. Gusenburg: 2012.
  • Jung, Rudi. Familienbuch der Evangelischen Kirche Birkenfeld einschließlich aller Filialen für die Zeit von 1557 bis 1798. Bonn, 1989.
  • Jung, Rudi. Familienbuch der Katholischen Pfarrei Birkenfeld einschließlich aller Filialen für die Zeit von 1725 bis 1798. Bonn, 1986.
  • Schmitt, Reiner. Familienbuch der evangelisch/lutherischen Pfarrei Birkenfeld/Nahe 1798-1905. 2008.


but also in other books of the area.

  • Scholer, Heribert. Familienbuch Verbandsfreie Gemeinde Morbach 1799-1910. Schillingen, 2020.
  • Schößler, Peter. Familienbuch des Kirchspiels Kleinich/Hunsrück 1593-1798. Deutsche Ortssippenbücher der Zentralstelle für Personengeschichte Serie B Nr. 141. Köln: Westdeutsche Gesellschaft für Familienkunde, 1996.
  • Scholer, Heribert. Standesamt Hermeskeil Heiraten 1798-1900. Schillingen, 2017.
  • Jung, Rudi. Familienbuch Reichenbach 1465-1800. Bonn, 1994.
  • Jung, Rudi. Familienbuch der Evangelischen Pfarrei Wolfersweiler und ihrer Filialen. Bonn, 1981.
  • Petto, Walter. Einwohner von Züsch, Neuhütten, Damflos 1574 bis 1820. Saarbrücken, 1985.


Some of these books are out of print but can be downloaded by members on the website of the genealogy association for the area, "Westdeutsche Gesellschaft für Familienkunde e.V." (wgff.de); a membership fee applies.

There are some free sources like online family books and other resources. I have found Allenbach people in these resources:

Other Resources

The genealogy project at Landesmuseum Birkenfeld has published web resources, too.

There is some information on the noble family of von Coppenstein. Members of this family held the post of bailiff in Allenbach as well as mine shares. More information on the family can be found here:


Sources

Sources are referred to in the text, with the page or entry number following, separated by a colon. For example, [16:82] means source no. 16, page 82.






Images: 1
Allenbach Coat of Arms
Allenbach Coat of Arms
Collaboration
  • Login to edit this profile and add images.
  • Private Messages: Contact the Profile Managers privately: Anne Unfried and One Place Studies Project WikiTree. (Best when privacy is an issue.)
  • Public Comments: Login to post. (Best for messages specifically directed to those editing this profile. Limit 20 per day.)


Comments

Leave a message for others who see this profile.
There are no comments yet.
Login to post a comment.

Categories: One Place Studies | Community, Place Studies | Germany, Place Studies | Allenbach, Rhineland-Palatinate One Place Study | Allenbach, Rheinland-Pfalz