Gottfried Hachenberger 1600 - 1649??
Soldiers plundering farmhouse by Sebastian Vrancx in 1620
After Martin Luther posted his 95 thesis on the doors of the church in Wittenberg in 1517, his followers came under religious persecution for their beliefs. Many of these followers gathered in the region of Palatine, which had become the foremost protestant stronghold in the German states. It was in Heidelberg, the capital of this region, that a protestant catechism was published in 1563.
About 190 kilometers north of Heidelberg lies the town of Hachenburg which at that time had about 1,000 inhabitants. It is named after a castle hill (burg) protected by thornbushes (Hachen). Just 10 kilometers east of Hachenburg lies the even smaller community of Kirburg, where Gottfried was born around the turn of the 17th century. As a young teenager he would have been aware of the tensions that were building as a result of the Palatine region breaking away from the rule of the Roman Catholic Church. Even with the passing of 100 years, emotions still ran hot when it came to the religious and political differences in Europe. It was at the beginning of the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) that we find our young man leaving his homeland and heading south in the direction of Heidelberg.
We don't have much information about his youth, but there are a couple of avenues that can be explored.
a) Gottfried means 'peace with God'. It would be interesting to explore the usage of the name in the latter part of the 16th century. Was this name common among Protestants or Catholics? Or both? This may give a clue as to Gottfried's family, and why he left Kirburg at a young age. If anyone has any information on this, please let me know.
b) There must have been guilds in Hachenburg, Naurod or even Kirburg. Some common guilds were for butchers, bakers, clothiers, shoemakers and for stone masons or builders. With the destruction of the war, there would have been a lot of use for builders.Young men were often apprenticed to a guild at nine or ten years old. If Gottfried had been apprenticed, he would have had a trade, although he still could have worked as a labourer, but this would be less likely. Anybody who has more information on guilds in this region during the latter half of the 16th century, please let me know.
Whether Gottfried had dreams of joining the forces of Frederick V, or was fleeing from the advancing armies, or left home for some other reason, we are not sure. What we know is that after about 80 kilometers, he arrived in Naurod, where he settled. Migration to other towns or villages would have been for some major reason. One record that I have reports that he arrived in Naurod in 1618, probably as a refugee from his homeland, which is listed as Kirburg/Hachenburg. Most likely in Naurod he received the name Hachenberger, as having come from the region of Hachenburg.
Friedrich V, grandson of William the Silent (Willem de Zwijger) was made elector of the Palatinate at the age of 14, in 1610. In 1618 the Protestant estates of Bohemia rebelled against the Roman Catholic king Ferdinand II, and offered the crown to 22 year old Friedrich, as he was the leader of the Protestant Union, a military alliance formed by his father. He was crowned King of Bohemia at the end of 1619, triggering the outbreak of the Thirty Years War. He only held this crown for a year, at which time he was defeated at the Battle of White Mountain.
During August of 1620, Ambrosio Spinola, commander of the Imperial forces invaded the Palatinate. The town of Drais, and surrounding towns and countryside were sacked and devastated in 1620. Drais is a small town just 25 kilometers south of Naurod, and 18 kilometers south of Kloppenheim. These 2 villages will certainly have been affected by this devastation during the years 1620-2. The other scourge of the Palatine region was Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly, who was born in the Walloon part of Brabant and was known for his brutality in these wars.
These issues, as well as the fact that these soldiers were mainly mercenaries and needed to be fed contributed to villages and towns being looted and plundered. While the armies from both sides were allowed to loot and plunder, the Protestant Union did not allow the burning of the the villages and and the murder of the inhabitants, while the Catholic League seemed to endorse it, brutally murdering fleeing or surrendering soldiers, as well as women and children. In addition to this there would be 'free-booters (freireuters) who would be allowed to loot without punishment. These could be convicted soldiers or armed desparadoes who were used to go ahead of the army to loot for food supplies and weapons or arms. These freireuters were often blamed for many of the atrocities of the war. Due to the circumstances, the Palatinate was specifically targeted to punish King Friedrich. In 1622 King Friedrich fled to the Netherlands, and set up a government in exile in the Hague. Maximillian I was appointed as elector of the Palatinate by Ferdinand II on Feb 23, 1623.
