. Abbreviations used in Wiederhold ancestor charts

This file complements geneological charts of Wiederhold ancestors

Created 2008 by Gio Wiederhold.
The charts are reached via Wiederhold Ancestor Information.

These notes help in interpreting a large collection of genealogical Wiederhold Documents (about 2000 pages) originally collected by Alfred Wiederhold over a long period (1930-1975?). Gio's ancestors go back to back to 1441 in those records, when a Nikolaus Wyderolt paid a fee of `drei neue Groschen' (30 cents!) to enroll in the University of Erfurt.

Names

Often a name was not known, especially when children died young. So you may just see `Kind', child; `Sohn', son; or `Tochter'; daughter. When children had died young, you will often find that later siblings were given the same name.
Common names are abbreviated, and of course, implicitly, everyone in the charts is a `Wiederhold', Wives and husbands of Wiederholds (after the oo symbol) have their last names listed if known. female branches are not continued. There are recent exceptions, where the husband of a `Wiederhold' daughter took on the name `Wiederhold'.

Professions

After the spouses the profession is given, if known. A 1460 citation mentions a trumpeter named Wedterolde. Many other ancestors had the profession of

  • `Ackermann', farmer;
  • `Bäcker', baker;
  • `Bauer', farmer;
  • `Bergmann', miner;
  • `Bürgermeister', mayor;
  • `Färber', cloth dyer (a family profession in the Homburg branch);
  • `F&0uml;rster', forester;
  • `Fourier', quartermaster>
  • `Grebe', mayor of a village, later called `Buergermeister';
  • `Gerber', tanner - of Leather, also `Löhgerber';
  • `Kastenmeister', treasurer;
  • `Kaufman', business man;
  • `Kuhhirt', cow herder;
  • `Landwirt', farmer, owner of the farm;
  • `Lehrer', teacher;
  • `Maurer', brick layer;
  • `O'...' = Ober, senior, master;
  • `Pfarrer', preacher;
  • `Schneider', tailor;
    • .
  • `Schöffe', juror (A position);
    • .
  • `Schultheiss', sherriff;
    • .
  • `Vogt', estate manager;
  • `Weber', weaver, also `Leineweber', linnen weaaver;

Town names

The last entry on a chart gives the place where they lived and died. Most original places are in the area between Kassel and Fulda. This area was and is the state of "Hessen" or Hessia. The Hessian soldiers, employed in the U.S. war of independence came, from that state. Today it easiest to find by locating the #7 Autobahn from Hamburg to Austria/Liechtenstein north of Frankfurt am Main. Autobahn #5 goes from that area south-west to Frankfurt, and then continues south as well.

Some common abbreviations, with distances relative to Fulda and Kassel, towns 86km (`50 miles) apart.

  • Gens or Felsbg= Gensungen - Felsberg, 83km north of Fulda;
  • Frankf. - Frankfurt am main, the largest town in the area, 120 km south-west of Fulda, about 200km south of Kassel.
  • Helm.h= Helsmshausen, 82km north of Fulda, about 200km south of Kassel;
  • Hess= Hesserode, 1km southwest of Helmshausen;
  • Homb = Homberg, Efze, 73km north of Fulda, about 32km south of Kassel.;
  • Bad Homburg is another town, just 20 km north of Frankfurt;
  • Marbg = Marburg, university town, 103km west by northwest of Fulda, about 90km southwest of Kassel.;
  • Mels.= Melsungen, 83km north of Fulda, about 21km south of Kassel.;
  • Rhund = Rhunda or Rhuenda, 86km north of Fulda, about 33km south of Kassel.;
  • Singen, the location of the most famous Konrad Wiederhold (~1625) and the Hohentwiel castle, is in Southern Germany, nearly 400 km south of Fulda and about 70km north of Zuerich, Switzerland.
  • Zieg = Ziegenhain-Schwalmstadt, 77km northwest of Fulda; 49Km southwest of Kassel.

I welcome comments and additions.
Gio