Who Do You Think You Are? - Klaus von dem Eberbach (Part 1)
This is a project that I have been working on, in fits and starts, for about 2 years. I decided to go ahead and post it, although I am still working on the "tree" part of the research. Because it is so long, I will be posting it over the next three days, in honor of the Major's birthday.
Who Do You Think You Are? - Klaus von dem Eberbach
Intro - or Why the heck are you doing this crazy thing?
It all started when, during the process of writing a historical AU with the Eroica characters, I realized that I needed to know precisely where Klaus fit into the Habsburg family and also where a certain painting would be located at that point in time. I also realized just how intriguing Klaus’ background is, even for a fictional character. Dorian is interesting too, but for different reasons: there has never been an earldom of that name which allows for many possibilities as far as family and location of Gloria are concerned. But Klaus comes from a real city and has stated (if vague) connections to a real historical family, and that makes his background intriguing in a different way. So, since I am an amateur genealogist, I decided to approach this as I have done my own family tree, and try to track down answers these questions:
1) Where did the von dem Eberbachs come from?
2) How is Klaus connected to Tyrian Persimmon?
3) How is Klaus’ family connected to the Habsburgs?
I hope you enjoy the results of my “investigation” as much as I did.
Research Project Part 1: the von dem Eberbach family
A. Bonn or Eberbach - Where is the Schloss?
The surname itself “from the Eberbach” indicates that the family is/was connected to a place called Eberbach. There are three options: Eberbach Cloister, Eberbach city, and/or Eberbach castle. Eberbach Cloister on the Rhein river is the least likely: although it is closer to Bonn, they do not use the boar as a symbol. Therefore, the city of Eberbach - and its ruined castle - are the most likely for the origin of the family. In the early days of the fandom, it appears that writers assumed the schloss Klaus lived in was Eberbach Castle which posed a question - namely, does Klaus drive 165 miles to work every day? Many early writers solved the conundrum by giving him an apartment in Bonn, but that idea seems to have disappeared, probably because there is no indication that Klaus has multiple homes. So by a process of elimination, the schloss where Klaus resides is in/near Bonn. However, canon indicates a connection between Klaus’ family and the city of Eberbach, as the boar is a prominent symbol in both (1). This is not a big stumbling block, as many families had to relocate during the decades of war waged in the area. So for the purpose of this investigation, we will assume that the family was originally from the city of Eberbach and relocated to Bonn long enough ago for them to have quite an impressive old schloss to call home.
Side-trip # 1: Genealogical notes: What’s in a name?
The use of “von dem” instead of “von” is a bit unusual, as it is literally translated “from the” and generally is used in surnames that reference a geographic feature - a lake or river, for example, as in ‘von dem bruck”. However, its usage is more common in the area of Germany formerly called Prussia, as with the von dem Knesebeck family from the city of Knesebeck.(2) This might indicate Prussian influence at some point along the family tree. EDIT: Since Bonn became part of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1815, it is possible that the family came under Prussian influence at that time, the name shifting from “von Eberbach” to “von dem Eberbach”.
B. Eberbach - city and castle: A historical overview
For those who haven’t already looked it up, here is a brief overview of the city and its history. Eberbach is 33 km (19 m) east of Heidelberg. (3) The city was originally an Imperial Free City, founded in 1227 by King Henry VII of Germany after he received the fief from the Bishop of Worms. In 1330, the city was acquired by the County Palatine of the Rhine (4) and it remained in the Palatinate until 1803. The city and surrounding areas suffered great hardships during the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) [especially the Spanish Incursion (1621-25), the Swedish Occupation (1630-1635), and the Plague of 1635], the Seven Years' War (1754-1761), and the French Revolutionary Wars (1792-1802). In 1803, Eberbach and the other Palatinate holdings on the east bank of the Neckar passed to the control of Baden, and it has remained part of that territory ever since. After 1806, the city began to thrive again, becoming a magnet for tourists, including the parents of Queen Victoria of England (legend says that she was conceived in the historic Haus Thalheim).