About 190 kilometers north of Heidelberg lies the town of Hachenburg which at that time had about 1,000 inhabitants. It is named after a castle hill (burg) protected by thornbushes (Hachen). Just 10 kilometers east of Hachenburg lies the even smaller community of Kirburg, where Gottfried was born around the turn of the 17th century. As a young teenager he would have been aware of the tensions that were building as a result of the Palatine region breaking away from the rule of the Roman Catholic Church. Even with the passing of 100 years, emotions still ran hot when it came to the religious and political differences in Europe. It was at the beginning of the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) that we find our young man leaving his homeland and heading south in the direction of Heidelberg.
We don't have much information about his youth, but there are a couple of avenues that can be explored.
a) Gottfried means 'peace with God'. It would be interesting to explore the usage of the name in the latter part of the 16th century. Was this name common among Protestants or Catholics? Or both? This may give a clue as to Gottfried's family, and why he left Kirburg at a young age. If anyone has any information on this, please let me know.
b) There must have been guilds in Hachenburg, Naurod or even Kirburg. Some common guilds were for butchers, bakers, clothiers, shoemakers and for stone masons or builders. With the destruction of the war, there would have been a lot of use for builders.Young men were often apprenticed to a guild at nine or ten years old. If Gottfried had been apprenticed, he would have had a trade, although he still could have worked as a labourer, but this would be less likely. Anybody who has more information on guilds in this region during the latter half of the 16th century, please let me know.
Whether Gottfried had dreams of joining the forces of Frederick V, or was fleeing from the advancing armies, or left home for some other reason, we are not sure. What we know is that after about 80 kilometers, he arrived in Naurod, where he settled. Migration to other towns or villages would have been for some major reason. One record that I have reports that he arrived in Naurod in 1618, probably as a refugee from his homeland, which is listed as Kirburg/Hachenburg. Most likely in Naurod he received the name Hachenberger, as having come from the region of Hachenburg.
Friedrich V, grandson of William the Silent (Willem de Zwijger) was made elector of the Palatinate at the age of 14, in 1610. In 1618 the Protestant estates of Bohemia rebelled against the Roman Catholic king Ferdinand II, and offered the crown to 22 year old Friedrich, as he was the leader of the Protestant Union, a military alliance formed by his father. He was crowned King of Bohemia at the end of 1619, triggering the outbreak of the Thirty Years War. He only held this crown for a year, at which time he was defeated at the Battle of White Mountain.
During August of 1620, Ambrosio Spinola, commander of the Imperial forces invaded the Palatinate. The town of Drais, and surrounding towns and countryside were sacked and devastated in 1620. Drais is a small town just 25 kilometers south of Naurod, and 18 kilometers south of Kloppenheim. These 2 villages will certainly have been affected by this devastation during the years 1620-2. The other scourge of the Palatine region was Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly, who was born in the Walloon part of Brabant and was known for his brutality in these wars.
These issues, as well as the fact that these soldiers were mainly mercenaries and needed to be fed contributed to villages and towns being looted and plundered. While the armies from both sides were allowed to loot and plunder, the Protestant Union did not allow the burning of the the villages and and the murder of the inhabitants, while the Catholic League seemed to endorse it, brutally murdering fleeing or surrendering soldiers, as well as women and children. In addition to this there would be 'free-booters (freireuters) who would be allowed to loot without punishment. These could be convicted soldiers or armed desparadoes who were used to go ahead of the army to loot for food supplies and weapons or arms. These freireuters were often blamed for many of the atrocities of the war. Due to the circumstances, the Palatinate was specifically targeted to punish King Friedrich. In 1622 King Friedrich fled to the Netherlands, and set up a government in exile in the Hague. Maximillian I was appointed as elector of the Palatinate by Ferdinand II on Feb 23, 1623.
Soldiers plundering village by Pieter de Moleijn in 1620
Just 3.5 kilometers north of Naurod lies the village of Niedernhausen. In Oberseelbach, a village less than 9 kilometers north of Naurod, only 14 people survived. It was during this time that Gottfried lived in Naurod. From the information I was able to get which was gathered by our 2nd cousin, David Hakkenberg, it appears that he actually did have a 1st marriage.
