Kern Family in Germany - Our Heritage

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Introduction

This is another in series of writing about our Kern family. The main objective is to accurately document the Kern heritage. The second is to reflect research on the family to correct oral history that has been passed down. I am finding out that some things we will never know. I have for years tried to find a book or some publication that has the history and genealogy of the Kern family in Germany. I find that the research and writing is not a singular effort. It requires the assistance of other family members and research sources. As a third generation Kern in America I feel like hanging from my thumbnails in trying to put this together. Much information has already been lost or is difficult to find. I grew up on the homestead established by my great grandfather Johann Wilhelm Kern.

Records in Germany indicate that the Kerns lived in the Roßtal, Germany area some 500 years ago. During that time they were millers and merchants. We are unique with our traditions, culture, language, history etc that identify us. Of course over time we appear to be loosing our identity as we blend into the big melting pot of America. It would nice if 500 years from now our descendants could read about us and our ways over time. Perhaps they may read this from another planet or another part of our galaxy.

The documentation is also considered a “work in progress”. This means that it will be modified as new information becomes available.

The Origins of the Kern Family

Records in Germany indicate that Kerns lived in the Roßtal, Germany area for nearly 500 years. During that time they were millers and merchants. Roßtal is in the administrative region of Middle Franconia in the German state of Bavaria. Research indicates that the Kern name means “Grain”. It is believed that a family took on the surname “Kern” when they lived at the Kernmühle and operated it. Kernmühle means “Grain Mill”. As far as is known there is no royalty or nobility in the family. Therefore there probably are no family crests that can be traced to the Kern family. However, about 35 years ago the Bavarian Inn in Frankenmuth, Michigan obtained crests for Frankenmuth families to hang in their dining rooms and halls. At about the same time Ruben Kern obtained a Kern family crest. The shield consisted of a quarter moon and two stars. This shield has been informally adopted by the Kern family here in the Frankenmuth area.

Common first and middle names used for Kern males in Germany were Friedrich, Georg, Hans (also short for Johann), Johann, Johannes, Michael, Peter, and Wilhelm. For the females they were Anna, Barbara, Catharina, Elizabeth, Kunigunda, Margaretha, Maria, Rebecca, and Ursula.

Our Franconian Heritage

Kernmühle – The first place that we find a Kern is at the Kernmühle. The Kernmühle is about 2.5 kilometers north of Roßtal. A record of the Kernmühle on the Bibert River, was found in a Salbuch (A Salbuch is a book with lists of ownership rights of the lord of the manor and duties of his subjects.) of the Office Cadolzburg recorded in the year 1413. A later record shows a Georg Kern as the owner of the Kernmühle in 1532. The Kernmühle is a small settlement which houses several families and sits next to the Bibert River. The feature of the site is a dam that was used to power a mill for grinding grain. Not only was flour ground there but it appears the site was also used to distill whiskey. I have been there to see the river and dam. The dam appears to have a large drop off perhaps twenty feet or more. A canal channels the water south and along of the river to where a water wheel or turbine could be run. I don’t know what was there when the Kerns were there. The mill is no longer there but the dam is used to power an electric generator that provides the electric power for the whole complex and delivers the surplus power to the public power grid. The Kernmühle is now a biohof owned by the Horneber family. As a “biohof” they operate in three general areas. The first is that they are organic farmers and produce organic food for the market. The second is that they have educational programs in healthy cooking/eating. They also have seminars on fitness and heath choices. Third, they practice environmentally friendly living.

In the year 1632 battles of the Thirty Year War were fought in the in the Kernmühle/Roßtal area. According to the Roßtal church register more than 600 inhabitants lost their lives in that year. During the Thirty Year War (a religious war between Catholics and Protestants) soldiers from as far away as Croatia in Yugoslavia (who were Catholics) were pillaging this area. The Kerns did not escape the carnage. Records indicate that on May 11, 1635 Hans Kern was shot to death by one of the cavalry raiders. Hans was the owner of the Kernmühle at the time. He died the next day and was buried the following day in Roßtal. According to the records in Cadolzburg, Hans Kern had sworn allegiance to the military governor of this area and this may have caused his ultimately death. The rest of his family survived the 30 Year War.

