Heidebauern

Heidebauern Communities

 Henry A. Fischer

Kaltenstein (Level), Layos (Komarom),  Nickelsdorf,  Packs on the Danube, and others

Kaltenstein (Level)

This Heidebauern community existed since the year 900, but its first 600 years are shrouded in mystery.  It was only in the high Middle Ages that families took on “second” names.  The first documented list of families comes from 1546 and includes:

  • Bennusch Hausmann
  • Georg Thanicker
  • Anton Pinkitzer
  • Wolf Stelzer
  • Marx Zechmaister
  • Clement Murrer
  • Valtein Rott
  • Jakob Lang*
  • Mathes Stainer
  • Kyrein Reyer
  • Georg Wallner
  • In addition there were:
  • Wurmb (Wurm)
  • Pairr (Bayer)
  • Vischer (Fischer)*
  • Mutt (Muth)*
  • Weidner
  • Muer
  • A document entitled the Possessio of Kaltenstein of 1644 indicates the following families were living in Kaltenstein:
  • Thomas Stelczer
  • Gregorius Andreas Muhr
  • Ambrosius Muhr
  • Thomas Pinketzer
  • Vitus Danicker
  • Mattaues Chechmaster
  • Gregorius Daninker
  • Christof Muhr
  • Martinus Steltzer
  • Christof Steltzer
  • Blasius Ratt (Rott)
  • Gregorius Schneider*

In addition to these holding land there were cottagers who did daily labour for the noble:

  • Christophorus Botter
  • Gregorius, Simon and Thomas Hauczinger
  • Matthaeus Peckh
  • Thomas Huetflus
  • Matthaeus Fischer*
  • Abraham Heckh
  • Andreas Bierleiher
  • Joachim Gross*
  • Rupertus Daschner
  • Johannes Fleischacker
  • Michael Saltzer
  • Simon Fischer*
  • Lauren Macher
  • Matthaeus Gross
  • Gregorius Grass
  • Gallus Pamer
  • Philippus Schmickl
  • Marcus Marx
  • Wolfgang Salamon
  • Matthaeus Schuesser
  • Johannes Holczer
  • Johannes Hierschinger
  • Martinus Ranner
  • Augustinius Seubalt
  • Balsius Ratt (Rott)
  • Johannes Lienhart
  • Matthaeus Kharni
  • Paulus Raisinger
  • Stephanus Marcus
  • Gregorius Stattner
  • Sebaldus Matern
  • Paulus Pinter
  • Adam Grass
  • Peter Schmauser
  • Christoph Stelczer
  • Gregorius Plambtritt
  • Andreas Schnaider (Schneider)*
  • Bartold Daschner
  • Gregorius Pinter
  • Johannes Griessell
  • Johannes Schueb
  • Matthaeus Grass
  • Thomas Rhatt
  • Andreas Schmauser
  • Matthaeus Pameker
  • Salomonis Ranner
  • Jakobus Grass
  • Johannes Dasch
  • Blasius Wennes
  • Jakobi Raiff
  • Christoph Gebhardt
  • Martinus Grass
  • Matthaeus Eckher
  • Gregorius Schneider*
  • Sebaldus Schuesser
  • Joannes Perkhamer
  • Gallus Schuister
  • Blassius Wiessinger

In the Possessio of 1732 these families are identified:

  • Hutfless
  • Hong
  • Nicz (Nitsch, Nix)
  • Tulner
  • Mur
  • Groff
  • Cwinkel
  • Taninger
  • Wesuckner
  • Lehner
  • Weth
  • Solczer (Salzer)
  • Stelzer
  • Wajsz ( Weiss)

The Evangelical Lutheran Church records of 1736 list these families:

  • Hoffbauer
  • Riecher or Riecker
  • Lechner
  • Rath
  • Hake
  • Tulner
  • Dorn
  • Limbacher
  • Pamer
  • Mayrim
  • Troscherin
  • Pagessam
  • Buechler
  • Hagn
  • Schmoltzer
  • Gangl
  • Dumpf
  • Wallner
  • Niczinger
  • Kastler
  • Pauret
  • Schiebinger
  • Weiss
  • Dascht
  • Schmickel
  • Weber*
  • Praimagen

Lajos Komarom, Veszprem County:

This community was first settled in the latter part of the 18th century with the majority of the original settlers migrating there from Pusztavam.  The following family names appear there in the Lutheran Church records.  There were also Slovak Lutherans who settled there with the Heidebauern.