The castle (3 separate castles, actually) was started after 1175, with the middle castle built around 1200 and the rear after King Henry took possession. It was a bailiwick of the Palatinate, used (along with other such castles) to protect holdings along the Neckar river. In 1402, the castle and town were given to Hans von Hirschhorn (see below), but he didn't keep the castle for long: a year after he was given the castle, he obtained permission to demolish it and use the stones for building projects in the city. The castle remained in ruins until the early twentieth century, when the ruins were exposed and excavated.
C. The von Hirschhorn family
The von Hirschhorn family was prominent in the history of the Neckar area. The founder of the family, Johann, was a younger son of another prominent line - the von Steinachs. He took the name von Hirschhorn when he was given the city of Hirschhorn in 1250, and began building the castle there between 1250-60. His descendants increased the family's lands and influence, and his great-grandson Hans V (more below) brought even more wealth and lands under their control. Hans and his brothers, Albrecht and Eberhard, enlarged Hirschhorn castle and also founded a Carmelite monastery below it.
During the 16th century, the Reformation wrought dramatic changes in the region and in the von Hirschhorn family. Graf Johann IX converted to Protestantism, following the lead of the Elector Palatine, and closed down the Carmelite monastery in 1543. During the Thirty Years War, Graf Frederic III fled to Heilbronn with his family but both he and his young son died there in 1632. Frederic was possibly survived by an infant daughter, Maria Katharina (born 1632, subsequent history unknown), and definitely by his cousin's daughter, Maria Elisabeth (born 1598, married Lothar von Eltz, died 1655 with one daughter), but there was no male issue from any branch. Thus ended the von Hirschhorn family, and with it, any nobility even remotely connected to Eberbach.
D. Hans von Hirschhorn - a Knight for his times
Graf Hans V von Hirschhorn was quite an interesting person. He was a descendant of Charlemagne on his father’s side. Through his mother’s line, he was related to many of the royal families of Europe: 5th cousin to Frederich II of Austria, and 6th cousin once removed to Henry V of England, Rupert of Germany, Frederick IV of Austria & Tyrol, Philippe of Burgundy, Isabella of Portugal, and John II of Castile. He was employed by Rupert when he was Count Palatine as an advisor, diplomat, and financier. When Rupert became king of Germany in 1400, Hans became a Royal Messenger and performed several diplomatic missions that took him to the English court. Henry V held him in such high esteem that he granted him a lifelong annuity of 100 marks. There is, in fact, a book about Hans, although I have not yet read it.(5) He extended the family holdings and forged bonds with noble families in the area through the marriage of his children. This last bit is especially important for my speculations into the von dem Eberbachs.
Side-trip #2: Interesting Historical (and Romantic) note
One of the myths/legends of the area concerns both the von Hirschhorn and von Steinach families (who you will remember from above are related). The Count of Lauffen had a beautiful daughter named Rose. She was engaged to Ulrich von Steinach at ten, but he went off to the Crusades and was presumed dead. Rose fell in love with Wolf von Hirschhorn, a distant cousin of Ulrich, and they were engaged. Ulrich's father and his knights came to the wedding, and in a drunken moment, Rose's father promised to give her to Ulrich if he should return alive from the Crusades before the wedding. As the wedding party arrived at the church, Ulrich showed up and demanded his bride. Wolf challenged him to a duel and was mortally wounded. However, Ulrich didn't gain his bride: in grief and despair, Rose threw herself from the parapet of the castle. This legend is reinacted in Dilsberg in a play, and is commemorated in the third movement of “Postcards from Dilsberg”
No doubt, Dorian would find that tragically romantic.
E: Eberbach and War
The Palatinate - of which Eberbach was a part from its inception until 1803 - was devastated by the Thirty Years' War. The war started when the Elector Palatine was declared ruler of Bohemia, in an effort to solidify Protestant holdings. The Palatinate was invaded by Spain and Austria (Catholic side) to take back the throne of Bohemia, and then by Sweden (Protestant retaliation) to kick out the Spanish & Austrian forces. Many castles and ruling families were wiped out by the fighting and the diseases that accompanied them, including the von Hirschhorn and von Steinach families. The town of Hirschhorn itself went from a thriving population of over 4,000 to only 200 people by the end of the wars, and Eberbach and the surrounding towns were similarly devastated.
