Included are several narratives providing background information of some of the GUMMERMANN line.
GUMMERMANN FAMILY OVERVIEW
All the research to date has helped prove an unbroken line from Peter Gummermann to all the Gummermanns in Germany and to most of them in the United States today. By no means have all the people been tied together, however the vast majority of the work is completed.
Peter Gummermann born 1768
Margarethe Barbara Wartinger
Maria Anna Gummermann – Died in Bavaria
Johann Michael Gummermann
Matthias Gummermann – Died in Bavaria
Margareth Gummermann – Married in Bavaria
Michael Gummermann – Died young
Michael Gummermann
Johann Michael married twice. Two of his descendants – Johann and Ignatz provide the emigrants to New York and New Jersey.
Two of the Michael Gummermann children – Andreas and Johann emigrated to Illinois and Wisconsin.
The youngest son Konrad remained in Bavaria and it appears that all the Gummermanns in Germany today are descended from him.
Several of the New York, New Jersey and Illinois families migrated to California, while several of the Wisconsin family migrated to Oregon and Washington.
Other Gummermanns – work remains to do.
1. The Gummermanns in Austria today appear to be descended from Andreas who emigrated to current day Austria from near Bamberg in 1743.
2. Several Gummermanns were found in Philadelphia, Michigan, Illinois and Canada.
3. A GUMMERMANN crest dated 1462 indicates a Karl Gummermann in Bamberg in 1394.
4. Several Gummermanns were found in the German cities of Hessheim, Bockum and Stettfeld. I believe Stettfeld, which is very close to Bamberg may have been the GUMMERMANN residence in the early 1700’s and before. Andreas who immigrated to Hungary, now Austria came from this town.
Name changes – the majority of the Gummermanns who immigrated to the United States changed the spelling of their name to GUMMERMAN. The Wisconsin family changed the spelling to GUMERMAN in the early 1930’s.
Johann Gummermann is the son of Michael Gummermann and Margaretha Lang. He is one of at least five children. Johann was born on May 30, 1846 in the small village of Waffenhammer near Wildenstein, which is close to Presseck, Bavaria, Germany where the family lived for at least 100 years. This is a mountainous area with deep ravines, which is ideal for providing waterpower to small iron forges. I believe there were iron mines nearby. The Gummermann family was metal smiths making arms for several centuries. He was baptized Catholic at the nearby Church at Stadtsteinach. Michael was the son of Peter Gummermann born about 1768 and Magarethe Barbara Wartinger. Michael was born December 5, 1816 in Waffenhammer. He married Margartha Barbara Lang. He died on October 17, 1892 at Oberwarmensteinach, Bavaria, Germany.
Johann married Maria Anna Scherm who is the daughter of Johann Scherm and Mariae Munchreuth who lived in a small village named Kirmees. Maria who we know as Anna was born February 25, 1855 in Kirmees. I did not find their marriage record yet, but they were probably married at the church at Stadtsteinach in about 1873. She died in Milwaukee on December 29, 1931.
Nothing is known about their first child.
Their second child was Johann born on June 18, 1876 in Kirmees, baptized Catholic at the church in Kirchenpingarten. Johann was later known as Father Bazilius or Bazil a Capuchin Catholic priest. Johann came to America in 1891.
The third child born on February 16, 1879 at Warmensteinach died on the third day was baptized at the Catholic Church in Oberwarmensteinach. The name is not clear, but probably Teresa.
Margaretha was born on December 8, 1879 at Warmensteinach and baptized at the Catholic Church in Oberwarmensteinach.
Johann Georg was born on September 10, 1882 at Warmensteinach and baptized at the Catholic Church in Oberwarmensteinach. He is known to us as George John.
On October 18, 1882 Johann and Anna purchased the Hammerwerk (metal forge) and a farm at Staubeshammer near Michelfeld for 6500 Marks.
Johann Baptist was born on November 5, 1884 at Staubeshammer and baptized Catholic at the church in Michelfeld.
Maximilian was born on April 9, 1887 at Staubeshammer and baptized Catholic at the church in Michelfeld.