  • Andorka
  • Bader
  • Bartz
  • Bauer
  • Benthaler (Pentaller)
  • Biller
  • Binder (Pinter)
  • Blasser
  • Block
  • Boch
  • Bohm
  • Brindlmeyer
  • Brenner
  • Buss (Boss, Boos)
  • Christ
  • Deutsch
  • Eberhardt
  • Eberling
  • Eiler (Ailer)
  • Falb
  • Fausst
  • Fischer*
  • Friedrich
  • Fullner
  • Gamer
  • Gangl
  • Gasst
  • Geheim
  • Germann
  • Gotthard
  • Graf (Grof)
  • Griebel
  • Gross
  • Grunwald
  • Gsellmann
  • Guntler
  • Hackstock
  • Hafner
  • Hagen
  • Hanol
  • Haupt
  • Hausser
  • Hautzinger
  • Heilmann
  • Hertel
  • Heit
  • Hermann
  • Hertz
  • Hirsch
  • Hofbauer
  • Hoffmann
  • Horvath
  • Huck
  • Hutfless
  • Irsch
  • Jager
  • Jankovits
  • Juhatsch
  • Jullich
  • Jusst
  • Keim
  • Ketter
  • Kibitz
  • Kind
  • Kiss
  • Kisstner
  • Kivitz (Kuvich)
  • Kleiber (Kloiber)
  • Klein
  • Kleinmann
  • Klemann
  • Koch
  • Kranich
  • Krauss*
  • Krebs (Kreps)
  • Kreutzer
  • Kriessl
  • Kruz
  • Kunerth
  • Kuntzler
  • Lackner
  • Lang
  • Leckner
  • Lechner
  • Lehner
  • Leitner
  • Lisztmeyer
  • Macher
  • Malentz
  • Mann
  • Marth
  • Mathess
  • Mattern
  • Mausser
  • Meidlinger
  • Meixner
  • Mengess
  • Mossberger (Muschberger)
  • Muck
  • Musch
  • Musser
  • Nagel
  • Nass
  • Nitschinger
  • Ossterle
  • Pamer
  • Pappert
  • Paul
  • Pavel
  • Prahauer
  • Phillip
  • Pohl
  • Pross
  • Pulz
  • Putz
  • Raab
  • Rall
  • Rausser
  • Reichard
  • Reiss
  • Reissinger
  • Renz
  • Richlmeyer
  • Ringler
  • Rivich (Rivitz, Rofritsch)
  • Roth
  • Ruck
  • Ruder
  • Russ
  • Saffenauer
  • Sapper
  • Schafer
  • Schenk
  • Schmausser
  • Schevinger
  • Schmeltzer
  • Schmidt
  • Schmitz
  • Schneider
  • Schnitz
  • Schrey
  • Schranz
  • Schwarz
  • Seiler
  • Spiegel
  • Stiedl
  • Steffler
  • Steiner
  • Steinwald
  • Stinner
  • Stirl
  • Stock
  • Stolz
  • Stolzer
  • Streit
  • Strobel
  • Temmer
  • Teubel
  • Tetzl
  • Thiringer
  • Thorich
  • Thurr
  • Till
  • Tullner
  • Tulz
  • Urspringer
  • Viant (Viandt)
  • Wagner*
  • Wallner
  • Walter
  • Wanderer
  • Weber
  • Weiland
  • Weiler
  • Weniger
  • Wenninger
  • Wiandt
  • Wieland
  • Wiessberger
  • Wimmer
  • Winkler
  • Winterk
  • Wolf
  • Wurm
  • Zecher
  • Zechmeister
  • Zehr

 Nickelsdorf:

It was reported that the teachings of Martin Luther were already widespread in the area as early as 1521 and Nickelsdorf would remain one of the citadels of Lutheranism during the years of persecution ahead.  Its origins can be traced back to the 11th century and its inhabitants were of Franconian and Bavarian descent.

The following heads of families were the leaders of the congregation during the Decade of Sorrows from 1672 to 1683 when over 800 Lutheran churches throughout Hungary were confiscated and the pastors and schoolmasters were exiled or forced to give up their ministry.  Those who refused to do either ended up being imprisoned and then later sold as galley slaves in Naples if they survived the march there on foot.  The money from their sale was used to refurbish the Sistine Chapel in Rome.  The following were leaders of the congregation who risked sending a petition to the emperor in Vienna protesting the illegal confiscation of their church.