After the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, Charles Louis (Protestant, son of the disposed Elector) inherited the lower part of the Palatinate and both he and his son worked to rebuild the area. However, his son, Charles II, died without children and was succeeded by a distant cousin, Philip William of Neuberg, a Catholic. Philip had 17 children, and among them were:
1) Eleanor Madeleine, married Leopold I of Austria - present house of Habsburg descended from her
2) Dorothea Sophie, married Odoardo Farnese and was mother of Elizabeth Farnese, future Queen of Spain. Odoardo was the great-grandson of Alexander Farnese, discussed in the section on Tyrian.
However, this line also died out, and the lands of the Electoral Palatinate came into the possession of another branch of the family, that of the Philip William, Elector of Bavaria, in 1777, uniting the Wittelsbach family possessions for the first time in centuries. These lands stayed united until the realignment of the German states in 1803. (see this map for a view of the various German states during history - ). At that time, the Palatinate was divided into parts: the west bank of the Neckar/Rhine became a part of the Kingdom of Bavaria until after World War II when it became part of the new Rhineland-Palatinate, and the eastern part of the territory (including Eberbach) became part of Baden.
Side-trip #3: The Catholic Question
In the mid-1500s, the Elector Palatine (and the von Hirschhorns) converted to Protestantism and the Palatinate remained staunchly in the Calvinist camp for the next 135 years until the end of that branch of the Wittelsbach line. However, not all the noble families of the area converted and it is possible that if there had been an Eberbach branch of the von Hirschhorn family, it would have retained its close ties with the Church and remained Catholic.
The Reformation and the wars that spun off of it shaped the towns around Eberbach - and also left the area devastated and denuded of nobility following the Peace of 1648. The restored Elector filled this void with new inhabitants from Lorraine, Tyrol, Switzerland, and other surrounding areas, as well as allies from England and the Protestant Netherlands. When Charles' son died and the Catholic branch of the family took possession, they again filled the void left by subsequent wars with aristocracy from holdings in Bavaria. The area, which had been in the Protestant camp for over 100 years, now swung firmly over the other way, and remained largely Catholic for the next 250 years.
Summary: Options for our Eberbachs
So, what does all this mean for Major Klaus von dem Eberbach, as far as his roots are concerned? Well, first of all, a little revisionist history is called for. In order to have a Graf von dem Eberbach, as there must have been at some point in time, the city of Eberbach - with or without a castle - must have been governed by von dem Eberbachs. Possible revisionist options are:
1) Eberbach was kept as one of the family's secondary holdings (as with Ersheim and Zwingenberg). When the last male member of the family died in 1648, the 100 family holdings were dispersed. It is possible that the daughter, Maria Katherina, survived and married, bringing a few holdings into the marriage including Eberbach, starting the von dem Eberbach line.
2) Eberbach was given to one of Hans' younger children shortly after he received it in 1402 and the castle was never destroyed. This new branch took on the name of von dem Eberbach, as the von Hirschhorn branch did when splitting from the von Steinach line. This fictional family branch survived through the various wars, until they ended up in Bonn (see below).
While I haven't been able to locate a von dem Eberbach in genealogical documentation, there is one very interesting von Eberbach that could tie in with the second option: Heinrich Peiger von Eberbach (?-1450) married Magdalena von Hohen-geroldseck (1421-?). While I have been unable to locate any further genealogical records on Heinrich, Magdalena’s family records have survived. The von Hohen-geroldseck family was one of the prominent families in nearby Baden, so it is possible that this von Eberbach might be related to either the town and/or the von Hirschhorn family at the right period in time. It is possible that Heinrich Peiger von Eberbach was a son of Hans V, and that he was given the town of Eberbach to govern even though the castle had been torn down. The marriage didn't produce any known children, but if it had, this could have been a start for our Klaus.