After Hans’ death his wife remarried and the mill ultimately remained in the Kern family until 1748 when Conrad Ebner purchased it. My research has produced a near complete linage from the first Kern (Georg) at the Kernmühle to the present day. One can always ask questions like where did the Kerns came from before they appeared at the Kernmühle. Perhaps someday I may find the answer. James Kern performed the original research on the Kernmühle and more can be found at the following site. Also the current Kernmühle has a web site where one can see their activities. However, it is in German.

A book has even been written about the Kernmühle. It’s called “Kummer und Gluck: Johannas Leben auf der Kernmühle“. Translated it means „Sorrow and Joy: Johanna’s Life at the Kernmühle“. It’s a story about Johanna who was a maid at the Kernmühle and eventually married the owner’s son. It has a World War II background of dealing with the times, religion, and her husband’s family.

In my recent trip (2008) to Germany I obtained a copy of a picture the way it looked in the early part of the last century. I was able to also tour the Kernmühle and take pictures of the lintels of some of the dwellings. They are shown here. On the first lintel there is a “16 W S 76”. That would stand for Wofgang Scherzer 1676 that married the widow of Hans Kern shot in 1635 during the 30 Years War. The next one is “17 H K 05” that stands for Hans (Johann Wilhelm) Kern that owned the mill during that time.

Move to Roßtal - It appears that after Johann Wilhelm Kern sold the Kernmühle he moved to Roßtal in 1749 and lived at House Number 28 until 1768. It appears to be a gasthof type place. That is a place where one can stay overnight and have meals. The following is an article that I found under the Roßtal web about house numbers on the Roßtal Markt since year 1500. It coves 500 years of history. I translated it into English the best I could. From reading below it appears that house was less that five years old when he purchased the property.

House No. 28 (Kandel Fritz)
Property (A place of German nobility)

The property is most likely part of an ancient Buttendorf feudal kingdom, also king’s country. 1712 still not built up. 1745 small property with a nice new house and barns (3 horses, 3 cattle). 1666 states: "small property feud since immemorial years and only been built up. "1532 Müller managed the property to 1600 for both house No. 20 and 22 listed, from 1630-1722 he built the gasthof business. 1786, he was in possession of the brewer's widow Anna Reisenleiterin from Schwabach. 1735 lists George bought around 1200 guilders. 1749 Johann Wilhelm Kern 1768 Chr. Ulrich Kolb (bought from insolvent). 1769 Mrs. Anna Elis. Kuch, 1798 Georg Kuch.

Roßtal – Roßtal is both a city and a township like government. The township like government is called a “Markt”. The 16 little towns (dorfs) or entities comprise the Markt (note the Kernmühle straight north of Roßtal) in addition to the city itself. This is all under one governing body. Even the churches are headquartered in Roßtal with several churches in the outlying area. The ministers make their rounds on Sunday morning to conduct church services.

Research indicates there were three succeeding Friedrich Wilhelm Kerns that owned a store on the Marktplatz. However, from research it has not been clear as to how they are related, ie, if they are father, son, grandson. The first Friedrich Wilhelm was the first born of Johann Wilhelm that sold the Kernmühle. In 1768 when Johann Wilhelm sold the gasthofs (perhaps died) he was 51 years of age and son, Friedrich Wilhelm, was 26 years of age. So it makes sense that in about 1768 the Kerns bought the store in Roßtal. The Kerns appear never to have established themselves well in Roßtal. In all the books (such as the history of Roßtal) and other materials that I have read I have never seen their name mentioned. The first Friedrich had a number of children. The second Friedrich of which I have sketchy information died at an early age. Then comes the third Friedrich born in 1803 and died in 1860. It appears that there were no Kerns left in Roßtal after the family immigrated to the Frankenmuth area. There are now are no Kerns in Roßtal. Not even a gravestone can be found in the church cemetery because grave plots are owned by the family and after 25 years or so the grave can be recycled for another family member. However, the Kern family moved to America and there was no one to pay for the plot and it was turned over to another family. I even tried to find out where the grave plot was but was told the records don’t go back that far (only from about 1944 to present).