The oldest son, Johann Friedrich, was born in April of 1622 and baptized on April 10 in the evangelical church in Naurod. The fact that his middle name was Friedrich further indicates the loyalty to King Friedrich. It appears that Johann Friedrich died as an infant, with a burial date of June 22nd of the same year.
Hans Peter, our ancestor, was born in August of 1623. There is a record of him being baptized in Kloppenheim on Aug 13, 1625, a town just 6 kilometers south of Naurod. With the army having left in 1622, there would seem no good reason for the baptism to wait for 2 years. This makes me think that there is probably a mistake in the date, and the baptism took place in 1623. The fact that he was baptized in Kloppenheim could very well signify that the church in Naurod was destroyed during the invasions of the imperial armies. Needless to say, the area in which Gottfried lived was devastated during the years 1620-2. The fact that Hans Peter was born after this time would lead us to assume that Gottfried's first wife did not die as a result of the plunderings.
After the death of his first wife, Gottfried remarried. It was here in Naurod that he met Catharina Becker, the daughter of Werner Becker and Otillia Doll. On Oct 25, 1625 they exchanged vows and were officially married. The place of the marriage is recorded as Naurod. This would indicate that the church in Naurod had been rebuilt. The following July a daughter was born and named Gertraud. These are the only 3 children that I can find any record of.
As much of the Naurod countryside was wasted by the imperial armies, it is certain that Gottfried participated in the defence of his home and hearth. The years starting in 1623 were under the dominion of the pro-imperial Maximillian, and although there was relative peace, there would still have been a lot of unrest brewing. From 1625 - 1629 the Danish King Christian IV came to fight on behalf of the Protestant Union. This was not successful and again by 1629 the Catholic League was successful in gaining victory. It was at this point that the victorious Maximillian decided that there must be full restitution to the Catholic Church of all lands lost since the 1555.
It was at this time that the Swedish King, Gustavos Adolphus, decided to join the German Protestant cause. In 1630 he begins his invasion and on Sept 17th defeats Johann Tserclaes at Breitenfeld. Friedrich V joins the Swedish King on his march south and tries to convince him to be reinstated. By December they have reached the town of Drais, which had been the centre of destruction just 10 years ago. The King camped here for the rest of the winter with his army. This is very interesting as it is only 25 kilometers south of Naurod, and 18 kilometers south of Kloppenheim. They built a fort on this site and named it Gustavsburg. When they restarted their campaign in March of 1632, they kept this fort as a base from which they operated for the next 3 years. During his campaign in Germany, the Swedish king had as many as 140,000 men with him, along with 50,000 horses. It is unlikely that they all stayed here for the winter. As a large part of the army would have been mercenaries, they would likely have returned to their homes. Even very conservatively we could guess that the army camped here was a minimum of 20,000 men, with 7,000 horses. This would have had an overwhelming impact on the economy of the region, as well as on the spirit of the Protestant supporters. If anybody has more accurate data on this it would be more than welcome.
The oldest son, Johann Friedrich, was born in April of 1622 and baptized on April 10 in the evangelical church in Naurod. The fact that his middle name was Friedrich further indicates the loyalty to King Friedrich. It appears that Johann Friedrich died as an infant, with a burial date of June 22nd of the same year.
Hans Peter, our ancestor, was born in August of 1623. There is a record of him being baptized in Kloppenheim on Aug 13, 1625, a town just 6 kilometers south of Naurod. With the army having left in 1622, there would seem no good reason for the baptism to wait for 2 years. This makes me think that there is probably a mistake in the date, and the baptism took place in 1623. The fact that he was baptized in Kloppenheim could very well signify that the church in Naurod was destroyed during the invasions of the imperial armies. Needless to say, the area in which Gottfried lived was devastated during the years 1620-2. The fact that Hans Peter was born after this time would lead us to assume that Gottfried's first wife did not die as a result of the plunderings.