In any case, at some point in history - real or revisionist - the castle at the town of Eberbach was destroyed and the family moved to Bonn. If the second theory is used and there is a von dem Eberbach family in residence from 1402 onward, then there are lots of other times when the castle could have been destroyed (see the section on Eberbach and War). During the Thirty Years' War, in particular, the area was devastated, and even if the castle survived the initial invasion by the Spanish and Austrian armies, the counter-invasion by the Swedes would have finished them off. The Swedish armies alone destroyed up to 2,000 castles, 18,000 villages and 1,500 towns in Germany. All the nobility in the area fled: the Protestants to the larger towns in the area, or to Holland or England, and the Catholics either south to Bavaria or north to the Electorate of Cologne. It is this option that interests me in particular, as at that time, the capital of the (very Catholic) Electorate of Cologne was Bonn. Thus we could have the von dem Eberbachs arriving in Bonn by 1635 and settling there for the next three hundred years - certainly long enough to build a new ancestral home, the current von dem Eberbach residence/schloss.
My conclusions
In my revisionist corner of the world, Hans V von HIrschhorn had a son, Heinrich Peiger, who was given the city and castle of Eberbach upon his marriage to the daughter of the influential and wealthy von Hohen-geroldseck family. They had a child, either a son who carried on the Eberbach name, or a daughter who married another prominent scion (see the Habsburg section) and started the von dem Eberbach branch. The family thrived there for the next two hundred years, until the Reformation Wars started. At some point during the Thirty Years’ War, the family took refuge in Bonn where they have remained till this day. It is possible that they retained ties with the town of their origin, or even derived part of their income from the city until more recent times.
FOOTNOTES:
1. A picture gallery including the city of Eberbach
2. The home page for the von dem Knesebeck family
3. The city of Eberbach’s wiki page
4. The County Palatinate of the Rhine’s wiki page
5. “Hans V von Hirschhorn in the service of the Electoral Palatinate”, a book by Christina Kimmel
EDIT:
Added Pedigree chart for Hans V von Hirschhorn
Relatives & Peers of Hans V von Hirschhorn
(I recommend magnifying to 100-150% once open to read)
Tomorrow: Research Project Part 2: Tyrian Persimmon
Who Do You Think You Are? - Klaus von dem Eberbach
Intro - or Why the heck are you doing this crazy thing?
It all started when, during the process of writing a historical AU with the Eroica characters, I realized that I needed to know precisely where Klaus fit into the Habsburg family and also where a certain painting would be located at that point in time. I also realized just how intriguing Klaus’ background is, even for a fictional character. Dorian is interesting too, but for different reasons: there has never been an earldom of that name which allows for many possibilities as far as family and location of Gloria are concerned. But Klaus comes from a real city and has stated (if vague) connections to a real historical family, and that makes his background intriguing in a different way. So, since I am an amateur genealogist, I decided to approach this as I have done my own family tree, and try to track down answers these questions:
1) Where did the von dem Eberbachs come from?
2) How is Klaus connected to Tyrian Persimmon?
3) How is Klaus’ family connected to the Habsburgs?
I hope you enjoy the results of my “investigation” as much as I did.
Research Project Part 1: the von dem Eberbach family
A. Bonn or Eberbach - Where is the Schloss?
The surname itself “from the Eberbach” indicates that the family is/was connected to a place called Eberbach. There are three options: Eberbach Cloister, Eberbach city, and/or Eberbach castle. Eberbach Cloister on the Rhein river is the least likely: although it is closer to Bonn, they do not use the boar as a symbol. Therefore, the city of Eberbach - and its ruined castle - are the most likely for the origin of the family. In the early days of the fandom, it appears that writers assumed the schloss Klaus lived in was Eberbach Castle which posed a question - namely, does Klaus drive 165 miles to work every day? Many early writers solved the conundrum by giving him an apartment in Bonn, but that idea seems to have disappeared, probably because there is no indication that Klaus has multiple homes. So by a process of elimination, the schloss where Klaus resides is in/near Bonn. However, canon indicates a connection between Klaus’ family and the city of Eberbach, as the boar is a prominent symbol in both (1). This is not a big stumbling block, as many families had to relocate during the decades of war waged in the area. So for the purpose of this investigation, we will assume that the family was originally from the city of Eberbach and relocated to Bonn long enough ago for them to have quite an impressive old schloss to call home.