Joseph Georg was born on July 14, 1890 at Staubeshammer and baptized Catholic at the church in Michelfeld.
In 1892 they sold the site at Staubeshammer to Jean Schäff whose family still owns the property. The Hammerwerk (factory) was carefully dismantled and moved to the Museum at Theuern near Amberg. The Schäff family still lives at the property and operates it as Pension today.
Gummermann Hammerwerk from Staubeshammer now at Museum in Theuern
Gummermann Staubeshammer House on Left
Johann and Anna came to America in 1892. They arrived in US at New, York from Hamburg, Germany June 4, 1892 on the ship "Augusta Victoria" with a family of 7 people.
The 1900 Federal Census lists the Gummermann’s as having 11 children with 9 living. I have not found one child yet.
Johann now known as John was naturalized in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on June 14, 1909.
Marie J (January 22, 1893), Clara F (July 5, 1895), Mildred A (January 18, 1898) and Ferdinand (October 8, 1902) all were born and baptized Catholic in Milwaukee.
The Family Gummermann
and its roots with the trade of blacksmiths of the Oberpfalz
-
a look back at two centuries –
A Chronicle of the Staubershammer
- piece of history of the ancestors of the family Gummermann in the 19th century -
Wir trinken, wenn die Krüge winken When the cups are full, we drink
Und schmieden, wenn das Eisen glüht. When the iron’s hot, we labour.
Wir saufen, bis wir niedersinken, And we booze till down we sink
so ist der Brauch der Hammerschmied. That’s typical hammersmith’s behaviour.
Pum-Pum! Pum – Pum! The oldest ironworks were usually built near the mine on top of a hill, where wind could reach it from all sides and they consisted of a pit in which the iron ore was melted on glowing charcoal. Therefore, for those wind-furnaces no mechanical power was necessary but only a strong draught.
But to become independent of the changes of the wind which often refused to blow when it was needed most, people invented ages ago the so-called bellows, and the embers were fanned by “manual wind”.
Soon afterwards a ingenious mind discovered that manual operation of the bellows and the power of the hammer could be supported and improved by water-power. By and by all the wind-furnaces came down from their draughty hills and mountains. The trade of iron processing now settled down in the valleys, at creeks, rivers and lakes.
At the bank of the Goldbrunnenbach (Gold-well-creek) there had been a mill for a long period which belonged to the Cloister Michelfeld and which was, in contrast to other mills that were almost exclusively built of timber, built of massive masonry. That’s why it was called Brick-Mill. This mill was now changed into a Iron-Hammer. This is supposed to have happened around the year 1300. The Hammer “Ziegelmühle”(brick-mill) is already mentioned in a document of the year 1387. In the meantime a completely new melting-apparatus, the so-called Zerrennherd had been developed, which extraordinarily perfected the iron processing.
Note: During the secularisation this part of the property of the cloister, namely the Hammermill and the agricultural land belonging to it was officially signed over to a Johann Götz on 5th of August 1805.
The Zerrennherd was a simple oven built with mortar, which was about 1.5 metres long and wide and ca.1 metre high. In the middle was a dent in the form of a bowl with a diameter of about half a metre and about 35 centimetres deep. In and on top of this “bowl” were alternating layers of charcoal and iron ore. The coarse coal was beforehand knocked into small pieces of the size of a nut by a Pochwerk. To make the mixture more easy to melt, slaked lime and old iron compounds were added. After the coals had been lit, the mechanical bellows were switched on to reach the temperature required for melting.
The Zerrennherd stood in the foundry at a fireproof wall. The bellows were powered by a adjustable water-wheel and were positioned behind this wall. Through the firing, the ore eventually melted and sank to the bottom of the “bowl”. Due to the specific weight the ore collected at the bottom of the pit, while the liquid slag “swam” on the top. When the ore was melted through, new layers (= Gichten) of iron ore and charcoal were added on top of the still glowing remains of coal.
