This information has been taken from the WOLFENSBERGER FAMILY ASSOCIATION web site. Please visit the site for more on ancestors and decendants of Johannes and Margaretha Wolfersberger.
BAUMA, ZURICH, SWITZERLAND
KNIGHT BALDERBERT
The first known member of the WOLFENSBERGER family was Knight BALDERBERT, 1233 -1259. The Noble Knight BALDERBERT was probably Knighted when he was a leader on probably the third crusade. Knight BALDERBERT, and possibly, others of his family endowed the Monastery at Ruti, where the family Coat of Arms was displayed and where many of the family may lay buried. The home of the Noble Knight BALDERBERT was the Castle Wolfsberg on the steep side of a mountain near the present town of Bauma in northeast Switzerland. The Castle is listed in the Book of Castles of Zurich. Now only the steep hill with the flattened top remains of the castle.
Hans zu WOLFSBERG
Hans zu WOLFSBERG was born about 1395 and lived in the castle Hof Wolfsberg where many of the family lived for several generations. The generations between Knight BALDERBERT and Hans is not totally connected, but there are records of several members of the family between these two persons. The name of the spouse of Hans is unknown. Hans had five sons; Herman born about 1436, Ulrich born about 1439, Hans born about 1443, Frederich born about 1445 and Konrad born about 1446.
All of the known WOLFENSBERGER family are descendants of this Hans zu WOLFSBERG.
The principle reference to this family is "Deutsch-Schweizerisches Geschlechterbuch" by Dr. Jur Bernhard HOERNER of Berlin and Fritz UMBERGER of Zurich, published in 1929. This book is out of print and only two copies are known in the United States. This book was underwritten by Jakob WOLFENSBERGER of Bauma, the father of Heini WOLFENSBERGER.
The other important reference to this family is the "Wolfensberger Family of Switzerland", Film 1181673, Item No. 16 from the LDS Genealogical Library in Salt Lake City, UT.
IMMIGRATIONS TO AMERICA
Johannes WOLFERSBERGER
The first known WOLFENSBERGER family to arrive in America was that of Johannes WOLFERSBERGER, his spouse Anna Margaretha ENSMINGER and three of their children. The father of Johannes was Erhart born 18 November 1666 in Ettenhausen, Switzerland. He immigrated to Wolfsheim in the Alsace near Strasbourg in about 1688. Erhart met and married Ursula EMM. Ursula required Erhart to become a Catholic before their marriage. They made their home in Wolschheim which is only a short distance southeast of Saverne. There is only a record of one sibling by Erhart and Ursula that being Johannes. Johannes was born about 1694, probably in Wolschheim. Johannes met and married Anna Margaretha ENSMINGER in Mattstall of the Alsace. Mattstall is northeast of Wolschheim near the German border. They lived in Mattstall and Langensoultzbach, which is only about two kilometers southwest of Mattstall.
Their first four children were born in Langensoultzbach. The children were; John Peter born 16 October 1721, Maria Ursula born 29 August 1724 died 8 September 1727, Jakob Frederich born 1 June 1727. Probably their son Johannes was born in Langensoultzbach in the early part of 1730, because he was an infant in their journey to America. The family came to America from Ludwigschafen down the Rhein to England They left Dover, England on the Thistle of Glasgow on 19 June and arrived in Philadelphia 29 August 1730. They settled for a short time in Lancaster County then relocated in Lebanon County, PA.
Their other children were born in Pennsylvania. They were; Mary Catherine born 3 August 1733 in Lancaster County, PA and John Philip born 14 February 1739 in Lebanon County, PA. Probably at least 80% of the total family descendants in America are descendants of this Johannes, as many of them had very large families. The descendants are scattered over the USA.
The best early reference to this family in America is a paper by Raymond Martin BELL of Washington, "WOLFENSBERGER WOLFERSBERGER FAMILY" of Switzerland, Alsace and Pennsylvania. This paper does a remarkable job of following the family from Switzerland to the Alsace then to America. Dr. BELL covers three or four generations in America.
Hans WOLFENSPERGER
The next known immigration to America was by Hans WOLFENSPERGER, his spouse Anna Regina HUBER and their four daughters. Hans was born 26 August 1706 in Uster Switzerland. Anna was born 10 January 1711 in Uster. Their daughters were all born in Uster. These daughters were; Regula born 1 March 1731, Elisabeth born 1 January 1735, Anna born 28 October 1737 and Cleophea born 26 March 1739. The family immigrated to Carolina in September 1743. Hans was the son of Hans WOLFENSBERGER and Elisabeth HEMIG from Medikon. The mother of Hans died in 1709 when he was three years old.
The ancestors of Hans are complete all the way to Hans zu WOLFSBERG. At the present time there are no further records of this family.
Please visit the Wolfensberger Family Association Web site to learn more about the Wolferberger/Wolfensberger Family ancestors and decendants.