The store was located in what now is called the Marktplatz. This is the central or focal point of town. Across the street is the church and cemetery. Shown are two pictures of the Kern store. The first one was taken in 1912. Then it was called the “Haas” store. One notices a pond in front of the store. The ponds were located around the city as reservoirs of water for fire protection. The pond is no longer there as can be seen in the next picture. The huge open area in the Marktplatz is now used for festivities of the town. The picture is a photograph of a photograph of the Kern store taken before it was torn down in 1972 which hangs in the Rathaus (city hall). I do not know where the Kerns lived in Roßtal. In the book “Roßtal – 1979” there is a listing of house numbers in 1808 and their inhabitants but no Kern is listed. Perhaps there were living quarters in the store building. The third picture shows what one would she if one looks across the Marktplatz.

In February of 1968 the City of Roßtal purchased the Haas store (formerly Kern store). In 1970 they started the construction of the new Rathaus that included demolishing the store. The construction was completed in 1972.

The History of Roßtal – In 2004 Roßtal celebrated it’s 1050 anniversary as a city. Roßtal was first mentioned in 954 in the Saxon Chronicle by Monk Widukind of Corvey as “urbs horsadal” in the Saxon translation. There it described how King Otto I assaulted – in vain – the “town fortress of Roßtal’. In which his son Liudolf had barricaded himself.

However, Roßtal surely is older than this. In pre-Franconian times three of the most important trade routes crossed close to Roßtal. They are sure that the Franconian king’s buildings and grounds were close to Roßtal. Also the latest research on the name Roßtal indicates that Roßtal was originally a Slavic settlement. This would mean that it predates Franconian history. From this it is valid to assume that the history of Roßtal as a place began in the 7th century.

For reference Roßtal is about nine miles west from Nürnberg. Nürnberg was the seat of power for Franconia. Some of the most powerful people on Germany ruled in Nürnberg during the feudal times. One can see the interplay that may have been between the two cities. One has to remember that Germany was not organized as a country until 1871. Boundaries of entities kept shifting through wars of kings and emperors.

The name Roßtal has been translated into “horsadal” or “valley of the horses” and is used in it’s coat of arms. However, it more likely it has a Slavic interpretation which would mean “fork in the road” or “road crossing”. The Slavic interpretation would agree with the three trade routes crossing nearby Roßtal. The coat of arms of Roßtal is shown at the left. A more complete history of Roßtal can be seen on the Roßtal web site.

The old part of Roßtal is located on a hill which includes the church. This must have been the part that was fortified with walls in the earlier times. I can attest to the hill because I have walked up the hill from the northeast. It is steep and feels like what people would call a cardiac hill. Shown is a picture of what Roßtal looked like in 1830. This would be the year when Friedrich Wilhelm and Anna Maria had their first child, Kunigunda. Also shown is a picture of what Roßtal looks like today. Note the church steeple in the center of the picture. The church steeple in the upper left corner is that of the new Catholic church.

Franconians – We believe the Kerns are of Franconian origin due to the length of stay in the Roßtal area. Roßtal is located in Middle Franconia. They certainly lived in Franconia where they experienced the Franconian culture, traditions, religion, and language. We are Franconians and not Bavarians as I was let to believe as I grew up. Yes, Franconia does not exist as a state but it exists as three Franconian districts in Bavaria. Franconians are basically Lutherans while Bavarians are Catholic. Also the Bavarian dialect is different than the Franconian. So we are Bavarian politically but that is all. Even the Franconian food is different from the Bavarian.

