Small history book of Rotter

By Gernot Rotter

Professor of Islamic and Arabic Studies Asia-Africa Institute at the University of Hamburg

Prof. Gernot Rotter Professor of Islamic and Arabic Studies Asia-Africa Institute at the University of Hamburg

German Orient Institute

Website: www.oidmg.org Dr. Ekkehart Rotter ist Mittelalterhistoriker, Professor Gernot Rotter Islamwissenschaftler

ForewordWhy now?This small book owes its origin

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I never wrote a book before for many occasions and reasons. The main reason why wrote it now is referred to in the title: The 90th birthday of my aunt Herta Rotter. And to you, dear Aunt Herta, this little book is dedicated with my very best wishes for your further life. May you, first of all, keep your alert mind for a long time.

Another reason why I dedicate this book to you, dear Herta, is that you together with your eldest brother Walter, my father, collected the dates for our first family tree, which at that time, before the Second World War, was a costly and time-consuming undertaking. You and Walter managed to collect the dates of ten generations of some branches of our Rotter-clan who had been living in the villages and parishes around the Altvater mountain range back to abt. 1700.

The reason why I myself, about 10 years ago and at the age of 56 years, remembered this family tree was connected with my profession as an Orientalist.  In January 1997 I was invited to give a lecture on Middle Eastern politics at Graz in Austria. In the evening on the way back I had to change airplanes at the Vienna airport but I was informed that my connecting flight booked to Hamburg had been cancelled because of  bad weather. I hastened to the Lufthansa-corner to have my booking altered for another plane to Hamburg. "Hurry up", said the lady at the corner, "give me your ticket! The last plane to Hamburg this evening is ready for boarding." So I did. but when the lady had looked at the ticket she suddenly stood up and went off without saying a word and with my ticket while the last call for boarding came over the loudspeaker. Minutes later the lady came back and asked me: "Where did you get this ticket from?" First I was so dumbfounded by this question that I didn't know how to react. Finally and very angry I told the lady the Austrian institution which had sent me ticket. "Okay", she said, "I believe you but one thing remains curious. Only seconds before you came here another passenger asked for altering his booking to Hamburg and I put him on the last plane. His name was also G. Rotter." I started understanding. The lady had thought that I might have stolen the ticket of this other G. Rotter. To calm down my anger and since the last plane had taken off anyway, I insisted that the lady handed over to me all the personal data of this mysterious G. Rotter she could find in her Computer. Finally she told me that his first name was Gabriel and his permanent address was Tel Aviv/Israel.

To shorten the story: First by phone, then by letters and finally, after having overcome some understandable hesitations many Jews still have against Germans because of the holocaust, also by personal visits in Tel Aviv as well as in Germany I learned that Gabriels family in Tel Aviv originally came from Cracow in Poland and that in Tel Aviv alone there were living 20 more Jewish Rotter-families who originally came from Poland, Galicia, Hungary and other countries which, until 1918, had been part of the Austrian Empire. And some of these families came from towns like Katowice an Tychy (now in southern Poland) which are very close to our native area Upper Silesia.

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This was the reason that I got interested in the history of our name Rotter in general which inevitably led me to the concrete history of our own Rotter-clan as well as to many others in Germany, Austria, northern Italy, France, England, Sweden, Poland, Czechia, Hungary, Russia, Uzbekistan, South Africa, Israel, USA, Chile, Brazil and Australia. Only thanks to today's communication facilities, especially the Internet, such a global research is possible. And yet, despite this modern technical facilities and especially for a deeper research of the history of the own clan, it remains essential to travel to the respective archives to look for preserved church records and other documents where traces of ancestors may have survived.

This led me to travel mainly to the archives at Troppau, my native town, Olomouc, Brno and Prague, during which I repeatedly made extended trips to and around the Altvater. I learned to understand the grief of our parents and siblings over the loss of this wonderful home. During these long stays at Troppau I made friends with Czech historians and quite "normal" people who can understand this grief very well and helped a lot in my research. For this I am very grateful.

In the last ten years I have filled many files and drawers with various results of my research. In order not to lose the overview completely, I started evaluating this extensive material for composing a voluminous book on the history of the Rotter-clans. But since nearly every week new findings come in I had to realize that this work will never be completed, at least not by myself. Furthermore, four years ago I was reminded suddenly and painfully that also my life is not endless. The fear that one day all the many thousands of pages may carelessly be thrown into the garbage persuaded me to write this short abstract of at least some results of my research up to now.

