UttershausenFamily

History

The ancient precious free and noble (Edelfrei) family von Uttershausen derives its name from the town of Uttershausen ("The town is first mentioned in 1100 in a fake and backdated to the year 1081 certificate, in which the Archbishop Siegfried I of Mainz founded by him in 1074, the donation of a monastery Hasungen farms "Oderadeshusun" confirmed. In another fake made ​​in 1200, which is backdated to 1131, confirmed Adalbert I of Mainz Hasungen the monastery one of the church belonging to Uttershausen Interest-bearing. In 1197, Pope Celestine III. Monastery Spies Kappel a farm in Uttershausen). From at least 1108 until at least 1290 local aristocracy is authenticated, which is called by Uhedereshusun (1108), Hottershusen (1221) and Uchter Husen (1229), but in Singlis or Lendorf was a resident. Henrich was one of Utershausen beginning of the 13th Century provincial judge to Maden [16 miles south of Todenhausen, 6 miles north of Uttershausen and Maden is in the district of Gudensberg]." The eldest mentioned ancestor of this family is Otrat of Uttershausen with no dates or other information given (possibly Otradus in Latin, or possibly a disambiguation of Oderade, and/or Odo, Otto, or Udalrich, and also possibly sharing the common root Udal). Dates for Otrat are estimated based on his son Udalrich (mentioned in 1108 as Lord of Uttershausen), and even more specific dates for the subsequent generations. Therefore Otrat could be born appx. 1030-1072, for his son Udalrich to have been born by at latest 1090. As the investigation continues to discover more about Otrat and his origins, based on the foregoing, his father would be born before circa 1012-1054. The first several generations including Udalrich are recorded as Freiherr (translated in other cultures as "Baron") and as Knights in some citations and if my understanding of how the customs of nobility evolved in Germany during this period and after, this would indicate that when the rules for noble title changed after circa 1250 and again later in the 19th century that this family would be considered what became known as Uradel, ("primeval/original nobility"), wherease "The term refers to noble families whose ancestral lineage may be traced back to times before the Late Middle Ages, specifically to before either the year 1350 or 1400. It contrasts with Briefadel (lit. “letter nobility”), titles created by the monarch via letters patent, a fashion which, influenced by French practice, was introduced in Germany under Charles IV (r. 1346–1378). The term was introduced in the early 19th century. It was never adopted in Austria, where the corresponding term is alter Adel (“old nobility”). The term is used in standard German heraldic literature, such as the Almanach de Gotha (since 1907), where it is applies to all persons and families known to have carried specific titles of nobility before the year 1400. These families are further divided into the categories adlig (nobles and knights), freiherrlich (barons), and gräflich (counts). According to a more strict definition, reported by Der Große Brockhaus in 1928 (vol. 1, s.v. "Adel"), an attestation prior to 1350 is required." It appears from everything I have seen that this family meets that definition easily, being recorded as Freiherr (Free Lords) at least since 1108. Several members of the family have also been recorded as "Burgmann," who is roughly translated as "Castle Captain," and this title was also equivalent on the hierarchy to Freiherr or Baron's and also sometimes called Viscount (or almost a Count) in other cultures), this individual reported to the "Burggraf," "Lord of the Castle," who is generally higher than a Count but lower than a Duke in the hierarchy.

The history of this family is indicative of great wealth and influence in the Hessengau during the middle ages. The family split several times during its history into a number of identifiable lines and branches, is the subject of the 1963 article "Das Geschlecht Reinhard Aus Dem Stamme v. Uttershausen. [The Family Reinhard of the Tribe of Uttershausen]"[1] by Wolfgang Sturt, is mentioned prominently in 1868 by Frhr. (Baron) Schenck G. Schweinsberg, in "Zur Stammfolge v. Uttershausen." [The Standard Sequence of Uttershausen: from The History and Genealogies of the Hessian Nobility in the Journal Of The Association For Hessian History And Geography][2], and is considered one of the most successful middle class families to emerge from Hesse during the middle ages. Despite having not been recorded as Count's or higher in the feudal hierarchy (at least since 1108), it is remarkable that the family had many vassal's in its own right [2n] (such as von Allendorf, von Grüßen, von Winterscheid, von Linsingen, die Fraß (voratores), die Bugsorge, die von Holzheim) while the family itself was in fief to whomever controlled the bulk of the land comprising the modern state of Hesse such as the Counts Werner, Gisonen, Reichenbach, Ziegenhain, et al. from at least the 10th to 13th century. Many of the records of the history of this family comes to us from monastic and church citations recording the buying, selling, mortgaging, or donating of land and/or tithing rights in at least 20 different towns over an area of appx. 150 square miles in Northern Hesse centered around Homberg (Efze); with prominent towns associated with them or their affiliated families Uttershausen (Wabern), but also Todenhausen (Frielendorf), Rörshain (originally Reginharteshagen in Schwalmstadt), Heiligenberg (by Felsberg), Olfe/Ulfa (by Nidda), and many others.

By placing the von Uttershausen's into the context of accepted history, we see that they were originally Lords of Uttershausen in fief first to the Counts Werner I,II,III, and IV von Grüningen of Maden (etc.) until about 1121 and then to the Counts Giso IV and V until about 1137, then to the Counts Reichenbach, then to one of their descendant lines Counts of Ziegenhain, until Landgrave Ludwig I of Thuringia (through his marriage to Hedwig, heiress of Gudensberg), and finally after 1237 partly to the Archibishop of Mainz. It is known that the line of the Counts Werner von Grüningen and Giso of Gudensberg were strict followers and confidants of Emperor Henry IV even after he was forced by his son Henry V into abdication in 1105, and along with the struggles pertaining to that were in the middle of disputes over investiture among many parties including the Pope and the Archbishop of Mainz. How this has pertained to the evolution of this family we do not yet know specifics but there are ancient clues that lead back to some relationship there. It is peculiar that the two earliest known monastic citations for the town of Uttershausen, coinciding with our known pedigree of the heads of the family von Uttershausen, are alleged fakes made in circa 1100 and 1200 respectively backdated for 1084 and 1131 as presumed confirmation of deeds by Siegfried I, Archbishop of Mainz (believed to be of house Reginbodenen), whom we know were highly involved with Henry IV and the Investiture Controversy.

Federal Sterner War

Very little is found in writing about this topic yet, however it is cited by the title of a lecture given in 1995 by Wolfgang Sturt to the Genealogical Society in Electoral Hesse and Waldeck called ["The farmers from the tribe of family Reinhard of Uttershausen - in conjunction with the Sterner War, 1372-1374"][3]. As he is the author of [1] we know that he is a leading expert on the subject of this family and the lecture itself is evidence of this family's involvement with the Sterner War. Unfortunately we do not yet have a written account of this story. Reinhard, The Younger (of House Uttershausen), was Burgmann of Spangenberg at least in 1384 (as was his son Kuntze in the following generation), and Castle Spangenberg played a role in that war. The known history of the Count of Ziegenhain includes his direct involvement during the Sterner War with he and a company of 2,000 knights participating in a given battle.

One of the v. U. descendants is Reinhard the Younger, who in addition to being Lord of Todenhausen is also Burgmann of Spangenberg. Spangenberg is only a few miles away from Uttershausen, the hereditary seat of the family. The Knights and Lords of Spangenberg and Treffurt had their own hands full dealing with their own disputes and the loss of some of their lands owing in part to the War of Thuringian Succession; but otherwise the v. U. are not known to be related to that line (v. Treffurt). That is not to say there wasn’t a connection, the Spangenberg holdings were very near to Uttershausen, they originally held them in fief to the same Count as the Uttershausens were in fief to at that time (Ziegenhain), so clearly they all ran in the same circles. The unanswered question is why one of the v. U. clan would have been named Burgmann of Spangenberg, one would have thought the v. Treffurt’s would have handled that themselves. If we could learn more about the two Reinhard's v.U and v. Todenhausen involvement in the Federal Sterner War (which occurred after the von Treffurts lost their hold on Spangenberg), we might have some light shed upon this. The best guess at this point is that with the v. T. having lost Castle Spangenberg in the Thuringian War of Succession, that the v. U. clan must have remained in favor with the victors as the result of their involvement (whatever that was) for them to have been appointed Burgmann for two to three generations after the v. Treffurts, and during the period in which Otto the Contractor is reported to have resided at Castle Spangenberg.

Family

The origins of the family are still unclear. Things are very certain from Udalrich (mentioned as adult and Lord of Uttershausen in 1108), but his father Otrat and his origins are unknown. Even the name Otrat is a mystery with no other documented use of it for any other people in that era, other than himself and the name of a given street in the center of town, i.e. "Otratring," which is thought to be named for him. Onomastics and name etymology suggests that Otrat may be a two-part given name (other more common examples Otbert, Otfried, and Otmar) and possibly a disambiguation of Oderade as used in the name of the earliest known reference to the town so named, Oderadeshusun [3]. There has been found only one other instance of the given name Oderade in this era and that is for one Oderade, Provost or Prior of Quedlinburg Abbey circa 1200 (as evidenced by a reliquary recovered from that time that depicts him with Abbess Agnes I). Coincidentally or not, parts of northern Hesse were within the sphere of influence of the Quedlinburg Abbey during this period. Other than that coincidence there is no suggestion of a family relationship between the two Oderades. Throughout the reading of the history of this family and the activities of some of the family members, they are sometimes referred to as rich or one of the wealthiest families of northern Hesse during this period which is consistent with the rest of the information considering how much they possessed without the benefit of higher titles. This leads to two others questions that are unanswered for the chronicle of this family: (1) how and where did they obtain their wealth? and (2) how and why did they obtain their status as "high nobles of the precious free" (edelfrie, Latin: nobilis vir) already by at least 1108 [2k], long before the term began to be watered down and lost much of its unique meaning (circa 1250) [2b][2c]? Under normal circumstances and by definition this would imply that the von Uttershausen's from Otrat or earlier have descended from a previous dynastic nobility through male lineage. With that in mind, it is possible to uncover more clues to their origin since the only families with any documentation from that era are the dynastic noble lines or significant leaders of the clergy. Therefore the first place to begin looking to continue that investigation barring discovery of any further direct documentation regarding the origins of the family is to examine the history and relationships of their peers, neighbors, and the higher nobility in that period and place directly antecedent to them to find families that would be plausible candidates for them to have inherited from.

There are many citations [4][5] regarding the Uttershausen and affiliated families in the “Lordship,” “Tithing,” and “Manorial System and Landholding” records in the Lagis-Hessen library. This article refers to many of them and in the citations or references are provided links to a select few of them. Of particular interest, it appears as though Heinrich von Uttershausen, called “Knight,” “Lord of Uttershausen,” and “high noble of the precious free (Edelfrei),” his brothers, direct ancestor and descendants are the most notable and have many transactions of theirs recorded. It is evident from the confluence of these citations that there are not many towns in what is today known as “Schwalm-Eder-Kreis” (Schwalm-Eder County) in Hessen, that they did not have some direct land ownership or heavy influence in during at least the 1100’s-early 1300’s. In addition, the historical extracts of many of these towns contain other citations of families and business dealings with other Lord's that they are known to be inter-married with (v. Rückersfeld, Wildungen, Bischoff, et al.) or otherwise affiliated with (C. v. Reichenbach, C. v. Ziegenhain, et al.). These citations and those from other contemporaries for these respective towns help to piece together the story, timelines, and full account of their lives and deeds. All of this information is an additional independent validation of [1][2] and vice versa. From these citations the name Uttershausen referred to both the name of the place and the name of the local aristocracy from 1108-1290 and then from 1340-1568/1607 refers just to the name of the family. "A Evirhard [Eberhard] of Utirshusen mentioned around the same time, and in 1215, Henrich and Reinhard are expressed by Otershusen. The precious free and knight Heinrich von Uttershausen is 1237, 1249, 1253 and 1257 and his widow announced in 1285. A Hugo and Werner von Uttershausen [also called von Heiligenberg in the Lendorf citation, etc. and some of their descendants are von Olfe or Ulfa] be in the deed of 1249, as a former owner in the decade now deserted village Altengrüsen between Gemünden (Wohra) and Grüsen in Waldeck-Frankenberg."

Thanks to good research by the authors of [1] and [2], etc. we trace a number of descendant family lines from this origin. Starting with von Uttershausen, Udalrich's son Heinrich (about 1151 - after 1235) has retained the precedent and name von Uttershausen, while his brother Hugo I (about 1155 - after 1196), has gone on immediately to found the headship of a new branch, the von Heiligenberg (near Felsburg and Melsungen) (which in future generations adds another distinguished line, the second von Olfe/Ulfa family after the extinction of the first who is unrelated) [2h]. The main line of Heinrich von Uttershausen descends with prominence until circa 1385-1420, where Henn Reinhard, begins the new agnatic line Reinhard [the subject of 5], while Henn's older brother Kuntze retains the noble precedent von Uttershausen until the line is unheard of again after 1568/1607. Kuntze and Henn were the grandsons of Reinhard von Todenhausen, the Elder, Lord Mayor of Todenhausen, and sons of Reinhard von Todenhausen, The Younger, Burgmann of Spangenberg (of house Uttershausen) and Zeise von Wildungen (daughter of Gumpert, who is Lord of Cleinre and a Cleric of the Archdiocese of Mainz, of house Hohenfels from Burg Hohenfels (Allendorf)), the latter of which was also descended from earlier branches of other local noble families including von Rückersfeld, Bischoff, Weitershausen, Buchenau, Hachenberg, et al. After 1568/1607 there is no further mention of the family name von Uttershausen. There is likewise no further mention of the von Heiligenberg and von Ulfa branches. Much of the remainder of reference [1] is devoted to tracing the history of the Reinhard branch of the family, parts of which into the 20th century. The legacy of the Lords of Uttershausen falls to the Reinhard branch of the family which has known great success and has branches all over the world (with modern names spelled Reinhardt in many cases since the 18th century). Therefore, after 1568/1607 we talk exclusively about the history of the Reinhard/Reinhardt branch of the House of von Uttershausen. To learn more about the history and legacy of the affiliated family Heiligenberg of Hessen see The Chronicles of Heiligenberg.

Reinhard branch (from circa 1385-1420)

The telling of the ancient Reinhard family history (major descendant branch of von Uttershausen) would not be complete without also telling of the prominent noble maternal side of the Reinhard family that merges with them in the founding of the first agnatically surnamed ancestor (in this family) Henn Reinhard, late in the late 14th century. As mentioned above, Henn’s mother (and therefore the matriarch of the line) is Zise (Zeise) von Wildungen of house Hohenfels, who is the daughter of Gumpert von Wildungen, Lord of Creinre (modern Kleinern), a Cleric to the Diocese of Mainz, of the House of Hohenfels. Therefore Zeise v.W. of v.H.'s genealogy makes up half of the story for the Reinhard clan of northern Hesse origins from circa 1400. To read a rich account of the the history and legacy of the affiliated family Hohenfels of Hessen see The Chronicles of Amönau.

The von Wildungen’s [this particular branch is originally von Hohenfel’s] were a noble family of the Waldeck region prior to the 1500’s. The Reinhard ancestors did not use the v. W. epithet for very long, having originally descended from the more prominent noble House of Hohenfels and with it ending in the male lineage soon thereafter. But, the larger von Hohenfels family of Amönau, from which the Reinhard's Gumpert v.W. descends from continued with much success, founding several other prominent lines (all of which are therefore distant cousins of the Reinhard's). In 1283 this Gumpert von Wildungen, is the Lord of Creinre (modern town of Kleinern) and a Cleric of the Diocese of Mainz, is a vassal of the Count of Waldeck, and possesses a fortress, and commissioned the construction of a small village church. By 1509 that town was in the possession of the Lords of Lowenstein. Also, see the history of Geismar_(Fritzlar). For additional citations proving Gumpert, his occupation and so forth see: From monasterium.net, [1], [2] and [3]. "Date: 26 June 1415: Have the notary Gumpert Fabri of Wildungen, a cleric of the Mainz diocese, certifying that the Process between Göttweig and Thomas Grossel because the parish Mauttarn first decided the papal...etc&etc."

Briefly, The family of Hohenfels - From the Chronicles of Amönau - “They were a country of Hohenfels Counts of the ancient court Dautphe. They were located not far from the Lahn at Carlshütte and called for the first time in 1174. For the first time is a Ludwig von Hohenfels in 1174 teamed up with Conrad of Marburg as a witness at an investiture of a Count of Berg, confirming the Emperor Frederick I, as Sophie of Brabant, the state of Hesse for her minor son in possession. It is the [family] of Hohenfels opposed the alliance with the archbishopric of Mainz, but succumbed to the Prince's force. According to a deed dated 12 July 1249 were Konrad, Gumpert and Eckhard, brothers of Hohenfels, on the land Countess Sophie of Brabant her castle Hohenfels, but received it back as a fief. Also under the agreement dated 10 Langdorfer September 1263 praised the family name of Hohenfels Volpert Gen. Hosekin and Gumb[p]ert of Hohenfels with a total of 20 Knights of the country Countess Sophie of Brabant loyalty. Nevertheless, the two castles were destroyed in 1293 by Sophie's son, Henry. Maybe put in after the destruction of the main strongholds of Amönauer branch of the family of Hohenfels here on the castle's seat.” The line Amönau – Niederasphe - “The first mention of the family of Hohenfels in our area of interest can be found in the most ancient fief directory of the donation Wetter around 1220 / 1220th. Here Arnold von Hohenfels and his brother Henry and Werner Gumpert sons were enfeoffed with 9 farms from the pin Wetter. These farms should have been in Wetter, Amönau and Todenhausen. The family of Hohenfels was from St. Stephen's groups in Mainz Obtained in both Amönau (Amönau and Oberndorf) owned in fee, the 1226 between the pin on one side and Gumbert of Hohenfels and his nephew Volpert gene. Hosekin on the other hand, a calculation dispute ensued. These include: to the patronage, the court, four estates (country) and the interest in Amönau. In 1212 the Archbishop of Mainz, Gerhard had the right of patronage in "Amena" donated to the St. Stephen's pen at Mainz, probably possible here, the reason was the patron dispute. According to a document dated 7 January 1227 saw the Main hiss judge tithing "in both Amena [Amönau and Oberndorf]" from the heirs Gumberts, Ritter von Hohenfels and Volpert, his brother's son and the St. Stephen's pen to. Enfeoffed in 1270 the Dean and Chapter of St. Stephan in Mainz, the three sons of Gumpert of Hohenfels, Konrad, Gumpert and Ekkehard, and the sons of the late gene. Volperts Hosekin, Craft and Volpert, with the tithes of Amönau, the well connected to the church patronage, and the goods in Steiner Stockhausen [Sterzhausen] and half of the tithes to Asphe against 5 talents Denanien annually as Erblehen.”

Unfortunately the Chronicles of Amönau, while very interesting and tell us a lot about the Hohenfels ancestry and some of their other descendant lines (Reinhard distant cousins by marriage), does not tell us anything of the biography of the Reinhard's Gumpert v.W. nor his daughter Zeise/Zise, except that it names Gumpert, his parents and siblings, which independently validate the pedigree in [1] (enough to cross-validate that he existed and they are one in the same person). The story telling in the Chronicle continues with the line of Amönau which proceeds from Gumpert’s brother Damian and his descendants; whilst Gumpert according to [1] lives in Wildungen, is married to Hille von Rueckersfeld and we only know of his daughter through her marriage to Reinhard von Todenhausen. The chronicle is a story of the history of the town Amönau and so does not begin or end with the Hohenfels (the town was originally owned by the Counts Gisonen); and this history of Dautphetal validates the Hohenfels ancient claim to the Count of Dautphe and explains why they had to "forsake their rights in 1249 under pressure from Sophie. Hohenfels Castle was razed in 1293. Only meagre ruins are to be seen of it today."

