Kazmaiers in America

In 1607 the first German-speaking immigrant to America, Dr. Johannes Fleischer, arrived in Jamestown, Virginia. Five glassmakers and three carpenters or house builders from Germany followed him in 1608. Germantown in Pennsylvania, founded on October 6, 1683 became the first permanent German settlement. In the ensuing centuries, nearly 7 million of Fleischer's compatriots would follow. Incredibly, by the 2000 United States census, more than 40 million Americans, nearly 15 per cent, listed German as their primary cultural heritage.

To my knowledge the first Kazmaiers arrived in the USA in the early 19th century. Some of their lineages are researched on this website. Today most Kazmaiers in the USA live in Ohio, followed by Kansas, Pennsylvania and Missouri. Most famous amongst these are famous family members like William "Bill" Kazmaier, "the strongest man who ever lived" and Richard "Dick" Kazmaier, Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award winner 1951. Unfortunately it still remains unknown where the Kazmaier family originally came from and who was the first bearer of this name. At least for all the Kazmaier in Württemberg I am convinced that they all are one big family although even for this I must still owe the proof. The research on this website and on Tribalpages refers to Balthasar Kazmaier (born about 1611, probably in Honau, and died 26.04.1685 in Honau). He is the first proven Kazmaier in Württemberg and from him, and from Honau, all Kazmaiers that I have ever met, descend from.

The Kazmaier family today is very widespread over many states of the USA. It appears they first arrived in the USA in the middle of the 19th century. There are at least half a dozen independent lines to be found in the US. Several Kazmaiers left Germany over the past 200 years to find their luck abroad. It was the American Dream and poor political conditions in the rural parts of Germany that drew people away from their hometowns. However they had to save large amounts of money for the ship and some of them had to leave their families back until they could afford to buy them tickets.