Franconia consists of three administrative regions in the northern most part of Bavaria. They are call Lower Franconia, Middle Franconia, and Upper Franconia. The Kerns are from the Middle Franconia. At the right is the unofficial crest of Franconia. The three points represent the three Franconias. Their also is Franconian hymn that is sung like the national anthem in the United States. More information on the song can be seen by clicking here.

Franconia just like France is named after the Germanic tribe of the Franks. This tribe played a major role after the breakdown of the Roman Empire and colonized large parts of medieval Europe. The Frank people were West Germanic tribes first identified in the 3rd century as an ethnic group living north and east of the Rhine. Some stories say that some of the Franks came from the Trojans that eventually reached the Rhine. Their first great leader was Clovis who accepted Christianity. They occupied most of Western Europe by the late 700’s. The greatest leader of the Franks was Charlemagne who introduced feudalism to Europe. He was devoted to justice and good government. His kingdom later disintegrated into feudal states. One of them was Franconia. More information can be found on this web site.

Modern Franconia comprises only a very tiny part of the settlement area of the ancient Franks. The historic Frankish Empire is actually the common precursor of France and Germany. In 843 the Treaty of Verdun led to the partition into modern day France and Germany.

There were many changes as to division of Franconia. This can be seen on this web site. Most modern day Franconia became Bavarian in 1803 thanks to Bavaria’s alliance with Napoleon. Culturally, it in many ways was different from Bavaria proper. The city of Fürth in Middle Franconia historically had a large Jewish population. Henry Kissinger was born there.

The East Franconia German language is very different from the Austro-Bavarian language. Most Franconians do not call themselves Bavarians. In fact, Franconians will likely take umbrage at insults directed at Bavaria. Franconia has a flag and coat of arms. It consists of three points representing the three Franconian regions.

The Franconians are also known for their food, particularly sausages. This includes bratwurst, with sauerkraut, smoked trout, blue zipfel, sauerbraten, spätzle, soft pretzel, and of course lebkuchen. Nürnberg is famous for both bratwurst and lebkuchen. With the food one can not forget the many beers.

The Church in Roßtal – The stones of the fortress around Roßtal were used for the construction for the St. Laurentius Church which is ascribed to Countess Irmingard von Hammerstein as it donator. After her death in about 1042 Irmingard von Hammerstein, who was a sister-in-law to King Heinrich II’s wife Kunigunde, was interned in “her” church. She was honored as a local saint. St. Laurentius is Latin for St. Lorenz. The church still exists today near the Marktplatz or central part of town. The description of a battle in 954 gives rise to the supposition that in those days a church building had already existed there. This is more than two centuries after the end of Franconia’s conversion to Christianity. A few traces of earlier buildings have been found when digging in the churchyard.

In Germany there is no separation of church and state as we know it in America. Before the reformation all of the churches in Germany were Catholic with great influence by “Rome”. This was under the cognizance of the rulers. There also was no freedom of religion. One was expected to join the church or face dire consequences including death. However, at the time of the Reformation several things happened. Not only was there a religious reformation but the German rulers became dissatisfied with the influence of power and corruption in Rome. Money flowing to Rome was an issue. With the Reformation some of the rulers decided to cut their ties with Rome and form their own churches which were of Lutheran or Reformed in nature. In general the further north in Germany and further from Rome one was the more likely to see the change to Lutheran or Reformed. Today there is freedom of religion in Germany.

Based on the first record of the existence (1532) of a Kern at the Kernmühle it would imply they lived during the life of Martin Luther. The Kerns did go to the church in Roßtal about 1.5 miles away. This is verified with church records. What this implies is they were probably there when the church changed from being Catholic to Lutheran in 1528. This must have been some change!

