The Kazmaier of Honau

Old Church books in Honau show Balthasar Katzmayr as ne of the first recorded Katzmayr in Württemberg. He died on the 26th of April 1685 in Honau. Burial Notes from his death record (Evangelische Kirche Honau, 1667-1876): “Den 26. April nachts umb 11 uhren ist in Gott seelig entschlafen Balthas Katzmayr, Schultheiss und Heylgenpfleger allhier seines allters 74 jahr und den 28. ehrlich zur erden bestattet worden welchen Gott mit frewden zum ewigen leben aufferweckhen wolle, Offertorium erat 22x” (transl. lit.: 26 April, at night by 11 clock, Balthas Katzmayr, mayor and administrator of monastery property, passed away peacefully in God, 74 years of age, and on the 28th has been honest laid to earth, who God may raise with joy to eternal life).

Death record Balthasar Katzmayr

It can be assumed that Balthasar was not born in Honau. Birth records for Honau are not available anymore as all the old documents were destroyed in the Thirty Years' War 1618-1648, one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history. Wide areas of the Swabian Jura were depopulated, men were drafted for war, troops of all participating forces were marching through the area, murdering, plundering and pillaging. The Black Death did the rest. The best estimates believe that the German population decrease was between 20% and 45%.

Most probably Balthasar came to the area during war time. We assume he is of Bavarian origin and his family for long centuries served the catholic rulers of Bavaria. Most probably he descends from from Balthasar I Katzmair (1562-1642) who most probably belongs to the Dettendorfer Katzmair line.

Probably it was the war that brought our Balthasar to Württemberg as the Katzmair in Bavaria were a noble family with long catholic and imperial background serving the Hapsburg family since the 13th century. In 1634, at the time of one the most important catholic victories over the Protestants Balthasar was 23 years of age and for an unmarried catholic, Bavarian son of a noble family it would have been very likely that Balthasar fought in Noerdlingen for the imperial army.

The Battle of Noerdlingen, was fought out on September 6th 1634 only about 50 miles east of Honau. The Roman Catholic Imperial army under Ferdinand II of Hapsburg, about 18,000 Spanish and Italian soldiers, won a crushing victory over the combined Protestant armies of Sweden and their German Protestant allies (Heilbronn Alliance). Unfortunately that victory brought France into that war and the bloodiest chapter of this European butchery began.

Georg Ferchl refers to the "wife of the reigning sovereign", Elisabeth Renata of Lorraine, the wife of Maximilian I., Duke of Bavaria, as godmother of Balthasar I Katzmair's 4 children. From 1591-1593 Balthasar was the Valet of Duke Albrecht VI. of Bayern-Leuchtenberg. 1594-1597 he was assigned as "Hofkammerkanzlist" at the court of Duke William V. of Bayern in Munich/Bavaria. Finally he was made Country Judge ("Landrichter") in Dorfen on September 26th 1598 where he remained until June 2nd 1602. On the 1st of July 1602 he became Judge, Bursary Officer and Tax Collector ("Richter, Kastner und Mautner") in Marktl am Inn “woselbst er bis bis Ende des Jahres 1602 noch zu verbleiben hatte, um in diesem Vierteljahre beide Gerichte zu versehen” – he had to serve both courts, Dorfen and Marktl, until the end of the year. He remained in that position until September 29th 1608. On December 10th 1605 Balthasar was nobilitated in Vienna by Rudolf II of Hapsburg, the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire and the king of Bohemia and Hungary.

According to Ferchl Balthasar I Katzmayr died 1642 ‘in der Fasten’, the fasting period between Easter and Pentecost, after 50 years of service at the age of 80.

1. Balthasar Katzmayr was born about 1611 and died 26 April 1685 in Honau in what was then the Duchy of Württemberg where he was laid to rest on the 28th of April 1685. He married Sara before 1640 in Honau and she died on the 4th of May 1678 in Honau.

Although no proof in form of records or documents exists we assume that Balthasar was the son of Balthasar Katzmair and Christina Schrenck zu Jarzöd.