Possessions

Uttershausen http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uttershausen http://www.lagis-hessen.de/de/subjects/idrec/sn/ol/id/4299

Todenhausen http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Todenhausen_%28Frielendorf%29 http://www.lagis-hessen.de/de/subjects/idrec/sn/ol/id/4767

Sendberg (see Todenhausen) http://www.lagis-hessen.de/de/subjects/idrec/sn/ol/id/63400414001

Rörshain http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%B6rshain http://www.lagis-hessen.de/de/subjects/idrec/sn/ol/id/4716

Heinrich von Uttershausen (Knight, Judge of Maden, Lord of Uttershausen, “a high noble of the precious free”) (bef 1200 – aft 1278), grandson of Udalrich, great-grandson of Otrat von Uttershausen [1]; and his wife Bertha (abt 1249 – aft 1285, mentioned as widow after 1285), sold some of his land in 1238 to the Monastery Haina, reserving for life his fief. In 1260 Heinrich pledged 10% of the tithes of the town Rörshain (located 20km / 12mi south-south-west of Uttershausen) to Monastery Haina, and in 1278 Heinrich (or Bertha his widow, as one report has Heinrich deceased about 1269) confirmed that the Monastery Haina has bought his property and made lawful waiver to it. The name of the town today known as Rörshain was originally called Reginharteshagen (see Note b) in 1238 (Monastery Abbey Archive V No. 102); then Reinhardeshagen in 1255; Reinhartshan in 1269; Reinhart Hein in 1334; Reynershain in 1502; Rershain in 1585; Röhrshayn, 1747; and finally known since then as Rörshain. Rörshain lies above the Gers (tributary of river Schwalm) on the main road from the direction of 3074 and is reached on highway 254 from Ziegenhain. South of the town there is a sand pit which is one of the most important prehistoric sites in Hesse from the Ice Age and the Stone Age (discovered in 1938 near the "Reutersruh"). At this site are rich quartzite deposits, an inexhaustible material depot for stone tools, some are on exhibit now in the museum in Schwalm Ziegenhain. The town church that was built around 1300 was destroyed in a bombing during WWII on 24 March 1945.

Allendorf (Frielendorf) http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allendorf_%28Frielendorf%29 http://www.lagis-hessen.de/de/subjects/idrec/sn/ol/id/3928

Linsingen http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linsingen_%28Frielendorf%29 http://www.lagis-hessen.de/de/subjects/idrec/sn/ol/id/4665

Winterscheid (now part of Gilserberg) http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winterscheid_%28Gilserberg%29 http://www.lagis-hessen.de/de/subjects/idrec/sn/ol/id/4807

Burg Heiligenberg http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burg_Heiligenburg http://www.lagis-hessen.de/de/subjects/idrec/sn/ol/id/7622

Spieskappel (Bailiwick) http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kloster_Spieskappel http://www.lagis-hessen.de/de/subjects/idrec/sn/ol/id/634004130

Ulmes (now part of Neuenhain) http://www.lagis-hessen.de/de/subjects/idrec/sn/ol/id/4294 http://www.lagis-hessen.de/de/subjects/idrec/sn/ol/id/4167 http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuental

Others recorded as vassals of von Uttershausen at one time or another, with no further information or links: Stecksdorf, Grüsen (maybe http://www.lagis-hessen.de/de/subjects/idrec/sn/ol/id/1151), Holzheim (maybe http://www.lagis-hessen.de/de/subjects/gsrec/current/3/sn/ol?q=Gr%C3%BCsen)

Other manorial or tithing rights in 22 other towns that they bought, sold, mortgaged, traded, or donated; established by available citations, they at least owned partial rights in these other towns and were most likely involved in the founding of many of them as many of the citation lists record initial or very early events involving a member of the von Uttershausen family: Lendorf, Struth, Roppershain, Bergheim, Bubenhausen, Waßmuthshausen, Niedergrenzebach, Alboldsberg, Bobenhausen, Schloßrode, Schellbach, Lanertshausen, Udenborn, Caßdorf, Relbehausen, Freudenthal, Remsfeld, Allendorf An Der Landsburg, Lenderscheid, Salmshausen, Sondheim, Lohne, Unshausen, Großenenglis. See http://www.lagis-hessen.de/de/subjects/gsform/sn/ol

The von Uttershausen family during Otrat’s time was in fief to the Count’s Werner (I-IV) followed in subsequent generations by the two Counts Gisonen, then later the Counts Reichenbach, then the Counts Ziegenhain, then Henry Raspe for a short period, until finally falling to the Landgrave of Hesse after the 17-year war of Thuringian Succession. Now then you will see from this illustration that in 1249, the Lords of Uttershausen were in fief to the Count von Reichenbach, and at that time had three lesser noble families in fief to them (v. Grusen, v. Stecksdorf, and v. Allendorf). You will note that where v. Reichenbach appears in this feudal pyramid, at different times you would replace them with a Werner, Giso, Reichenbach, or Ziegenhain count depending on the timeframe. The "Herren von Uttershausen" place in the feudal hierarchy in 1249[6][2d]: http://www.digam.net/dokument.php?ID=1274 (this document provides citations for Heinrich von Uttershausen, as well as Hugo and Werner von Heiligenberg, also called von Uttershausen).

Coat of Arms

von Uttershausen

In red, a silver {mill, grinder}, sitting out two mutually turning green parakeets with a golden collar; plainly speaking: On the helmet with red and silver roof a parakeet of the shield between a closed flight of gold and red.

[1a] "Johannes Rietstap.", Armorial General, Volume II,. and other sources: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Rietstap>. <http://www.euraldic.com/blas_aa.html>, <http://www.blazonsearch.com/index.php>, <http://archive.org/details/armorialgnra02rietuoft>.

die Reinhard

In French: D'or, à un renard rampant de gueules, soutenu d'un tertre de sinople. Casque couronné; in English means {on a gold field, a red fox rearing, standing on a mound of green grass, wearing a crowned helmet}

Introduction to the Master List

In the effort to understand the history of an ancient family it is useful to examine not only what is written about them specifically, but also of their contemporaries and the culture of their time and place. To that end, the following are a few selected quotes from key source documents that provide the necessary context and authoritative sources for this history from [1] and [2] which document the von Uttershausen family with several of their related and affiliated families as well as many of their neighbors and peers. The following selections are machine translated with original German text included in the references and notes so that better translations can hopefully be found:

[2a]"In the first half of the 12th Century the number of free families Hesse was very considerable. [So], for example, testified in 1107 to Marden (at Homberg) 37 "homines ingenui Hassie regionis" [Hesse, the region of the human mind] and 23 Hersfeldische "servientes" [serving] a gift, and when in 1146 the abbot of Hersfeld decided a dispute over a [farm] to Wighardesdorf (deserted in court Kirchditmold), at this meeting were present the following free: E. de Duringeberc (Dörnberg), E. de Heckereshusun (Heckershausen), A. de Wimare (Weimar), B. de Waldolfeshun (Wahlershausen) and B. de Welehethen (Wehlheiden), which because the villages, after which these people called themselves, are quite adjacent to a significant number of free suggests in other parts of Hesse."

[2b]"It is known that the difference in the birth was like between the less affluent and the [free] often powerful ministeriales the mediation of chivalry in the second half of the 12th and in the early 13th Century made ​​gradually. The ministerial Nexus merged completely with the feudal association, in which at that time probably without exception, each was free, the wealthiest to the poorest. Towards the middle of the 13th Century we find out the name accordingly to our ministerial certificates and more rare. The interest of the larger landowners in the strict conservation of their [service attendants] faded more and more, and first in their instruments can be found at the mentioned witnesses the vassals, no matter whatever rank, standing in colorful series, or by their position in the Knights and the prestige which they Age and possession were classified, while the 12th Century, the [free] is always performed well against the powerful ministry officials. [So], for example, are in a 1144 deed [Fritzlar Mainz European certificate issued] (Kuchenbecker, Analecta hatred. IV, p 344) E., W. and H. de Hebelde (ancestors of the family of Falkenberg and Hebel) and the brothers H and W . de Caseberg (from the family of the later reeves of von Käseberg) before Embricho Ringravo, [from the powerful Rhinegrave race, but which belonged to Mainz European ministerials.]"

[2c]"One finds, however, still in the first half of the 13th Century a number of Hessian families, which, though not in the country [Count records], but in those who issued those families themselves, or their relatives by Count houses, almost always by the ministry officials, even if they are not explicitly identified as such, carefully [separated and often with] the title "[free]" or "[noble]". 1260 still finds himself in a certificate issued to Homberg called "[free soldiers]." The title "noble" gradually lost its old meaning, and in this period was often given too powerful ministry officials."

[2d]"A document from the year 1249 (Kopp, the lords of Itter, p 189) shows quite sharp in the vanishing difference between [free] and ministry officials. Hugo of Heiligenberg, a suitor (see below at the of Uttershausen), had laid claim to the monastery Haina because of tithes and was therefore kept in the palace at that time Corvey'ichen Lichtenfels in Waldeck arbitration, which from 1) St John's brother Werner, [former Count of Battenberg], 2) Conrad of Itter, 3) Henry of Uttershausen, 4) Sibodo of Itter 5) Henry, eanonieus to Soest, 6) Eckebert, pastor at Frankenberg, 7) Anton of Godelovesheim (Goddelsheim in Waldeck), 8) Hartmann von Lindenborn at (the deserted village near Gemünden Wohra) and 9) of the Godefrid Lutterbach ([farm] Lauterbach in the reign Itter) existed. These nine people ertheirten her award "singuli jure suo, religiosi videlicet [all right, the religious] (ie No. 1, 5 and 6) by suum ordinem et obedientiam, liberi [its order and obedience free] (2, 3, 4) by fidem et militaris ordinis dignitatem [faith and order of military rank], ministeriales by fidem et omagium quibus suis Forent Domin obligati sunt [omagium which they are bound, and the faith of his would be master]."

[2e]"As in other areas, we can also find us at the free predominantly owned by the feudal court, such as the old Centgraf families, as well as the judges of the 13th Hessian Century consistently free."

[2f]"You can still meet towards the end of the 13th Century towards the richer Hessian [free] almost always married to women of her class, or with daughters of neighboring houses [Earl]. As at that time in these circles marriages with daughters, even the most respected ministry officials were seen, the example of the [free] Reinhard of Hanau, who, when he was married to Adelaide, daughter of [rich wealthy kingdom ministerial] Ulrich von Münzenberg in the belief that they that noble and free him of the same origin should be explained along with his children in 1273 by the Emperor expressly for free and noble and free them from all easement let (Fürth, the ministry officials). In contrast, the professional equality between our Hessian counts and [free] is explicitly expressed in a deed of 1227 (Kuchenbecker Erbhofämter). Landgrave Henry concluded a contract with the then Earl of Battenberg: we promised each other mutual sleeve counts were men castle in Marburg and took her castle Ketterberg fief. Then, set forth that if reluctant, the Landgrave, would the requirements of grazing to meet in certain goods, should it them by their comrades, let reminder for landgrave free men ("cum sibi consimilibus, nostris videlicet liberis hominibus" [with a similar, namely our children, men]) friendly."

27) Die von Ulfa (Olfo, Olefe).

[2g]"This family took its name from the village of Ulfa in the Vogelsberg, north of Nidda. In a document from the year 1129 (Gudenus Cod graduate, III., Beyer, Hontheim r.) Is the [free], which attest the same, between Hartrad Merenberg and Marquard von Solms (mentioned in passing, the first link in the first detectable later noble family) a Eckeharud de Holefe. I have tried in vain to Figure out a family of that name in the Rhine area, since the possibility existed that E. d. H. could be a Trierischer Noble, which was located in the company of the Archbishop of Trier, the issuer of the certificate, Since Eckehard stands between two Lahngauischen Noble, so perhaps the assumption is to search his home until further notice in the village Olefe."

[2h]"From this village, from two families, an older and, after their extinction, a younger, whose business Genealogie will be delivered at the of Uttershausen. Family belong to the older, except Eckhard, muthmaßlich yet:"

[2i]"dominus Heinricus Olf et de uxor ejus Ospern in a register of the goods Ruppert monastery near Bingen (Beyer), after which he gave e goods in the Rheingau in 1150 this monastery. Olle was de Cannes 1174, it seems, in the wake of the Archbishop of Mainz to S. Casfiano in Italy (Stumpf, acta Moguntina). Godebraht and Guntram de Olfo testify 1183 Hersseldische one certificate for the investment of Ruppertsberg far Ulfa (Wenck III). 1222 and 1227 a knight Guntram de Olfe Burgmann was Grünberg. His wife, Gwendolyn was her second husband called the Knight Burkard, printsak Göns of married and lived for the 1265th Guntram's children were: The Knight Guntram de Olefo, Burgmann to Grünberg, which was the last of his tribe from 1250 to 1287 documented occurs. Cunegonde, 1255. 1256 is called Guntram nobilis vir dominus dictus G. de Olefo. His wife, Jutta von Kronberg was (Taunus)."

[2j]"This family was from the same tribe as the gift to Schweinsberg and the reeves of Fronhausen; fell they led the same coat of arms and her Erbeigen to Ulsa documented after their extinction at the taverns, while other possessions there to the Heiligenberg, mentioned are from Ulfa, come to seem. The detail these kinship relations will be delivered at a later opportunity."

28) Die von Uttershausen, von Heiligenberg, von Heiligenberg, genannt von Ulfa*).

[2k]"Already in 1108 there lived a Free Udalrich de Uhdereshusun (Wenck II), which took its name from the village in Uttershausen Wabern. During the 12th Century, the family of Uttershausen divided into two lines. Hugh II of Uttershausen and his successors wrote alternately since 1223 and of the Heiligenberg [Holy Mountain], based on the [same Mainz European castle] which in the 13th Century have temporarily inhabited (see journal of the Association VIII, p 77). Of this line can be found:"

[chart omitted (see Master List below)]

[2l]"The 1196 occurring among [free] Isfiridus de Heiligenberg (Wenck II, 129) is probably a person with Isfridisu de Bentreffe (deserted village near Rosenthal), which 1215 Fritzlar one archbishop testified certificate (Anal Hass. III. P. 130). 1261 still a Isfrid de Bentrephe servus nobilis [noble servant] to find the au Gemünden Wohra (Wenck II)."

[chart omitted (see Master List below)]

[2m]"The other line of the Uttershausen whose members endured often to Homberg, had the bailiwick [jurisdiction] of the monastery Spies-Kappel, which they sold the 1221st."

[chart omitted (see Master List below)]

[2n]"The family was in the early 13 Century to the wealthiest of Hesse and had many noble vassals, including for example the (voratores) von Allendorf, von Grüßen, von Winterscheid, Linsingen, die Fraß, the Bugsorge belonging of von Holzheim, but its importance declined rapidly. Their coat of arms is not yet known (see, however, from the Heiligenberg [Holy Mountain], named by Ulfa), issued in all of these documents is expressly stated that they had no own seal."

[2o]"The delivered in Wessels armorial crest was a homonymous, in the 14th Homberger Patriciersamilie century occurring at whose members often lead the names Widdekind and Heinrich. Sun 1464 the "veste, cautious, wyse Jonkher widdekynde of Utershusin" was mayor of Homberg and yet in 1568 there is an eponymous landgräflicher vassal. Keep the descendants of these Patriziersamilie of this old free [family] is unlikely because such names are identical in Hesse without any context is common."

Die von Heiligenberg, genannt von Ulfa.

[2p] "After the death of the knight Guntram of Ulfa, the last of his tribe, was called back first 1345 a noble family after this Vogelsberger village whose genealogy is as follows:"

[chart omitted (see Master List below)]

[2q]"This family had the 14th Acquired Century Ziegenhainische, Fuldaische and Hanauische Burglehen to Stornfels, Münzenberg Bingenheim and Hanau, and also had the following goods and tithing: A Kemnate, ßferden a farm and land at 6, the Waßmutshos called what Count Gottfried von Ziegenhain freed 1359 Craft said I., a sheep and 7 Hofreiden to Ulfa, [farms] to Wetterfeld (at Laubach) and Rabenshausen (with Ulfa), re tithes. to Lauter (at Grünberg), Ningershausen (with Ulfa) re."

[2r]"These goods received before 1447 by Kurt Schlüchtern called Kahenbiß, and his descendants to the Hessian fief (Ulrich von Schl. Gen. K., Kurt's son, 1458)."

[2s]"The family of Heiligenberg [Holy Mountain], named by Ulfa led label alongside, the [helmet ornament] consisted of two eagles' wings. This will therefore have been the emblem of our Hessian-free family of Uttershausen."

34) Die von Hohenfels, (relevant to the Reinhard branch who descends maternally from Zeise v. W.)

[2t]"Cent Counts the Court Dautphe. Already 1174 (Lacomblet I) lived a Lodewicus de Hosnvels; castle of the same, which was applied in 1249 to Duchess Sophie in fee must therefore have existed even then."

Master List

(primarily from [1] with some additions or clarifications from [2] (machine translated with corrections as feasible)

[1b]"The [northern] Hessian Reinhard [Farmer] [family] goes with almost certainly return to the noble free [family] v. Uttershausen and likely with 25 [family] successes (of which the first nine are most likely) one of the most remarkable pedigrees middle class families in Hesse. The [family] is widespread and sat the 19th Century estates in Homberg "In Freiheit" [In freedom,] Landershausen, [deserted], Unterweisenbom, Urlettig well as domain Fürsteneck, Neuenstein and monastery Haina. The author was keen to publish the Hornberger family line and still landed lines Unterweisenborn and Landershausen. That the standard sequence can be traced back as far as, the family owes the records of the monks of Kloster Kappel (today Spies-Kappel Frielendorf), in whose territory was established centuries. Genealogy is the study of the elderly to the credit of the deceased pastor Oskar Hütteroth in Treysa."