Side-trip # 1: Genealogical notes: What’s in a name?
The use of “von dem” instead of “von” is a bit unusual, as it is literally translated “from the” and generally is used in surnames that reference a geographic feature - a lake or river, for example, as in ‘von dem bruck”. However, its usage is more common in the area of Germany formerly called Prussia, as with the von dem Knesebeck family from the city of Knesebeck.(2) This might indicate Prussian influence at some point along the family tree. EDIT: Since Bonn became part of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1815, it is possible that the family came under Prussian influence at that time, the name shifting from “von Eberbach” to “von dem Eberbach”.
B. Eberbach - city and castle: A historical overview
For those who haven’t already looked it up, here is a brief overview of the city and its history. Eberbach is 33 km (19 m) east of Heidelberg. (3) The city was originally an Imperial Free City, founded in 1227 by King Henry VII of Germany after he received the fief from the Bishop of Worms. In 1330, the city was acquired by the County Palatine of the Rhine (4) and it remained in the Palatinate until 1803. The city and surrounding areas suffered great hardships during the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) [especially the Spanish Incursion (1621-25), the Swedish Occupation (1630-1635), and the Plague of 1635], the Seven Years' War (1754-1761), and the French Revolutionary Wars (1792-1802). In 1803, Eberbach and the other Palatinate holdings on the east bank of the Neckar passed to the control of Baden, and it has remained part of that territory ever since. After 1806, the city began to thrive again, becoming a magnet for tourists, including the parents of Queen Victoria of England (legend says that she was conceived in the historic Haus Thalheim).
The castle (3 separate castles, actually) was started after 1175, with the middle castle built around 1200 and the rear after King Henry took possession. It was a bailiwick of the Palatinate, used (along with other such castles) to protect holdings along the Neckar river. In 1402, the castle and town were given to Hans von Hirschhorn (see below), but he didn't keep the castle for long: a year after he was given the castle, he obtained permission to demolish it and use the stones for building projects in the city. The castle remained in ruins until the early twentieth century, when the ruins were exposed and excavated.
C. The von Hirschhorn family
The von Hirschhorn family was prominent in the history of the Neckar area. The founder of the family, Johann, was a younger son of another prominent line - the von Steinachs. He took the name von Hirschhorn when he was given the city of Hirschhorn in 1250, and began building the castle there between 1250-60. His descendants increased the family's lands and influence, and his great-grandson Hans V (more below) brought even more wealth and lands under their control. Hans and his brothers, Albrecht and Eberhard, enlarged Hirschhorn castle and also founded a Carmelite monastery below it.
During the 16th century, the Reformation wrought dramatic changes in the region and in the von Hirschhorn family. Graf Johann IX converted to Protestantism, following the lead of the Elector Palatine, and closed down the Carmelite monastery in 1543. During the Thirty Years War, Graf Frederic III fled to Heilbronn with his family but both he and his young son died there in 1632. Frederic was possibly survived by an infant daughter, Maria Katharina (born 1632, subsequent history unknown), and definitely by his cousin's daughter, Maria Elisabeth (born 1598, married Lothar von Eltz, died 1655 with one daughter), but there was no male issue from any branch. Thus ended the von Hirschhorn family, and with it, any nobility even remotely connected to Eberbach.
D. Hans von Hirschhorn - a Knight for his times
Graf Hans V von Hirschhorn was quite an interesting person. He was a descendant of Charlemagne on his father’s side. Through his mother’s line, he was related to many of the royal families of Europe: 5th cousin to Frederich II of Austria, and 6th cousin once removed to Henry V of England, Rupert of Germany, Frederick IV of Austria & Tyrol, Philippe of Burgundy, Isabella of Portugal, and John II of Castile. He was employed by Rupert when he was Count Palatine as an advisor, diplomat, and financier. When Rupert became king of Germany in 1400, Hans became a Royal Messenger and performed several diplomatic missions that took him to the English court. Henry V held him in such high esteem that he granted him a lifelong annuity of 100 marks. There is, in fact, a book about Hans, although I have not yet read it.(5) He extended the family holdings and forged bonds with noble families in the area through the marriage of his children. This last bit is especially important for my speculations into the von dem Eberbachs.