Dear Aunt Herta, you are the prehistoric rock and the living symbol of our Rotter-clan for all of us, your nephews and nieces including their children and grandchildren. Your ninetieth birthday is the most beautiful occasion for me, to present to you this book.Stade, in April 2008                                     Gernot Rotter

He | es ChapterThe dissemination of the name Rotter / Rother today

Today, there are probably about 8,000 people in the world with the family name Rotter. In Germany alone there are currently 2,259 phone numbers listed. (d.h. 2007) under this name. The vast majority of the Rotters in Germany live south of the Main, also in Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg. In Austria, some 700 additional telephone numbers, with most in the metropolitan area of Vienna are registered. Considering the number of phone numbers a series of double nominations (firms, practices, etc.), but expects the children not

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covered by the normal concentration of statisticians added, alone for Germany and Austria about 5,000 Rotter

Originally from the northeast Czech Republic, also from the north Moravia and the former Austrian Silesia, as well as the adjacent areas in Bohemia and in the former Prussian Upper Silesia (now the south-west Poland), -- Or are their descendants. Jeseniky was about the geographical Focus. And this in turn Rotter are most directly after the end of World War II from their original homes. Especially after Austria, however, many economically Not even out in the decades and centuries before emigrated; and from Vienna are the times of k.k. Monarchy also many Rotter in other regions of Austria-Hungary away, why it is not surprising that today the telephone book of Budapest contains16 times the name Rotter and that in Hungary a total of nearly 100 telephone lines under the name Rotter rolls

In the traditional schlesisch-Moravian areas can be found today the name Rotter only very rarely, such as in Opava (Opava), Moravian Schönberg (Šumperk) and Olomouc (Olomouc). When I with my family in 2001 in small Mohrau (Malá Moravka), a picturesque village in Altvater, Holiday made the Czech based owner of our house, my name when she pointed me to an old Rotter in the village. I then visited several times, and he told me that his father a carpenter and the largest sawmill had far and wide, so he used as a wood specialist not distributed 1946 , as the Czechs such professionals urgently needed.

Together, almost all of these schlesisch-Moravian Rotter, Catholic faith that they are (or were). Those of them, the result of the Reformation in the 16th and at the beginning of the 17th Century Protestant, mostly migrated earlier to the north in 1742 from the Prussian Upper Silesia, Lower Silesia, Brandenburg and Berlin, where her name but as a rule, "Rother" was written (see below).

Since we ourselves to the Catholic schlesisch-Moravian include Rotter, I will mainly deal with this, but I want the other not quite over. For example, I first country in South German and Austria also some Rotter families, which no doubt say: "We have always been here." And as far as 10 I was able to verify this has, this seems at least to a large clan in the area of Fuerth and another in the area south Schwaben / Allgäu really declared, also in Vienna assured me a doctor named geschichtsbewusster Rotter, that his Ancestors "for many generations," a farm in Tyrol had managed, and indeed there are today in the Italian Alps about 20 Rotter in the phone book of Bolzano. Several large-Rotter families had their homes at least since the 17th Century in the north of Alsace, where most of the 18./19. and at the beginning of the 20th Century emigrated to America, even in Alsace, in France, are only a few left behind, such as Deputy Mayor (Adjoint) by Schwighouse, Willy Rotter, I propose several years and visited me a lot about the Alsatian "Rotterei" tells.

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If not in such extent as from the Alsace, they are but also from other clans Rotter-some families in the 19th and in the first half of the 20th century emigrated overseas. In the U.S., I have over 400 telephone addresses under the name Rotter counted. Many of them are concentrated in the north to the Great Lakes, but there are only a few states in which the name does not occur. So I have been to contact a older couple, namely Jean & Art Rotter, which we already have visited in Germany. Art's grandfather immigrated from Habelschwert in Ländchen Glatzer (northwest of the Altvater in today's Poland) to the United States and settled after a long walk through the "wild west" finally in the state of Oregon on the coast of the Pacific. And finally there are also other overseas Rotter some families, such as in Brazil, Chile, Australia and South Africa.

In the U.S., specifically in California, lives a certain Jim Rader, the intense family history operates and much of it also published on the Internet. His ancestor, once in Philadelphia in 1750 entered American soil, signed still there when Johann Casper Rotter, 1811 while on his grave stone then Casper Rader. As in Europe were the family name was also in the USA "by ear" written, especially in the southern states from Rotter light "Roder" or "wheels". (Jim Rader also operates genetic ancestry research, which he leaves in a specialised laboratory saliva samples from the DNA of individual person and decode it puts this in relation to the DNA of other persons of the same name. A comparison his DNA with the mine revealed a common ancestor, before about 20,000 years ago, is still in the Stone Age, in beautiful southern France have lived! How seriously we take such gimmicks, I do not know.)