Until his death Balthasar Katzmayr was “Schultheiss” of Honau. As official it was his duty to order his assigned village, Honau, to pay the taxes and perform the services due to the ruler. The name originates from this function: “Schuld” = debt + “heißen” = to order. In this function he as well was the highest judge of the village. In later centuries this title was also used for the head of a town, the mayor. In Württembergian villages still today the people refer to their mayor as the “Schultes”.

Balthasar Katzmayr and Sara had four children and these were as follows:

2. I David Katzmayr, born 1640 in Honau, died 4 Jul 1710 in Honau. He married Ursula Bleylin.

3. II Andreas Katzmayr was born 1646 in Honau and died 16 Apr 1702 in Honau where he was laid to rest 18 Apr 1702. He married Anna Maria Braendle.

4. III Anna Barbara Katzmayr, born 1648 in Honau, Württemberg, Germany; died 3 Jan 1725 in Honau, Württemberg, Germany. She married in 1671 in Honau Georg Oehler, born 1650 in Honau; died 20 May 1708 in Honau.

5. IV Agness Katzmayr, born 1649 in Honau, Württemberg, Germany; died 15 Nov 1690 in Honau, Württemberg, Germany. She married Esaia Haydt.

2. David Katzmayr was born 1640 in Honau and died on July the 4th 1710 in Honau where he married Ursula Bleylin before 1667. Ursula was born 1644 in Honau and died there on the 4th of March 1706.

The two children of David and Ursula were:

6. I Balthasar Katzmayr, born 12 Sep 1667 in Honau, Württemberg, Germany.

7. II David Katzmayr, born 12 Aug 1670 in Honau, Württemberg, Germany.

3. Andreas Katzmayr, born 1646 in Honau, Württemberg, Germany; died 16 Apr 1702 in Honau, Württemberg, Germany; buried 18 Apr 1702 in Honau, Württemberg, Germany. He married bef 1669 in Honau Anna Maria Braendle, born 1646 in Honau; died 3 Mar 1693 in Honau.

Children of Andreas Katzmayr and Anna Maria Braendle were as follows:

8. I Johannes Katzmayr, born 2 Apr 1669 in Honau and died 11 Feb 1723 in Honau, buried the next day. He married (1) Agnes Krail; (2) Anna Saur.

9. II Andreas Katzmayr, born 20 Oct 1670 in Honau, died 17 Feb 1721 in Honau. He married Ursula Haflecker.

10. III Hanns Jacob Katzmayr was born 23 Jul 1672 in Honau where he died on 9 Aug 1741. He married Anna Hailfinger.

The considerate reader will notice the difference in the surnames. It appears that between 1672 and 1674 Honau’s parish priest changed. He probably died at old age and another priest took over the parish. The new priest wrote down the name Katzmayr as he heard it, Katzmaier, and there we have one of the many name changes that are still there to come.

11. IV Anna Maria Katzmaier, born 11 Apr 1674 in Honau.

12. V Hanns Christoph Kazmaier, born 17 Jul 1676 in Honau, died 28 Aug 1731 in Wuertingen, Württemberg. He married Maria Ursula Griesinger. It is these two that the Kazmaiers in today's Würtingen descend from.

13. VI Maria Barbara Katzmaier, born 2 Jun 1678 in Honau.

14. VII Anna Catharina Katzmaier, born 23 May 1680 in Honau.

15. VIII Clemens Katzmaier was born 1 May 1682 in Honau and he died on the 10th of April 1756 in Grabenstetten, Württemberg, where he was buried the next day. He married Anna Blankenhorn.

It was Clemens and Anna who started the Kazmaier line in Grabenstetten in 1704. Clemens and Anna married on the 23rd of April 1704 in Grabenstetten. Anna, the daughter of Johannes Blankenhorn and Waldburga Burckhardt, was born 17 Nov 1682 in Grabenstetten and died at the same place 29 May 1751. They had 12 children together.

16. IX Hanns Martinus Katzmaier, born 7 Oct 1685 in Honau; died 27 Sep 1693 in Honau.

17. X Johann Balthasar Kazmayr, born 24 Oct 1687 in Honau; died 19 Oct 1749 in Ohnastetten, Württemberg. He married Anna Barbara Speidel. From them the Ohnastetter Kazmaiers descend from.

