Heidebauern – Hrastovac-Eichendorf

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 18^th 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 11^th 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 19^th 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 3^rd century. German settlers arrived in the 10^th and 11^th century and then with the arrival of the Magyars it became a mixed community by the 14^th 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 19^th 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