But in English-speaking, it seems not the only reason why time and again to amend this name came to be. Sun told me a former Rotter (Opava!), Called me from Australia that he changed his name so, because his children in school were always so gehänselt. Indeed rotter means in today's English is simply "villain" or worse. The following Ausriss Inernet from an American dictionary (The free dictionary) may not only verbally but also English or visually illustrate illustrate (Fig. 3):

Rotter - a person who is deemed to be despicable or contemptible; "only a rotter would do that"; "kill the rat"; "throw the bum out"; "you cowardly little pukes!"; "the British call a contemptible person a `git'" ; dirty dog, git, lowlife, puke, scum bag, skunk, so-and-so, stinker, stinkpot, bum, crumb, rat, disagreeable person, unpleasant person - a person who is not pleasant or agreeable.

It is noteworthy that many still in Rotter Overseas proudly retains its name.

Reading carefully the first name of the American Rotter, it is interesting to note that many clearly Jewish origin, such as Sara, Hershel, Ari [el] or Nathan. Many more are listed in both Christian and Jewish families in common, such as Abraham, Ben [jamin], David or Jonathan. First by phone, then mainly through the Internet, I have several of these families

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contacted. Here I noticed that probably about half of American Jews are actually Rotter. For a German non-belief, because of the history still difficult to contact Jews, especially when it comes to such a polluted topic such as "genealogy". Many Jews respond with rejection and schroffer refuse any information. I am therefore pleased that I at least some of them in the United States to talk came to me and also their original region of origin named. Considerably more information is obtained, however, about the Jewish-American genealogy service (jewishgen) on the Internet. Here e.g. a list of Jews (right column), which Rotter.Sippen their relatives in various parts of the world search (Fig. 4):

Surname

Town Country LastUpdated

Researcher (JGID Code)

Rotter Sedea Nachum/Gilboa

Israel Before 1997 Thomas Ottenstein (#1184)7374 Victory Lane #9504Delray Beach, FL 33446United StatesThe 70-year-old resident of Delray Beach, Florida, died at his home in Washington, D.C., after a long bout with cancer, AUGUST 3, 2000

Rotter Chicago, IL USA Before 1997 Rifka Wassercier Spiszman(#1903)Rotter Lagow Poland Before 1997

Rotter Los Angeles, CA

USA Before 1997

Rotter Pulawy Poland 13 May 1997

Henry S. Rose (#5787)816 Glenmere WayLos Angeles, CA90049-1304

Rotter Chisinau Moldova Before 1997Rotter Rascov Moldova Before 1997Rotter Tiraspol Moldova Before 1997Rotter Chicago, IL USA 30 Jan 1997 Sharlene Rohter (#5931)

365 F Haleloa PlaceHonolulu, HI 96821 2269

Rotter Milwaukee, WI USA 30 Jan 1997

Rotter Rzeszow Poland 16 Oct 2003 Stephen Schmideg (#7405)Rotter Lubaczow Poland 17 Feb 1998 Allan S Muller (#10954)

PO Box 332 Gunnison, CO81230 0332 United States

Rotter Wien Austria 6 Oct 2005 Georg Gaugusch (#12257)Rotter Any Russia 18 Feb 1999 Joscelyn Krauss Litvak

(#22124)Rotter Buenos Aires Argentina

18 Feb 1999

Rotter Galicia, (region) Poland 22 Apr 1999

Martin L. Lipson (#25949)

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Rotter Krakow Poland 17 Jan 2000 Lena Fiszman (#26662)Rotter Any Ukraine 5 May 1999 Bernice Rotter (#26730)

16 Chai Taib Jerusalem, 95405Israel

Rotter Chmielnik Poland 6 Nov 2003 LucetteTucker (#27054)Rotter Kielce Poland 6 Nov 2003

Rotter Mielec Poland 4 Jun 1999 Emil Roth (#28345)41/193 Domain RoadSouth Yarra, VIC 3141Australia

Rotter Any Russia 10 Nov 1999

Lesly-Claire Greenberg (#29265)

Rotter Wien Poland 22 Aug 2000

Katarina Stahre (#33059)

Rotter Any Romania 17 Jan 2000 Harry Rotter (#38442)Rotter Bielsko Biala Poland 13 Jul 2000 Marvin R. Rotter (#46135Rotter Any Ukraine 14 Jul 2000 Jose H. Suarez Villarreal

(#46167) Melesio Morales #35-6Col. Guadalupe Inn Mexico City, DF 01020 Mexico

Rotter Virovitica Croatia 15 May 2001

Researcher #54735

Rotter Krakow Poland 7 Jun 2001 Beny Neta (#59636)Rotter Warszawa Poland 21 Jun 2002 Researcher #71222Rotter Philadelphia,

PAUSA 4 Apr 2003 James L Rader (#78021)

2633 Gilbert WayRancho Cordova, CA95670-3513 United States

Rotter Dynow Poland 5 Nov 2003 Researcher #83230Rotter Any USA 5 Mar 2004 Jacqueline Marie Murray