For over 900 years the St. Laurentius church was the only church in Roßtal whether it was Catholic or Lutheran. In 1927 a few families started to celebrate mass every four weeks in an old converted barn. This all changed after World War II. There was a great influx of expellees and refugees from the Sudetenland, Silesia, East Prussia, Hungary and Yugoslavia to Roßtal. They were mostly Catholics and needed a church. In 1951 they were able to start worshipping in their new church called Christkönig. It is not clear if the church is a “free” church in that it is not supported by the government and the parishioners have to provide the sole support. In any case the parish did suffer financial problems.

The influx of the Catholic people from other cultures, traditions, and political views into Roßtal caused a lot of tension in the community. Currently these people are about forty percent of the population of Roßtal. Their influence has been extended to having several Bürgermeisters (mayors) from this group of people to govern the period of the last 25 to 30 years. In the year 2008 a Lutheran Bürgermeister was elected again to many peoples relief. However, by this time it is understood that most of the tensions had subsided.

The Early 1800s in Germany – In the early 1800s there was a lot of turmoil in Bavaria and Germany. In 1795 France invaded Bavaria but they were welcomed. In 1799-1800 Austria occupied Bavaria while Bavaria’s army, with strong anti-French feelings, was preparing to fight France. In 1801 France defeated Bavaria. In 1803 Bavaria once again sided with France. In 1805 Napoleon rewards Bavaria with more land and raised it from a duchy to a kingdom. In 1813 Bavaria joined the German coalition to defeat the French army. 1815 Bavaria became the third strongest state behind Austria and Prussia. Bavaria joined the German Confederation.

In 1848 there was the great German revolution that was caused by mass unemployment, poverty, famine, and years of bad crops. The educated class, businessmen, students and professors had hoped for a unified government. Up to the time of the revolution Germany consisted of 39 feudal states loosely bound together into a Confederation. There was heavy taxation along with the desire for freedom, democracy and national unity. There also were very poor living conditions. Unfortunately the revolution failed. This then started a substantial emigration of the 48ers as they were called. These had been the people that had advocated and participated in the revolution.

This scenario under which the Kerns were living must have been on their minds when they were thinking of emigration. Friedrich was born in 1803 and his wife Anna Maria in 1809. They started to have children in 1830.

The Friedrich Wilhelm Kern III Family – The following family is the last Kern family to have lived in Roßtal and the third in the series of Friedrich Wilhelm Kerns. Friedrich was born on 25 July 1803. On 18 August 1833 he married Anna Maria Winkler from Roßtal. She was born on 23 August 1809. On 23 October 1833, two months after their marriage, Anna Maria gave birth to their second child, Johann Wilhelm. Their first child was Kunigunda born on 10 May 1830. So it appears that the couple was also dealing with the marriage laws in Germany.

Friedrich and Anna Maria had twelve children of which the last one was born in 1852. The two oldest boys, Johann Wilhelm and Peter would not have been present at the birth of the youngest sister because they already were in America. Three of the children died before the age of two and a half years of age and a sixth pregnancy in the sequence was recorded in the church records. It is not known if it was a natural abortion or stillbirth.

The other children were born as follows: Johann Peter 1 May 1836, Johann Michael 24 January 1841, Anna Ursula 16 November 1843, Michael Friedrich 24 February 1846, Anna Barbara 23 March 1848, Anna Maria 12 June 1852.

Daughter, Kunigunda, had a child with Martin Bergman of Roßtal. Maria was born on 1 May 1857.

On 5 November 1860 Friedrich Wilhelm Kern died. This is after sons, Johann Wilhelm and Peter had left for Frankenmuth in 1852. Ann Maria sold the store and in the spring of 1861 the whole remaining Kern family immigrated to the Frankenmuth area. Most then settled in Richville. The immigration included Kunigunda and her four year old child, Maria.

For a continuance of the Kern history see the immigration of Johann Wilhelm and his brother Peter to America and the immigration of mother Kern and the rest of the family.

Last Updated: August 22, 2010

Kern Family in Germany: Our Heritage
by Wally Kern

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