After the death of his first wife, Gottfried remarried. It was here in Naurod that he met Catharina Becker, the daughter of Werner Becker and Otillia Doll. On Oct 25, 1625 they exchanged vows and were officially married. The place of the marriage is recorded as Naurod. This would indicate that the church in Naurod had been rebuilt. The following July a daughter was born and named Gertraud. These are the only 3 children that I can find any record of.
As much of the Naurod countryside was wasted by the imperial armies, it is certain that Gottfried participated in the defence of his home and hearth. The years starting in 1623 were under the dominion of the pro-imperial Maximillian, and although there was relative peace, there would still have been a lot of unrest brewing. From 1625 - 1629 the Danish King Christian IV came to fight on behalf of the Protestant Union. This was not successful and again by 1629 the Catholic League was successful in gaining victory. It was at this point that the victorious Maximillian decided that there must be full restitution to the Catholic Church of all lands lost since the 1555.
It was at this time that the Swedish King, Gustavos Adolphus, decided to join the German Protestant cause. In 1630 he begins his invasion and on Sept 17th defeats Johann Tserclaes at Breitenfeld. Friedrich V joins the Swedish King on his march south and tries to convince him to be reinstated. By December they have reached the town of Drais, which had been the centre of destruction just 10 years ago. The King camped here for the rest of the winter with his army. This is very interesting as it is only 25 kilometers south of Naurod, and 18 kilometers south of Kloppenheim. They built a fort on this site and named it Gustavsburg. When they restarted their campaign in March of 1632, they kept this fort as a base from which they operated for the next 3 years. During his campaign in Germany, the Swedish king had as many as 140,000 men with him, along with 50,000 horses. It is unlikely that they all stayed here for the winter. As a large part of the army would have been mercenaries, they would likely have returned to their homes. Even very conservatively we could guess that the army camped here was a minimum of 20,000 men, with 7,000 horses. This would have had an overwhelming impact on the economy of the region, as well as on the spirit of the Protestant supporters. If anybody has more accurate data on this it would be more than welcome.
The campaigns that the King of Sweden fought during 1632 would have included many of the local young men, along with loss of life as well as injured soldiers returning to their villages. Despite the unseasonably early winter, on November 16th the Protestant Union forces of about 19,000 men, including 6,200 cavalry, marched on Lutzen (nearly 400 kms east of Naurod) where the Catholic general Wallenstein was planning on quartering his forces for the winter. Both the King of Sweden and Pappenheim, one of the Catholic generals, lost their lives as a result of this battle. The Swedish army lost about 6,000 men through death, injury and desertion. It is shortly afterward, unrelated to the battle, that Friedrich V dies of a fever. Along with him, also dies his hope of regaining the Palatine throne.
Since the Swedish army was headquartered in the fort that was built at Gustavsburg near Mainz until 1635, the people of the region would have been busy during the summers to gather as many supplies to support the army during the winters. It is in 1635 that Count Tilly (Johann Tserclaes) and his imperial armies advance towards Mainz, which is captured by them in December. Count Tilly was known to be especially cruel and vengeful in his victories, and it was no different here. Rural people even suffered more than the fortified towns as they were expected to house and feed the soldiers, and upon leaving, what was left was often burned and further destroyed. There appears to have been a 'scorched earth' policy wherever they went.
From the work of David Hakkenberg I have learned that Naurod was totally destroyed, and all the people fled to towns in the area. From the records, it appears that the Hachenberger family fled to Kloppenheim. This is also where the Rossel family from Niedernhausen fled. It is not until 1641 that a number of families started to return to Naurod. One of these families was ours. This bit of information does a lot to fill in some missing gaps in our history and explains how Hans Peter met up with Anna Margaretha Rossel, whom he ended up marrying.
The ensuing years were under Catholic governance, as Maximillian remained elector of the Palatine region until 1651. It seems that he really tried to remain neutral and to bring peace to the region. This would mean that the intervening years were less eventful for the citizens of this region. It was in 1644 that the French army moved down the Rhine and was able to capture most of the strongholds in this region, including Phillipsburg, and Mainz, each defended by garrisons of only about 600 men. This again brings devastation to the countryside.