(#100793)Rotter Any Russia 5 Mar 2004Rotter Iasi Romania 25 Jul 2004 Researcher #109534Rotter Bolekhov Ukraine 25 Jul 2004 Researcher

#113954Rotter Skole Ukraine 25 Jul 2004Rotter Stryy Ukraine 25 Jul 2004Rotter Verkhnyaya

RozhankaUkraine 25 Jul 2004

Rotter Verkhneye Sinevidnoye

Ukraine 25 Jul 2004

Rotter Boryslav Ukraine 25 Jul 2004Rotter Nizhnyaya Ukraine 25 Jul 2004

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RozhankaRotter Lviv Ukraine 11 May

2005Frederika Maria Rotter(#161635)

If the name listed in the right column clicks, you get the email Access to the appropriate family researchers and can in this way via the Internet to communicate with him what I have at 2-3 name also tried , however - probably from the said reason - still without success.

Rotter many families during and after the Second World War fled or emigrated are. In the phone book of Tel Aviv are two dozen Rotter - Telephone numbers listed. As a German, which I also Arabic but not Hebrew speaking, in my visits in Jerusalem is always with a known PLO family and I live in Germany in the media is often very critical with the Israeli policy addressed, I am of course particularly in Israel "Bad cards." Still I am in Tel Aviv to two families Rotter won a friendly contact. These are originally from Krakow and Bratislava (Bratislava), and the mother in the introduction of the above-mentioned Gabriel Rotter, Eugenia Rotter born Rotbart, an old lady who in Krakow in a large cloth merchant family named eingeheiratet Rotter, eventually sent under the Rotter in Tel Aviv and an environment Questionnaire, with whom she requested information about the origin of the families asked. About half of the families sent the questionnaire.

All these contacts and research ultimately brought the first result, which is a Jewish historian once summed up in the phrase: "Trees have roots, Jews have legs." That means it is difficult for individual Jewish families assigned to specific regions in which they, for example, in 18th or 19 Century concentrated lived. Because of their political / religious Situation and its main activity as traders were moving with them gang practice. It seems, e.g. Rotter the cloth merchants from Krakow in the 19th Century a whole chain of family businesses from Krakow and Katowice on Lem15 berg (Lvov) in Galicia, Ukraine to Moldova down to the Black Sea built it. And almost everywhere in the k.k. Jewish individual lived monarchy Rotter families, in central Poland (for example, in Lodz), Hungary, Serbia and of course in Vienna. But deep into Russia and Central Asia finds itself in. the name. So lived before the First World War in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan Caspian Sea, Abraham Rotter, who introduced himself as a gifted cartoonist made a name. And of course there were Jewish Rotter in Germany. At least three of them, namely Munich, Frankfurt and Darmstadt, found in the death camps.

On the possible origins of our name, I will speak later , it was already a particular problem with the Jewish Naming sources mentioned. In general, Jews in Europe at the earliest End of the 18th Century, but usually only in the 19th Century have family names adopted and public pressure to accept, what older Family Research among Jews extremely difficult. Especially at a Jewish Rotter family while I was still on a very special problem, namely: Around 1900 a Jewish family emigrated called Schaje (probably Derived from Jesaias)

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from Eastern Europe in Vienna. Soon afterwards they gave these family names and settled in "Rotter" renaming. Why they did to me today is a mystery. Two sons of this family, namely Alfred and Fritz Rotter arrived later in Berlin, incidentally great reputation, where Alfred in 30ger several years the music theatre and variety shows several operations and Fritz Screenplays for films wrote, film and music composed especially numerous, now famous "Gassenhauer" writer such as "Veronika, is the bilge because, "What makes the Meyer at the Himalaya" or "I go with my Klara in the Sahara "and many others.

According to my rough estimate is expected for the Catholic and Jewish Rotter world number about a ratio of 2:1. Only with a small proportion are among the Protestants Rotter. The explanation lies in until the beginning of the 19th Fluctuating spelling of the century Name. In the older church records of our home area will also appear namely our own ancestors soon as "Rother" as soon "Rotter," where the Spelling of the name often associated with a change of pastor einherging. When then a few decades later the spelling of the name solidified, it is interesting , that: In Austria, belonging to remain part Upper Silesia and south of them had the letters "Rotter" enforced while in the north immediately followed by the Prussian Silesia Spelling "Rother" had become customary. The roughly defined "border", the closer to her was, of course, a "floating". If you look at the following Ausriss from a list of addresses of Katowice city in 1913, it will Katowice, still near the border in Prussian side, dismissed Rother was 14 compared to only 6 Rotter (Fig. 5):

This finding is now on all German-speaking countries, and about the Main Line and the Central Mountains, the boundary between Rotter Rother in the south and the north or better: Northeast mark. Yet Today we find, despite all mobility in Berlin 221 telephone lines under the Rother names, but only 67 under Rotter. In Vienna reverses the relationship: 252 Rotter, 33 Rother. And as in the north and north-east of the number of Protestants far outweighs Rother, the predominantly Protestant. (By the way There is also among the numerous Jews Rother, the spelling of their On behalf of the respective region seem to have.)