• I. Otrat von Uttershausen, est. born 1030-1072 (Herr auf Uttershausen bei Wabern)
• II. Udalrich von Uttershausen, est. bef 1103 – aft 1151 (Herr of Uttershausen, mentioned as adult by 1108)
  • III. Heinrich von Uttershausen, est. bef 1151 – aft 1235 (mentioned as adult by 1151)
    • IV.1. Reinhard, bef 1196 – aft 1215 (mentioned as adult erw. 1198 und 1215)
    • IV.2. Heinrich, bef 1200 – aft 1269, (liber [free], nobilis vir [the noble], Richter [Judge] of Maden 1215, Witnessed 8.8.1253, 14.3.1259, 20.6.1269; ∞ Bertha) see V
    • IV.3. Eberhard, bef 1230 – aft 1259 (nobilis vir [the noble] 1213, witnessed 14.3.1259)
    • IV.4. Meinrich, bef 1221 – aft 1249 (Canonicus [Church Dignitary] to Fritzlar 1221, 1249)
  • III.2 Hugo I von Uttershausen, (mentioned 1155) (see Note [a])
    • Hugo II de Uttershausen, (mentioned 1196, 1219 nobilis, 1223 de Heiligenberg, d. bef. 1249); also cited in other sources as contemporary of Heinrich and Meinrich and witness circa 1235
      • Hugo III, dictus de Heiligenberg und de Uttershausen, (mentioned 1243 bis 1263), married to Elisabeth
        • Hugo IV de Heiligenberg, Squire, Burgmann zu Dorfen, 1310, father of Crafto I. von Olfe (Ulfa).
      • Wernher d. Heiligenberg, (mentioned 1268, Mönch \{monk\})
        • Wernher de Uttershausen, (mentioned nobilis, 1213, d. bef. 1249); also cited in other sources as contemporary of Heinrich and Meinrich and witness circa 1235
        • Children, (mentioned 1256)
• V. Heinrich von Uttershausen, bef 1200 – aft 1269, (liber [free], nobilis vir [the noble], Richter [Judge] of Maden 1215, Witnessed 8.8.1253, 14.3.1259, 20.6.1269; ∞ Bertha abt 1249 – aft 1285)
  • V.1. Heinrich, bef 1253 – aft 1278 (nobilis vir, miles, [noble soldier] mentioned 1253 – 1278), see V.1
  • V.2. Meinrich, bef 1254 – aft 1284 (mentioned 1254 – 1284)
    • Reinhard, d. aft 1263 (mentioned 1263)
  • V.3. Reinhard, d. bef 1254
• V.1. Heinrich von Uttershausen, bef 1253 – aft 1278 (nobilis vir, miles)
• VI. Reinhard von Uttershausen, bef 1260 – aft 1316, Lord of Todenhausen near Frielendorf (mentioned 1229), (dominus de Thudenhusen, mentioned in Koplar monastery in Kappel 1304, 1312, and 8/3/1316), see VI Lord Todenhausen at Frielendorf (dominus [owner] de Thudenhusen), ext. Koplar in the monastery Kappel 1304, 1312 and 3rd 8th 1316, in which year he relinquishes rights); an early 13th Century possess v. Uttershausen the bailiwick [jurisdiction] of the monastery Kappel with their rights and obligations and sell them on the 2nd Third 1221 and 4th 12th 1222 back to the monastery (the monastery records Lappel in St. Arch. Marburg).
• VII. Eberhard von Uttershausen, on the mountain (Sendberg), abt 1300 – aft 1369, Todenhausen from Kloster Kappel from the (send) Mountains Eberhard "in the mountains", * in 1300, died after 1369, Lord Todenhausen, ext. Third 5th 1369, where he is out of other nobles witness when selling young Tzelner and his marital landlady [wife] Isentrud goods in Ebersdorf at the Kloster Kappel.
• VIII. Reinhard von Uttershausen, the Elder, Reinhard "on the mountain (Sendberg)", "the old man", born about 1325, died after 18th 11th 1384, Mr. Todenhausen, 3 5 1369 mentioned in Gen. deed with his father
• IX. Reinhard von Todenhausen, the Younger, Reinhard "on the mountain (Sendberg)", "boy", Lord of Todenhausen, Burgmann to Spangenberg (1384); ∞ in 1380 Zise v. Wildungen, T. v. Gompert v. W.; 18 11th 1384) (see Haus Hohenfels) Abbot Dietrich certified to Kloster Kappel that Johann Hermann v. Beisheim and his son on the one hand, and Reinhard "in the mountains, the boy" and Zisen whose marital landlady [his wife], on the other hand, because of the good that Gompert have inherited v. Wildungen blessed his children, would tolerate amicably. 2 1/2 years later 19. 4th 1387 Reinhard confess again "on the mountain" and Cise, whose marital landlady [his wife] that she with Hermann v. Beisheim, and John, his son, had left because of the good that Gompert v. Wildungen Cisen father said, were compared.
  • IX.1. Kuntze (called Spangenberg) von Todenhausen, abt 1380 – aft 1429 Homberg, (see continuation of the Haus Uttershausen line) led back to the old family names v. Uttershausen; 14 Second 1429 admits he and Katrina, his ehel. landlady [wife] that she on the Jungfrau [Virgins] monastery of St. George before Homberg 1 pound money from Hessian currency and, by the improvement of their house and Hobestatt to St. George over the leg home, and from their estates the Davidte located, both imaginary monastery heritage, would have sold for 14 pounds of pennies to the soul endowment wiederkäuflich [re-sale]. (Even on 14 1st 1358) Heinrich v. Uttershausen owned and Gheludies, ehel. his landlady [wife], a garden in Wassmuthshausen at Homberg Gen. [called] Ruprachten the garden, and sold him to the monastery of St. George wiederlöslich [soluble again] 3 Vs for pennies.) The putative descendants of Kuntze v. Uttershausen were invested with the Kemnate and the yard to Waßmannshausen (Wassmuthshausen) namely
    • On 30/03/1421 Wittekind v. Uttershausen, 1430 bailiff in Hauneck.
    • On 01/11/1448 Claus and U. v. Henrich, Wittekinds sons Henrich was treasurer in 1460 Homberg, 1473 canon and hess Council in Kassel, 1480 canon t, before the 1486th
    • On 17.5.1506 Curt and Wittekind v. U., brothers.
    • On 31.7.1535 Wittekind and Hans v. U., sons of the late Curt.
    • On 27.3.1568 Wittekind v. U., Blessed son Curt.
    • On 02.10.1573 Jost and Curt, underage sons of Wittekind v. U.
    • On 28.6.1593 v. U. Jost, Wittekinds Blessed Son.
    • On 19/05/1607: Upon the death of Jost v. Uttershausen the feud is like home, and is Hans Ernst von Habel invested so. 1464 Wittekind v. Uttershausen is called as citizens mayor to Homberg.
  • IX.2. Henn Reinhard, abt 1385 – aft 1420, Landowner in Todenhausen, the village of Reginharteshagen (known today as Rörshain) was named after this family, this is the beginning of the new Reinhard line, see X
• X. Henn Reinhard, born abt 1385 – died early in 1420, start use of Reinhard surname as new branch of this family. Landowners in Todenhausen, with him begins the documentary backed standard sequence, his widow paid up in 1460 tithes to the Kloster Kappel (StArch. Marburg interest register of the monastery Kappel) in the register of 1460 states that it "has Cuntzes bezahlet (her son) czhenden Tpe Vite (tempore vitae = the time of her life)", therefore she died 1460th Bridesmaid Renhart presumably. His sister (the title of maid at that time were only noble lady), bequeathed the Kloster Kappel a tenth of an acre to Hermmansdorf village (now deserted at Spies Kappel), which won in 1450 the same 28 bushels of fruit. After the family R. probably Reynhartshain the village is named, is mentioned in 1462 in the interest of the convent register Kappel.
• XI. Kuntze Reinhard, born around 1415 (mutm. Godfather: his uncle Kuntze v. Uttershausen), died in 1490, landowners in death Hausen had the Kloster Kappel also Lehngüter in Verna and Frielendorf mentioned in tithe registers 1446, 1448, 1462 and 1489.
  • XI.1. Kuntze Reinhard, d. aft 1503, Landowner in Todenhausen, [yet mentioned 1503 as "the old man", leaving descendants, 1537 (Hornberger Salbuch) lives but no Reinhard more in Todenhausen His MutM son Henn Reinhard lives in 1537 Obergrenzebach and pays this year dues to the country's sovereignty, yet [not after] 1650, there are descendants of him ibid.] means that after 1537 he no longer lives in Todenhausen and after 1650 there are no descendants of his in Todenhausen; At this point there are no more records for his descendants in Homberg. However, it is likely that Kuntze is the one who has moved or traveled to the Alsfeld area beginning the Alsfeld branch of Reinhard, starting with Asmus b. abt 1502 in Alsfeld and his son Lorenz who is born near Todenhausen (in Gudensberg, Maden) with his subsequent generations then settling in Billertshausen near Alsfeld that is documented by Heinz-Art Reinhardt), (see Haus Reinhard aus Alsfeld).
  • XI.2. Johannes Reinhard (called Henn), \~1445 - \~1504, m. to daughter of Altkonzen family. One of the branches that descends from him is a branch descending maternally from one who immigrated to Peru after 1755 (∞ to Ehrenfeld) and is currently in Chile who is the source of MM7Y-CWZ], which documents portions of this same pedigree from an affiliated family back to circa 1235; see XII.

Descendant Lists

• XII. Johannes gen. Henn Reinhard, born 1445 in Todenhausen, died between 1504 and 1515 in Verna, farmers in Verna, ext. 1489 and 1494 in the tithe register of the monastery Kappel; ibid. married the farmer's daughter Altkonzen that he prob. 1489 wrote on his farm, because this year he pays tithing instead "Aldconzen" inherited this farm in 1504 and a daughter, "the Eydam" [son-in-law].
• XIII. Johannes Reinhard, born 1475 in Verna, died 1526 in Frielendorf (will be phased out in tithe register 1525), since 1504 Müller and Kodenbesitzer Frielendorf at the cemetery, bought von Heintze Bidencap; married Gela Weyner from Oberkappel (Spies Kappel), they paid since 1527 tithing and seems a very been excellent wife to be, the larger their farm, because she pays taxes in 1534 by 14 different fields and pastures. She paid not only taxes, but also had income from a self Lotze Eckhard in Wernswig. 1537 is no longer mentioned in the Hornberger Salbuch. sons:
  • 1 John Kodenbesitzer Frielendorf pays, 1537 at the hess' leadership, which has taken the monastic property, 10 bus "service allowance".
  • 2 Heintze, see XIV
• XIV. Heintze Reinhard, born 1520 in Frielendorf, died between 1574 and 1587 in Wernswig, farmers in Wernswig, 1574 in Hornberger Salbuch ext. at the department, which held 1537 Henn Engemann, it can therefore be assumed that he has in his "service" into married in Hornberger Salbuch of 1587, he is no longer called.
• XV. Johannes gen. [called] Hans Reinhard, born 1555 in Wernswig, ibid died after 1600, farmer and publican ibid., possessed after Hornberger Salbuch of 1587 (StArch. Marburg, pp. 268) house, barn, stables, and brandy extract House pub opposite the rectory side of the stream, on land 1 1/2 hooves (about 74 acres), 3 horses, 2 cows and 14 sheep; married ibid. around 1585, the daughter of the farmer Hans Eckhardt (3 [farms] owner), who shall farm its half wrote about, in Hornberger Salbuch of 1537 is about Hans Eckhard later hand written about Hans Reinhard, the other half of the "large corner hard'schen" fell to his son Henry Eckhardt.
• XVI. Johannes gen. Hans Reinhard, born in Wernswig about 1595 died, limited ibid. 7th 6th 1670 (KB), Bauer and juror ibid, ibid married in 1624 Elizabeth, 1599, died 26th Wernswig 5th 1674, 75 years old. Children born in Wernswig:
  • 1 John, * about 1626, see XVII.
  • 2 John (fill in the name even two brothers), * in 1630, conf. Homberg Easter 1644, farmers in Linsingen, where he appears as 02/02/1656 godfather of his nephew in Wernswig.
  • 3 Barbara, born in 1640, conf. Wernswig Easter 1653; married ibid. 7th 6th 1660 John Rode from Seibert (Siebert Hausen).
• XVII. Johannes Reinhard, born in Wernswig about 1626 died 18 ibid 10th 1696, ibid 70 years old, farmer and alderman; married ibid. 11. 7. 1650 Catherine Völker in Leimsfeld born in Ziegenhain around 1628 died in Wernswig after 1696, T. v. Kurt V., Bauer [Farmer] in Leimsfeld. Children born in Wernswig:
  • 1 Elizabeth - 30. 11. 1651 (sponsor: the father's mother), conf. ibid 19th 4th 1663, Sondheim died after 1711; married Wernswig 06/06/1671 Hector Leise (Leyse) died before 1711, son of v. Valentin L. of Sondheim.
  • 2 Konrad, born 29. 12. 1653 (Godfather of Völker's in Leimsfeld) conf. Wernswig Easter 1666 Kurt R., t Neuenhain (parish Dillich) died Neuenhain (proclaimed in Wernswig) June or May 1686 Elizabeth Kniese, T. v. Philip K. in Neuenhain.
  • 3 Johannes called Hans born 2. 2. 1656 (sponsor: the Father's brother von Linsingen) conf. ibid Easter 1666, ibid Bauer [Farmer] court Alderman ibid.; married in Wernswig 5. 11. 1682 Martha Vollmar, T. v. Kurt V. Wabern.
    • - 3 sons, 3 daughters -; descendants in Wernswig until 1778.
  • 4 Anna Elisabeth born 9. 12. 1658 (Godfather: wife of Friedrich Völker, the mother's brother, in Frielendorf) died in Leuderode; Leuderode married (proclaimed in Wernswig) 3 6th 1679 Johannes Hildebrand, S. v. Henry H. of Leuderode.
  • 5 Johannes born 18. 6. 1661, see XVIII.
  • 6 Anna Elisabeth, born 24. 1. 1664 (sponsor: the grandmother, wife of the elder John R.), Homberg died (with her brother) 29. 3. 1729.
  • 7 Barbara born 7. 9. 1666 (Godfather: wife of John Rode, father's sister), died in Verna; married Wernswig 14. 4. 1687 John Keyser, farmers in Verna.
  • 8 Young Daughter, died in Wernswig 21 11. 1667
  • 9 Anna born 4. 7. 1669 died young.
  • 10 Friedrich, born 24. 6. 1670, died Ibid 23. 10. 1670
  • 11 Johann Heinrich, born 4. 2. 1672, died Ibid 29. 5. 1678
    • - The last four children proved so in the hard times after the 30 Year War as not vigorous enough and died early.
• XVIII. Johannes Reinhard, born in Wernswig 18. 6. 1661 (Godfather: Grandfather R.), died Homberg a. d. Efze 28. 7. 1738, Ackermann [husbandman] und Kirchenältester [churchwarden?] in Homberg (Bürgerrecht [civil rights?] 21. 12. 1702); married Homberg 23. 11. 1702 Anna Gertrud Werner, born ebd. 7. 3. 1679 (almost 18 years younger than her husband), died ebd. 31. 12. 1737, T. v. Ludwig W., t ebd. 19. 2. 1720 (76 years old), Ackermann [husbandman] ebd. "In der Freiheit [a town in Homberg]", u. d. Anna Gertrud, died ebd. 30. 1. 1704 (about 60 years old). Children born in Homberg:
  • 1. Anna Katharina, born 22. 12. 1703 (P: Anna Elisabeth R. von Wernswig, the father's unmarried sister, s. XVII, 6), died Homberg 20. 4. 1711.
  • 2. Johann Ludwig, born 6. 3. 1706 (P: Grandfather Ludwig Werner), died Homberg 7. 4. 1711.
  • 3. Barbara Elisabeth, born 24. 11. 1708 (P: Anna Barbara, wife of the farmer Hans Heinrich Schade), died Homberg; married ebd. 24. 5. 1729 Johann Konrad Stolzenbach, S. v. Valentin St., Metzgermeister [Master Butcher] in Homberg.
  • 4. Anna Elisabeth, born 6. 10. 1711 (P: widow of Hektor Leise in Sondheim, the fathers sister)
  • 5. Johann Georg, born 9. 5. 1714, died ebd. 22. 5. 1714.
  • 6. Erasmus, born 24. 1. 1716, s. XIX.
  • 7. Arnold, born 6. 5. 1719, konf. Ostern 1732, Jäger (Förster) [Hunter (Ranger)] in ?.
• XIX. Erasmus gen [called] Asmus Reinhard, born Homberg 24. 1. 1716, died ebd. 7. 9. 1786, Ackermann [husbandman] in der "Freiheit" [the town "Freedom"] in Homberg Hof [farm] Nr. 379, Ratsverwandter [Alderman] und Kirchenältester [Church elder] ebd.; married in Ersrode (Kr. Rotenburg a. Fulda) 27. 11. 1738 Anna Elisabeth Körber, born ebd. 25. 7. 1721, died Homberg 3. 7. 1787, T. v. Konrad K., Frhrl. [Baron] Riedesel, reitendem Förster [forester] of Ersrode, u. d. Anna Maria Reyer aus Nenterode. Children, born in Homberg:
  • 1. Anna Maria, born 24. 9. 1739
  • 2. Johann Konrad, born 13. 9. 1740, died Homberg 23. 1. 1800, Ackermann [husbandman] und Kirchenältester [Church elder] in Homberg; married 1767 Anna Barbara Beckmann, born 1732, died Homberg 9. 12. 1787 (55 years old less 11 days)
    • — 2 Söhne, 1 Tochter —
  • 3 Barbara Elisabeth, born Jan. 1743, died Homberg 20. 11. 1793; married ebd. 23. 1. 1767 Christoph Heidecker, S. v. Rudolf H., Acciseschreiber [excise writer].
  • 4. Christian, born 13. 3. 1746
  • 5. Johann Arnold, born 21. 1. 1751 (P: Arnold R., Jäger, the fathers brother, s. o.), died Homberg 17. 8. 1818, Rentereischreiber [pension writer] (1772) and later Rentmeister [treasurer] in Homberg; married probably in Kassel about 1780 Anna Gertrud Elisabeth Hübner, T. v. Weinwirt H. ebd.
    • — 3 Söhne, 1 Tochter —
  • 6. Johannes, born 6. 4. 1755, s. XXa, Hornberger Linie.
  • 7. Johann Georg, born 7. 4. 1757, s. XXb, Unterweisenborn/Landershäuser Linie.

* a. Hornberger Linie

• XXa. Johannes Reinhard, * Homberg 6. 4. 1755, t ebd. 13. 5. 1815, Landwirt und Ratsverwandter in Homberg „In der Freiheit“;

oo I. Homberg 11. 9. 1778 Anna Katharina Schade, * ebd. 12. 7. 1741, t ebd. 23. 6. 1782, T. v. Valentin Sch., Bürgermeister ebd., u. d. Anna Elisabeth Gude. oo II. Raboldshausen ... 1783 Martha Elisabeth Zülch, * ebd. 1760, f Homberg 29. 11. 1827 (alt 67 Jahre), T. v. Lorenz Z., Schullehrer in Raboldshausen. Kinder II. Ehe, * Homberg:

• • 1. Friedrich Lorenz, * 14. 3. 1784, s. XXIa.
  • 2. Barbara Elisabeth, * 26. 10. 1785, f ...; oo Homberg 29. 5. 1812 Karl Bachmann, * ebd.
  • 5. 11. 1789, f ... (das Ehepaar ist nicht in Hom¬berg gestorben), S. v. Johannes B., Gastwirt im Kloster St. Georg.
  • 3. Anna Katharina, * 13. 2. 1788, t Homberg 9. 10. 1792.
  • 4. Marie Gertrud Elisabeth, * 9. 4. 1790, t •••; oo Homberg 13. 9. 1816 Lorenz Müller, * ..., t ... (das Ehepaar ist nicht in Homberg ge¬storben), Veterinär beim Husarenregiment, S. v. Johannes M., Wagner in Rockensüß.
  • 5. Katharina Christina, * 29. 11. 1794, t Homberg 20. 9. 1796.
  • 6. Christine Marie Luise, * 3. 2. 1797, t •••;

oo Homberg 5. 10.1823 Philipp Ehrenfeld (-feis), Leutnant, S. v. Franz. E., Tuchmachermeister in Homberg.

• • 7. Dorothea, * 19. 3. 1800, t Hofgeismar 13. 1. 1866; oo Homberg 26. 5. 1822 Heinrich Bechthold, *..., t ..Kreisbereuter in Hofgeismar, S. v. Friedrich Wilhelm B., Regierungs-Prokurator in Marburg, u. d. Elisabeth Stippius.
  • 8. Philipp, * 20. 7. 1802, konf. 1817, t • • •
  • 9. Johann Georg Friedrich, * 18. 12. 1806, kotil Pfingsten 1821, t • • •
• XXIa. Friedrich Lorenz Reinhard, * Homberg 14. 3. 1784, t ebd. 22. 7. 1824 (alt 44 Jahre?), Land¬wirt und Ratsverwandter „In der Freiheit“ in Homberg; oo Waldkappel ... 1813 Katharina Elisabeth Möl¬ler (Müller), * ebd. um 1785, f Homberg 5. 7. 1843 (alt 58 Jahre), T. v. Johannes Karl M., Land¬wirt in Waldkappel.

Kinder, * Homberg:

• • 1. Johannes Karl, * 8. 5. 1814, s. XXIIa.
  • 2. Marie Gertrud Elisabeth, * 20. 11. 1815, t Homberg 5. 11. 1877; oo Homberg 17. 7. 1836 Justus Wilhelm Winter, * ebd. 13. 2. 1813, t ebd. (Bischof- str. 128) 16. 4. 1901, Bürgermeister in Homberg, S.v. Nikolaus W., Weißbindermeister ebd., u. d. Katharina Ritter.
  • 3. Martha Katharina, * 3. 3. 1818, t •••;co Homberg 25.11.1838 Johannes Becker, * ebd. 22. 8. 1812, t • • • (beide Eheleute sind nicht in Homberg gestorben), Schuhmachermeister, S. v. Heinrich B., Schuhmachermeister und Bür¬germeister ebd., u. d. Anna Marie Kurzrock.
  • 4. Barbara Elisabeth, * 26. 5. 1820, konf. 1835, t

oo Homberg 10.10.1847 August Werner, * ebd. 1824, t • • •, Schullehrer, S. v. Konrad W., Schuh¬machermeister und Kirchenältesten in Hom¬berg, u. d. Elisabeth Winter.

• • 5. Johann Heinrich, * 18. 1. 1822, konf. 1836, t USA ...
  • 6. Elise Sophie Christine, * 20. 1. 1824, t Hom¬berg 1. 12. 1899;oo I. Homberg 10. 10. 1847 Justus Steinhardt, Roppershain (Amt Borken) 1812, t Homberg 18. 1. 1853, Gastwirt u. Kaufm. ebd., S. v. Ger¬hard St., Gastwirt, u. d. Anna Elisabeth Riemen¬schneider. II. Homberg 12. 8. 1855 Justus Krug, * Pelz¬mühle in Homberg 11. 1. 1822, t Homberg 8. 9. 1895, Gastwirt ebd.
• XXIIa. Johannes Karl Reinhard, * Homberg 8. 5. 1814, t ebd. 8. 12. 1888, Gutsbesitzer und Vize¬bürgermeister in Homberg „In der Freiheit“, er¬wirbt 1844 das ehem. v. Dalwigk’sche Gut Nr. 405; oo Homberg 29. 10. 1843 Marie Dorothea Stol¬zenbach, * ebd. 18. 7. 1825, f ebd. 4. 8. 1885, T. v. Jakob St., Metzgermeister und Stadtrat ebd., u. d. Marie Katharina Krug.