We see that Peter Rossel of Niedernhausen, the father-in-law of Hans Peter Hachenberger died before 1645. We also know of Gottfried that he died before 1649. Without more accurate data, it would seem very likely that both of them died during this period of invasion from the French armies. There is also no record of the death of Gottfried's 2nd wife, Catharina Becker. More research is needed to know whether she survived the war years.
With the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648, the war was officially at an end. Shortly afterward, on Jan 28, 1649, we see Anna Margaretha Rossel and Hans Peter Hachenberger getting married in Naurod.
Since the Swedish army was headquartered in the fort that was built at Gustavsburg near Mainz until 1635, the people of the region would have been busy during the summers to gather as many supplies to support the army during the winters. It is in 1635 that Count Tilly (Johann Tserclaes) and his imperial armies advance towards Mainz, which is captured by them in December. Count Tilly was known to be especially cruel and vengeful in his victories, and it was no different here. Rural people even suffered more than the fortified towns as they were expected to house and feed the soldiers, and upon leaving, what was left was often burned and further destroyed. There appears to have been a 'scorched earth' policy wherever they went.
From the work of David Hakkenberg I have learned that Naurod was totally destroyed, and all the people fled to towns in the area. From the records, it appears that the Hachenberger family fled to Kloppenheim. This is also where the Rossel family from Niedernhausen fled. It is not until 1641 that a number of families started to return to Naurod. One of these families was ours. This bit of information does a lot to fill in some missing gaps in our history and explains how Hans Peter met up with Anna Margaretha Rossel, whom he ended up marrying.
The ensuing years were under Catholic governance, as Maximillian remained elector of the Palatine region until 1651. It seems that he really tried to remain neutral and to bring peace to the region. This would mean that the intervening years were less eventful for the citizens of this region. It was in 1644 that the French army moved down the Rhine and was able to capture most of the strongholds in this region, including Phillipsburg, and Mainz, each defended by garrisons of only about 600 men. This again brings devastation to the countryside.
We see that Peter Rossel of Niedernhausen, the father-in-law of Hans Peter Hachenberger died before 1645. We also know of Gottfried that he died before 1649. Without more accurate data, it would seem very likely that both of them died during this period of invasion from the French armies. There is also no record of the death of Gottfried's 2nd wife, Catharina Becker. More research is needed to know whether she survived the war years.
With the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648, the war was officially at an end. Shortly afterward, on Jan 28, 1649, we see Anna Margaretha Rossel and Hans Peter Hachenberger getting married in Naurod.
Kirberg, not Kirburg
Some very interesting additional information that we have been able to discover.
In 1618 Gottfried was named as Pate (godfaher) at a baptism. Here it is mentioned that "Pate ist Gottfried Hachenberger von Kirpergk, Knecht bei Nikolaus Endtlich". From this we learn many things.
a) Gottfried was in Naurod in 1618, probably already well enough known and established to be named as godfather for someone's child. This would be interesting as he is no longer just someone who arrived or is passing through, but an established part of the community.
b) He was a labourer (knecht) by Nikolaus Endtlich, who later became the Sheriff of Naurod (not Nottingham).
c) The origin of Gottfried is clearly stated as Kirpergk. This actually refers to Kirberg, not Kirburg. Kirberg is about 30 kilometers from Naurod. This changes the beginning of my story significantly. The information that I had about Kirburg comes from the family tree of Joerg Nickel, whose family also dates back to Naurod in the 1600's. He still lives in this region, and his cousin Wolfgang Nickel is major of Wiesbaden-Naurod. David Hakkenberg and I have been in touch with a certain Dr. Erhard Grund, who confirms that there was a property owned by Jost Hachenberger in Kirberg in 1606. Sadly the town of Kirberg was also totally destroyed in the war, the same as Naurod. As mentioned before, the whole countryside was devastated during this time.
d) I also found out that there was a plague during the winter of 1624-5. in Naurod. It was common for disease to be brought to the villages by the soldiers, and many people died as a result.
e) Gottfried's marriage to Catharina Becker was on Oct 25,1625. From this I assume that Gottfried's first wife died as a result of the plague in the beginning of the year, as mentioned in the previous point.
