The Family "von Ohlhausen" (von Olnhausen) of Württemberg, Germany

Friday, July 22, 2011

The Family "von Ohlhausen" (von Olnhausen) of Württemberg, Germany

Arms of the von Olnhausen Family
Image courtesy of
http://www.enzpark.de/wb/pages/familienhomepage/familienwappen.php

Our ancestral connection to the "von Olnhausen" family is thorugh Christina Regina Benz. Christina was born 19 Jan 1799 in Nordheim, Württemberg and moved to Bessarabia, where she marreid Johann Michael Lutz on 1819 in Arzis, Bessarabia. Christina's grandmother was Anna Christina von Ohlhausen of Nordheim, Württemberg.

The von Ohlhausen family is in fact a branch of the von Olnhausen family. It is believed that von Olnhausen family origins were with the knight Heinz von Otting zu Olnhausen. This knightly family was in the service of the Counts von Hohenlohe and held property in the village of Olnhausen, Württemberg, from which they changed their name to von Olnhausen.

Documents show that Heinz von Olnhausen participated in numerous feuds between 1423 and his death sometime before 1457. His son, Heinz II (the younger) fought against the Counts von Hohenlohe, until 1476, when he began serving them and was later appinted the Vogt (steward) of the village of Adolzfurt, until his death in 1498.

Adolzfurt Castle - remaining structure
Photograph source: Peter Schmelzle, wikimedia commons

Map of German Peasant's War

In the early 1500s, a son of Heinz II, Jakob (Jacobus) von Olnhausen moved to Böckingen and served as the mayor of Böckingen, as well as sitting on the Heilbronn city council. Jakob von Olnhausen was murdered by Jacklein Rohrbach on 6 Dec 1524 during the Peasant's War.

Jakob was also friends with the famous knight, Götz von Berlichingen (The Knight With The Iron Hand), of whom Goethe wrote a play.

The Iron Hand of Goetz von Berlichingen on Display at Jagsthausen Castle

Armor of Götz von Berlichingen, at Hornberg Castle.

Photo courtesy of wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%B6tz_von_Berlichingen

By 1661, one of Jakob von Olnhausen's descendants, Johannes von Olnhausen (b. 1640 - d. 1698) left Böckingen and moved to Nordheim to serve as town judge and blacksmith. It was in Nordheim, where the name changed to von Ohlhausen around 1660. His son, Johann Conrad von Ohlhausen (b. 1674 - d. 1757) served as judge and mayor of Nordheim.