The more slowly the ore was melting, the purer, richer and smoother the iron was for the following processing. Unfortunately, the yield was also less because a lot of iron was left in the slag during the slow melting process. The faster the iron was pushed through, the bigger was the yield. But the iron takes in a lot of carbon if melted at high temperatures and therefore becomes very rough and hard. The art of the melting-master was in finding the golden mean. The process of melting took about 6-8 hours, till the bowl-like dent was filled with liquid iron and could be “cut out”.
That’s all for the history and development of the later “Staubershammer”.
As mentioned before, the entire Mill- and Hammercomplex was signed over from the property of the cloister to a Johann Götz on the 5th of August 1805. The 12th of August –only a few days later – he sold the hammer mill of Sstaubershammer including the equipment to a Jakob von Sonnenburg (Sonnenberg was a wealthy land-owner from Kürmreuth and Kirchenreinbach) for 2600 Gulden and 25 fl. The buildings, land and tools included:
a) The two Hammerhuts with all supply of ore, iron and coal, and all tools and
wagons
b) The ore-shed and the iron-vaults
c) The hammer-house with the pigsty and the backing-oven
d) The three little caves across the water
e) Two little herb-gardens, one of them across the creek at the three caves
f) The Hammer and the “Schützenweiher” including the dam
g) The joint usage of the hut at the Hammer-cave
(“The hill at the “Katzenbrunnen”- Cat-well – belongs to Jakob von Sonnenberg alone.”)
- later cultivated by Michael Sturm -
h) ½ “Tagwerk”* of the big “Hammerwiese” (hammer-meadow), below the
“Pfarrwiese” (parish-meadow)
Jakob von Sonnenberg operated the Iron-hammer only for a few years, because he didn’t want to settle down there, he saw greater profit in the trade of goods. The 25th of September 1809, he sold the Staubershammer to the hammer smith-master Michael Sturm and to Friedrich Köstler , both from Dießfurt, for the price of 3,600 Gulden and additional 66 Gulden. The price had to be paid by Bartl Sturm, the father of the buyer, in certain instalments. It was agreed that the forge shouldn’t be used as an iron-hammer from now on, but as a wire-hammer. But Michael Sturm, whose father repeatedly had the hammer in Fischstein on lease, did not only erect a wire-hammer but also went on producing iron. He was very industrious and a man of good reputation.
His enterprise was restricted due to a lack of money. Especially the building of a modern blast furnace, the only one in the entire region, brought him great financial difficulties. Under his son Max, the enterprise broke down eventually.
The family Sturm – the history of Staubershammer at the end of the 19th century
When the old Bartel Sturm had managed to pay off the Staubershammer, he appointed his eldest son Michael as master while he himself leased the hammer-work Fischstein from the town Auerbach. There his youngest son, Friedrich Sturm, also settled down because he married a bailiff’s daughters and therefore married into the estate. This family still flourishes even today (1910) in Fischstein.
Bartl Sturm was the father of three sons and two daughters. The sons were called Michael, Johann and Friedrich – the daughters’ names were Elise and Margareta. The old Bartl Sturm retired in Staubershammer after the lease of Fischstein had run out and died there.
The above mentioned Michael Sturm, the new owner of the Staubershammer, who got married to the daughter of the owner of the hammer-estate, a Elisabeth Söllner from Pechhof near Dießfurth, worked the hammer-work together with his father as long as he was a bachelor. After his marriage (out of which were born eight sons and three daughters) started his own business and got riches and a good reputation.
One of his sons, Max Sturm, had to take over the estate Staubershammer in a very difficult time. The iron-processing industry in the Oberpfalz only worked with financial losses; it couldn’t compete any more with the modern iron-works at the Rhine, in Westphalia and in Styria. After several strokes of fate like the bursting of the blast furnace, break-down of the water-building, crop failures and live-stock diseases hit the Staubershammer, the estate went bankrupt again in 1848. Above all, the large number of children whose education and career had to be looked after was another burden for Max Sturm and his wife.
With heavy heart the old father Michael Sturm had to leave the Staubershammer, the domain of his long and successful enterprise. He finally died the 31st of January 1853 in Dillingen, where he’s also buried.
