Württemberg was occupied by the Romans as early as the 1st century AD, until German tribes drove the Romans away, though it later became a part of the Holy Roman Empire. Württemberg was a central battlefield during the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648). The state of Baden was born in the 12th century under control of the Holy Roman Empire, gained status & territory in the Napoleonic era, and then became a founding state of the German Empire.
Located in southwest Germany, Baden & Württemberg together formed the modern state of Baden-Württemberg in 1952. It is bordered by Rheinland-Pfalz, Hessen, Bavaria, and the countries of Switzerland & France. The state’s capital is Stuttgart. Geographically, it is home to some of Germany’s most diverse land, ranging from meadows & lakes to forests (the Black Forest, or Schwarzwald). The Danube River begins here, flowing all the way to the Black Sea.
My immigrant ancestors from Baden-Württemberg:
- Andreas Bieser
- Immigrated in 1822, approximate age 23
- Immigrated in 1822, approximate age 23
- Maria Genowefa Schwab
- Immigrated about the same time, approximate age 22
Andreas and Genowefa, both natives of a small Württemberg village nestled between hills called Wäschenbeuren, have the honor of being the 1st Roman Catholic marriage in the City of Buffalo, New York, when they wed at St. Louis RC Church on the 15th of September, 1829. The Buffalo Public Library has a display promoting the 1st Catholic baptism in Buffalo, also dated 1829, same church, and an examination of the parish register shows they were the 1st marriage. Their 1st child, Anna Maria, was born in Buffalo in 1831, and the rest of their children are born in Williamsville, where they are early parishioners of Ss. Peter & Paul Church which opened in 1836. Over time, the spelling of the family name in America became Beaser, which is obvious by their tombstones above.
There is one illegitimate child born to Maria Genowefa Schwab in the Kirchenbuch (church book) of Wäschenbeuren – Maria Dorothea Schwab, born Nov. 15, 1822, died Nov. 22, 1822. The father of this child is not stated, but it is possible having a child out of wedlock in a small village with Catholic traditions was the reason for Genowefa & Andreas’ departure and sailing to America. It should be noted that Andreas immigrated on Oct. 22, 1822, per immigration records after finding him in the Württemberg Emigration Index, so she would have been pregnant at the time, just a few weeks from giving birth. It could also be unrelated; they didn’t marry until 1829 in Buffalo. They were both Wäschenbeuren natives, and only 10 months apart in age, so whether there was a romantic history between them or not, they would have known each other in the old country regardless and reunited in America.
An interesting note – in the early 2000s, I was contacted by a man who lives in Wäschenbeuren, and he descends of Joseph Bieser, a brother of Andreas, who obviously never left the village. He says he knew the location of the Bieser family farm and it remained in the family for many generations, and also that World War II bombings badly impacted the village.
I am a descendant of the following families from Württemberg:
- BENTZEL
- BIESER
- BRAUN
- BRIESEL
- DANGELMAIER (DANGELMAYER, TANGELMAYER)
- FISCHER
- HECKENLAIBLE
- HOCKENMAIER
- KAISER
- KÖPLER
- KUEN
- KUERNER
- MAEB
- MÄLL
- MAIER
- SCHMITT
- SCHWAB
- WAGNER
- WEILER
- WILHELM
One interesting note on Heckenlaible, which was the maiden name of Andreas Bieser’s mother Franziska & an unusual surname only known to occur in Württemberg – this surname became anglicized as Hickenlooper in America. Among the distant cousins are Andrew Hickenlooper, an Ohio civil engineer, politician, industrialist & Civil War veteran; and American politician Sen. John Hickenlooper, formerly Mayor of Denver and Governor of Colorado.
My only Württemberg ancestry that I’m aware of is through my mother’s side of the family.
Craig Kanalley 