Side-trip #2: Interesting Historical (and Romantic) note
One of the myths/legends of the area concerns both the von Hirschhorn and von Steinach families (who you will remember from above are related). The Count of Lauffen had a beautiful daughter named Rose. She was engaged to Ulrich von Steinach at ten, but he went off to the Crusades and was presumed dead. Rose fell in love with Wolf von Hirschhorn, a distant cousin of Ulrich, and they were engaged. Ulrich's father and his knights came to the wedding, and in a drunken moment, Rose's father promised to give her to Ulrich if he should return alive from the Crusades before the wedding. As the wedding party arrived at the church, Ulrich showed up and demanded his bride. Wolf challenged him to a duel and was mortally wounded. However, Ulrich didn't gain his bride: in grief and despair, Rose threw herself from the parapet of the castle. This legend is reinacted in Dilsberg in a play, and is commemorated in the third movement of “Postcards from Dilsberg”
No doubt, Dorian would find that tragically romantic.
E: Eberbach and War
The Palatinate - of which Eberbach was a part from its inception until 1803 - was devastated by the Thirty Years' War. The war started when the Elector Palatine was declared ruler of Bohemia, in an effort to solidify Protestant holdings. The Palatinate was invaded by Spain and Austria (Catholic side) to take back the throne of Bohemia, and then by Sweden (Protestant retaliation) to kick out the Spanish & Austrian forces. Many castles and ruling families were wiped out by the fighting and the diseases that accompanied them, including the von Hirschhorn and von Steinach families. The town of Hirschhorn itself went from a thriving population of over 4,000 to only 200 people by the end of the wars, and Eberbach and the surrounding towns were similarly devastated.
After the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, Charles Louis (Protestant, son of the disposed Elector) inherited the lower part of the Palatinate and both he and his son worked to rebuild the area. However, his son, Charles II, died without children and was succeeded by a distant cousin, Philip William of Neuberg, a Catholic. Philip had 17 children, and among them were:
1) Eleanor Madeleine, married Leopold I of Austria - present house of Habsburg descended from her
2) Dorothea Sophie, married Odoardo Farnese and was mother of Elizabeth Farnese, future Queen of Spain. Odoardo was the great-grandson of Alexander Farnese, discussed in the section on Tyrian.
However, this line also died out, and the lands of the Electoral Palatinate came into the possession of another branch of the family, that of the Philip William, Elector of Bavaria, in 1777, uniting the Wittelsbach family possessions for the first time in centuries. These lands stayed united until the realignment of the German states in 1803. (see this map for a view of the various German states during history - ). At that time, the Palatinate was divided into parts: the west bank of the Neckar/Rhine became a part of the Kingdom of Bavaria until after World War II when it became part of the new Rhineland-Palatinate, and the eastern part of the territory (including Eberbach) became part of Baden.
Side-trip #3: The Catholic Question
In the mid-1500s, the Elector Palatine (and the von Hirschhorns) converted to Protestantism and the Palatinate remained staunchly in the Calvinist camp for the next 135 years until the end of that branch of the Wittelsbach line. However, not all the noble families of the area converted and it is possible that if there had been an Eberbach branch of the von Hirschhorn family, it would have retained its close ties with the Church and remained Catholic.
The Reformation and the wars that spun off of it shaped the towns around Eberbach - and also left the area devastated and denuded of nobility following the Peace of 1648. The restored Elector filled this void with new inhabitants from Lorraine, Tyrol, Switzerland, and other surrounding areas, as well as allies from England and the Protestant Netherlands. When Charles' son died and the Catholic branch of the family took possession, they again filled the void left by subsequent wars with aristocracy from holdings in Bavaria. The area, which had been in the Protestant camp for over 100 years, now swung firmly over the other way, and remained largely Catholic for the next 250 years.