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So, with different spelling of Rother and only a Rotter Regional spelling variant, and not a historical genealogical Distinction shows, we need the carriers of both name-forms together. And since the naming variant Rother almost twice as often Rotter as seems to be, we must now worldwide by around 20,000 Rotter / Rother out.

To conclude this chapter two maps showing today's relative distribution of the name Rotter to the telephone connections in Germany and Austria, as the Internet Geogen offered. These representations However, a remark said. To illustrate Such statistical map projections namely, especially if it is relative Comparisons, so they must be interpreted cautiously. The bayrischschwäbische District Günzburg, the purple appears here, so tatistically more than 240 times the name Rotter per one million inhabitants found, but only 122,000 inhabitants. And in reality there are only 8-Rotter Telephone lines in several villages. Only in the relation of the two numbers each other, the occurrence of the name Rotter then indeed unusual high. Another example: The district Stade along the left bank Under the Elbe to the mouth into the North Sea is yellow, which up to 60 Occurrences per million of our name indicates. The district has Stade only 197,000 inhabitants and only 5 Rotter phones, and two in Buxtehude three in Stade, with these three points behind but just me and my wife hide. In the city of Munich, however, there are currently 69-Rotter Telephone lines. Nevertheless, it is only dark yellow marked, because in just 69 the margin of 61-120 telephone lines per one million inhabitants and falls Munich total of approximately 1.3 million inhabitants.

Summary (Germany):There were 2146 entries found in 359 different counties located. Hochgerechnet to the total population is approximately 5720 registered carrier to be expected. This is the name above common. Rotter evidence of the 1417th The most common place name. Relative representation for Rotter: If the population density, of which one finds the Most Rotter / Günzburg in the district (BY), namely 277 lines per million inhabitants. Almost disappeared, the family is from County Siegen-Wittgenstein, here are per million inhabitants the least.

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Summary (Austria):There were 607 entries found in 65 different districts located. Estimated that for the total population is approximately 1616 registered carrier to be expected. This is the name above common. Rotter evidence of the 522nd The most common place name. Distribution: Most Rotter can be found in / in Vienna (W), namely 240 telephone lines. Slightly longer search must be opposed in / at German Landsberg, the lowest number of residents: just 1st If the population density, of which you will find the most Rotter in / at Gänserndorf (Lower Austria), namely 350 connections per million inhabitants (minimum in Spittal an der Drau).

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Figure 6 and 7: Relative Rotter dissemination of the name in Germany and Austria and their "Summary", Geogen taken from the Internet.

Second Chapter Speculation about the original \ prung of the name

Before we had family names in general and the name Rotter / in Rother particular, What are its linguistic origins, its regional origin and its significance, to begin to speculate, we must first ask, when did family names originate. They are not so old, how many perhaps my own. In the German-speaking regions are solid, d.h. each to the Offspring vererbende family name that is only from the 12th Century first in the south and southwest cities and initially only in so-called "Better" citizens' families gradually become more frequent. Under the simple Population and especially in the countryside needed but also in South German country at least three centuries, until this general durchsetzte. In North German country, as e.g. in East Frisia, this process was even until the 19th Century. (Also in Scandinavia is the family name of a young appearance, and in Iceland, there is still no family names, but the surname on each end there-or-dotter son, son or Daughter, the name of the father or mother voransteht.) Jews, as I said, usually the first in the 19th Century family names. And in southern Germany, where family names in the late Middle Ages had become customary, it was still often to name changes, not to mention from their letters of the dialect to dialect, from region to region, Place to place and from writer to writer often varied considerably, often even on the same person.

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The naming research or Onomastik how this special field of Germanic and linguistics in the jargon of scholars called, has launched numerous Spawned investigations, and even our name has not escaped. I will refrain from all relevant theories and speculation play here in detail, especially since much of it really pure intellectual playfulness , especially if any documentary evidence is missing. So here only briefly the main linguistic theories about the origin of the name:

A) From the colour red.We don’t have to be a language scholar, to be considered as very likely that the Name Rotter / Rother of the color "red" could be derived, ie that one or other late because of its reddish skin or red hair that as the nickname was given. And there are many examples that not only first names but also from nickname eventually become family names. What skin and hair color as a namesake, is often compared to on the family name Black, White and Brown. The Onomastikern in this context is of course also noticed that in addition Rotter / Rother as a family name more often simply Red [h] or black, white and Braun occur, and they have found that the suffix "-er" by name in primarily a Southern German and Austrian Silesia and appearance. Verallgemeinert said, you can generally assume that, for example a 20 Bavarian "Rotter" in Lower Saxony a "Roth" was, incidentally, the man in Rheinland usually "Rottmann" called (which does not mean that in Bavaria Roth gave no). As important as the latter to find the regional origins of family names, so it would be premature, however, the origin of our name basically in the red skin or hair color. Finally, there is e.g. also family names, such as blue or green or green, where a Derivation certainly difficult.

