Böttcher & Sperr Family in Atmagea, Romania (1848-1903)

Before emigrating to the United States, the Samuel Böttcher and Maria Elizabeth Sperr family lived in Atmagea, Dobruja, Romania.  The German name for this place is Atmadscha, Dobrudscha, Rumänien.



The Village of Atmagea, Dobruja

The village was founded in 1848 by Adam Kühn of Tarutino, Bessarabia.  He came with a group of settlers who had been living in Akpunar, just before settling Atmagea.  During the period 1849-1853, Pastor Johannes Bonekemper of Rohrbach in the Beresan Region of South Russia came and influenced the village with his "Stundist" practices, a pietistic Protestant movement focused on serious Bible study and holy living. 

Atmagea Church

It is known that the Gottfried Fandrich family of Brienne, Bessarabia was one of the founding families of Atmagea in 1848/1849.  Gottfried's sister, Luise Fandrich had come with him.  She later married Johannes Sperr in Atmagea.  Johannes Sperr was also one of the original settler of Atmagea, and had left Friedenstal, Bessarabia after 1842.  It is likely that his father Philipp Sperr accompanied him.  Johannes and Luise's daugher, Maria Sperr, was born at Atmagea on 2 Apr 1857. 

Johannes Sperr became a Baptist and was bapized sometime in late 1865 or early 1866 by missionary August Liebig.  Johannes Sperr is listed on the Babadag Grain List in 1877, as a property owner in July 1878 and also on the June 1879 Census.  Luise Fandrich Sperr died at Atmagea around 1889. 

Atmagea Church

Samuel Böttcher came around 1875, most likely to avoid the Russian military conscription.  The Paris Family Book of 1861 states that the Andreas Böttcher family emigrated to Turkey in 1875 (Dobruja was part of the Ottoman Empire).  Samuel married Maria Elizabeth Sperr on 26 Nov 1876 at Cataloi, by Baptist Pastor Ludwig Liebig.  On 2 Mar 1877, they were both baptized by Pastor Ludwig Liebig.  In June of 1879 Samuel Böttcher owned the property next to his father-in-law, Johannes Sperr.  Sometime around 1875, Samuel's parents Andreas and Anna Elizabeth Böttcher moved to Atmagea as well.  After Andreas died, Anna Elizabeth Böttcher remarried to Martin Kohls in 1887.

Andreas Böttcher was born to Samuel Böttcher and Maria Elizabeth Sperr on 22 Nov 1882 at Atmagea.  He later married Anna Ehrmann, of Cataloi, Dobruja in North Dakota, U.S.A.

Near Atmagea

Road to Atmagea

In 1892, Samuel Böttcher and friend Johann Adam visited the United States, seeking new farming opportunities in North Dakota.  They must have liked what they saw, since in 1898 Samuel Böttcher moved his whole family to North Dakota.  His mother and step-father, Anna and Martin Kohls, emigrated to Canada in 1903. 

Photographs of Atmagea courtesy of

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/53294255 

and

http://www.carpati.org/jurnal/muntii_dobrogei_2010-03-07_-_podisul_babadag/1848/



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.



Nordheim, Old Town Hall (Altes Rathaus), built 1593.
Photo by p.schmelzle
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nordheim-rathaus1.JPG