Kinder, * Homberg:

• • 1. Katharina Wilhelmine, * 10. 6. 1844 (noch auf dem alten Hof Nr. 379), t Homberg 13. 2. 1897;

oo Homberg 28. 8. 1863 August Martin Jordan, ebd. 12. 5. 1837, t Marburg (Klinik) 26. 2. 1906, Molkereidirektor ebd., S. v. Martin J., Kaufmann, u. <1? Dorothea Wilhelmine Happel; er oo II. Witwe Martha Katharina Elise Sett- nick geb. Kleinschmidt. *** — 2 Töchter —

• • 2. Wilhelm, * 11. 12. 1846 (auf dem neuen Gut Nr. 405), s. XXIIIa.
  • 3. Karl Wilhelm Jakob, * 8. 2. 1849, f Homberg 11. 4. 1859.
  • 4. S o p h i e Ernestine, * 5. 12. 1850, t • • • oo Homberg 16. 2. 1873 Karl Steinhardt, * ebd. 31.10.1848, t ebd. 29.8.1920, Gastwirt und Kauf¬mann, Magistratsmitglied und Kirchenältester, stirbt als Rentner, S. v. Justus St., Gastwirt und Kaufmann, u. d. Sophie Reinhard (vgl. XXIa, 6).
    • — 1 Sohn, 1 Tochter —
  • 5. Johannes Friedrich (Fritz) Nikolaus, * 25. 1. 1853, t • • •, Dr. med., prakt. Arzt in Homberg, Kgl. preuß. Sanitätsrat; oo Kassel-Unterneustadt 17. 1. 1880 Anna Sophie Engelhardt, * ebd. 3. 4. 1859, t Hom¬berg 3. 2. 1926, T. v. Konrad E., Fabrikant, u. d. Auguste Heine.
    • — 1 Sohn, 2 Töchter —
  • 6. Marie Elise, * 11. 12. 1857, t Homberg 7. 8. 1870.
• XXIIIa. Wilhelm Reinhard, * Homberg 11. 12. 1846, t ebd. 15. 5. 1932, Gutsbesitzer in Homberg „In der Freiheit“ (56 ha);

oo Homberg 23. 6. 1872 Elise Riebeling, * Dillich 1854, t Fritzlar 17. 8. 1940. Kinder, * Homberg:

• • 1. Wilhelm, * 22. 8. 1873, t • • •> Landwirt in Caßdorf b. Homberg; oo Caßdorf... Anna Gela Wiegand. — 1 Sohn —
  • 2. Fritz, * 15. 11. 1874, f ..., Landmesser in Essen; oo ...
  • 3. Karl Heinrich, * 3. 1. 1876, t Homberg 21. 2. 1877.
  • 4. Karl Ernst, * 31. 5. 1877, t • • •> Landwirt in Homberg; oo Homberg 29. 1. 1905 Martha Köhler.
    • — 2 Söhne, 1 Tochter —
  • 5. Marie, * 15. 4. 1879, oo Homberg Rechberg, Brauereidirektor ebd.
  • 6. Karl, * 27. 3. 1881, t • • •. Landwirt in Hom¬berg; oo ?
  • 7. Johann Heinrich, * 10. 12. 1882, f Homberg 25. 9. 1884.
  • 8. Katharina Else, * 12. 9. 1885; oo Homberg 11.9.1920 Ernst Wittich, * Mörs¬hausen 25. 8. 1877, t • • •, Landwirt in Mörshausen.
  • 9. Robert, * 5. 8. 1889, t Amerika um 1920.
  • 10. Hermann, * 19. 5. 1892, s. XXIVa.
• XXIVa. Hermann Reinhard, * Homberg 19. 5. 1892, t Marburg a. d. Lahn 12. 8.1953 (□ zu Homberg), letzter Gutsbesitzer in Homberg „In der Freiheit“, (verk. 1957 an die Bundesvermögenverwaltung zur Errichtung der Bundeswehrgarnison); oo Homberg 20. 2.1932 Margarete Saage, * Senst (Anhalt) 25. 7. 1897; (Homberg (Bez. Kassel), Konrad Muthstr. 6). Kinder, * Homberg:
  • 1. Karl, * 21. 12. 1932, Landwirt, jetzt Land-maschinenvertreter.
  • 2. Friedrich, * 17. 1. 1935.
  • 3. Marie-Luise, * 28. 5. 1937; oo ... Max Krell, * Lauenburg (Pommern)
  • 4. 2. 1935, Handelsvertreter in Homberg.

* b. Unterweisenborn/Landershäuser Linie

• XXb. Johann Georg Reinhard, % Homberg 7. 4. 1757, t Schenklengsfeld (Kr. Hersfeld) 27. 12. 1824, Kurfstl. hess. Rentmeister, zuerst in Vacha, dann in Schenklengsfeld; oo I. Homberg 24. 8. 1787 Marie Luise Dithmar, ebd. 9. 10. 1769, t Schenklengsfeld 24. 10. 1814, T. v. Johann Philipp D., Kaufmann u. Bürger¬meister in Homberg, u. d. Marie Katharina Lütt¬ringhausen (vgl. DGB Bd 54, S. 164 (mit Bildern)); oo II. ... Witwe des Cantonsmaires Orth geb. Pfaff; sie oo I. Apotheker Claus zu Hess.-Lich- tenau und brachte 2 Kinder mit in die Ehe. Kinder erster Ehe, * 1—3 Vacha, 4—7 Schenklengsfeld :
  • 1. Johann Philipp, * 1. 7. 1788, f Pferdsdorf b. Vacha 13. 8. 1841, Pfarrer ebd.; oo ... Marie H e r m i n e Büff, * Völkers¬hausen b. Vacha 28. 1. 1791, t Vacha 16. 3. 1862.
    • — 7 Söhne, 2 Töchter —
  • 2. Christine Elisabeth, * 30. 3. 1791, t Tiefen¬ort (Thür.) 13. 12. 1861; oo ... Heinrich Karl Georgi, * ... 1783, f Tie¬fenort 31. 5. 1844 (61 J. alt), Großherzogi. weimar. Rentamtmann u. Gutsbesitzer zu Haus Breitenbach u. Busengraben, vordem in Frauen¬see u. Tiefenort. — 3 Söhne, 2 Töchter —
  • 3. C a r 1 Friedrich, * 23. 1. 1794, s. XXIb (Unter- weisenbomer Zweig).
  • 4. Ferdinand Arnold, * 21. 7. 1798, s. XXIc (Landershäuser Zweig).
  • 5. Johann Wilhelm, * 18. 7. 1800, t Zimmers¬rode 17. 1. 1876, Pfarrer in Hess.-Lichtenau, dann Metropolitan in Melsungen; oo ... 28. 3. 1837 Emilie Cäcilie Charlotte Günther, * Ziegenhain 5. 11. 1812, t Melsungen 25. 2. 1856.
    • — 7 Söhne, 2 Töchter —
  • 6. Caroline, * 15. 11. 1802, t Kassel 12. 6. 1876; oo ... Hans Georg Casselmann, * 1. 9. 1801, t Kassel 9. 10. 1876, Domänenpächter in Rette¬rode, dann Rentner in Kassel.
    • — 7 Söhne, 6 Töchter —
  • 7. Marie Christine Luise, * 3. 11. 1808, t Rein¬sen bei Rinteln 20. 10. 1855; co 22. 6. 1835 Wilhelm Kleyensteuber, * Haste bei Hannover 31. 12. 1805, f Minden (Westf.) 24. 12. 1868, Forstmeister in Reinsen u. Rinteln.
    • — 6 Söhne, 2 Töchter —

*(1) Unterweisenborner Zweig

• XXIb. Carl Friedrich Reinhard, * Vacha 23. 1. 1794, t Hersfeld 27. 6. 1852, Kurfstl. hess. Rentmeister zu Schenklengsfeld u. Homberg; oo I. Schenklengsfeld 19. 3. 1815 Margarethe Rüger, * ebd. 26. 10. 1793, f ebd. 21. 3. 1832, T. v. Johann Heinrich R., Ackermann ebd., u. d. Eva Elisabeth Schütrumpf; oo II. ... 16. 12. 1833 Sophie Wessel, * 9. 3. 1814, t 2. 8. 1864

Kinder erster Ehe, * Schenklengsfeld:

• • 1. Carl Friedrich, * 1. 7. 1815, t Sachsenhagen 18. 1. 1866, Arzt ebd., unverehel.
  • 2. Georg August, * 5. 7. 1819, s. XXIIb. zweiter Ehe:
  • 3. Wilhelm, * 11. 10. 1834, t Fürsteneck 15. 11. 1898, Kgl. preuß. Oberamtmann auf Domäne Fürsteneck b. Eiterfeld (Kr. Hünfeld) (150 ha); oo Malsfeld 13. 3. 1858 Emma Baurmexster, ebd. 28. 5. 1836, t Fürsteneck 2. 9. 1909.
    • — 1 Sohn, 3 Töchter —
  • 4. Mathilde, * 29. 1. 1838, t Marburg 29. 7. 1896; oo ... Karl Kothe, Dr. med., prakt. Arzt in Marburg
  • 5. Ferdinand Arnold, * 21. 4. 1844, t Gut Urlettig 26. 11. 1901, Gutsbesitzer in Urlettig b. Sontra (184 ha); oo ... 16. 1. 1874 Emilie Holstein, * 16. 1. 1849, t Kassel 26. 12. 1915.
    • — 2 Söhne, 3 Töchter —
• XXIIb. Georg August Reinhard, * Schenklengsfeld 5. 7. 1819, t Unterweisenbom 27. 2. 1892, Gutsbesitzer und Bürgermeister ebd.; oo Unterweisenbom 27. 10. 1839 Anna Christina Stang, * ebd. 8. 3. 1820, t ebd. 17. 4. 1892, T. v. Jakob St. (1791—1873), Landwirt u. Müller sowie Kirchenältester ebd., u. d. Anna Katharina Koch (1797—1846). Kinder, * Unterweisenbom (PfA. Schenklengsfeld):
  • 1. Karoline Elisabeth, * 4. 6. 1840, t ebd. 7.3. 1847.
  • 2. Sophie Dorothea, * 26. 3. 1842, t Haina (Kr. Frankenberg a. d. Eder) 1. 4. 1893; oo Unterweisenbom (?) 29. 10. 1865 Hermann Reinhard, * Landershausen 11. 1. 1836, t Kassel-Wahlershausen 26. 9. 1902, Domänenpächter von Klostergut Haina (368 ha); vgl. XXIc, 6.
    • — 4 Töchter — ,

Pfarrer in Pferdsdorf, dann Superintendent in Vacha (S. v. XXb, 1), u. d. Elise Schwab (1817 bis 1894). — 3 Söhne, 3 Töchter —

• • 7. Arnold, * 4. 7. 1855, t Marburg 18. 11. 1933, Professor, Gymnasialoberlehrer ebd.; oo ... 26. 7.1891 Helene Volkmann, Walsrode (Lüneburger Heide) 24. 8. 1870, t (Marburg) Jan. 1914.
    • — 1 Sohn, 2 Töchter —
• XXIIIb. Adolf Carl Friedrich Reinhard, * Unterweisenborn 16. 1. 1848, t ebd. 8. 1. 1932, Gutsbesitzer ebd.; oo Pfingsten 1876 Anna Otto, * Blankenheim b. Bebra 13. 3.1853, t Fulda 22. 6.1922, □ Schenk¬lengsfeld, T. d. Domänenpächters O. auf Domäne Blankenheim (114 ha). Kinder, * Unterweisenbom:
  • 1. Minna, * 27. 3. 1877, t • • •’, oo Unterweisenbom 22. 5. 1899 Arnold Rüger, ebd. 31. 12. 1867, t ebd. ..., Landwirt ebd.
    • — 1 Sohn —
  • 2. Frieda, * 1. 2. 1879, t • • -I oo ... 15. 10. 1901 Georg Schenk, * Ziegenhain 11. 10. 1863, t Okt. 1938, Pfarrer in Schenklengsfeld.
    • — 4 Kinder —
  • 3. Carl, * 15. 6. 1883, s. XXIVb.
• XXIVb. Carl Reinhard, * Unterweisenborn 15. 6. 1883, t ebd. 5. 5. 1949, Gutsbesitzer ebd.; oo Meiningen 10.11.1908 Luise Ungerecht, * Mei¬ningen 8. 6. 1887, f Unterweisenbom 12. 3. 1962. Einziger Sohn:
• XXVb. Carl Reinhard, * Meiningen 17. 11. 1909, Dr. agr., Diplomlandwirt, Gutsbesitzer in Unterweisenbom (70 ha), Mitglied des Deutschen Bundestages (CDU) für den Kr. Hersfeld; oo Buttlar (Rhön) 9. 9. 1934 Martha v. Sydow, * Kalzig (Kr. Züllichau) 3. 4. 1914, T. v. Heinrich v. S., Gestütsdir. a. D., u. d. Annemarie Hoffmann; vgl. GHdA Bd 15, S. 447. Kinder:
  • 1. Marie-Luise, * Unterweisenbom 21. 11. 1935; oo Schenklengsfeld 23. 5. 1957 Rolf Hengstenberg, * Frankfurt a. M. 2. ** 3. 1932, Dipl.-Volks- wirt ebd.
  • 2. Waltraud, * Unterweisenbom 19. 11. 1937; oo Ebstorf b. Uelzen . . . Hans Hofferbert, Wessenstedt ..., staatl. gepr. Landwirt und Gutsbesitzer ebd., S. d. Gutsbesitzers Wilhelm H. u. d. Gertrud v. Geyso.
  • 3. Eva Maria, * Fulda 14. 3. 1941, stud. pharm, in Bonn.
  • 4. Karl Otto, * Fulda 2. 5. 1947, landw. Eleve.
• (2) Landershäuser Zweig
• XXIc. Ferdinand Arnold Reinhard, * Schenklengsfeld 21. 7. 1798, f Landershausen (Kr. Hersfeld) 27. 7. 1874, Landwirt ebd.; oo Schenklengsfeld 24. 12. 1826 Anna Katharina Klebe, * Unterweisenbom 31. 12. 1800, * Landershausen 27.10.1873, T. v. Burghardt K., Landwirt u. Schulze in Unterweisenborn, u. d. Anna Barbara Pfeffermann. Kinder, * Landershausen:
  • 1. Burghardt Georg August, * 5. 10. 1827, s. XXIIc.
  • 2. Karl, * 5. 2. 1829, t Hanau 7. 3. 1890, Land¬gerichtsrat ebd.; co Marburg 26. 2, 1861 Friederike Schioaner, ebd. 15. 9. 1837, t • • •
    • — 1 Tochter —
  • 3. Gustav Wilhelm, * 9. 5. 1831, t (Fürsteneck) 9. 6. 1911, Landwirt in Landershausen, dann Pächter des Ritterguts (163 ha) Wüstefeld bei Rotenburg a. d. Fulda; oo ... 26. 11. 1857 Marie Machenhauer, * Eise¬nach 21. 1. 1831, t • • •
    • — 2 Söhne, 2 Töchter; der jüngste Sohn Hermann (1865—1931) oo Luise Reinhard (1866—1933), jüngste T. v.
• XXIb 3, und übernimmt die Domäne Fürsteneck —
  • 4. Mathilde, * 10. 10. 1832, t H. 2. 1835.
  • 5. Hans Georg, * 22. 4. 1834, t Marburg 7. 11. 1855, stud. med.
  • 6. Philipp Hermann, * 11. 1. 1836, t Kassel- Wahlershausen 26. 9. 1902, Domänenpächter von Kloster Haina (Kr. Frankenberg a. d. Eder), später Rentner in Kassel; oo (Unterweisenbom) 29. 10. 1865 Sophie Dorothea Reinhard, * Unterweisenborn 26. 3. 1842, t Haina 1. 4. 1893, vgl.
• XXIIb 2.
  • — 4 Töchter —
• XXIIc Burghardt Georg August Reinhard, * Landershausen 5. 10. 1827, t ebd. 22. 3. 1910, Gutsbesitzer u. Bürgermeister ebd., Kreisdeputierter u. Landtagsabgeordneter; oo Ulfen b. Sontra 25. 10. 1857 Elise Katharina Hofmann, * ebd. 20. 2. 1835, t Landershausen 30. 10. 1912, T. v. Christian H., Gutsbes. in Ulfen, u. d. Dorothea Gliemeroth.

Söhne, * Landershausen:

• • 1. Christian Ferdinand Otto, * 25. 9. 1858, t Landershausen ... Gutsbesitzer u. Bürgermeister ebd.; oo ... 23. 7. 1897 Minna Otto, * Sondheim b. Homberg 16. 8. 1874, t • • •
    • — 1 Sohn, 1 Tochter —
  • 2. Gustav Wilhelm, * 8. 5. 1865, s. XXIIIc. XXIIIc. Gustav Wilhelm Reinhard, * Landers¬hausen 8. 5. 1865, t Kassel 31. 12. 1939, Landes¬kulturamtspräsident ebd., vordem in Bad Wil-dungen, Frankfurt a. d. Oder u. Münster i. W.; oo Kassel 6. 3. 1897 Emily Mary Grandefeld, Philipstown (Südafrika) 25. 6. 1872, t Kassel 21. 9. 1928, T. v. Christian Julius G., Kauf¬mann in Philipstown, u. d. Minna Battenhausen. Kinder, * Bad Wildungen:
    • 1. O 11 o August Julius, * 14. 1. 1898, s. XXIVc.
    • 2. Wilhelmine Emma Elisabeth, * 3. 6. 1900. t Swakopmund (Südwestafrika) 2. 3. 1946; oo Spangenberg (Bez. Kassel) 27. 1. 1931 Reinhard Schneider, * ..Farmbesitzer in Oko- songomingo bei Otjiwarongo (Südwestafrika).
• XXIVc. Otto August Julius Reinhard, * Bad Wildungen 14. 1. 1898, t Landershausen 8. 2. 1947, preuß. Landforstmeister, Gutsbes. auf Landershausen (gek. 1941 von s. Onkel Otto Reinhard); oo Hannover 1. 9. 1924 Anna Gertrud Steinvorth, * San Jose (Costa Rica) 11. 5. 1902, T. v. Otto St., Kaufmann ebd., u. d. Grete Ey. (Hannover-Waldhausen, Wienerstr. 3)

Kinder, * Hannover:

• • 1. Elisabeth Irmgard Anneliese, * 13. 11. 1925;

oo Schenklengsfeld 22. 6. 1951 Rudolf Müller- Huschke, * Guben 25. 4. 1926, Textilkaufmann in Wuppertal-Barmen.

• • • — 1 Sohn, 2 Töchter.
  • 2. Rolf Hubert Richard Gustav, * 19. 12. 1926, s. XXVc.
• XXVc. Rolf Hubert Richard Gustav Reinhard, * Hannover 19. 12. 1926, Diplomlandwirt, Gutsbesitzer auf Landershausen (das Gut — 202 ha — ist aus 7 Bauernhöfen entstanden); oo Lauterbach (Hess.) 6. 7. 1956 Ursula Scheer, Wiesbaden 19. 7. 1931, T. v. Helmut Sch., Rechtsanwalt u. Notar in Lauterbach, Ministerialrat z. Wv., u. d. Irmgard Fils. Söhne:
  • 1. Klaus-Otto, * Bad Hersfeld 20. 2. 1958.
  • 2. Helmut, * Lauterbach 15. 8. 1959.
  • 3. Manfred, * Lauterbach 15. 8. 1959.

Notes

1. 1) Zur Stammfolge v. Uttershausen vgl. Frhr G. Schenck zu Schweinsberg, Beiträge zur Geschichte und Genealogie des hess. Adels. Zeitschrift des Vereins für hess. Geschichte, neue Folge, 2. Bd, Heft 1 u. 2, Kassel 1868. S. 43 ff.
2. 2) StArch. Marburg, Kopiar Kloster Kappel, Bl. 154, 155.