B) From the old German personal names Rother.

The fact that many old German (and biblical) personal names to family name have become, I have already mentioned. Here, for example, had only the family name Albrecht, Friedrich, Lorenz, or William Martin. Actually There was also a nickname Ruother etc., made up of altdeutsch hrôth or hruod, was "glorious" meant, and heri (of the army, in the army) zusammensetzte. Many Onomastiker guided by this nickname also the family name Roder, Röder, etc. her

From early to late this seems Nickname, in sources mostly as Rother or Rüther survived, in all stalls have been in use to be. For the nobility was my brother in the 12th Ekkehart E.g. century a bishop Rother Treviso (Veneto) and in the 13th E.g. century some Rother v. Velthem (or Veltheim) in the space Brunswick.

Special attraction may be exacerbated by the name zugewachsen be that In the 12th Century and probably even then, especially in the Bavarian-Franconia A game room cooking epic made a big splash, the hero after his "King Rother" '. The presentation served the unknown author legends who are concerned about the Lombards King Rothari rankten,

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636 to 652 in Italy confusion had. Was it perhaps under the influence of this man's epic game in which King Rother ideal, d.h. modest freigebigen, loving and rich rulers transfigured has become fashionable even their own sons "Rother" call, Today, some people like their children the names of famous singers or footballers ?

C) From a professional title Rotter.The gang was in the Middle Ages harfenähnliches a small instrument, and those who played it, according to a man called Rotter. The fact that from Berufsbezeichnungen many family names emerged, is well known and by family names such as Maier, Miller, Wagner, etc. sufficiently documented. And with family names such as Fiedler, Geiger, Pfeifer, Trummer (Drummer) or Trummeter (trumpeter) would be a whole medieval Spielmannszug together.

Especially in the Swabian described in the Middle Ages also a member of the Rott guild Rotter as the guild Rott consisted of holders of so-called transit works Rott responsible for the transport of goods pack were responsible

In addition, in the Middle High German also a person who Rotter, a red or Rotte, d.h. a group of 4, 10 or more men mentioned, whether this Landsknechte or robbers. Also known as ruter were mercenaries and Landsknechte . The Latin name, the rotarius what übri21 gens also quite frequent French family name back Routier seems. Rotter within the meaning of Rottenführer in the positive sense, in some areas in the southwest of Germany also used to describe a Head a community or a market cooperative, and this can of course in the areas concerned, a family name had become, as other Schulze place with or judge the case.

D) From a place names Roth, Rott, etc.

Finally, many family names also on the names of regions or Cities, from where the name originally came makers, as e.g. Franke, Bayer, Schwab or Bremer, Friedländer, Haller, etc. Since the local name Roth, Rott, etc. in German-speaking countries more than a dozen times available is or has been, of course, speculation door open. That the old mittelfränkische Roth town near Nuremberg as a namesake for a Rother/Rotter- Clan from 12 Century. in Nuremberg can be scientifically appears now proved (see the following chapter). (The aunt Herta Rotter today in Glonn in Munich in the Rotter Street resident is a nice document of modern Time. Unfortunately, the road is not named after her, even though it deserved. The road bears its name from the old city Rott am Inn.)

E) From the activities of the Rodens

I would not hide a theory to the emergence of the name Rotter, which I have several times found in works whose authors especially with the history of the Upper and

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nordmährischen area employed, where our name until the Second World War was particularly common. Since the time of the family name in that space with the immigration and the spread of the German-speaking population from 13.-16. Century. collapse and immigrants in this mountainous area first country to grub had, it is obvious our name to this activity in relation to. In Grimm's dictionary appear under the heading "roder" the meanings novator, exstirpans, "innovator", "Ausrotter" (meaning "with the root ausreißen "). The other hand, but most place names, from the "clear", "rotten" are formed, also on the root word, which is why in these Cases before the question is whether the hen or the egg first since.

F) From the square measure rod.

Not quite, I would also exclude the possibility that the old widespread Length measure rod or the equally frequent Qadratrute square measure, which not infrequently, simply rod called, in the name hineinspielte. Such a (square) corresponded rod depending on the country's natural landscape and about 10 to 30 sqm, what kind of agricultural use of course been insufficient , for a small hut but may have been sufficient. The owner of a Rute, a Rüter flat, could be a "cottagers" have been, as the name yes also plenty of evidence. -- The cane cutters, the willow rods to basketry Section could offer enterprise, as even the name "Weidner" well is widespread.

