The First Settlers in Felsönána

  The village of Felsönána was situated on the von Mercy Domains in Tolna County and was settled by Hessian settlers beginning in the mid 1720s.  The majority of these pioneering families were Lutherans although there was sizeable numbers of Reformed among them.  They formed a “united” congregation and related to the Lutheran congregations and pastors in Varsád and Kistormás where there are numerous entries with regard to the families in Felsönána in their church records.  The early schoolmasters were untrained men and served in an emergency capacity because they also functioned as lay leaders in worship.  Later trained teachers served the congregation but did so secretly until the Edict of Toleration.  Several of them began the church records and copies of many of the entries in those church books can be found in the Kistormás records as well.

  The following is information gathered from several sources and the church records in an attempt to discover what we can about the early settlers and their origins.

Bach, Johann Heinrich emigrated from Dauernheim, Kreis Büdingen in Oberhessen to Hungary and settled in Felsönána.  In 1734 he returned back home.  He had to deal with some property rights or inheritance issues.  He offered such a rosy picture of the situation on the von Mercy estates in Hungary that a wave of would be emigrants followed in his wake from the whole area and Dauernheim soon belonged to those communities where a majority of its inhabitants went in search of their fortune in Hungary.

His wife was named Anna Margaret, born 25.11.1695 and died in Felsönána 22.09.1770.

Becker, Anna Elisabeth was born in Oberhessen in Reimenrod, Kreis Alsfeld.  She was born there on 03.03.1741 as the illegitimate daughter of Anna Margaret Becker.  Her grandfather was named Johann Becker.  She married Johann Martin Euler in Kistormás on 07.07.1767.

Birkenstock, Johann Heinrich was born 06.05.1709 in Hopfgarten, Kreis Alsfeld and died 17.09.1792 in Ráckozár in Baranya.  His parents were Johann from Altenburg by Alsfeld and his second wife Anna Margaret Jürgen the daughter of Hans Jürgen of Hopfgarten born there 02.02.1707.  Johann Heinrich emigrated with his half-brother or uncle named Johannes from Rainrod, Kreis Alsfeld to Hungary and settled in Felsönána.  As the trusted agent and administrator of Prince Eszterházy he played an important role in the settlement of Ráckozár and the surrounding villages in 1756.

Daupert, Johann left for Hungary in 1721 from Oberlais Kreis Büdingen and settled in Felsönána.  His 51 year-old widow Katharina died there in 20.11.1735.

Dörmer, Johann Heinrich came to Felsönána from Birklar Kreis Giessen.  He died on 31.10.1738.  He was from among the countless colonists who succumbed to the rigors of the heavy work required to clear land and drain the swamps and died at an early age.  He was 45 when he died.  Two sons had emigrated with him, Johann Jakob and Johann Peter.  Johann Jakob was born in 1722 and married in Felsönána 22.11.1746 and his bride was Anna Christina Schmied the daughter of the master blacksmith Andreas Schmied and his wife Anna Clara.  Following her death, Johann Jakob remarried 30.11.1749 and his second wife was Elisabeth Deckert who had been born in Mucsfa 22.04.1730 the daughter of Johann Deckert a fabric dyer from Mucsfa.  She died in Felsönána 20.11.1749.  The other son Johann Peter Dörmer married in Felsönána 28.11.1741 and his bride was Peter Eberhard’s daughter Barbara.

Enckemayer, a carpenter came from Neukirchen in the Stift Fulda.

Faulhaber, Johann from Grebenau Kries Alsfeld married Elisabeth Jäckl the daughter of Johann Jäckl in Felsönána in 1765.

Fuchs, Johann David was from Reichenbach but there are approximately 60 or more villages with that name in Germany.

Funck, Anna Elisabeth from Sinnerod (but could also be Winnerod, Kries Giessen).  Her parents were Johann Heinrich Funck and Anna Maria.  She married Johann Konrad Koch of Nagszékely who was a widower.  They married on 08.04.1735.

Graulich, Johann Heinrich came from Burggemünden, Kreis Friedberg.  In 1758 he married Anna Maria Beck.  He immigrated to Hungary with Johann Peter Graulich who also settled in Felsönána and was probably his brother.

Hänsel, Anna Maria from Eichelsachsen, Kreis Büdingen born on 11.11.1723.  Her parents were Hanns Hänsel and Anna Maria.  She married Johann Lein in Felsönána on 17.10.1754.

Jäckl, Anna Katharina from Heubach, Kreis Alsfeld born 04.11.1728 and married in Felsönána on 18.06.1754 to Jakob Schäfer from Varsád.  Her parents were Ludwig Johann Jäckl and Anna Katharina Weiss.  The parents had married on 16.10.1710.  The grandparents were Dietrich Jäckl and Johann Welten Weiss.

Jäckl, Johann was the brother of Anna Katharina.

Kring, Johann Karl from Isenburg-Fürdingen was married to Anna Maria Sauer.  Among his relatives was Johann Friedrich Kring who acted as a Godfather in 1740.

Kühnle, Michael was from Rühlingshausen (but where?)

Lang, Johann came from Walldorf, Kreis Grossgerau by Frankfurt or Walldorf in Baden by Heidelberg.