References

• [1] Sturt, Wolfgang. "Das Geschlecht Reinhard Aus Dem Stamme v. Uttershausen." Hessische Familienkunde January Edition 6.5 (1963): n. pag. Print.
  • [1a] Wappen v. Uttershauen (Rietstap, Armorial General, Bd. II, S. 965): In Rot ein silbernes Mühleisen, darauf sitzend zwei einander zugewendete grüne Sittiche mit goldenem Halsband. Auf dem Helm mit rot-silberner Decke ein Sittich des Schildes zwischen einem geschlos¬senen Flug von gold und rot.
  • [1b] Das niederhessische Bauerngeschlecht Reinhard geht mit an Sicherheit grenzender Wahrscheinlichkeit auf das edelfreie Geschlecht v. Uttershausen zurück und dürfte mit 25 Geschlechterfolgen (davon die ersten neun mit größter Wahrscheinlichkeit) einen der bemerkenswertesten Stammbäume bürgerlicher Familien in Hessen haben. Das Geschlecht ist heute weit verbreitet und saß Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts auf Gütern in Homberg „In der Freiheit“, Landershausen, Wüstefeld, Unterweisenbom, Urlettig sowie den Domänen Fürsteneck, Neuenstein und Kloster Haina. Dem Verfasser lag daran, die Hornberger Stammlinie sowie die heute noch grundbesitzenden Linien Unterweisenborn und Landershausen zu veröffentlichen. Daß die Stammfolge soweit zurückverfolgt werden kann, verdankt die Familie den Aufzeichnungen der Mönche vom Kloster Kappel (heute Spieskappel bei Frielendorf), in dessen Gebiet sie Jahrhunderte ansässig war. Die Erforschung der älteren Genealogie ist das Verdienst des verstorbenen Pfarrers Oskar Hütteroth in Treysa.
  • Additionally, Sturt gives acknowledgement to Pastor Oskar Hütteroth of Treysa stating “The study of older genealogy is to the credit of the deceased pastor Oskar Hütteroth in Treysa.” but he does not name a title nor include any reference in his bibliography. I have searched and found a number of writing credits for Pastor Hütteroth, but I have not been able to find any of them available anywhere, just listed in many other bibliography’s. I also do not know which, if any, of these titles would be the one Sturt is referencing.
    • Hütteroth, Oskar: Treysa. <1957> In: Hessian cities Book
    • Hütteroth, Oskar: The althessischen pastor of the Reformation period. 3 vols <1953-1966>
    • Hütteroth, Oskar: Kurhessische pastor History, Volume 1: The class Treysa. The city Treysa Allendorf an der Landsburg, Densberg, Lischeid, Mengsberg, Neustadt (circle Kirchhain) Rommershausen, Sachsenhausen and Sebbeterode, 1922, Vol 2: The city of Marburg. <1927>
    • Hütteroth, Oskar: Kurhessische pastor history. Volume 1 The class Treysa. <1922>
    • Hütteroth, Oscar: The Reinhard Walddörfer Holzhausen, Knickhagen, William squatting in the past and present. <1911>
• [2] Schweinsberg, Schenck G., Frhr. "Zur Stammfolge v. Uttershausen." Zeitschrift Des Vereins Für Hessische Geschichte Und Landeskunde [The Standard Sequence of Uttershausen: from The History and Genealogies of the Hessian Nobility in the Journal Of The Association For Hessian History And Geography]: ZHG ; [12] = N.F., Bd. 2. 1868/69. Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2012. <http://reader.digitale-sammlungen.de/resolve/display/bsb10482311.html>.
  • [2a] In der ersten Hälfte des 12. Jahrhunderts war die Zahl der freien Familien Hessens sehr bedeutend. So bezeugten zum Beispiel im Jahr 1107 zu Mardorf (bei Homberg) 37 „homines ingenui Hassie regionis" und 23 Hersfeldische „servientes" eine Schenkung; und als 1146 der Abt von Hersfeld einen Streit über eine Hufe zu Wighardesdorf (Wüstung im Gericht Kirchditmold) entschied, waren bei diesem Akt folgende Freie zugegen: E. de Duringeberc (Dörnberg), E. de Heckereshusun (Heckershausen), A. de Wimare (Weimar), B. de Waldolfeshun (Wahlershausen) und B. de Welehethen(Wehlheiden), was, da die Dörfer, wonach diese ßersonen sich nannten, ganz benachbart liegen, auf eine beträchtliche Zahl von Freien auch in anderen Gegenden Hessens schließen läßt.
  • [2b] Bekanntlich glich sich der Unterschied in der Geburt zwischen den weniger begüterten Freien und den oft mächtigen Ministerialen unter Vermittelung des RitterthumS in der zweiten Hälfte des 12. und im Anfang des 13. Jahr-hunderts nach und nach aus. Der Ministerial-Nexus verschmolz ganz mit dem Lehnsverband, in welchem sich damals wohl ausnahmslos jeder Freie, vom begütertsten bis zum ärmsten befand. Gegen die Mitte des 13. Jahrhunderts hin findet man demgemäß die Bezeichnung Ministerial in unseren Urkunden immer seltener. Das Interesse der größeren Grundherren an der strengen Erhaltung ihres Dienstgefolges erlosch immer mehr, und zuerst in ihren Urkunden findet man unter den aufgeführten Zeugen die Vasallen, einerlei wes Standes, in bunter Reihe stehen, oder nach ihrer Stellung im Ritterorden und dem Ansehen, welches ihnen Alter und Besitz gab, geordnet; während man im 12. Jahrhundert stets die Freien auch vor den mächtigsten Ministerialen aufgeführt findet. So stehen zum Beispiel in einer 1144 zu Fritzlar ausgestellten Mainzischen Urkunde (Kuchenbecker, Analecta Hass. IV., S. 344) E., W. und H. de Hebelde (Vorfahren der Familie von Falkenberg und Hebel) und die Brüder H und W. de Caseberg (aus der Familie der späteren Vögte von Käseberg) vor dem Embricho Ringravo, aus dem mächtigen Rheingrafengeschlechte, welches aber zu den Mainzischen Ministerialen gehörte.
  • [2c] Man findet jedoch auch noch in der ersten Hälfte des 13. Jahrhunderts eine Anzahl hessischer Familien, welche zwar nicht in den Landgräflichen Urkunden, aber doch in denen, die diese Familien selbst, oder die ihnen verschwägerten Grafenhäuser ausgestellt haben, fast stets von den Ministerialen, wenn auch diese nicht mehr ausdrücklich als solche bezeichnet sind, sorgfältig geschieden uud häufig mit dem Titel „liberi" oder „nobilis vir" bezeichnet werden. Noch 1260 findet sich in einer zu Homberg ausgestellten Urkunde die Bezeichnung „liberi milites". Der Titel „nobilis vir" verlor allmählig seine alte Bedeutung und wurde in dieser Periode öfters auch mächtigen Ministerialen gegeben.
  • [2d] Eine Urkunde vom Jahr 1249 (Kopp, die Herren von Itter, S. 189) zeigt noch recht scharf den im Verschwinden begriffenen Unterschied zwischen Freien und Ministerialen. Hugo von Heiligenberg, ein Freier (siehe unten bei den von Uttershausen), hatte Ansprüche gegen das Kloster Haina wegen eines Zehnten erhoben und wurde deshalb auf dem damals Corvey'ichen Schlosse Lichtenfels im Waldeck'schen ein Schiedsgericht gehalten, welches aus 1) dem Johanniterbruder Werner, einem geborenen Grasen zu Battenberg, 2) Konrad von Itter, 3) Heinrich von Uttershausen, 4) Sibodo von Itter, 5) Heinrich, eanonieus zu Soest, 6) Eckebert, Pfarrer zu Frankenberg, 7) Anton von Godelovesheim (Goddelsheim im Waldeck'schen), 8) Hartmann von Lindenborn (Wüstung bei Gemünden an der Wohra) und 9) dem Godefrid von Lutterbach (Hof Lauterbach in der Herrschaft Itter) bestand. Diese neun Personen ertheirten ihren Schiedsspruch „singuli jure suo, videlicet religiosi (also Nr. 1, 5 und 6) per suum ordinem et obedientiam, liberi (2, 3, 4) per fidem et militaris ordinis dignitatem, ministeriales per fidem et omagium quibus suis forent domins obligati sunt."
  • [2e] Wie in anderen Gegenden, so finden wir auch bei uns die Freien vorherrschend im Besitz der Gerichtslehen; so z. B. sind die alten Centgrafenfamilien, sowie die hessischen Landrichter des 13. Jahrhunderts durchgängig Freie.
  • [2f] Man trifft noch gegen das Ende des 13. Jahrhunderts hin die reicheren hessischen Freien fast stets mit Frauen ihres Standes, beziehungsweise mit Töchtern der benachbarten Grafenhäuser verheirathet. Wie damals noch in diesen Kreisen Ehen mit Töchtern, selbst der angesehensten Ministerialen angesehen wurden, zeigt das Beispiel des Freien Reinhard von Hanau, der, als er sich mit Adelheid, der Tochter des reichbegüterten Reichsministerialen Ulrich von Münzenberg in dem Glauben verheirathet hatte, daß sie edel und ihm an freier Herkunft gleich sei, sich nebst seinen Kindern 1273 vom Kaiser ausdrücklich für frei und edel erklären und von aller Dienstbarkeit befreien ließ (Fürth, die Ministerialen). Dagegen wird die Standesgleichheit zwischen unseren hessischen Grafen und Freien ausdrücklich in einer Urkunde von 1227 (Kuchenbecker, Erbhofämter) ausgesprochen. Landgraf Heinrich schloß damals einen Vertrag mit den Grasen von Battenberg: man versprach sich gegenseitige Hülse, die Grafen wurden Burgmänner in Marburg und nahmen ihr Schloß Ketterberg zu Lehen. Sodann wurde weiter festgesetzt, daß, wenn der Landgraf zögern würde, den Ansprüchen der Grasen aus gewisse Güter zu genügen, so sollten ihn dieselben durch ihre Genossen, die landgräflichen freien Mannen („cum sibi consimilibus, nostris videlicet liberis hominibus") freundschaftlich anmahnen lassen.
  • [2g] Diese Familie nannte sich nach dem Dorfe Ulfa im Vogelsberg, nördlich von Nidda. In einer Urkunde vom Jahr 1129 (Gudenus, Cod. Dipl., III., Beyer, Hontheim re.) steht unter den Freien, welche dieselbe bezeugen, zwischen Hartrad von Merenberg und Marquard von Solms (beiläufig erwähnt, dem ersten nachweisbaren Glied dieser erst später gräflichen Familie) ein Eckeharud de Holefe. Ich habe mich vergeblich bemüht, eine Familie dieses Namens in der Rheingegend auszufinden, da die Möglichkeit vorlag, daß E. d. H. ein Trierischer Edler, welcher sich in der Begleitung des Erzbischofs von Trier, des Ausstellers der Urkunde, befand, sein konnte. Da Eckehard zwischen zwei Lahngauischen Edlen steht, so ist wohl die Annahme berechtigt, seine Heimath bis auf Weiteres in dem Dorfe Olefe zu suchen.
  • [2h] Von diesem Dorf nannten sich zwei Familien, eine ältere und, nach deren Aussterben, eine jüngere, deren Ge¬nealogie bei den von Uttershausen geliefert werden wird. Zu der älteren Familie gehören, außer Eckhard, muthmaßlich noch:
  • [2i] dominus Heinricus de Olf et uxor ejus Ospern in einem Güterregister des Klosters Ruppertsberg bei Bingen (Beyer), wonach er e. 1150 Güter im Rheingau an dieses Kloster schenkte. Cannes de Olle war 1174, wie es scheint, im Gefolge des Erzbischofs von Mainz zu S. Cas- fiano in Italien (Stumpf, acta Moguntina). Godebraht und Guntram de Olfo bezeugen 1183 eine Hersseldische Urkunde über die Anlage von Ruppertsberg unweit Ulfa (Wenck III). 1222 und 1227 war eine Ritter Guntram de Olfe Burgmann zu Grünberg. Seine Frau Kunigunde war in zweiter Ehe mit dem Ritter Burkard, genannt printsak von Göns verheirathet und lebte noch 1265. Guntrams Kinder waren: Der Ritter Guntram de Olefo, Burgmann zu Grünberg, welcher als letzter seines Stammes von 1250 bis 1287 urkundlich vorkommt. Kunegunde, 1255. 1256 Wird Guntram vir nobilis dominus G. dictus de Olefo genannt. Seine Gemahlin war Jutta von Kronberg (am Taunus).
  • [2j] Diese Familie war vom selben Stamm wie die Schenken zu Schweinsberg und die Vögte von Fronhausen; sie führte dasselbe Wappen und ihr Erbeigen zu Ulsa fiel nach ihrem Aussterben urkundlich an die Schenken, während andere Besitzungen daselbst an die von Heiligenberg, genannt von Ulfa, gekommen zu sein scheinen. Die nähere Ausführung dieser Verwandtschafts-Verhältnisse wird bei späterer Gelegenheit geliefert werden.
  • [2k] Schon 1108 lebte ein Freier Udalrich de Uhdereshusun (Wenck II.), der sich nach dem Dorfe Uttershausen bei Wabern nannte. Im Laufe des 12. Jahrhunderts theilte sich die Familie von Uttershausen in zwei Linien. Hugo II. von Uttershausen und seine Nachkommen nannten sich seit 1223 abwechselnd auch von Heiligenberg, nach dem gleichnamigen Mainzischen Schlosse, welches sie im 13. Jahrhundert zeitweise bewohnt haben (siehe Zeitschrift des Vereins VIII., S. 77). Von dieser Linie finden sich:
  • [2l] Der 1196 unter den Freien vorkommende Isfiridus de Heiligenberg (Wenck II , S. 129) ist wahrscheinlich eine Person mit Isfridisu de Bentreffe (Wüstung bei Rosenthal), welcher 1215 zu Fritzlar eine erzbischöfliche Urkunde bezeugte (Anal. Hass. III. S. 130). Noch 1261 findet sich ein Isfrid de Bentrephe servus nobilis zu Gemünden au der Wohra (Wenck II).
  • [2m] Die andere Linie der von Uttershausen, deren Glieder sich häufig zu Homberg aushielten, besaß die Vogtei des Klosters Spießkappel, welche sie 1221 veräußerte.
  • [2n] Die Familie gehörte im Anfang des 13. Jahrhunderts zu den begütertsten Hessens und hatte viele adelige Lehnsleute, zu denen z. B. die von Allendorf, von Grüßen, von Winterscheid, von Linsingen, die Fraß (voratores), die Bugsorge, die von Holzheim gehörten, ihre Bedeutung sank aber rasch. Ihr Wappen ist bis jetzt nicht bekannt (siehe jedoch die von Heiligenberg, genannt von Ulfa); in allen von ihnen ausgestellten Urkunden wird ausdrücklich bemerkt, daß sie keine eigenen Siegel besäßen.
  • [2o] Das in Wessels Wappenbuch gelieferte Wappen gehörte einer gleichnamigen, schon im 14. Jahrhundert vorkommenden Homberger Patriciersamilie an, deren Glieder häufig die Namen Widdekind und Heinrich führen. So war 1464 der „veste, vorsichtige, wyse Jonkher widdekynde von Utershusin" Bürgermeister zu Homberg und noch 1568 findet sich ein gleichnamiger landgräflicher Lehnsmann. Ich halte die Abstammung dieser Patriziersamilie von dem alten freien Geschlechts für unwahrscheinlich, da eine solche Namensgleichheit in Hessen ohne jeden Zusammenhang häufig vorkommt.
  • [2p] Nach dem Tod des Ritters Guntram von Ulfa, des letzten seines Stammes, nannte sich zuerst wieder 1345 eine adelige Familie nach diesem Vogelsberger Dorfe, deren Genealogie folgende ist:
  • [2q] Diese Familie hatte im 14. Jahrhundert Ziegenhainische, Fuldaische und Hanauische Burglehen zu Stornfels, Münzenberg, Bingenheim und Hanau erworben und besaß außerdem folgende Güter und Zehnten: Eine Kemnate, einen Hof und Land zu 6 ßferden, der Waßmutshos genannt, welchen Graf Gottfried von Ziegenhain 1359 Craft dem I. befreite, eine Schäferei und 7 Hofreiden zu Ulfa, Höfe zu Wetterfeld (bei Laubach) und Rabenshausen (bei Ulfa), Zehnten re. zu Lauter (bei Grünberg), Ningershausen (bei Ulfa) re.
  • [2r] Diese Güter erhielt schon vor 1447 Kurt von Schlüchtern, genannt Kahenbiß, und dessen Nachkommen zu hessischem Lehen (Ulrich v. Schl. gen. K., Kurts Sohn, 1458).
  • [2s] Die Familie von Heiligenberg, genannt von Ulfa, führte nebenstehenden Schild, die Helmzierde bestand aus zwei Adlerflügeln. Dies wird also auch das Wappen unserer hessischen freien Familie von Uttershausen gewesen sein.
  • [2t] Centgrafen des Gerichts Dautphe. Schon 1174 (Lacomblet I) lebte ein Lodewicus de Hosnvels; die gleichnamige Burg, welche 1249 der Herzogin Sophie zu Lehen aufgetragen wurde, muß also schon damals bestanden haben.
• [3] Wolfgang H. Sturt (author, speaker), and from GFKW: Zierdt, Holger, Gustaf-Götz Eichbaum, Peter Schnegelsberg, Marjorie Heppe, and Martin Kugler. "Gesellschaft Für Familienkunde in Kurhessen Und Waldeck E.V." GFKW. Genealogical Society in Electoral Hesse and Waldeck EV (GFKW), n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. 28.11.1995 Wolfgang H. Sturt, Hannover Das Bauerngeschlecht Reinhard aus dem Stamm der von Uttershausen - in Verbindung mit dem Sternerkrieg, 1372-1374 = “The farmers from the tribe of family Reinhard of Uttershausen - in conjunction with the Sterner War, 1372-1374.” This is a title of a lecture given on that date at this institute. No written transcript or paper is available at the institute. <http://www.genealogienetz.de/vereine/GFKW/contents/ges_vst.html>.
• [4] Citations sourced at the Lagis-Hessen Library at the University of Marburg. (these are a select few, if you do a simple search at lagis-hessen for the term Uttershausen and other key words you will find dozens more)
  • http://lagis.online.uni-marburg.de/en
    • http://www.lagis-hessen.de/en/subjects/index/sn/ol
      • Uttershausen, Schwalm-Eder-Kreis, in: Historisches Ortslexikon <http://www.lagis-hessen.de/en/subjects/idrec/sn/ol/id/4299>
      • Lendorf, Schwalm-Eder-Kreis, in: Historisches Ortslexikon <http://www.lagis-hessen.de/en/subjects/idrec/sn/ol/id/4485>
      • Todenhausen, Schwalm-Eder-Kreis, in: Historisches Ortslexikon <http://www.lagis-hessen.de/en/subjects/idrec/sn/ol/id/4767>
• [5] Citations sourced at the Landgrave Records Database at the University of Marburg. (found in a search for the von Uttershausen ancestors. Records 69, 89, and 164 relate to von Uttershausen. Records 3424, 3429, 3432, 3433, 2999, 2610, 2762, and 11947 relate to Henn Reinhard’s brother Kuntze (after 1414) and his descendants whom have retained the noble precedent von Uttershausen.)
  • [http://cgi-host.uni-marburg.de/~volko/lgr/id.cgi?lang=&table=person&id=14249&lines=10&class=lgr&max=15835&suchlemma=uttershausen%2C+heinrich+i.+von&lemma=Uttershausen%2C+Heinrich+%5BI.%5D+von&limit=0&p=&wl=1&ba=0&ei=1
• [6] Citations sourced at DigAM Digital Archives in Marburg. "Das Mittelalter in Hessen (Geschichte im Archiv 1) [The Middle Ages in Hessen]" <http://www.digam.net/dokument.php?ID=1274>

Additional References and Links

• HESSIAN ARCHIVE DOCUMENTATION AND INFORMATION SYSTEM
  • HTTP://WWW.HADIS.HESSEN.DE/
• ARCHIVE.ORG
  • HTTP://ARCHIVE.ORG/
• THE INTERNET-MAGAZINE PRESENTS THE HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL MAGNIFICENCE OF FRANCONIA
  • HTTP://WWW.HISTORISCHES-FRANKEN.DE/

Notes

[a] The lineage descending from Hugo I is not provided in [2] but is provided by [1], otherwise the two papers validate each other, with the exception that [2] does not name Otrat and [2] names a few more descendants of Heinrich’s line that [1] did not have. Nevertheless [1] is much more comprehensive following the descent into the 19th century, including the additional split of the lineage between v. Uttershausen and the start of Reinhard circa 1385-1420.
[b] Reginhart (Reginhard aka Raginhard) – is the ancient German form of the name Reinhard[t].

