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THE KNAPPENBERGER
HOMELAND UPDATED July 29, 2003
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ANCESTRAL HOMELAND
The Knappenberger family originated in what is today southwest Germany in a region called Baden-Wurttemberg. Supposedly, the people of Baden-Wurttemberg are said to take life seriously and are reputed to be careful how and when they spend their money. This area is known for its orchards and vineyards. As family land became filled, younger brothers tended to move upon marrying in order to have their own land. Thus, the German Knappenbergers moved not far to the Widdern area of Jagskreis which is on the Jagst River where it flows into the Neckar River. Today this area is known as Hohenloher Ebene named after the princely German family, the House of Hohenlohe. This is an area of quiet countryside between the Swabian Forest and the Tauber River. Also located on the Jagst River is Jagsthausen where the Götzenburg Castle (now a hotel) is located. This was the birth place in 1480 of the knight Götz von Berlichingen - the "Knight with the Iron Hand". Goethe wrote a drama about him. It is likely the Knappenberger family was associated with the lands that were linked with this castle. ***We welcome your photos and memories of travel to Widdern,
Germany! Click
EARLIEST KNOWN KNAPPENBERGERS This early family history was originally obtained from the
Widdern Parish records by a researcher for Adam Gedlaman, a Canadian member of the
Latter Day Saints Church. The records were
placed on file with the Genealogical Society Library of the church in Salt
Lake City, Utah. The Gedlaman Family descends from Anna Maria
Knappenberger, born 21 September 1707, a daughter of Johan Albrecht
Knappenberger. She married George Michael Eltwein on 29 August
1730. These original records are still available for
viewing at the Widdern Parish church. GENERATION 1 The earliest known Knappenberger ancestor is Seuffert Knappenberger who was born about 1569 in Unterkessach, Mosbach, Baden who married Anna Diepach on February 6, 1588 in Forchenberg, Jagst, Wuerttemberg. Anna was born about 1573 in Unterkessach, Mosbach, Baden. This couple had nine children that we currently know about. The American Knappenberger families can trace their ancestry to this couple via their son Andreas [*].
GENERATION 2 Andreas Knappenberger (son of Seuffert) was born about 1608 in Unterkessach, Mosbach, Baden and married Katharina on 4 September 1627 in Adelsheim, Mosbach, Baden. Katharina was born about 1600 in Adelsheim and died on 21 February 1643 in Adelsheim, Mosbach, Baden. We have information on four of their children. The American Knappenberger families can trace their ancestry to this couple through their sons Johannes Kasper [*] and Wolff Albrecht [*].
Johannes Kasper Knappenberger (son of Andreas) was born on 5 July 1628 in Adelsheim, Mosbach, Baden. We do not know his spouse. Johannes Kasper had a son, Johann Jacob Knappenberger, born 6 January 1673 in Adelsheim, Mosbach, Baden and died 4 May 1741 in Schornbach. He married Anna Katharine who died 13 April 1735. They had six children.
GENERATION 3 TO 5 - WOLFF ALBRECHT Wolff Albrecht Knappenberger (son of Andreas) was born on 23 December 1630 in Adelsheim, Mosbach, Baden and died on 21 June 1701 in Widdern, Jagstkreis, Wuerttemberg. He married Anna Maria SCHMIDT on 24 November 1663 in Widdern, Jagst, Wuerttemberg. Anna was born about 1646 in Widdern and died on 19 February 1698 in Widdern. This couple had ten children that we know about.
The purpose of this website is to bring together people who, although living in different parts of the world, all share one thing in common the family name KNAPPENBERGER. During the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, various members of the Knappenberger family emigrated from Germany to other lands. Some came to North America. Perhaps others went to South America, Africa, or to other parts of Europe and Asia. It seems highly likely that the Knappenbergers in Germany today are of the same family as the American Knappenbergers because many still live in the same Jagst River valley from which the original American immigrants came. In first half of the 1700s, at least three Knappenbergers left the area of Widdern, Jagstkreis, Wuerttemberg, Germany and came to Pennsylvania. Others came in the 1800s and settled in Ohio and other places. It was not easy to maintain contact with cousins, uncles, aunts and grandparents living in Germany. As time passed, these people lived, worked, played, fought in wars, married, and finally died in their new homelands. Children were born, parents died, grandchildren were born, married, had children and they, too, eventually died. Although they no longer lived in Germany, they continued to have the name Knappenberger and hold onto many of the customs and ways of their parents and grandparents. Stories were passed from generation to generation about ancestors. As each generation died away, so, too, a bit of family information slipped away. Today, with the use of computers, email and the Internet, a wonderful
opportunity has presented itself to people around the world. No
longer do we have to wonder about from where our family came or who our
cousins are. We are trying to bring together the people in our great
family and establish contact with cousins in other lands. We are
slowly putting together the pieces of a giant puzzle. That puzzle
has several names: family tree, Stammbaum, or database. It makes no
difference what name is used because they all mean the same thing which is
cousins learning about other cousins.
THE KNAPPENBERGER NAME The German family name Knappenberger is classified as being of occupational origin. The surname Knappenberger is a transposed variant of the surname Bergknappe which is composed of the German "berg" meaning "mountain" and the Middle High German "knappe" denoting "a young man, assistant or apprentice". Thus, the surname Knappenberger identifies the initial bearer of the surname as one who was an assistant or apprentice working perhaps in a mine. Interestingly, the oral tradition in the Knappenberger family of current day Germany is that the Knappenbergers originated in Sweden and then came down into Germany. The word "berg" in Swedish also means mountain. Oral tradition among the American Knappenbergers states that the earliest ancestors were shield bearers to a knight from which came their name. GERMAN NAMING CUSTOMS You may notice the use of the same names for children in a family grouping. However, note that the re-use of a name occurs after the first child with the name had died. This was a common naming custom. You will notice that many German families gave their children the same "first" names which tends to lead to confusion. The first names were not used. It was their "middle" names that were the names by which they were called. For a better understanding of this subject, please visit Charles Kerchner's site entitled: 18th CENTURY PENNSYLVANIAN GERMAN NAMING CUSTOMS
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