Hans Peter Hachenberger 1623 - 1697
Hans Peter was the second son of Gottfried. His older brother Johannes Frierich died at about 2 months old. His birth mother died shortly after he was born. He had no memory of her. He grew up knowing fear and terror of the soldiers coming back. He remembered the looting and burning and killing. He did remember the day his father remarried. Or maybe he didn't remember, but the story was told so often, that it seemed like his own memory.
Catharina Becker was just 18 years old when Hans Peter was born. She had lived in Naurod her whole life. She looked after little Hans as if he were her own son. These were terrible times, and they lived in continual fear of the soldiers returning. But there was some hope as well. On Oct 25, 1625 she and Gottfried were married, and nine months later they gave birth to a daughter, whom they named Gertraud . The two children grew up together, and little Hans was the protector of his new sister.
There was relative peace for a number of years, as the Danish and Swedish kings fought on behalf of the Protestant Union. But it happened again. The soldiers came back in 1634-5 and this time they totally destroyed Naurod. The family had to flee. With 11 year old Hans and 8 year old Gertraud, they could not go far. They went as far as Kloppenheim, which is just 6 kilometers south of Naurod.
It was in Kloppenheim that the Hachenberger family met up with Peter Rossel and his wife Ottilie. Peter's grandfather Johannis had been born in Orlen, which is about 20 kilometers from Naurod. He had come south with his family, where his son Hans was born, as well as Peter, his grandson. Niedernhausen was destroyed during the war and Peter moved south to Kloppenheim.
An interesting discovery I made here is that Johannis Rossel, minister in the Evangelical Church, ended up in Kirchheimbolanden, about 60 kilometers south of Naurod. In the history of the Evangelical Church community in Göllheim, which is just 15 kilometers south of Kirchheimbolanden, Peter Rummer and Martin Mattheis write that on July 15, 1635 the Croatians, who were mercenaries in the Imperial army came and totally plundered and burned the city of Kirchheimbolanden. A certain Erasmus Cramer, who survived the war, reports that the destruction was so complete that even the spiritual were not spared. An old honest man who had been in the ministry for over 50 years, pastor to Göllheim, Mr. Johann Rossell, was cut down in the streets and was eaten by the dogs. („daß auch der Geistlichen nicht verschonet, immaßen ein alter redlicher über 50 Jahr im Ministerio gewesener Mann, Pfarrherr zu Göllheim, Herr Johann Roßell auf der Gassen niedergehauen und von denen Hunden aufgefressen worden.“) He was 79 years old at the time of his death. This town, as well as many others, remained uninhabited for many years. Johannis Rossell is our 11th great-grandfather. Perhaps in the future I will find some more time and will write him up separately.
The cruelty of the Imperial soldiers is well recorded. As was mentioned here, the Croats were hired as mercenaries by the French army, and they were equally known for their cruelty. Whether this reputation is justified or not, this was the voice of those times.
As an interesting side note to this, the Croats wore a scarf around their neck tied in a special way. In 1650, when King Louis XIV caught sight of these jaunty neckerchiefs, he started to wear them himself and hereby started a new fashion accessory. The French called the scarf “a la croate,” meaning worn “in the Croatian way.” The term soon evolved into the word “cravat,” which is still used today.
At the time that Johannis Rossell was murdered in the streets of Kirchheimbolanden, Naurod and Niedernhausen were also destroyed. The Rossels and Hachenbergers, both fleeing their respective cities, met in Kloppenheim, where they resided for the coming years.
Catharina Becker was just 18 years old when Hans Peter was born. She had lived in Naurod her whole life. She looked after little Hans as if he were her own son. These were terrible times, and they lived in continual fear of the soldiers returning. But there was some hope as well. On Oct 25, 1625 she and Gottfried were married, and nine months later they gave birth to a daughter, whom they named Gertraud . The two children grew up together, and little Hans was the protector of his new sister.
There was relative peace for a number of years, as the Danish and Swedish kings fought on behalf of the Protestant Union. But it happened again. The soldiers came back in 1634-5 and this time they totally destroyed Naurod. The family had to flee. With 11 year old Hans and 8 year old Gertraud, they could not go far. They went as far as Kloppenheim, which is just 6 kilometers south of Naurod.
It was in Kloppenheim that the Hachenberger family met up with Peter Rossel and his wife Ottilie. Peter's grandfather Johannis had been born in Orlen, which is about 20 kilometers from Naurod. He had come south with his family, where his son Hans was born, as well as Peter, his grandson. Niedernhausen was destroyed during the war and Peter moved south to Kloppenheim.
An interesting discovery I made here is that Johannis Rossel, minister in the Evangelical Church, ended up in Kirchheimbolanden, about 60 kilometers south of Naurod. In the history of the Evangelical Church community in Göllheim, which is just 15 kilometers south of Kirchheimbolanden, Peter Rummer and Martin Mattheis write that on July 15, 1635 the Croatians, who were mercenaries in the Imperial army came and totally plundered and burned the city of Kirchheimbolanden. A certain Erasmus Cramer, who survived the war, reports that the destruction was so complete that even the spiritual were not spared. An old honest man who had been in the ministry for over 50 years, pastor to Göllheim, Mr. Johann Rossell, was cut down in the streets and was eaten by the dogs. („daß auch der Geistlichen nicht verschonet, immaßen ein alter redlicher über 50 Jahr im Ministerio gewesener Mann, Pfarrherr zu Göllheim, Herr Johann Roßell auf der Gassen niedergehauen und von denen Hunden aufgefressen worden.“) He was 79 years old at the time of his death. This town, as well as many others, remained uninhabited for many years. Johannis Rossell is our 11th great-grandfather. Perhaps in the future I will find some more time and will write him up separately.
The cruelty of the Imperial soldiers is well recorded. As was mentioned here, the Croats were hired as mercenaries by the French army, and they were equally known for their cruelty. Whether this reputation is justified or not, this was the voice of those times.
As an interesting side note to this, the Croats wore a scarf around their neck tied in a special way. In 1650, when King Louis XIV caught sight of these jaunty neckerchiefs, he started to wear them himself and hereby started a new fashion accessory. The French called the scarf “a la croate,” meaning worn “in the Croatian way.” The term soon evolved into the word “cravat,” which is still used today.
At the time that Johannis Rossell was murdered in the streets of Kirchheimbolanden, Naurod and Niedernhausen were also destroyed. The Rossels and Hachenbergers, both fleeing their respective cities, met in Kloppenheim, where they resided for the coming years.
Early years
From the new information that we have we can get a much clearer picture of what the early years for Hans Peter were like.