Further Study and Investigation (Warning: Information in this section is works in progress and may be incomplete, incorrect, not fully sourced, or validated yet)

The origins of Otrat

Another clue I investigated was an attempt to learn more about where the eldest of the von Uttershausen family came from studying their names in the context of their time, place, and period history, and any other circumstances we can derive from the information given. I researched Otrat in English, German, and some French and Dutch language archives and databases and found very few matches. It is an unusual name, even for the time and place; which makes this question simultaneously more difficult and more intriguing. To start with, from the genealogical record of “The Reinhard Tribe of Uttershausen,” [1] the eldest named ancestor is (and it is important to remember that [2] stops at his son Udalrich, naming him the eldest): Otrat von Uttershausen, father of Udalrich (aka Udalric or Ulrich)

Excerpt from the book ZUMEIST NACH HESSISCHEN ORTSNAME, “Ansiedlungen und Wanderungen Deutscher Stämme,” 1875, by William Arnold, chapter 5, pg. 410. The abbreviation Dr. is short for Druck which means “print, printing, impression” which I take to mean the author has seen a print document for his source.

From examination of [1] we frequently see the annotation “erw.” used alongside a date. The German abbreviation “erw.” for “erweitert(e)” means augmented, expanded, or second edition. That abbv. with a capital E given as “Erw.” means “erwachsen” or adult. I can only assume that the author or typesetter for the original document meant Erw., since erw. has no context relevant to what they were writing, and they use that abbv. throughout the document with the dates for many named individuals. We will assume they mean to tell us that the individual is an “adult” at that given date (and that is a technique consistent with genealogical dating I have found in many other sources). We need to know this in order to calculate some reasonable range of dates they may have been born and deceased, since in many cases that level of detail is not given. We see that for Otrat no date is given at all, but for his son Udalrich, it is therefore stated that he is an adult in 1108. Assuming a lifespan of appx. 50 years and his approximate lifetime would be circa (1078 – 1128), give or take a decade or two. Thus, we can approximate his father Otrat as born before 1060, give or take a decade or three, so possibly circa (1030 – 1108). So that, we can place Otrat in the timeframe of 1030 – 1108, with his son Udalrich born appx. 1078 (probably in the range 1068 – 1088); and all of those dates are consistent with the subsequent generations that are more precisely dated for us. It turns out that Udalrich and Otrat derive from the same older root word Udal. as you will see in pages to follow, so that if it turns out that Otrat was a misnomer, nickname or just some other disambiguation for Udalrich himself, that is still fine because Udalrich is independently validated in many sources and much if not all of the same name etymology as well as cultural research still applies in the search for their ancestors.

One of the avenues I investigate is an attempt to explain the von Uttershausen hereditary nobility and specifically the family’s status as Edelfrei, descended from a dynastic noble family, with possessions (or fiefs), titles, and tithing rights adjacent to and contemporaneous with the Count’s Werner, Gisonen, Reichenbach, and Ziegenhain from at least 1108 for over four (4) centuries. We have citations for Heinrich and his generations calling them “high nobles of the precious free” and never referred to as so-called Juncherre (or “young lord’s”) all of which defines that their hereditary nobility has passed down to them from a long accepted noble line from male lineage that would predate our oldest information. We also know that Reinhard the Younger von Todenhausen (circa 1340-1384) was (“Burgmann zu Spangenberg”) in addition to Lord of Todenhausen and of Uttershausen (Burgmann being translated to Viscount, meaning ‘almost a Count’) and in his case as Governor or Castle Captain of Spangenberg, would be the equivalent of a Baron in English nobility.

Anyway, back to Otrat himself. We can further hypothesize that the town of Uttershausen was probably named after Otrat, as well as in the manner that its history and his own are given, since that given his timeframe circa 1030 – 1108 conjoined with the historical accounts of the origin of Uttershausen give its first documented mention. As illustrated previously there is a road in the modern town of Uttershausen named “Otratring” {meaning Otrat Circle} (which intersects Gumpertstraße, which is another name you will see is also of interest to us). There is a strong possibility that Oderade and Otrat are different forms and spellings of the same name/person, as I have speculated and illustrated in the listing of the names of Uttershausen from citations of its history. There are other useful clues that come to us from the study of the name Otrat as well. From all of my research the first name Otrat is as rare and uncommon as they come, which can be a curse or a blessing in this research. The blessing would be that if I can come close to identifying him it is far less likely that he is confused with someone else, the curse is that it is very rare and in fact he is the only one I have found.

I have found through my research the closest comparable match is a more common nickname used in that region during that period, the name Odo. Fortunately there is more history of that name and information that might actually provide the clues I need to get closer to identifying Otrat’s family. The history and origin of the name Odo states that it is “the short form of Ot-name” (Odo might be a short-form nickname for Otrat aka Oderade) (it is also known to be short for Odardus, Audo, Eudes, Otto, et al.), there are slightly more common names that are known two-part first name constructs of this type such as Othmar/Otmar and Otfried/Otfred, et al. and it is also well known that Ot is both the short-form derivative of “Otto,” and means “wealth, rich inheritance,” so that the name disassembled could mean:

Otrat = { Ot wealth, rich inheritance + [ ~…rat ? ] } von Oderadeshusun (as it was spelled in 1081 [1100] at monastery Hasungen); for example, and possibly itself a derivative of the more common Otfried/Otfred/Otfryd which means wealth + peace in the two part Germanic male name.

Oderadeshusun = { Oderade + husun | Ode rad es husun }, wherein husun means “settlement” or small village, sometimes referring to one family unit housing/estate.

Otratarit = {Odericus} is believed to be an old Ostrogoth name from circa 489-559 CE, in one citation for Ravenna, Italy [from People and Identity in Ostrogothic Italy, 489-554 By Patrick Amory]

Otradus = is cited in one example and may be a Latin form of this name (see Otradus Thietmari in Monumenta Germaniae historica circa 981)

Oderade might just be a later disambiguation to derive the name into a place-name from the owner Otrat (possibly Otto, Odo, or Udo). This name evolves over the centuries and from the 1500’s to present day as Uttershausen. There is the possibility that there could have been yet other earlier spelling of the place name that researchers simply have not discovered yet in any recovered documents. The next clue that gives us a chance to put a date boundary around this search is that we know from citations that the big monastery and church in the area that predates all of these towns is Fritzlar, whose monastery was founded in the 700’s and where many other monasterial source citations provide certain evidence in some of the secondary source documents.

The other important clue that I’ve mentioned before is the fact that later citations also show his male descendants being called “high noble of the precious free,” which indicates they descend dynastically from male lineage and historically answer directly only to the King or Emporer (i.e. an old nobility). Therefore, it is likely that Otrat’s family who by this time are “minor nobles,”(bef 1108) in terms of what titles and lands they possess, nevertheless descend from a dynastic nobility and have received some kind of inheritance through their parent line (dating perhaps to 1008 or 908, and so forth). The task is to narrow down which high noble and dynastic families in the area are reasonable candidates during this timeframe and then study the better known histories of those families.

Since the name Otrat also shares common roots with the more common name Odo, which also shares roots with the even more common names Otto and Ulrich (Udalrich), and because Otrat’s son is named Udalrich, it suggests that one clue is to look at the places for relevant prominent families in the area at that time and immediately prior, in which the name Ulrich/Udalrich and/or Otto and/or Odo are common names within certain dynastic families.

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odo

Translated to English: Odo is an old German male first name from the Old High German ot (= property, wealth), Germanic audha, Odo is the short form of Ot-name starting about Otbert , Otfried, Otmar, means rich inheritance. Variants: • Otto , Otho , Udo , Oddo • Eudes , Odon , Othon (French) • Oddone (Italian) • Eudo

Also, http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_(Vorname)

The name Ulrich and its variants have the same root, from Udal.; and therefore, also: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulrich

Ullrich , Ulrik, Olerik, Odelrik (Low German), Ódor (Hungarian), Urh (Slovenian, pronounced Urch) Odalrich , Oldrich (Czech), Udalricus , Udalrich , Huldreich; (there are also a multitude of various other spellings and misspellings for this name observed in old monastic citations written in Latin, i.e. Oadalrih, and so forth).

So that, as it is shown through various etymological evidence that the names commonly known today as Ulrich and Otto come from the same root Udal., which also means the various related derivations from Odo to Eudes to Udalrich, (et al.) share the same root; and their variations, into the foundation of House of Uttershausen as documented in detail by [1] (Oderadeshusun, Otrat, possibly from {Otto, Odo, Udalrich, Oadalric [Latin]}), and to his son Udalrich von Uttershausen then descending to our original agnatic ancestor Henn Reinhard son of Reinhard the Younger von Todenhausen (from the House of von Uttershausen), and so forth. What remains if all this is correct is to identify or at least find the best guess of identity of Otrat’s specific ancestors for whom he could be so-named, likely to be either an Udalrich, Otto or Odo; or someone who is known to have a descendant so-named in the time and place we are looking for who could be candidates to be the one we are looking for.

Since the ancestor I am looking for could indeed be from the House of Udalrichinger, I have currently estimated placing them descendant of Udalrich VI (which intermarries with and descends from the Carolingien dynasty and even earlier Allamanian dukes) and match all of the other tests for the name, time and place I am looking for and match the known dynastic nobility. Or, the ancestor could instead meet much of the same tests and be one from another slightly later branch also related to that line by marriage that is from the Ottonian or Conradian lines who are also married into and descended from the Carolingien dynasty. It is unlikely that I will find proof of the positive identity for this person unless through continued efforts to search translations of old monastic and church records I finally find a definitive record of parentage for Otrat von Uttershausen. However, at this point in the research all clues lead back to the Carolingien/Udalrichinger dynasty or their related Ottonian/Conradien dynasty or one of their descendant lines in one way or another who are the ones who are the prominent families in the time and place we are looking for, and we know that we are looking for someone with a dynastic heritage to explain their status. For this I am relying upon the works of other researchers with my contribution being merely my analysis of their works and occasionally my own efforts at translation of their works (to English). So then, no matter how much information I could discover or explain with as much persuasion or authenticity that I can muster, it will only ever be at best considered my best guess based on secondary evidence. It is still interesting nevertheless to find out who is most likely to be their ancestors, given any other evidence to the contrary. Even though I need to reach a stopping point in my current work, I do hope to someday learn the truth of this and get this answer. So that I am not closing my mind to other possibilities, the following is some more information that might be useful to discovering a part of Otrat’s background.

I have only (so far) found one other documented use of the word Oderade as a persons first name (and no others for Otrat) and coincidentally (or not) it is for an Oderade who is a Provost for the Abbess Agnes of the Abbey of Quedlinburg of the Diocese of Halberstadt, with citation appx. 1200 (they appear together in certain recovered reliquaries) which is within about 62 miles of Uttershausen. As it happens, the area near Uttershausen was one of the dependencies of this minor Monastic dynasty that existed from about 800/899 until 1803, ironically founded by King Heinrich “The Fowler,” (whose son Otto I is the founder of the Ottonian dynasty) and his second wife Mathilde, the first Abbess being his sister, also named Mathilde; whose royal lines later intermarried with the Carolingien and Udalrichinger lines that otherwise might be of interest to this research.

This Provost Oderade around 1200 is too recent to be the Oderade we are looking for in the 1030-1108 timeframe (assuming the person who recovered the reliquary has dated it correctly, which is considered probable because they have a good record of Abbess Agnes for when she should have been there). But could the two Oderade’s be related? (a fair chance yes, considering how rare this name spelled in this form seems to be). Provost Oderade could be another son or grandson of Otrat/Oderade (Oadalrih/Udalrich?) since the genealogical record we have in [1] only names one of his children and one of his son Udalrich’s children (Heinrich) until it begins to branch out into more details of the later generations (note that [2] gives an entirely additional branch naming Udalrich’s other son Hugo I, but that is not the line we trace to—it does still add to the scope of the size and importance of the family in the preceding generations, which is what we are looking for, therefore relevant). There could still be yet other sons who are still unnamed in the sources I have. I’ve seen this very circumstance occur in another known generation of this family in which several sons are identified in [1] but two more who are not mentioned in [1] are otherwise named and proven as subjects and witnesses alongside them in certain monastic citations and clerical records (referring here to the noble brothers Hugo and Werner v U. also called von Heiligenberg, who happen to be descendants of Hugo). It is very plausible and likely that he and/or his son had other children, but I just don’t know of them from my best sources [1][2]. It is also interesting for the possible connection to clerical nobility, known to feudalism as “spiritual lords,” since also according to the genealogy we know that some of Otrat’s descendants who appear to be mostly minor “temporal or secular lords” inter-married with the families of other known spiritual lords. One example most closely directly related to us as previously described in detail, is direct ancestors of Reinhard the Younger and Zise (aka Zeise) von Wildungen, daughter of Gumpert von Wildungen of the house of Hohenfels, who was Lord of Cleinre and Cleric to the Diocese of Mainz (and his further ancestry includes a number of other spiritual and temporal lords). It is clear that in the history of the Uttershausen and affiliated family’s nobility was connected to both spiritual and temporal/secular lordships; and they were themselves known as bailiff of Spies-Kappel. We also know of many cases in history (from the intrigue within certain noble courts) that sometimes a descendant who was considered unfavorable by the ruler or the court who was otherwise legally in the line of succession was sometimes “appointed” as spiritual lord of a given monestary, church, or diocese simply to remove them from the line of succession according to the Salic laws of succession such as they were at certain places and times, while sufficiently ennobiling them as was due their station. Such practices while common for awhile were generally despised by the Church and led to many disputes between the Church and ecclesiastical nobility versus Kings and their temporal and secular nobility; many internecine wars were fought over such matters and I believe that motivation was one aspect of the Federal Sterner War in the 1370’s that this family was involved with. It is also very interesting to note that these issues over lay investiture as it was called were key behind many of the wars and disputes in this region and during this period, involving these very same dynasties and their contemporary Pope’s, Anti-Pope’s, Kings and Anti-Kings. Considering the timeframe at question here and the known history, it is quite possible that Otrat and/or his immediate ancestors fell from being major nobles with high titles and plentiful lands to minor nobility as a result of they or their ancestors being on the losing side of some of these disputes, erstwhile maintaining their status as Edelfrei dynastic nobles, in which case regardless of retaining ownership of certain lands or titles, remained a fact for their family. Part of what makes this difficult to trace even in reliable monastic citations is that these folks did not have permanent surnames yet, with their names always recorded as simply their first name (vorname) with the noble precedent von to distinguish them for the place they lived or were from. To empahasize the problem this causes this research, take for example, if a given descendant of Otrat v. U. were to emigrate to say Homberg and have children, and even if in that branch those children would maintain some noble status and be given certain noble titles or responsibilities, they were most likely recorded there as [‘(made up, for example) a Heinrich von Homberg’: for which in his later generations his family might be known as the Hombergers, with a modern surname coming down to us as “Homberger,” all of whom may just as well have been originally a descendant of an antecedent male who was recorded in documents as von Uttershausen (or Heiligenberg, etc.) and previous to him prior to an emigration, something else such as von Winterthur or von Wherever.] To match up family members under these circumstances you need to find citations that describe in their narrative that one person named v. X is brother (or whatever) of another person v. Y and believe it or not, this does occur in certain citations, which is how I discovered that this seems to happen quite a bit. They were far more interested in first names than in last names until last names became necessary for tax purposes. So, for this reason I don’t give up, I keep looking because more and more ancient monastic records are being recovered and brought to public dissemination by various researchers all the time and it is possible that more light will be shed on this family. Since the family we are looking for were known to descend from dynastic nobles, even if there isn’t much written about them in their generation because of their losses and/or the political chaos of their time, quite a bit more will have been written about the family they descend from and so there continues to be value in theorizing on plausible families such as Udalrichinger, Carolingien, Ottonian, and Conradian dynasties, because more clues and additional solid information that is needed might come from citations that are written about those families and from the history known about those familes, they together or in sequence owned and controlled all of these lands in the periods immediately prior to their eldest known ancestor dated to before 1108. Unfortunately, even in many of those families only the most prominent and most successful family members are well documented. In the citations you find any number of children even from those families who are simply named and some that are not even named but certainly existed for which it is never stated who they married or if they had children or who they were, but otherwise would have certainly inherited some lands and possessions from their family. It is most likely that somewhere in those circumstances lies their missing ancestors prior to 1108. So then, in prelude to a subsequent chapter which will dig in to one such plausible family I offer the following additional observations.

As illustrated in the exhaustive list shown previously, the name of Uttershausen is spelled differently in each account:, the earliest known 1074 – Oderadeshusun before settling for the last many centuries as Uttershausen. I found this to mean that the town is named after Otrat (aka Oderade) and is so-named as Oderadeshusen for him, the name having evolved into multiple new spellings in the following centuries before settling on the name Uttershausen. In so far as I have been able to shed more light on possible connections to Otrat and the original meanings of certain citations, it has helped me directly look further back to whom his ancestors might have been. For that, I have speculated on the connections to whom would have been Otrat’s feudal lord at the time, Werner I von Grüningen, Count of Maden (abt. 985 – 22 August 1040) (also previously called Count Werner I von Winterthur before he moved and changed his own primary title—for another proof of my earlier point on surnames), wherein the land that comprises Uttershausen at that time existed as a fief. There are a number of interesting coincidental circumstances between these families. One is that Werner himself is cited as probably a descendant of the house Udalrichinger, which while it does explain his epithet von Winterthur (in present day Switzerland, where one prominent branch of that family did settle), a few generations back from there in his pedigree they originated back in the same area of Hesse that we find the Uttershausen family (including Maden), and where he eventually returns to and styles himself as Count of Maden at one point (he was Lord of a number of different districts but he did make Maden his home and primary title eventually). Maden is important to us because it is here that is the town of Gudensberg which is of particular importance in several antecedent branches of their proven pedigree [Werner IV having been called Count of Gudensberg], the town which provides clues that likely connect another proven “Reinhardt” pedigree to this antecedent “Reinhard” pedigree, as well as in at least one of their presumed “von Uttershausen” ancestors (Heinrich) whom is a provincial Judge of Maden who in later generations others having been Lord’s of Uttershausen, Todenhausen, and Burgmann (aka Viscount or Baron or Castelleno) of Spangenberg. This family was very interconnected with the nobility of the Counts Werner and those Counts who succeeded him in those lands, and investigating about how and why that is has led me to the probability that Otrat von Uttershausen also likely descends from the same Udalrichinger line that Werner is claimed to; but I have not yet found the name or the link between which of Werner’s contemporary relatives Otrat would be descended from, only that he probably is descended from one of them taking into account everything else I have read about these family’s so far. I do not believe he is a son of Werner I himself since history does know a decent amount about his children, but as with other family pedigrees, I know that Werner I’s father and his brothers had other children (they are named) but I do not know all (or in some cases, any) of their biographical data nor do I know the history of their descendant family branches for those that are named; they simply name them and provide no further information. I believe there is a fit here; I just have not found it yet. Such a fit makes sense for “all other things being true.” I could be close to an “Ockham’s Razor” deduction here but I cannot say that yet because I am now in the murky waters of the Dark Ages where official documentation is sparse and I have to be more judicious than usual and remember to take into account the other axiom of “you don’t know what you don’t know,” whilst walking the tightrope between that and “absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.” You will see that in some of my research and in my online master tree database I begin with a presumption of this being a probable truth so that I can keep the necessary information linked in order to assist in continuing the investigation into these possible (probable?) antecedent families, as if to say “if this is true, then this would be the next likely set of clues.” If this is a wrong turn in my research then much of what I have said that comes antecedent to Otrat/Oderade, i.e. before 1108 or before Otrat’s earliest estimated birth circa 1030, may all be moot and of no real interest to us other than cultural (which is still of high value in my opinion). However, if Otrat/Oderade is so-named for an ancestor as described in the previous section Udalrich (aka known in Latin as Oadalrih) and other disambiguations (aka Udalrich, Ulrich), which essentially if true rather explains almost everything other than to know exactly which specific individual in that tree for whom he was so-named. So that just in case my estimation is true, I do want to document as much as I can with respect to it being possible, therefore leaving as little out of this stopping point to my research as I can. Perhaps I will learn more that I can update if I ever produce a second edition to this work but, if not then at least what I have done so far is not lost to posterity and you have this as a decent starting point for further study.

Is Otrat from an ancient dynastic noble family? and if so which one?

First of all, in the spirit of reminding the reader the status of this section of this article, allow me to remind you--I still don't know. However, also in the spirit of trying to find out...