That’s what’s known of his descendants:
His eldest son, Dr. Johannes Sturm, settled down as a physician in Neuhaus/ Pegnitz and married the widow of a manor-owner, Anna von Sonnenburg. Through this marriage he became owner of Hammerschrot at the same time.
Max Sturm took over the hammer-estate from his parents, but had to leave the Staubershammer in 1852 and died soon thereafter.
Baptist Sturm became royal “Kreisgeometer” and tax-official in Augsburg. He was an extraordinarily kind man, who felt strongly attached to his birth-place and who had persuaded me, the author (A. Köstler) – retired teacher from Augsburg – with his enthusiasm to write this chronicle. He died in 1908.
In Munich there was another Brother, Joseph Sturm, retired royal “Oberexpeditor”. He also had the same kindness of heart as his brother and was as devoted to his birth-place, the beautifully situated Staubershammer. His three sons will certainly follow in the footsteps of their grand-father, father and uncle. Up to now there is no information about the remaining siblings.
The just mentioned brothers Baptist and Joseph Sturm visited the Staubershammer in 1892 and 1893, which was already in the possession of the current owner, Jean Schäff. Also visited one of the sons the Staubershammer together with his wife a few years later. In spring 1905, the current owner sent Baptist Sturm a postcard of the estate and later on a few more of those in a parcel. Hereafter he received a letter from Baptist Sturm and his wife Caroline, in which they stated that the cards had not only delighted them to a great extend, but had moved them to tears. Joseph Sturm from Munich was also very delighted and thankful for those cards.
But now back to the hammer-estate:
In May 1848 Max Sturm’s Staubershammer was auctioned off as bankrupt’s estate.
At that time it consisted of:
the house built with mortar, the iron hammer with the blast furnace, the hammer smith’s lodge, the wire hammer (Zainhammer), a slag hammer, a wire-glowing oven, a tithe barn, four caves, barns, pasture rights, a beehive, a slag oven, a herb garden, five “Tagwerk” arable land, 3 ½ “Tagwerk” pasture and the “Hammerweiher” (hammer-pond) – the worth of all that was estimated to be about 10,800 Gulden.
Because there was no interested party at the day of the auction, the creditors let Max Sturm work at the hammer till 1852. The 4th of December 1852, the hammer smith Georg Grüner bought the Staubershammer for the price of 3,000 Gulden. He tore down the hammer-huts and the blast furnace and had thereby take out more than 200 hundredweight of iron. At the 8th of June the following year the hammer smith sold the Staubershammer without the land to the Jew H. Hechinger from Fürth for 3,000 Gulden who wanted to start a business for cutting mirror-glass.
But for it was fixed in the contract, that at the Staubershammer only a business for cutting glass, but no sawmill or mill could be started, and because Grüner kept several privileges concerning the waterworks, H. Hechinger wanted to cancel the purchase. They went to court and even though the Hammer-miller won, he had to take back the hammer. In 1863 Georg Grüner managed to eventually sell the hammer works to Johann Küffner from Zintelhammer near Pressath and his wife. But the work wasn’t signed over till the 3rd of May 1867. In the contract the hammer miller kept back the “Schützenweiher” and stipulated that at the Staubershammer neither a mill nor a sawmill could be established. Küffner, a former clerk of the court, started the production of agricultural implements, but without financial success. 1847 the Staubershammer went to Elise Küffner and 1880 to her son Karl Küffner and his partner Hartung from Bayreuth. When the latter saw that the business was not successful and that he was about to lose his investment, he shot himself at the 30th of May 1881 between the big rocks opposite the Hammer, beneath a big cross that was erected by Paulus Götz. Lack of money and constant financial difficulties was always problem for the family Küffner who were industrious and intelligent people and still didn’t manage to have success. The old Küffner had , especially in his last years, a herd of goats and he constantly calculated how the number of animals may grow due to breeding. Looking after those animals was his main occupation. It is said that his clothes consisted mainly of the skins of his goats.