f) Very interesting, is that in the church marriage register of 1626 there is made mention of a certain Wilhelm and Ursula Hachenberger, as well as a father by the name of Jost. This would mean that the father, as well as a brother and sister of Gottfried came from Kirberg to Naurod, possibly as a result of the death of Gottfried's wife. It would be natural for his sister to come and help take care of little Hans Peter.
g) The next step is to see what we can find out about the Hachenberger family in Kirberg. There is a record of Jost Hachenberger owning property in 1606. With the war the church records were totally destroyed and the current records date back to 1656. At that time there are no records of any Hachenbergers in Kirberg. This would mean that any survivors carrying the Hachenberger name did not return to Kirberg.
h) Naurod was also totally destroyed in 1634-5. For seven years Naurod remained uninhabited. Then from 1641-4 there were 4 families that returned to start rebuilding the town. One of these families was Peter Hachenberger and his sister Gertraud. Peter would have been about 17 or 18 years old, while his sister about 16. The fact that only these 2 returned seems to indicate that the rest of the family died during the war, possibly as early as 1634 when the village of Naurod was destroyed.
i) It took until 1684 to rebuild the village of Naurod back up to what it had been in 1618 when the war began. At that time there were 18 families in Naurod with a total of 88 people.
In 1618 Gottfried was named as Pate (godfaher) at a baptism. Here it is mentioned that "Pate ist Gottfried Hachenberger von Kirpergk, Knecht bei Nikolaus Endtlich". From this we learn many things.
a) Gottfried was in Naurod in 1618, probably already well enough known and established to be named as godfather for someone's child. This would be interesting as he is no longer just someone who arrived or is passing through, but an established part of the community.
b) He was a labourer (knecht) by Nikolaus Endtlich, who later became the Sheriff of Naurod (not Nottingham).
c) The origin of Gottfried is clearly stated as Kirpergk. This actually refers to Kirberg, not Kirburg. Kirberg is about 30 kilometers from Naurod. This changes the beginning of my story significantly. The information that I had about Kirburg comes from the family tree of Joerg Nickel, whose family also dates back to Naurod in the 1600's. He still lives in this region, and his cousin Wolfgang Nickel is major of Wiesbaden-Naurod. David Hakkenberg and I have been in touch with a certain Dr. Erhard Grund, who confirms that there was a property owned by Jost Hachenberger in Kirberg in 1606. Sadly the town of Kirberg was also totally destroyed in the war, the same as Naurod. As mentioned before, the whole countryside was devastated during this time.
d) I also found out that there was a plague during the winter of 1624-5. in Naurod. It was common for disease to be brought to the villages by the soldiers, and many people died as a result.
e) Gottfried's marriage to Catharina Becker was on Oct 25,1625. From this I assume that Gottfried's first wife died as a result of the plague in the beginning of the year, as mentioned in the previous point.
f) Very interesting, is that in the church marriage register of 1626 there is made mention of a certain Wilhelm and Ursula Hachenberger, as well as a father by the name of Jost. This would mean that the father, as well as a brother and sister of Gottfried came from Kirberg to Naurod, possibly as a result of the death of Gottfried's wife. It would be natural for his sister to come and help take care of little Hans Peter.
g) The next step is to see what we can find out about the Hachenberger family in Kirberg. There is a record of Jost Hachenberger owning property in 1606. With the war the church records were totally destroyed and the current records date back to 1656. At that time there are no records of any Hachenbergers in Kirberg. This would mean that any survivors carrying the Hachenberger name did not return to Kirberg.
h) Naurod was also totally destroyed in 1634-5. For seven years Naurod remained uninhabited. Then from 1641-4 there were 4 families that returned to start rebuilding the town. One of these families was Peter Hachenberger and his sister Gertraud. Peter would have been about 17 or 18 years old, while his sister about 16. The fact that only these 2 returned seems to indicate that the rest of the family died during the war, possibly as early as 1634 when the village of Naurod was destroyed.
i) It took until 1684 to rebuild the village of Naurod back up to what it had been in 1618 when the war began. At that time there were 18 families in Naurod with a total of 88 people.