I have only theories about the possible origin of our name that to me, both linguistically and historically most likely to understand . Apart from the spelling variants Rotter and Rother I am not in the broad field of other spelling variants received, the early under the influence of various German dialects result have. I just wanted to show that the shape of our name is a Southern German and Silesian appearance seems to be that it is futile, all Rotter / Rother linguistically on a common root, let alone so on a common ancestor back to. This is already the sole reason impossible, because the writers of the oldest documents is almost never a Hint on why, for example, in the 14th or 15 Someone a century specific family name was.

Third Chapter Rotter in the late Middle Ages in Swiss francs and Swabia

Most of the Swabian municipalities had obtained the status of free imperial cities (i.e., virtually independent republics) by 1300. Among them were Augsburg, Ulm, Schwäbisch Gmünd, Reutlingen, and Ravensburg. Their wealth, due mainly to commerce and industry, made them the most powerful element of the country, and they made their superior power felt by forming a series of leagues, starting in 1331. The Swabian League Swabian League, association of Swabian cities and other powers in SW Germany for the protection of trade and for regional peace. The Swabian League of 1488–1534 is the best known of the long series dating from the 14th cent...... Click the link for more information. of 1376–89 successfully opposed Emperor Charles IV but was eventually defeated by the count of Württemberg. The most important Swabian League was that of 1488–1534.

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The chief Swabian cities accepted the Reformation in the 16th cent., but the countryside has remained divided between Catholics and Protestants to the present day. With the commercial revolution of the 15th and 16th cent. the Swabian cities temporarily lost most of their importance. (In the 19th cent. some, especially Stuttgart, revived as industrial centers.) When the Holy Roman Empire was organized in circles in the 16th cent., the Swabian Circle, similar in extent to the present region, was created. At the diet of Regensburg of 1801–3, which acted largely under the influence of Napoleon I, many of the small ecclesiastic and feudal holdings were taken over by Baden, Württemberg, and Bavaria.

If you want to deal with the specific story of a family or clan employ, also operate so-called micro-history, it must be aware , from whatever source that you can create. High back a century This often still rich official documents such as birth and marriage certificates, in the family kept, as well as stories and anecdotes, the oral to children and grandchildren have been. But already the 19th Century familiengeschichtlich is today for most completely unknown terrain. Here help the first church books, including Matriken called. In order after the Reformation an overview (and control) of its remaining sheep to reserve, the Catholic church on the Council of Trent 1563 for all parishes prescribed, baptisms and marriages in writing to register. From 1614 This was also for deaths. As a rule, but it took several decades before this arrangement have been adhered to. In addition, many of the early church records 30 years of war in 1618-48 destroyed, to say nothing of many recent losses due to fires, wars, improper storage, etc.

That the family researchers on the church books back to about 1650, already "lucky thing". Will one still in even earlier centuries penetrate, you have to consider whether in those regions may be called Urbarien, Forerunner of our fundamental books have received. However, it just only the names of landowners or pächtern / or free leibeigenen Lehensnehmern, mostly farmers also lists, and this usually without further References to the composition of their families. In addition preserve our Archives from the period before 1650 thousands of individual certificates of various Art, in which a plethora of individual names hides. Many of these documents are still not systematically collected, d.h. in a generally accessible "Regesten described and each emerging name in indices. And even if in a Regest on such a "promising" Names encounters to the corresponding Archive travels and submit the relevant certificate can, throw it then even able to read, but again another problem. --

Now we have in our family historian, namely my brother Ekkehart, whose primary professional employment is to Regesten to write, but Regesten on the - mostly Latin - imperial legal documents in Late, which for the Family Research does not return. But Ekkehart must in the course of his work always relevant archives and libraries throughout Germany and also in Europe, attention, and I had him years ago asked, but now and then also take a look at the indices of urban and regional Regesten to throw that maybe our family name is encountered, and actually, he was repeatedly found.

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The Rotter of Nuremberg in the 13th and 14 Century

That Franken in Nuremberg in general and specific to the "suspicious" Regions belonged in which perhaps the name already in the Rotter Late evidence could, but I had already been following considerations nutshell:

- The historian and researcher dialect, which is currently with the medieval "Ostsiedlung" employed, have found that the Main and Rhine, and Swiss franc the Thuringian related with them, at least a high proportion of the former Settlement movement to Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia from the 12./13. Century have had.

- As mentioned above, is the name of the form Rotter / Rother a southern German (and therefore possibly even later, and especially Silesian Upper) Appearance.