Lorch, David emigrated from Wolleroth in Hessen/Kassel to Felsönána where he married.  Wolleroth cannot be located in any contemporary geographical atlas of Germany.   It was most likely the local variation of the proper name of the community that was given orally and the recorder had to use his imagination.  This happened frequently in the church records.

Nagel, Anna Julianna born in Niedergemünden, Kreis Alsfeld 26.01.1730.  She married in Felsönána to Johann Heinrich Zarth.  Her father was Matthias Nagel.  He married in Niedergemünden on 26.02.1722 and his wife was Anna Julianna Pabst the daughter of Johann Heinrich Pabst.  Anna Julianna’s grandfather was Konrad Nagel.

Rückert, Ulrich came from Eberbach probably in Baden by Heidelberg.

Schleining, Anna Veronica came from Mohlstein, Hessen Darmstadt and married in Felsönána on 06.06.1755.  Her husband was Johann Schnabel.  The parents of the bride were Johann Schleining and Anna Elisabeth.

Schindler, Konrad came from Nordheim (Main) in Bavaria.

Walther, Johann Christoph was born in Reichlos, Kreis Alsfeld on 10.11.1732.  He married in Felsönána 28.11.1758 and his bride was Anna Margaret Birkenstock.  The parents of the groom, Johann Heinrich Walther baptized on 24.08.1709 married in Reichlos, filial of Freienstein on 07.08.1732 to Eva Katharina Jäckl born in Reichlos in 1704.  Grandparents:  Johann Walther who married Regina Bätz on 25.09.1708.  The maternal grandparents were Hans Andreas Jäckl from Guntzenau, who married Anna Katharina Höll in Reichlos on 12.06.1702.

Weitzel, Johann Friedrich son of Johann came from Grumenau (in the neighbourhood of Hessen Darmstadt).  On 15.12.1771 he married Anna Margaret Schell.

  In addition among the earliest settlers we can also identify the following although their places of origin are unknown.

Arzt, Friedrich was a Godfather in 1740.

Beck, Ludwig Andreas arrived before 1744.  His son, Johann Georg was confirmed in 1757.

Blätzer, or Plätzer Johann and Anna Maria.  Their daughter Anna Maria married 12.04.1751 and her husband was Johann Wilhelm Bach, son of Johann Heinrich Bach of Dauernheim.  Witnesses included the grandfather of the bride, The Richter of the village: Johann Heinrich Plätzer and Church Father Heinrich Krähling (Dauernheim?) and an elder of the congregation: Heinrich Raab.

Eberhard, Johann Peter born before 1693 and his wife Anna Margaret born 20.08.1693 and died in Felsönána.  Children:  Maria Angelika who married Johann Lang of Kalaznó in 1736.

Buch, Johann Adam born around 1696.  He died in 1769 at the age of 73 years.  His wife was Margaret Katharina.  Children:  Johann Georg married in Kistormás.  Came from Wiesbaden-Schierstein.  Lived in Kistormás first.

Eichhorn, Johann Kaspar was the schoolmaster from 1732-1740.  His daughter was baptized on 22.02.1740.

Fuchs, Heinrich married Anna Elisabeth Dörmer on 14.01.1745.

Habitz, Johann had a son Simon baptized in 1740

Heineck, Johann Jakob born around 1726 died in Felsönána 13.08.1780 and his wife Katharina Margaret born 18.05.1726 died on 03.08.1780.

Heineck, Johann Franz (probably the brother of Johann Jakob) and his wife Katharina Maria had a child baptized in 1739.  On 02.02.1758 their son Johann Jakob married Margaret Katharina Wentzel the daughter of Hartmann Wentzel and Anna Margaret.

Hütter, Johann Jakob is listed as the father of Anna Maria on her confirmation in 1757.

Jahnson, Johann Georg a locksmith the son of Johann Georg Jahnson married Maria Barabara Wegmann from Nagyszékely on 18.01.1746.

Lux, Heinrich and his wife Maria had a child baptized in 1740.

Landmann, Peter and his wife Maria Dorothea’s son was born around 1753/1754 and married Anna Barbara Schmied in Felsönána.  The grandparents of the groom were Zacharias Landmann and Anna Margaret who was born around 1697 and died in Felsönána on 04.06.1747.  A Jakob Landmann from Udvari married Katharina Barbara Walther in Kistormas.

Nagel, Johann and his wife had a daughter born in 1743.

Nagel, Johann Georg and his wife had a child on 09.01.735 and the Godparents were Johann Georg Kirchner and Johann Heinrich Wagner.

Reit, Georg Christoph and his wife Susanne Maria were Godparents in 1757 for Johann Christoph Schmidt’s daughter Elisabeth Katharina.

Schmied, Andreas master blacksmith may have come from Eichelsdorf, Kreis Büdingen married Anna Clara.

Treger, Christian married 07.02.1741 in Kistormás to Anna Maria Jahnson the daughter of the Johann Georg Jahnson the local locksmith.

Weissling, Hans Nickel married on 22.11.1745 to Anna Katharina Becker the daughter of Adam Becker.

Thörig, a widow born around 1683 and died in 1736.

Weylandt, Johann Konrad married in 1739.  His wife was Johanna Margaret widow of Johann Philip Schnabel.