  • Hans Blasser
  • Georg Zimmermann
  • Johann Steltzer
  • Lorenz Falb
  • Georg Pingetzer
  • Martin Meixner

Other families listed in the community records for 1789 included:

  • Baldauf
  • Blasser
  • Bohm
  • Cramer (Kramer)
  • Dullner (Thullner)
  • Eder
  • Falb
  • Fischer*
  • Gangl
  • Gindl
  • Hackl
  • Hanel
  • Hauptmann
  • Hautzinger
  • Hutfless
  • Koller
  • Lackner
  • Lehner
  • Lorenz
  • Marx
  • Meidlinger
  • Meixner
  • Mullner
  • Nitsch (Nics, Nix)
  • Nitschinger
  • Oszvald (Oswald)
  • Pahr
  • Pingetzer
  • Rahn (Rohn)
  • Rosenmar
  • Rumpeltes
  • Salzer
  • Schiesler
  • Schmickel
  • Sollner
  • Stelzer
  • Theyl
  • Unger
  • Weisz
  • Wimmer
  • Zech
  • Zechmeister
  • Zimmermann

Paks on the Danube:

     This river port on the west side of the Danube was the jumping off spot for the immigrant trains into the interior of Tolna County.  Large numbers of Heidebauern settled here rather than taking up land, because they were artisans and tradesmen and sought a life other than homesteading and farming.  Along with them there were also colonists from Germany, primarily from Wurttemberg and Baden.  They followed the same pattern here as in Gyorkony, and although they were fellow Lutherans they did not intermarry with the other group until later in the 19th century.  Any attempts on their part to develop any kind of Lutheran congregational life was impossible due to the influence of the sheriff of the County who also happened to the bishop of the area.  It was only in the early 1800’s that Lutheran Church life officially began there so that the information I have comes from the Roman Catholic parish records and also includes Lutherans from Bikacs and Gyorkony, who at times were also forced to come under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic clergy.  The following family names can be found in these records:

  • Aich (Eich)
  • Achs (Ochs)
  • Bauer
  • Bayer
  • Becht
  • Beck
  • Becker
  • Bens (Benz)
  • Bernhard
  • Bernthaller
  • Binter
  • Blasser
  • Bock
  • Brandtner
  • Braun
  • Brihm
  • Bruckner
  • Brunner
  • Durr
  • Eberhardt
  • Ebert
  • Eich
  • Eiler
  • Engel
  • Engelhardt
  • Falb
  • Fantzler
  • Fischer*
  • Friedrich
  • Fritz
  • Frohlich
  • Galler
  • Gangl
  • Gast
  • Germann
  • Gobel
  • Goldmann
  • Graf
  • Groff
  • Gross*
  • Grunwald
  • Gsellmann
  • Gutsell
  • Haass
  • Hack
  • Hackl
  • Hackstock
  • Hadinger
  • Hanol
  • Hartmann
  • Haupt
  • Hausser
  • Herber
  • Hermann
  • Hess
  • Hessmer
  • Hirsch
  • Hobler
  • Hofbauer
  • Hoffmann
  • Hollendonner
  • Huber
  • Huntzinger
  • Hutfless
  • Jager
  • Keim
  • Keller
  • Khern
  • Klag
  • Kleitol
  • Kloiber
  • Koller
  • Kotzmann
  • Krauss
  • Krebs
  • Kreidemacher
  • Kremm
  • Kreutzer
  • Kubik
  • Lackner
  • Lang
  • Leitner
  • Macher
  • Majer
  • Mannweif
  • Marks (Marx)
  • Marth
  • Marz
  • Mattern
  • Meixner
  • Messer
  • Muller*
  • Munch
  • Muth*
  • Mutz
  • Neuhauser
  • Nikitscher
  • Nitschinger
  • Osswald
  • Ochs
  • Pamer
  • Paul
  • Piller
  • Pingetzer
  • Pinter
  • Piringer
  • Pohl
  • Polon
  • Poor
  • Potz
  • Prahauser
  • Rapp
  • Rauch*
  • Rausch*
  • Reichert
  • Reiss
  • Reth
  • Rohfritz
  • Rohm
  • Rohn
  • Ruder
  • Rumpp
  • Saffenauer
  • Sammet
  • Sauer
  • Schafer
  • Schleyer
  • Schlosser
  • Schmausser
  • Schmeltzer
  • Schmidt
  • Schmidtberger
  • Schneider*
  • Schosser
  • Schrenck
  • Schwarz
  • Schweigert
  • Seib
  • Spiess
  • Stangl
  • Steiner
  • Stelzer
  • Stoos
  • Stromberger
  • Stumpf
  • Sulzer
  • Tell
  • Tetzl
  • Tieringer
  • Till*
  • Trapp
  • Tullner
  • Unger
  • Vogel
  • Wagner
  • Weber*
  • Weger
  • Wehnhardt
  • Weiler
  • Weiss
  • Weissling
  • Weymer
  • Wiessberger
  • Wimmer
  • Winckler
  • Wolf
  • Wunsch
  • Wurm
  • Zech
  • Zecher

Other Heidebauern Communities

Leiden/Lebeny:

This Heidebauern community was situated within the domains of Ungarisch Altenburg and the population had gone over to the Reformation in the 1560’s, but with the unleashing of the Decade of Sorrows the vast majority of  the community returned to Catholicism under pressure.  But there were some families who continued in their evangelical faith as “household assemblies”, but gradually they began to move to the Lutheran Heideboden villages or sought a new future in the “settlements” to the south.  Among those families were:

  • Fischer*
  • Gross*
  • Hagen
  • Hautzinger
  • Hoffmann*
  • Hadinger
  • Hutfles
  • Lehner
  • Nitschinger
  • Reis
  • Reisinger
  • Sebek
  • Schmidt*
  • Stiener
  • Tullner
  • Wieland (Wieand)
  • Wurm
  • Zechmeister

Ungarisch Altenburg/Mosonmagyarovar:

 The origins of the community and ancient fortress is lost in the mists of the history, but it did serve as a border fortress for the Roman Legions defending the Danube frontier of Pannonia in the 3rd  century.  German settlers arrived in the 10th and 11th century and then with the arrival of the Magyars it became a mixed community by the 14th century. The fortress and town harboured both Calvinists and Lutherans in the early period of the Reformation in Hungary, but it was the special target of the Counter Reformation and the Inquisition.  But some of the Heidebauern, mostly artisans and tradesmen who lived in the market town maintained their Lutheran identity.  The following family names from among them can be identified:

  • Gangl
  • Hautzinger
  • Hoffmann*
  • Hutlfes
  • Lehner
  • Meidinger
  • Reisinger
  • Steiner
  • Stiener
  • Tullner
  • Wimmer

Zanegg/Mosonszolnok:

Like Leiden this community converted to Catholicism except for the following families who left and settled in the new settlements or went to other Lutheran villages:

  • Hautzinger
  • Meidlinger
  • Reisinger
  • Steiner
  • Stoiber
  • Tullner
  • Zechmeister

Wiener-Neustadt, Burgenland:

  •                                             Hartmann*

Odenburg/Sopron:

This town that stood on the remains of the Roman city of Scarbantium became the citadel of Lutheranism in Hungary and continued to be so throughout its history.  It was a totally German royal city until the 19th century when a Magyar population also developed that would eventually become the majority after the deportations of the German population in 1946.  There were individuals who sought new prospects to the south and joined in the settlements in Swabian Turkey.  Some of these family names include:

  • Brauer
  • Ehmann
  • Gombos
  • Heller
  • Hupfel
  • Hittig
  • Keim
  • Krauss*
  • Lakner (Lackner)
  • Marth
  • Muller
  • Nettler
  • Potzner
  • Ratkotzy
  • Roth
  • Stang
  • Straner
  • Tuchhandler

Oberschutzen, Burgenland:

This one of the leading Lutheran communities in the western Burgenland that shared much of the history and origins of the Heidebauern.

  • Balzer
  • Gamauf

Lutzmannsburg, Burgenland:

This was also another Lutheran community in the western Burgenland that shared much of the history and background of the Heidebauern.

  • Bohm
  • Kimer
  • Ochs
  • Rossmer
  • Schopf
  • Zengraf

Pinkafeld, Burgenland:

This community was located in the central Burgenland and was able to withstand all of the onslaughts of the Counter Reformation and remained steadfastly Lutheran.

  • Rock
  • Sadt
  • Schuler

Rust, Burgenland:

This is the only Lutheran community that survived within the Esterhazy estates of Eisenstadt in present day Austria.

  • Becker*
  • Ellebruch
  • Gagenberger
  • Seiler

Cools, Burgenland:

 A small village with the majority of the community holding to the Augsburg Confession (Lutheran) in western Burgenland in present day Austria.

  • Grunwald
  • Steiner
  • Schutz
  • Taigel

Pressburg/Bratislava:

The ancient royal free city of Pressburg shared its name with the surrounding region the County of Pressburg.  Along with Odenburg it was the center of Lutheranism in Western Hungary and was the capital of Hungary during the occupation of the rest of the county by the Turks.  Whether the following families came from the city or the county cannot be verified.

  • Bergmann
  • Fleischacker
  • Friedrich
  • Heilinger
  • Ladenstein
  • Wanderer
  • Wissinger

Horn, Lower Austria:

 This was a stronghold of the Dukes of Horn who were prominent defenders of Lutheranism in Austria.

  • Pressler
  • Ruppert*

This constitutes my research to the present with regard to the names of the Heidebauern families and their various places of origin.  I do not have any records available to me on Deutsch Jahrndorf at present and only limited records with regard to Ragendorf (Rajka), but I hope to rectify that in the future.  Hopefully it will help some researchers who have come to a “dead end” in terms of tracking their families back to Germany when in fact they came from Western Hungary some 800 years before the rest of us.

Henry Fischer

October 2003