Introduction. The twin counties of Wittgenstein existed as a distinct geographic/political area from the age of Charlemagne until 1975. At this time, it was merged with the neighboring region of Siegen to form the political unit or Kreis called Siegen-Wittgenstein. Wittgenstein (and we will speak of it as a single area) has had a clear identity and virtually the same boundaries since the 1600s, to the great benefit of the researcher.
To confuse matters, the ruling families took the name Sayn-Wittgenstein with a further distinction between the Counts of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein (based in Laasphe).
Geographically, Wittgenstein lies at the southern tip of the Sauerland in west central Germany. The mountains are called the Rothaargebirge, or "red-hair mountains." The present area is about 188 square miles with a 1994 population of 45,000. It is one of the most-densely wooded area of Germany. At its north is Kahler Asten, the tallest peak in central Germany with a height of 2759 feet.
The Eder and Lahn rivers originate near and pass through Wittgenstein, and numerous smaller streams flow through the valleys. The Elsoff and Odeborn are the most important of these smaller streams.
The traditional counties are now part of Kreis Siegen-Wittgenstein and the Land of Nordrhein-Westfalen. It is further divided into the two towns (Städte) of Bad Laasphe and Bad Berleburg, plus the community (Gemeinde) of Erntebrück. The smaller villages and outlying houses are now parts (Ortsteilen) of one of the three larger communities. The villages elect representatives to the local councils but no longer have their own autonomy or a Bürgermeister.
The political reorganization of 1975 resulted in the realignment of some of the old boundaries. For instance, the three villages of Langewiese, Mollseifen and Neuastenberg in what was the remote northeast corner of Wittgenstein are not part of Siegen-Wittgenstein but belong to Winterberg.
The affiliation with Nord-Rhein Westfalen began after the end of World War II. Prior to that:
It is very important to realize that the political identity of the people emigrating during the 1800s was as Prussians.
The Counts of Wittgenstein converted to Protestantism soon after the Reformation in 1535. By the rules set down in the Peace of Westphalia which ended the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), they had the absolute right to choose the religion of their subjects. They chose Calvinism in particular. Since World War II, a larger number of Catholics live in the area. The large majority remain Protestant (Evangelical in German). Today there are about 40 churches or chapels in the area of Wittgenstein; only six are Catholic.
During the 1700s, the Counts gave refuge to some religious minorities. These included Huguenots from France as well as Pietists. The best known of the latter lived at the village of Schwarzenau before moving on. They were the core of the Dunkards, an important sect within the movement of German Brethren.
Wittgenstein was also home to a small population of Jews. The first recorded mentions are from around 1640. They had a synagogue in Berleburg by 1730. It was destroyed during Kristalnacht in 1938 and the Jewish population was eventually deported and killed. The same fate awaited a population of Gypsies.
There are no North American study groups or associations devoted purely to the general history and genealogy of Wittgenstein.
There is a local historical society in Wittgenstein which publishes a quarterly magazine and has other activities. To my knowledge, the New York City library receives this publication. So does the Genealogical Society of the LDS (50 East North Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150) and the Historical Library of the Church of the Brethren (1451 Dundee Avenue, Elgin, Illinois, 60120-1694). I have copies since 1989.
The address for the Wittgensteiner association is:
One large family group descended from Wittgenstein is the Womelsdorfs. They have an association and occasional events. Contacts include:
The German equivalent is:
The American Dreisbach Family Association is very active and has a web site at http://www.dreisbachfamily.org.
Jochen Karl Mehldau of Karlsruhe has computerized over 120,000 entries from the Protestant church registers of Erntebrück, Arfeld, Birkelbach, Weidenhausen, Wingeshausen, Berleburg, Elsoff, Girkhausen, Feudingen and Raumland, and the Catholic registers of Berleburg and Neuastenberg. The Protestant records from Laasphe and Fischelbach are currently being compiled. He is willing to search this database for a small fee per person. Please contact him (English is OK) at jkmehldau@arcor.de.
The small but important communities of Pietists who sojourned in Wittgenstein before coming to America are of considerable interest. The best single source for their history in the New World is the Church of the Brethren, headquartered now in Elgin, Illinois. The serious researcher must join the Fellowship of Brethren Genealogists. The membership coordinator is (or has been): Ron McAdams / 7690 South Peters Road/Tipp City, Ohio 45371. Also see the Internet sites listed elsewhere.
Their Fall, 1997, newsletter featured an article on Alexander Mack and his descendants, for instance.
We cannot begin to enumerate all the extant and extinct place names in Wittgenstein. Following are lists of the major towns and communities.
The town of Bad Berleburg also includes the following villages with a combined population of 21,500:
The community of Erndtebrück also includes these villages with a combined population of 8,100:
The town of Bad Laasphe also includes these villages with a combined population of 15,600:
Click here to call up a small map. It is only approximate and meant to help locate the major towns and villages.
Click here to call up a REALLY BIG black and white "gif" file. It shows towns, villages, many place names, and abandoned settlements. It is much too big to display on a computer screen so you will probably want to download it and then print it on 8 1/2 by 11 paper. Printing it now through your browser will yield less satisfactory results. The map comes from the definitive history of Wittgenstein published by Gunther Wrede in the 1920s.
The author of these pages has little current information on research sites in Germany that are open to the public or receptive to inquiries. The archives of the Sayn-Wittgenstein families have largely been moved to the city of Münster. Scholarly researchers may access to them, but there is no staff to do custom searches for pay or otherwise. Needless to say the documents are in German handwriting of varying antiquities and difficult to decipher for anyone not accustomed to them.
The LDS has, to my knowledge, microfilmed all of the church records of births, deaths, and marriages which were held in various places. Since these are available to anyone with access to Family History Centers of the LDS, there is little reason to pursue the original record books.
Return to top of documentUnfortunately, there are no readily-accessible general publications relevant to the history and genealogy of the common people of Wittgenstein, especially in English. The bibliography to one of the author's papers on Riedesel family history is at least representative of the types of literature which the diligent researcher may find.
Among relevant town and village web sites are:
Of interest to American researchers are the major periods and episodes of emigration from Wittgenstein to the New World. The following list is not meant to be complete.
These resources have been prepared by Dr. Paul Riedesel.
E-Mail: paul@riedesel.org