Summary: Options for our Eberbachs
So, what does all this mean for Major Klaus von dem Eberbach, as far as his roots are concerned? Well, first of all, a little revisionist history is called for. In order to have a Graf von dem Eberbach, as there must have been at some point in time, the city of Eberbach - with or without a castle - must have been governed by von dem Eberbachs. Possible revisionist options are:
1) Eberbach was kept as one of the family's secondary holdings (as with Ersheim and Zwingenberg). When the last male member of the family died in 1648, the 100 family holdings were dispersed. It is possible that the daughter, Maria Katherina, survived and married, bringing a few holdings into the marriage including Eberbach, starting the von dem Eberbach line.
2) Eberbach was given to one of Hans' younger children shortly after he received it in 1402 and the castle was never destroyed. This new branch took on the name of von dem Eberbach, as the von Hirschhorn branch did when splitting from the von Steinach line. This fictional family branch survived through the various wars, until they ended up in Bonn (see below).
While I haven't been able to locate a von dem Eberbach in genealogical documentation, there is one very interesting von Eberbach that could tie in with the second option: Heinrich Peiger von Eberbach (?-1450) married Magdalena von Hohen-geroldseck (1421-?). While I have been unable to locate any further genealogical records on Heinrich, Magdalena’s family records have survived. The von Hohen-geroldseck family was one of the prominent families in nearby Baden, so it is possible that this von Eberbach might be related to either the town and/or the von Hirschhorn family at the right period in time. It is possible that Heinrich Peiger von Eberbach was a son of Hans V, and that he was given the town of Eberbach to govern even though the castle had been torn down. The marriage didn't produce any known children, but if it had, this could have been a start for our Klaus.
In any case, at some point in history - real or revisionist - the castle at the town of Eberbach was destroyed and the family moved to Bonn. If the second theory is used and there is a von dem Eberbach family in residence from 1402 onward, then there are lots of other times when the castle could have been destroyed (see the section on Eberbach and War). During the Thirty Years' War, in particular, the area was devastated, and even if the castle survived the initial invasion by the Spanish and Austrian armies, the counter-invasion by the Swedes would have finished them off. The Swedish armies alone destroyed up to 2,000 castles, 18,000 villages and 1,500 towns in Germany. All the nobility in the area fled: the Protestants to the larger towns in the area, or to Holland or England, and the Catholics either south to Bavaria or north to the Electorate of Cologne. It is this option that interests me in particular, as at that time, the capital of the (very Catholic) Electorate of Cologne was Bonn. Thus we could have the von dem Eberbachs arriving in Bonn by 1635 and settling there for the next three hundred years - certainly long enough to build a new ancestral home, the current von dem Eberbach residence/schloss.
My conclusions
In my revisionist corner of the world, Hans V von HIrschhorn had a son, Heinrich Peiger, who was given the city and castle of Eberbach upon his marriage to the daughter of the influential and wealthy von Hohen-geroldseck family. They had a child, either a son who carried on the Eberbach name, or a daughter who married another prominent scion (see the Habsburg section) and started the von dem Eberbach branch. The family thrived there for the next two hundred years, until the Reformation Wars started. At some point during the Thirty Years’ War, the family took refuge in Bonn where they have remained till this day. It is possible that they retained ties with the town of their origin, or even derived part of their income from the city until more recent times.
FOOTNOTES:
1. A picture gallery including the city of Eberbach
2. The home page for the von dem Knesebeck family
3. The city of Eberbach’s wiki page
4. The County Palatinate of the Rhine’s wiki page
5. “Hans V von Hirschhorn in the service of the Electoral Palatinate”, a book by Christina Kimmel
EDIT:
Added Pedigree chart for Hans V von Hirschhorn
Relatives & Peers of Hans V von Hirschhorn
(I recommend magnifying to 100-150% once open to read)
Tomorrow: Research Project Part 2: Tyrian Persimmon