As you know, I have not been able to uncover the parentage of our eldest documented ancestor Otrat von Uttershausen (est. born circa 1030 – bef. 1072). However, that does not prevent me from telling you a lot about his life and culture as well as place some reasonable boundaries around the location and timeframe of his ancestors. This is made possible thanks to some important information that found in reliable documentation about his descendants and a lot of good information known from accepted history of the time and place he lived. First, we know that his family is called “high noble of the precious free,” or “Edelfrei,” which tells us a lot about the noble status of his family in the medieval feudal society, and it is very specific about which families possesed this status and those other lesser or younger noble lines that did not, including why and so forth. This will tell us a lot about the family and where they must have come from and a good deal about the circumstances. That combined with the knowledge of where he lives at this time and the historical citations about some of the financial transactions, etc. that occur with this family in their subsequent holdings tells us still more, as well as the overall history of events in feudal society, especially among the nobility and ruling class during this time and the centuries preceding him. Before I attempt to elaborate more on my own in terms of hypothesis and theories toward the work of trying to identify his likely parentage, please read the following two historical summaries that will explain what being termed “Edelfrei” meant at this time as well as the summary describing what an “Imperial Knight” is during this and the subsequent period. It is my belief based on my reading of these general histories and from all that I have read so far about Otrat’s descendants that he is a high noble of the Imperial Knighthood of the old German Kingdom, aka the old German Empire; as described in the following historical summary’s. As you read the history remember that our Otrat is born circa 1030-1072 and consider where his circumstances would therefore fall in relation to this history. What comes after him is definitely instructive, but we are looking to place him in his own time and the centuries preceding him in order to identify who his ancestors may possibly be and how he came to his status in his time and place. These circumstances form parameters that begin to narrow down our search for his story.

"The term Edelfrei ("free noble" or "free knight") was originally used to describe those German noblemen who were distinguished from other free knights by the payment of three times their weregild. Such knights were known as Edelfreie or Edelinge. In the Holy Roman Empire, the higher nobility (Hohe Adel) emerged from the Edelfreie during the course of the 12th century, in contrast to the so-called ministeriales, most of whom were originally unfree knights or Dienstadel.[1]

In the Middle Ages edelfrei or hochfrei meant, in simple terms, that someone was a member of an ancient, dynastic aristocratic line. Free noble families were independent of legal obligations of a secondary nature, and they were not subordinated to any other families or dynasties, apart from the king or emperor.[1] The modern concept of aristocracy (Uradel) must not be confused with the term edelfrei, since it is much broader: all families that can prove they belonged to the knightly aristocracy by no later than around 1400 (whether originally edelfrei or ministeriales) are counted today as Uradel i.e. the aristocracy.

Many edelfrei families submitted themselves during the course of the Middle Ages to more powerful feudal lords; these families are commonly referred to in the literature as "originally edelfrei". This submission did not always happen under duress. Many vassals attained high positions in the courts of their lords, and vassal service was often very lucrative. Especially at the time of territorial expansion and the emergence of a monetary economy, many Edelfreie were dependent on the protection and support of a powerful secular or ecclesiastical lord. And vice versa: a dependent relationship existed, in that larger territories could only be secured and managed with the aid of loyal vassals.

The number of edelfreie families was limited. A new social order, the ministeriales now arose rapidly. These officials, who were mostly unfree in their origins, managed within a century to elevate themselves to the lesser nobility. The differences between ministeriales and the old aristocratic families began increasingly to blur. For many aristocratic families that were originally edelfrei there is therefore no reliable evidence of their dynastic origins."

This is what I believe happened to Otrat von Uttershausen and his descendants and a reading of the citations regarding their family line over the subsequent centuries validates this. You will see from the excerpts and references to citations I have included in this article from more than 30 towns in the northern Hessen region that Otrat’s descendants (just from Heinrich’s Uttershauser line, not including the same from his brother Hugo’s Heiligenberger and Olfe [Ulfa] lines) owned a large amount of lands and tithing rights and it tells us that their ancestor Otrat, while there is much less written about him, must have received quite an inheritance of lands and power during a crucial period that is effectively between the times of the ending of the old empire (Ottonian, Conradian, esp. Conradian in that county; or from the later Reichenbacher or Ziegenhainer lines) in the late 900’s until unified kingdoms and empires reformed over the subsequent centuries. Next, here is much more information about the Imperial Knighthood which is very instructive to us. One hypothesis as to why Otrat’s family is considered Edelfrei, is that he may be one of these Imperial Knights, descending from the old German Empire. The reading of the lives of his descendants as well as his own circumstances during his time fit very well into this description and in all other ways is completely compatible. In other words the edelfrei consists mostly of these Imperial Knights:

"The Free Imperial knights (German: Reichsritter Latin: Eques imperii) were free nobles of the Holy Roman Empire, whose direct overlord was the Emperor. They were the remnants of the medieval free nobility (edelfrei) and the ministeriales. What distinguished them from other knights, who were vassals of a higher lord, was the fact that they had been granted Imperial immediacy, and as such were the equals in most respects to the other individuals or entities, such as the secular and ecclesiastical territorial rulers of the Empire (margraves, dukes, princes, counts, archbishops, bishops, abbots, etc.) and the Free Imperial cities, that also enjoyed Imperial immediacy. However, unlike all of those, the Imperial knights did not possess the status of Estates (Stände) of the Empire, and therefore were not represented, individually or collectively, in the Imperial Diet.[1]

A/N: and this explains why this family is not seen with higher secular feudal titles such as Count or Duke, even though for a long time they possessed almost as much land and power as a Count at least, as it appears in the case of the von Uttershausen family in the Hessengau at least during circa 1000-1300 and probably earlier.

To protect their rights and avoid vassalage to more powerful nobles, they organized themselves into three unions (Partheien) in the late 15th century and into a single body in 1577, and fought to win recognition. This status, beholden only to the Emperor himself rather than through a more powerful noble, meant the Imperial Knights were "immediate subjects" (their fealty was unmediated by another lord). As such, the Imperial Knights exercised a limited form of sovereignty within their territories.

A/N: Also unfortunate for us is that by the time these edelfrei imperial knights began to organize themselves in this way, the von Uttershausen family name had already declined into obscurity, which also explains why despite everything else we know about them from their earlier period, they do not appear documented on the lists of the noble families who are part of these organizations. However, if you look carefully at such lists you will note certain families that the von Uttershausens at different times (mostly centuries before and therefore antecedent to), married into and had other business dealings with whose family name have survived to this period and are members of these groups. Examples: Bishofhausen, Rueckersfeld, Riedesel, and many others.

Their immediate status was recognized at the Peace of Westphalia. They never gained access to the Imperial Diet, the parliament of lords, and were not considered Hochadel, the high nobility, belonging to the Lower Nobility.

Origins

The Free Imperial Knights arose in the 14th century, the fusion of the remnants of the old free lords (Edelfrei) and the stronger elements of the unfree ministeriales that had won noble status.

Around 1300 the manoral economy suffered contraction due to the fluctuation in the price of agricultural foodstuffs. Ministeriales who were in a stronger economic position were better able to survive the weakening of their basis as landowners. The vast majority languished in poverty, resorting to selling lands to the Church, or to brigandage.

A/N: If you look at the vast majority of the citations regarding this family precisely in the mid to late 1200’s until early 1300’s, this is exactly what the von Uttershausen family did with their lands and possessions. The story becomes easier and easier to understand and tell knowing these things from the general history of this time and place.—To me there is very little doubt that this is describing precisely what has occurred to the von Uttershausen family.

The minority of ministeriales rich enough to weather the crises soon came to be identified with the remnants of the free nobility, and were thus seen as constituting one noble order. By 1422 some of these nobles had achieved jurisdictional autonomy under the Emperor (‘immediacy’), and the corporation of free imperial knights was born. The other ministeriales that did not manage to receive the status of immediate vassals of the Emperor were gradually transformed into a titled nobility of free status: the Freiherren (Barons). By 1577 the Imperial Knights achieved the status of a noble corporate body within the empire: the corpus equestre.

In the Peace of Westphalia, the privileges of the Imperial Knights were confirmed. The knights paid their own tax (voluntary) to the Emperor, possessed limited sovereignty (rights of legislation, taxation, civil jurisdiction, police, coin, tariff, hunt; certain forms of justice), and the ius reformandi (the right to establish an official Christian denomination in their territories). The knightly families had the right of house legislation, subject to the Emperor’s approval, and so could control such things as the marriage of members and set the terms of the inheritance of family property. Imperial knights did not, however, have access to the Imperial Diet.

All matters relating to the Imperial Knights' legal status as immediate vassals of the Emperor (house laws, debt, etc.) were managed by the Imperial Aulic Council.

A/N: I suspect that if the von Uttershausen prestige had survived until this period that they would have likely been members of the Rhenish Circle in Upper Rhine, with its seat in Mainz. I speculate on this merely from my understanding of the geography of where their holdings were and the fact that at one point previously they held their lands in fief to the Archidiocese of Mainz. There were some occasions in the late 1300’s that are cited for two generations after most of the original von Uttershausen holdings has already been dipersed, where some of this family were called Burgmann (zu Spangenberg) as well as Lord of their town (Todenhausen at that time) for Reinhard the Elder and Reinhard the Younger, respectively and in some citations seen as Freiherr. This made these gentlemen the equivalent of Baron or Viscount, sometimes also referred to as Governor. However, I do not believe these would have been of the autonomous barony variety, I suspect these were appointed positions by more modern higher nobility, probably given in respect to their ancient heriditary knighthood and edelfrei status. I am still attempting to learn precisely what role thay had in the Federal Sterner War during 1370-1373 timeperiod but from the terse citations I have seen they were in some way involved in it, which is also validated by the general history of that conflict that shows Spangenberg involved at some point while they commanded it.

Immediate and mediate status

Whether or not an individual, an institution, or an area was directly subject to the Emperor's authority defined the status of ‘immediate’ and ‘mediate’ subject of the Empire (reichsunmittelbar, reichsmittelbar). The distinction was not restricted to noble subjects of the Emperor; for example, a number of high officials in the imperial courts and the chancery were immediate, whether noble or not.

Arising from the feudal connection between tenure of land and jurisdiction, the status of immediate subject was further distinct from that of a state of the Empire. There were many immediate territories that were not states of the Empire, and there could be states that were not immediate. Examples of tiny immediate territories include villages (Gochsheim and Sennfeld near Schweinfurt), and some farms in Upper Swabia. The status of immediate subject of the Emperor could be held by an institution: the family of Thurn und Taxis held the imperial post as an immediate fief from the Emperor.

Mediate entities were subjects arranged under an intermediate jurisdiction between the entity itself and the Emperor.

Role in the Empire

The Imperial Knights were called very often to war by the Kaiser and therefore won significant influence in the Military and the Administration of the Empire and also over the more powerful nobles. Every Canton had its own Ritterhauptmann or Captain and kept detailed records of noble families and properties. The Imperial Knights were exempt from imperial taxes and were not required to quarter troops.

A/N: This somewhat describes some of the duties that the two v.T. and v.U. Burgmann’s zu Spangenberg would have been responsible for during their time, as other descriptions for this position were as ‘Castle Captain’ of Spangeberg.

Decline

Over time the title of Imperial Knight became a title of nobility rather than occupation. Many Imperial Knights even as early as the 16th century are more famous for their scholarly, artistic, or diplomatic work than their military achievements. With the founding of the Confederation of the Rhine in 1806 and the end of the Holy Roman Empire, the Imperial Knights' possessions, which were generally enclaves, formerly completely independent under the Kaiser, became part of the territories of the High Nobles, by whose territory they were surrounded. They, for the most part, took the title Freiherr and submitted themselves to their new lords.

Numbers and membership

Estates of Imperial Knights (Fulda)

Exact numbers of Free Imperial Knights are difficult to assess. It is often stated that there were 350 knightly families in all three Circles, owning around 1,500 estates (c. 200 German square miles, or about 4,400 English square miles), with a total population of 400,000–450,000 inhabitants. These figures, however, are drawn from claims for compensation made after the upheavals of the French Revolution, and are not an accurate description of the total membership in the order.

From early on, the membership of the corporation of Imperial Knights controlled access to admission to its Circles and Cantons. There were two kinds of membership possible within the order: personal and landed. Landed members were families enrolled in a Circle and Canton who owned an immediate fief, and thus were subordinate to the Emperor directly. The personal members (Personalisten) were non-landed members – regularly admitted – who had not yet acquired estates under knightly jurisdiction. As a result, the Personalisten were not included in claims made for compensation. Consequently, the numbers of landed families were probably closer to 400, with the Personalisten adding another 100, bringing the total number of knightly families to around 500 at the time of the corporation’s dissolution."

Speculation: Which dynasty might Otrat be descended from?

Okay, now that I have explained what has become of Otrat’s family, his noble status, and shed light on understanding the fate of the family in later generations it is time to use the knowledge of where they were and what became of them in order to attempt to figure out who Otrat’s ancestors could be. If I had not discovered Otrat or found that he had some kind of old nobility in his background we would likely have no further place to look because almost nothing was written down during this early period of the middle ages and during the dark ages unless it has something to do with the nobility, the rulers, or the church; and most of that is scarce too. But, since there is a noble and church background in this family we are safe to take what we do know and at least try to place them in their time and place into what is otherwise known about the history to see if we can narrow down some more clues and at least uncover and explain the nature of his ancestors and document all that we can about the origins of this family and its history.

Since I have estimated Otrat’s birth to circa 1030 – bef. 1072 what else can we learn about pertinent history from that time and place that would explain his dynastic noble status? We know that while Otrat was there and when his son is born, he holds his lands in a freehold as Edelfrei and possibly also as an Imperial Knight, but in fief to his liege-lord Werner I von Winterthur, Count of Maden (c. 1000; † 22 August 1040) (and his heirs Werner’s II and III), who was in 1024 Vogt (Bailiff) from the monastery Kaufungen and from 1027 in Hesse Gaugraf (Count) based in Gudensberg. Werner’s family is from Winterthur, Switzerland, but several generations previously in their male lineage they were originally from this very same region of Hesse. The history does not state it in this fashion, but I simply look at it as he has simply returned to Hesse from whence his family once originated. When you look at historical records of Werner’s family from this period you will find most of it detailing their lives in Winterthur until you get back several generations to the believed yet unproven origin of their line from the house of Udalrichinger in Hesse. For these reasons I have investigated a possible Werner/Udalrichinger connection for our ancestor, but I feel that is much less likely than a connection for Eberhard/Conradine. The reason for that speculation as well as all the other observations (and possibly other alternatives) that I hope to uncover in this chapter is to understand to whom Otrat might belong and for whom and therefore why he would have received his noble status and large inheritance. The Udalrichinger connection makes some sense but it is not the only possiblity. Further, it is possible that Otrat for his time or from whoever he has inherited from might have actually been resident and holding these lands in this region of Hesse even before Werner I becomes established there as a Count (which is very recent at that time) and so a strong look at the Conradines who were in power for most of the century before Werner is important. It is known that in the century directly preceding this timeframe that with the end of the Conradian line which is which is very closely related to the earlier Carolingien dynasty of the original Holy Roman Empire, the feudal order of the so-called “old German Empire or Kingdom (descending from Charlemagne’s rule)” is drawing to a close and for a period is not solidly united behind one overall ruler. History also tells us that while certain regions of the old kingdom do fall to large rulers as smaller Kingdom’s, Dukedom’s and very successful Count’s, that for a while and during the time preceding Otrat and Werner this particular region (the Hessengau) is by and large rather independent of those larger ruler’s. So that directly preceding Werner becoming the secular ruler as Count of Maden (living in Gudensberg) and the surrounding areas including Uttershausen, the area was relatively independent except for their duties to the Church, in their case through the Archdiocese of Mainz, and in the region most interesting to us in Fritzlar and Fulda and the lands in between. Overall if these independent secular lords continued to pay their tithes to the Church and performed other required duties and adhered to the spiritual laws coming from the Church, they were effectively independent rulers of their own domains. Into this case, exists our un-identified ancestors of Otrat and Udalrich whose later descendants are known as Edelfrei Imperial Knights of the Old Empire, owning and influencing significant lands and tithing rights across an area encompassing at least 150 sq. miles, including dozens of towns and a handful of churches and monestaries in the heartland of the Hessengau. They existed relatively independent save for the Church during much of the 900’s-1000’s. For Werner I during his time, after his father's death in 1030 he was appointed as his heir and successor, to also be called Count of Winterthur. He originally came to his holdings in Maden by his status of “standard bearer” to King Henry III. While this was happening Otrat and his ancestors were already established in that region and called, the “Lords of Uttershausen [1074 Oderadeshusun, 1108 Uhderedshusun, etc.].” Here is a quick summary of the succession of royal dynasties at that time:

King Henry III (28 October 1017 – 5 October 1056), called the Black or the Pious, who was a member of the Salian Dynasty of Holy Roman Emperors. He was the eldest son of Conrad II of Germany and Gisela of Swabia. His father made him Duke of Bavaria (as Henry VI) in 1026, after the death of Duke Henry V. On Easter Day 1028, after his father was crowned Holy Roman Emperor, Henry was elected and crowned King of Germany in the cathedral of Aachen by Pilgrim, Archbishop of Cologne. After the death of Herman IV, Duke of Swabia in 1038, his father gave him that duchy (as Henry I), as well as the kingdom of Burgundy, which Conrad had inherited in 1033. Upon the death of his father on 4 June 1039, he became sole ruler of the kingdom and was crowned emperor by Pope Clement II in Rome (1046). Conrad II (Konrad) (c. 990 – 4 June 1039) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1027 until his death.

There had been no Holy Roman Empire since the death of Berenger in 924 – until Otto I was coronated in 962, simply because the respective Pope’s of the time did not deign to coronate one (a vast oversimplification, read the attached histories if you wish to know more about why). It really wasn’t until Henry III, coronated as HRE in 1046 that it appears that all of the lands (at least the ones I am examining closely in Hesse) are fully unified under one Imperial rule again. Others may disagree, especially as this is a severe oversimplification, but it is merely my observation of the politics of the period in this place that I am most interested in at the moment.

The reason I want to look closely at this is because I am looking for an ancestor and a reason for the given ancestor to have inherited and controlled these lands that later become Oderadeshusun and surrounding lands, preceding our Otrat before 1030. Who were his ancestors, what dynastic family does he descend from that he and his descendants are Edelfrei at least 1 or 2 centuries before subsequent generations began to find it necessary to distinguish nobles of their background from the newer (younger) nobles? (a process which started circa 1250).

So it is known that from Charlemagne coronated HRE in 800 until Berenger in 924 all of these lands were owned, controlled, granted, transferred, and inherited by descendants of these royal dynasties (as in the case of how the Udalrichinger were originally granted their hereditary lands and titles as only one of many such examples). During the times immediately preceding Otrat and Werner under Henry III there is history that says that these lands were owned and dominated primarily by the remnants of a branch of the Conradian’s after the Ottonian dynasty but it does not name them. Another more senior branch of the Conradians coming out of the Ottonians spawns the Salian dynasty which thereafter re-unifies the empire at least as it pertains to the German kingdom.