It is proved that in 1882 the tanner August Schmidt from Eschenbach bought the hammer work as bankrupt’s estate but returned it immediately to his godmother and his sponsors Elise, Johann and Julius Küffner. Those couldn’t hold the hammer for long and so they again had to sell it together with the 3 ½ “Tagwerk” land in the same year –
The 18th of October 1882
to Johann and Anna Gummermann, born Scherm from Warmensteinach in the Fichtelgebirge for the price of 6,500 Mark. They owned the hammer till 1892. Johann Gummermann was a skilled hammer- and weapon-blacksmith and had his origins in an old blacksmiths’ dynasty.
Note: His father Michael Gummermann and also his brothers, among them K o n r a d G u m m e r m a n n, worked in an old tradition of the same or closely related trade connected with iron. They all were, as far as we know, weapon smiths, wire makers (Zainer), forgery smiths or nail smiths. Konrad G., born the 18.10.1858, married on 19.06.1882 the (then) 18-years-old Franziska, born Koch, and they had no less than 16 children. Among those were (maybe accidentally) two J o h a n n! To distinguish these two it helped that the elder one got the epithet of “Baptist”. He became a merchant in Landshut.
Under Johann and Anna Gummermann the Staubershammer started to flourish again. The bought additional woods and leased the surrounding parish-land and thus revived and enlarged the estate. Johann Gummermann successfully worked the iron-hammer till 1889, made good business and plenty of customers.
In the same year he started at the instigation of a Leißner from Krottensee a metal-forge for gold leaf, but it burned down in this year. The destroyed hammer building was immediately rebuilt and the mentioned business was further prosecuted till the year 1891. When the sales went back due to the growth of industrial production, he re-established the simple iron-forge and worked this till 1892. At the same time he sold his estate to Jean Schäff from Eckersmühlen.
His eldest son, Basilius Gummermann, born 18th of June 1876, emigrated already at the age of 15 (in whose company?) to America, to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to become a catholic priest. It’s proved that he registered as student at the St. Lawrence College, Mt. Calvary , Wisconsin for four years. At the Capuchin monastery there he studied philosophy for two and theology for four years. The 27th of July 1902 he was ordained as a priest and Father Basilius accepted a position as a Chaplain in Appleton in September the same year. For three years he worked as a missionary in Norrie, Wisconsin, till July 1909, when he was appointed pastor at the St. Joseph’s Church of Appleton where he was much loved and honoured. The fathers of his convent elected him to be Prior of the Capuchin monastery there. He died at the age of 84 the 13th of February 1960.
His parents and further five of his siblings (Johann and Anna had eleven children, nine lived) followed Basilius the 4th of June 1892 after they had sold the Staubershammer. At this poit, you can speak of something like the “Exodus” of the family of Johann Gummermann to the Promised Land of America. The USA-branch of the family Gummermann that came out of this had more members than those descendants of the same name, who still live in Germany (exclusively in Bavaria) at the present. During his latest researches, our “USA-Cousin” Armin found two more members of the Gummermann-Clan, living near Vienna. Up to now, their place in the family-chronology hasn’t be researched yet.
Last note: As far as we see up to now, Konrad’s father, Michael Gummermann, is proved to be the forefather of ALL known descendants who bear the same (or in the USA slightly changed form of the) second name GUMMERMANN; both in the Old and in the New World. The eldest son of Konrad and Franziska Gummermann, Johann ‘Baptist’ Gummermann from Landshut, who later worked as a company secretary, is known as the father of Kurt, Hella and Helmut Gummermann (latter was the child out of the second marriage with Rosa, born Bierl, who was reported missing during the II. WW in Russia) and grand-father of Manfred and Helmut, Getraud (Scharl) and Edeltraud (Hacker).
Re-written and completed following the 4th visit to Germany by Armin and Joan Gumerman from Florida, USA and the joint family-researches of Armin and Helmut in September 2000 in Germany.
Vornbach, den 1.12.2000
Helmut Gummermann
(Translated by Judith Gummermann 8th of January 2001)
* A „Tagwerk“ is the third of a hectar. It is a Bavarian expression and means the amout of land a farmer could manage to work on in one day.