4. Agness Katzmayr was born 1649 in Honau and died there on the 15th of November 1690. In Honau on the 30th of April 1673 she married Esaia Haydt, born on the 17th of October 1649 in Oberhausen, Württemberg, died 5 June 1722 in Honau. It appears that Agness only had one son with Esaia Haydt:

18. I Johann Jakob Haydt, died 26 May 1708 in Oberhausen, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany. He married Agnes Bader.

8. Johannes Katzmayr, born 2 Apr 1669 in Honau, died 11 Feb 1723 in Honau, buried 12 Feb 1723 in Honau. He married (1) on 22 Nov 1692 in Honau Agnes Krail, born 1668 in Unterhausen; died 27 Mar 1709 in Honau; (2) on 16 Oct 1709 in Honau Anna Saur, born 1685 in Klein-Engstingen.

Children of Johannes Katzmayr and Agnes Krail were as follows:

19. I Agnes Katzmaier

20. II Stephanus Katzmaier

Children of Johannes Katzmayr and Anna Saur were as follows:

21. I Balthasar Katzmaier.

9. Andreas Katzmayr, born 20 Oct 1670 in Honau, died 17 Feb 1721 in Honau. He married Ursula Haflecker and they had one son:

22. I Hanns Martin Katzmayr, born 10 Apr 1702 in Honau, died 1 Nov 1772 in Honau, Württemberg, Germany. He married unknown.

10. Hanns Jacob Katzmayr, born 23 Jul 1672 in Honau, died 9 Aug 1741 in Honau. He married on 30 Nov 1694 in Honau Anna Hailfinger, born 1674 in Genkingen. Hanns Jacob and Anna had one son:

23. I Hanns Jacob Katzmayr, born 16 Dec 1702 in Honau.

12. Hanns Christoph Kazmaier, born 17 Jul 1676 in Honau, died 28 Aug 1731 in Wuertingen, Württemberg. He married on 17 Nov 1705 Maria Ursula Griesinger, born 1683 in Wuertingen; died 28 Feb 1745 in Wuertingen.

Children of Hanns Christoph Kazmaier and Maria Ursula Griesinger were as follows:

24. I Clemens Kazmeyer, born 4 Nov 1706 in Wuertingen; died 7 Jul 1772 in Wuertingen. He married Anna Barbara Braendle.

15. Clemens Katzmaier, was born on the 1st of May 1682 in Honau and he died on the 10th of April 1756 in Grabenstetten where he was buried the following day.

Clemens Kazmaier came from Honau to Grabenstetten and married Johannes Blankenhorn’s, the mayor of Grabenstetten, daughter Anna. Clemens and Anna married on the 23rd of April 1704 in Grabenstetten. Anna Blankenhorn, the daughter of Johannes Blankenhorn and Waldburga Burckhardt, was born 17 Nov 1682 in Grabenstetten and died at the same place 29 May 1751. Clemens and Anna had twelve children and their descendants build the huge Kazmaier population in today’s Grabenstetten.

17. Johann Balthasar Kazmayr, born 24 Oct 1687 in Honau, died 19 Oct 1749 in Ohnastetten, Württemberg. He married on 25 Jan 1719 in Ohnastetten Anna Barbara Speidel, born 30 Aug 1688 in Ohnastetten, died 20 Mar 1767 in Ohnastetten.

Children of Johann Balthasar Kazmayr and Anna Barbara Speidel were as follows:

25. Clemens Kazmayr, born 17 May 1725 in Ohnastetten; died 22 May 1725 in Ohnastetten.

18. Johann Jakob Haydt, died 26 May 1708 in Oberhausen. He married Agnes Bader, born 18 Jul 1677 in Oberhausen, died 17 Apr 1747 in Honau.

Children of Johann Jakob Haydt and Agnes Bader were as follows:

26. Maria Ursula Haydt, born 23 Aug 1700 in Oberhausen, died 6 Jun 1778. She married Johannes Bader.

Ferchl, Georg, 1908. Bayerische Behörden und Beamte 1550-1804, Bd. 1-2. Oberbayerisches Archiv für vaterländische Geschichte, Volume 53 (1908-1912), pp. 1-1516.