I have speculated a Udalrichinger connection for Otrat and his son Udalrich which is similarly speculated by other historians and researchers for Werner, for largely the same reasons that they have done for Werner (and relying upon the same sources that they do and much of the same logic), and a similar path of logic for connection to the Reginbodenen clan. It could also be one of the descendants of the junior line of Conradians who are said to have controlled lands somewhat independently for a while in this region of northern Hesse [34] prior to it all coming more solidly under control of the Salian emperors, more or less from Conrad II to Henry III, which is in the precise timeframe also to find our Otrat’s ancestors, if we only could. If it were more accurate to hypothesize a linkage for Otrat to a Conradian in that time and place to explain his lands and high nobility, it would not have to be mutually exclusive of the Udalrichinger connection either, since those two families intermarried several times during the antecedent Ottonian and Carolingien dynasties. It is reasonable to speculate a parentage for Otrat either directly to a junior now extinct branch of Conradian who are known to have controlled many of these lands in northern Hesse during this period, or by an older descent from the Udalrichinger (or other of their contemporaries) which are likewise known to have controlled some of those same lands at an earlier period, (the details of which I have included in the another section that details my theory of a possible Udalrichinger connection), who had received those lands as grants from the Carolingien dynasty during that period (whom are likewise in their case a junior line of that dynasty from the Ottonian’s who intermarried with the Carolingien), or from descent of another older dynastic noble family that I have not yet found any reasonable clues to speculate upon that might have held some of these lands and passed them down. Therefore in summary the most likely persons we are looking for are within one of these families in the heartland of the Hessengau in West Franconia in a time period before Werner I (therefore before 1030, say from 930-1030). According to the history of Schwalm-Eder-Kreis, before Werner I, the area was ruled by two major family lines, the (Frankish) Conradines and before them the (Saxon) Esikonian:

Possible paths to Otrat and Udalrich von Uttershausen’s ancestors

• Descent from the Reginbodenen line, who "were a middle of the Rhine-Franconian noble family, in the 11th Century with close ties to the monastery of Fulda , the Archbishopric of Mainz and Königssondergau the light of history occurred". This is my current best theory using some of the same logic that the author of the Reginbodenen master list has used, namely "Since early relatives of [the family] can be assigned to any headquarters, they are after they use Leitnamen named as Reginbodo Reginbodonen. Also Reginhard, Sigebodo, Siegfried were preferred nickname of the family and their extended family, which is why they're called (indistinct auszumachender) Master Association as a Sig-Regensippe [clan]." The key leitname in this hypothesis for my [theorized] branch from this family is Reginhard, which is the ancient German spelling for the name Reinhard (later Reinhardt from the 18th century). There is no proof of course but I have gathered many significant clues such as (a) both families are supporters of Henry IV before and after the Investiture Controversy; (b) the Leitnamen of Reginhard -> Reinhard and from this point thereafter there is at least one Reinhard sometimes several in each von Uttershausen generation until after circa 1400 when an entirely new agnaticly surnamed branch of the family named Reinhard starts; (c) there is a town originally called Reginhartshagen now called Rörshain owned and named after an antecedent member of this family (but we don't know which); (d) the "coincidence" that Archbishop Siegfried I is one of the well known members of the Reginbodenen esp. prominent for his actions in the Investiture Controversy -and- the fact that both of the first two early monastic references (in monastery Hasungen which Siegfried himself founded in 1074) are allegedly faked and backdated records (but by whom is never stated) made in 1100 and 1200, for 1081 and 1131 respectively that records transfer of certain farm deeds in Uttershausen; (e) Siegfried has a brother Udalrich for whom nothing much is provided in the master list, but he would be a contemporary with the subject Otrat (father of subject Udalrich) and it is plausible that our subject Otrat and this Udalrich (Reginbodenen) might be one in the same. The name Otrat itself is a mystery and shows up nowhere else in any records and might have been an nickname or disambiguation following the common root Udal. which name etymology and onamostics gives us for the prefix of common two part names beginning with Ot- well known to be used as short forms from the root Udal. for both proper names Otto and Udalrich; (f) it is not said in the Reginbodenen master list but there is a separate citation from Lagis-Hessen [* http://www.lagis-hessen.de/de/subjects/idrec/sn/ol/id/4294] that shows Siegfried I's successor Archibishop Wezelo (who owed his promotion from Priest of Halberstadt to Archibishop to the support of Henry IV) confirmed for the two brothers named Udalrich and Rothard (a Knight of Count Rudolf probably of Rheinfelden) who authorized in circa 1080-1084 the transfer of the village Ulmes to a Knight Henry von Ulmes, the tithing rights for which are sold later by von Uttershausen in 1238)-it implies a "possible" relationship between this Udalrich/Rothard (and possibly Wezelo as well) in the coinciding ownership of land in Ulmes and might indicate that this Wezelo is also another Reginbodenen relative and conjoined with his brother Udalrich who is in the right time, place, and land ownership to be the same of our subject Udalrich of Uttershausen (son of Otrat); and (g) for everything else I have been so far able to consider they are all contemporary in the right places and times and associatiosn with the same lands and monastery's and churches and liege-lords, etc, etc.: so that in this hypothesis I am tentatively placing Rothards as a previously unlisted brother of our subject Udalrich (along with Wezelo until I can discover a better place for him-we have no other clue to his family origin), and likewise suggestion and placing our subject Otrat as a brother of Siegfried I in the Reginbodenen list with the rest of the known Reginbodenen master list falling into place around them in the my listing. CAUTION: It is worth repeating that this is only one of several plausible theories and only one I am placing tentatively until or unless better information or analysis is found. It is also worth mentioning that I am passively suggesting some type of misuse of some spiritual lordship (authority) on the part of certain people to direct possessions to other (secular) family members. Not a comforting thought of course, but plausible enough and considering the types of controversy's that these Archibishops and Henry IV were involved in and if one were to prescribe some motivations behind them, well... anyway... just chasing down a set of clues by way of any "investigation" and sharing my progress so far-caveat emptor!

• Descent from the Conradian line who dominated the Hessengau during the 10th and early 11th century (the ancestors of this family were close relatives of the Carolingiens) [33].

• Descent from the Esikonian line. This is problematic because their lands were more in the Saxon East Franconia than in the Frankish West Franconia [33].

• Descent from a junior Udalrichinger line (most likely close relative of Werner I, who is theorized by others to be cadet branch of the Carolingien dynasty). They had lands in Swabia and West Franconia [34].

• Descent from another as of yet unspeculated dynastic noble line that might have held lands in the Hessengau during the given period of time. If this is the case then the line we are looking for could be older than the Caroligien if it happens to be a much older family that possessed these lands and certain dynastic titles prior to Charlemagne who also somehow escaped losing them all during the rise of these new dynasties without losing their freehold status. If there are families in these circumstances (and I don’t even know if that is possible), odds are we will never find information about it, so there is not much room for speculation other than to say that this is another possible alternative.

• Is there some other way that the v. Uttershausen family prior to 1030 could have been in possesion of so much land and tithing rights in and around the Hessengau and possess the status of Edelfrei dynastic nobles without belonging to one of these families and not otherwise being further documented somewhere? I don’t know but that is the only other serious possibility I can think of. Additionally, if the family had simply been granted “imperial immediancy” for whatever reason by one of the preceding emperor’s it still would not explain their status requiring dynastic origins, it would simply have made them hereditary imperial knights. As stated in [33], “Franconia was one of the original four provinces of Germany but, in contrast to Bavaria, Saxony and Swabia, it had no obvious leader for much of its history.”—That I think is the root of this problem and the reason for so relatively little documentation and greater degree of politial chaos.

Any of these families would help explain and be explained by such a linkage to one of these families for why Otrat would have inherited much land, wealth, and noble status whilst not having claim to any dynastic titles of his own. Could there be other explanations too? Yes, and we cannot ignore other possibilities, so the search must continue, but the possibilities if you exclude these become even more narrow. From my understanding of how this system worked back in this time, if Otrat’s ancestor’s had simply been a common Knight with some accomplishment who had served well one of these dynasties, he would not have been Lord of so much land during this timeframe, considered Edelfrei, nor had the status of an Imperial Knighthood which is hereditary and forever passed down to his descendants (which is not how ordinary knighthood is conveyed). Furthermore, his descendants possessed the Edelfrei social status from a time (early 1200’s and prior) before it became necessary to distinguish all of the Edelfrei or old nobility from the Juncherre or new nobility, a trend that really only got momentum and became necessary due to changes in the feudal society of Germany starting in the 1400’s.

To illustrate the breadth of the von Uttershausen’s holdings, the following are several maps on which I have plotted 25 locations of which Otrat’s descendants (through Heinrich only, not including Hugo’s and his descendants) are cited as having sold lands and/or tithing rights during the period of mid 1200’s to appx. 1300. These are not all the locations in all of the available citations, but the software only allowed me to plot 25 points at one time. If you were to do so similarly for Heinrich’s brother Hugo I and his descendants you would also find a castle or two, and lands in Felsberg, Heilingenberg, Olfe/Ulfa/Olphe, et al.—all of these together are part of their father Udalrich and grandfather Otrat’s possessions previously; which indeed speaks to a rather large inheritance at the beginning of it all prior to Otrat, which as I have said is unfortunately during a time of signifanct power vacuum and an even more scarcity in documentation than normal.

Zoomed-Out: Note the scale of their sphere of influence and at least some of the places in which they owned land and/or tithing rights. This is an area on the whole of almost 400 square miles if you look at the furthest points. Certainly, their influence was not that widespread, some of these locations are likely possessions they owned fractionally and/or due to interesting inheritances we otherwise know nothing else about. However, what is more interesting is the area in northern Hesse which corresponds to all the other research in which they clearly enjoy a strong closer sphere of influence, as evidenced both by this map and all the various citations we have for them. For a closer look:

[image not available]

Zoomed-In: An area not dissimilar to the map I plotted elsewhere in this articler discussing the residences of the family from 1000-1854. If you tighten up the scale surrounding these points it is an area roughly 10 miles by 15 miles or 150 square miles, which roughly encompasses much of what is the county of Schwalm-Eder-Kreis and parts of neighboring counties today, overlaps heavily with the ancient region called Hessengau and in those times depending on which exact period is often referred to as the area of Maden, or Fritzlar, Homberg/Efze, and Frielendorf, where Todenhausen (near V) is located and Uttershausen (point A) which is in between Fritzlar and Homberg/Efze.

[image not available]

The following is some information that will shed some more light on the times and places that Otrat’s family has come from and possibly give clues to several possible families in the search for his ancestors. First, here is an extract (machine translated with some errors), that summarizes some major history of the region that Otrat resided, known as Hessengau before becoming later described simply as the center or heartland of the area later called Hessen. This also amplifies some of the descriptions I have made about the lives and times of this region in previous chapters. The part of this area of most interest to us is the Frankish Hessengau, and of particular interest is to try to find plausible ancestors for Otrat and Udalrich.

First possible alternative to come to mind from a reading of this account is Conrad the Younger d.906 and Eberhard d.939. Whereas Conrad the Younger is a junior line of the Conradians as I have mentioned previously, and Eberhard (also of the family of Conradians) is brother of the Duke of Franconia, therefore also a junior line of that family. But clearly these had major possessions in Hessengau and if there is a fit for one of these, it could also be an explanation for such a large inheritance that established the von Uttershausen’s less then a century later. It is interesting to note (even though possibly just a coincidence) that Eberhard is a very popular name in the v. Uttershausen descendants for several centuries after Otrat and Udalrich. I have focused on some of the most reasonable possible nobles based on their geography at the time.

Looking for an ancestor who is Edelfrei with dynastic nobility traced through male lineage who owned a great deal of land and rights in the Frankish Hessengau in the timeframe before Otrat von Oderadeshusun (born bef 1074, probably no earlier than 1030). In inverse chronological order (including only the Counts who controlled our homeland in the Frankish Hessengau, excluding the Saxon’s), therefore the most recent to oldest would be:

• Count Werner I (Carolingien via Udalrichinger) d. 1040 (came into power in Maden in 1030 and from thereafter our ancestors were in fief to him and his successors. A/N: Since I originally listed him first, this hypothesis became my leading theory, however since having time to investigate the next couple older possible connections via Conradine, I now think the Conradine connection to be most likely, and the case for Werner/Udalrichinger is that much weaker. I have preserved much of my previous Udalrichinger research in the appendices since it might still be of value. But I now track the Conradine as the preferred path in the continuing research.

• Duke Liudolf (Ottonian) d. 957 (Only son of Otto I HRE, rebelled against his father, lost his duchy and even though later reconciled with him, never regained it).

• Duke Eberhard (Conradine) d. 939 (The last Conradine Duke of Frankish Hessengau, supported Henry I but rebelled against Otto I HRE, lost his duchy, died in the Battle of Andernach).

• Or, if the dynastic connection in the Frankish Hessengau is even older than that, look back farther to:

• • Conrad the Younger (Conradine) d. 918
  • Conrad the Elder (Conradine) d. 906
  • Prior to them, several Saxon Counts (Esikonen) c.830-890
  • Prior to them, directly to the Carolingien dynasty c. 800-
  • Prior to them, not worth speculating because you will never have a chance to identify them unless an entire series of previously uknown monastic documents are discovered that contains such information.

Quoting directly as necessary from http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hessengau Hessengau] in order to interject (in italics) some analysis as needed within context:

"The Hessengau (pagus Hassorum) was in the Middle Ages, the largest east of the Rhine Franconian Gaugrafschaft. It stretched between Beverungen und Marsberg in the north and Bad Hersfeld in the south, and was divided into two tribes:

• The Frankish Hessengau was to Fritzlar and Kassel

• The Saxon Hessengau (Pagus Hessi Saxonicus), both sides of the Diemel in eastern Westphalia and southern Lower Saxony

The division was created when the 7th Century, the Saxons, the Hesse south crowded and it conquered lands populated even without changing the name. The border between the two parts is about in line with Hann. Munden - Korbach and ran with it just a little bit north of Kassel.

The Hessengau was in the 9th Century, one of the root of the country Conradines was, but after the rebellion of the Duke Eberhard of Franconia and his death of 939 in the Battle of Andernach, King Otto I pulled in and to faithful as fiefs given The Saxon part finally arrived, after the death of Count Dodiko, 1020/1021 to the Bishop of Paderborn. The Frankish part was from 1027 by the Counts Grafengeschlechtern Werner and Giso administered as fiefs and finally came through inheritance in the 12th Century to the Ludowinger and thus to Thuringia. After the extinction of Ludowinger 1247 and the subsequent Hessian-Thuringian War of Succession of Gau was the heartland of the country county Hesse and thus the nucleus of today's Land Hessen. Counts in Hesse were:

From the family of Esikonen:

• Hiddi (Hildebold) testifies, 813, Count of the Saxon Hessengaus
• Asig (Esiko), 839 and 842 witnesses, Count of the Saxon Hessengaus
• Cobbo the Younger, witnessed by 890, Count of the Saxon Hessengaus

Middle of the last decade of the 9th Century the earldom was in Saxon Hessengau temporarily for reasons unknown to the Conradines:

• Berengar, 860 testified † with 879, 876 Count in Saxon Hessengau

• Conrad the Elder, † 27 February 906 at Fritzlar, whose nephew, 886 Graf Oberlahngau, 897 Count in the Frankish and Saxon Hessengau, 903 Graf Gotzfeldgau, 905 Count in the Wetterau, Graf Wormsgau, 892 until 903 margrave in Thuringia, Nepos of King Arnulf of Carinthia, buried in the church of St. Martin in Weilburg

• Conrad the Younger, † 23 December 918, his son, 908 Count in the Frankish and Saxon Hessengau, 910 Graf Keldachgau and Dux (Duke of Franconia), 7./10. November 911 as Conrad I ostfränkischer King, 912 St. Walpurgis donates in Weilburg, buried in Fulda, 913 ∞ Cunegonde, sister of Count Erchanger and Berthold (Ahalolfinger), widow of the Margrave Luitpold of Bavaria (Luitpoldinger) buried in the Abbey of Lorsch.

• Eberhard, † 23 October 939 in Andernach, whose brother, "Duke of Franconia", 909 lay abbot of St. Maximin in Trier, 913 Count in the Frankish and Saxon Hessengau and Perfgau, 913 and 928 count in Oberlahngau, 914 Margrave, 936 Steward, 938 Palatine. A/N: If none of my other speculations about a possible Otrat ancestor is correct, then a descendant of Eberhard (who is a member of the Conradine dynasty) makes sense to look into. Due to political intrigue of the time beginning with why he didn’t become King in the first place down to the several rebellions he orchestrated or took part in, the ultimate loss of power thereafter for his line, his duchy became a direct Imperial possession from 939 to 1024 and remaining vacant until Conrad IV over 100 years later; being also in the right place, is also the right timeframe for there to be a hypothetical male descendant of this line who lost all right to title (after Eberhard) but whose own status and descendants would be Edelfrei and trace their nobility to dynastic origins. In the written history of him there is no spouse or children listed, so we don’t know if he had any or not. Odds are that he would have for no other reasons than he had a dynasty to try to continue and he was no monk. All of that said, while plausible for all those reasons, I haven’t a shred of other clues to properly suggest this, so I offer it here as this mere mention.] After the death of Eberhard and the arrival of his goods and fiefs by King Otto I was initially:

• Liudolf, Otto's son, the Hessengau (comitatus Hassonum). A/N: If the ancestor we are looking for is Ottonian instead of Conradine, the first place I would look is a possible descendant of Liudolf. Liudolf married Ida, daughter of Duke Herman I. When Herman died, Otto appointed his eldest son and heir apparent duke. Liudolf was a popular ruler with the tribe. After the usurpation of Berengar II of Italy, he invaded Lombardy in 951. His father foiled his plans and invaded as well, leaving Liudolf without much gain. When Otto married Adelaide, the heiress to Italy, Liudolf felt his position threatened and raised the flag of revolt in 953. Though he had the support of his Swabians, his ally (and brother-in-law), Conrad the Red, was opposed by his own subjects in Lorraine. The Bavarians of Henry I, Duke of Bavaria, Liudolf's uncle, supported Liudolf, but Henry and Otto together put down the rebellion. In 954, he was deprived of his duchy and, though reconciled with his father, he did not regain it. He invaded Italy for a second time in 957 and many cities capitulated before him and Berengar fled. He died unexpectedly of fever amidst his victorious campaign at Pombia, near Novara, on September 6 and was buried in St. Alban's Abbey, Mainz. His son by Ida, Otto, was later duke of Bavaria and Swabia, his daughter Mathilde abess of a canoness monastery in Essen. He also founded the city of Stuttgart in southern Germany.

From the family of Esikonen:

• Elli I. (Allo), † after 965, the Saxon Earl Hessengau from 942, Graf Leinegau to 950th.

From other families:

• Athelbero (Berno) († 982 ), 965-966, Count Palatine of Saxony, Count of Saxony and in Hessengau Liesgau
• Dodiko, 1011 Count in Saxony Hesse, in Ittergau and Nethegau
• Tammo / Thankmar († 1037), Steward Emperor Otto III., grandson of Count Athelbero, Graf in Astfala and since 994 in Saxon

Hessengau

After Dodikos death king gave Henry II (1002-1024) a portion of its property to the Bishop of Paderborn, the rest of Thammo. King Conrad II (1024-1039) moved the Paderborn part contradict one and forgave him the Archbishop of Mainz. After Conrad's death, this area fell again to Paderborn. Another part Conrad 1027 gave to his henchman and standard bearer of Werner Winterthur, henceforth as the Earl of Maden managed at the heart of the Franconian Hessengaus. Gaugrafen of the family of Werner, which is also the county Ruchesloh in Lahngau at Marburg had were:

• Werner I., 1027-1040 (A/N: probably not a son, but possibly a sibling, cousin, or nephew and similarly descended from Udalrichinger)
• Werner II, 1040-1053
• Werner III., 1053-1065
• Werner IV, 1065-1121

After Werner IV died without an heir, the district went to shortly before his death, the Archdiocese of Mainz to feud had applied and received back from Mainz, as such, to Giso IV. Gaugrafen made by the Gisonen were:

• Giso IV, 1121
• Giso V., 1121-1137 (regency of his mother, Gwendolyn from Bilstein to its maturity)

After the death of V. Giso inherited Landgrave Louis I of Hungary, the county on the basis of his marriage to Giso’s sister Hedwig of Gudensberg.

In the northeastern part of the Hessengaus was Siegfried III. of Boyneburg (~ 1050-1107) of the House from 1083 to 1107 Northeim Boyneburg Count, Count in Hesse, Nethegau and Ittergau.

Some interesting possible clues in this, but difficult to estimate which path is best to follow. Some of the descendants of these people are named with additional biographical information given and still others are simply named and tell us nothing more, while others who probably had some children, their histories simply do not name them. Furthermore, some of the children that are named do have names similar to the root names associated with the speculation of possible names indicated in the etymological study of Otrat/Oderade and his son Udalrich.

For example, there is an:

• “Otto and Udo od Odo († after 918), 904 Count in Ruhrgau, 912 Count on the middle Lahn” who is one of the sons of Conrad the Elder who d.906 at Fritzlar (a mere couple miles from the seat of our von Uttershausen family). A/N: Unfortunately, other than the above there is no further history I have found for Otto/Udo/Odo, but for all the reasons I have suggested could be a very simple fit for an ancestor of our Otrat and Udalrich. Also, there is another Eberhard named as an uncle of Otto’s for whom there is no other information given. There are a number of similar noted family members in this Conradian line extanct in this very same lands who could be plausible ancestors for Otrat who we otherwise have no other information for. So, that search continues.

Another possibility is:

• Udo I of the Wetterau (around 900 *, † 949), from the family of Conradines, was Count of Wetterau and Duke in Alsace. He was the son of the Duke Gebhard II of Lorraine. A/N: He has a son Udo d.982 whom we do not know his offspring. He had a son Gebhard d.938 whom we do not know his offspring, and so forth."

There are many other family members of the Ottonian’s and Conradian’s extant in this place that are so-named or who have children and grandchildren so-named as Otto, Udo, Odo, and so forth. Any of these could easily, for all the other reasons as well as name etymology, to be a candidate ancestor for our subjects Otrat and Udalrich.