- In Nuremberg as one of the most prominent "big cities" and the merchant centers time, such documents sufficiently show, since the outgoing 12. Century bourgeoisie in surnames gradually usual.

Before me, however, a few days for an intensive visit to Nuremberg archive could free up led me other obligations under Mittelfranken. On Return of the Grid we came near to the town of Nuremberg Roth passed, and I decided myself to a short trip there. I was clear that all residents of Roth in "Rother" were that the family Rother in the late but nobody in Roth itself have would, but at most only then, after he had left the city. Actually So I knew not what I hoped to find Roth.

We strolled through the small, but some fairly well-preserved ancient Center and were also in a renaissance castle over. And this Castle was the first surprise that Roth was ready for me. It meant that Schloss Ratibor. The Margrave of Ansbach, a branch of the Hohenzollerns, had 1535 and built it after their three years earlier in Upper Silesia acquired City Racibórz named.

I broke our walk and asked for directions to the city archives. The head of that proved in the course of our casual conversation as a source further surprises. A few weeks earlier, she was from a Jewish Rother from the USA were contacted and asked whether there are any indications Jews in the former to give Roth. And while they told me the long list of literature to Rother the Jews, the Americans they had sent, copied, she told to me that Roth since 13 Century as the only city in Franconia for asylum Persecution in general and Jews in particular was obsessed with why since that time up to the Nazis a large Jewish population lived in the

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city did. For the archivist, it was a certainty thing that so many Jews the family name or Rother Rotter, because they or their ancestors originally came from Roth.

But the friendly lady I copied something else, namely an essay from the pen of the Frankish historian Gerhard Hirschmann, by this 1960 in the Festschrift for the 900-year anniversary of the city of Roth "was published. The Essay was entitled "The Family of Red (Red)", where the various Hirschmann Different spellings of the name to "Red" has simplified.

First is the Hirschmann-depth with the name of his treated Rother / Rotter clan in Nuremberg in the 13th and 14 Century apart, and borders him to other similar name forms from.Thus he writes: "The fact that their Family name in many places is very common, makes it not easy members of different families apart to keep.

Because next occurrences as the origin of this name is often referred to by the color - it was the Or facial hair - and is derived from Latin sources with the Word "Rufus" (= red) reflect. "Furthermore, he suspects that in the 2nd Half of the 12th Century form of names occurring in the southern Swiss francs, namely Roiter, rather Reuth for Eichstadt could go back.

That, however, a former Rother / Rotter-clan in Nuremberg itself actually takes its name from the town Roth near Nuremberg owes Hirschmann concludes convincingly from the observation that the family members in documents of the 13th Century almost always "Roth" (or in Latin "de red ') is called, during the same People will more often than later or Rother Rotter, or simply as Roth, Rott and Red appear. This compilation shows what diversity Variants of us in this early period of the emergence of surnames out need - even if the linguistic origin of the same name is.

For the history of the Red Deer man suspected following: "The Red were originally one of the most numerous in the 12th and 13 Century in the space around Nuremberg demonstrable service man sex

This is in addition to the locations the home especially her arms and the passive ability feud. Due to their Eichstätter by the bishops and the lords of Kammerstein To receive land feud.

As feudal lords after they awarded then farmers to continue. Well Heckel rightly suspected that the red in the 12th Century The Meier, i.e. the administrator of the cathedral chapter of Bamberg belonging Office Roth presented. Before 1190, they must however resigned from this position be, because at this time is in a Roth Bamberger deed for a villicus ( "Meier")

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with the name Lupmann demonstrate .... The change in Meier Office Roth may have something to zusammengehängt have that in the year 1189 the Count Abenberg of which the Bailiwick on Roth, occupied extinct. Your Successor as Vögte came from the Castle at Nuremberg. This change Vogt Roth may be in a new appointment with the Maier brought. This could be for the sex of the Red have been the cause, Roth to leave and the part of other service men gender below to the nearby Imperial City of Nuremberg forgiven.

There came the red then - probably due to the way the relationship with the lords of Kammerstein - to such a reputation, that the German king with one of your good office to a Klosterprokurators and entrusted to the Council they were recording. "

Based on numerous instruments designed Hirschmann then the history of this Kinship in Nuremberg, from which I here only the most important elements out wants. Hirschmann begins with the first "Rotter", namely Conrad (I) by Roth, on 12 February 1245 by King Konrad IV for prosecutor in 1224, founded Franciscan Barfüßerklosters or appointed (see Figure 2 and Fig.7).

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Figure 7: Accompanying text to Figure 1 in the mentioned therein ms Bavarian State Archives in Nuremberg. (The wording of the text, see next page).

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The above-illustrated text reads:Thus Kaiser Conrat Anno 1240 in Instead of Nurnberg, and the Closter to Barfüsser, so little was previously Conradt forest by Stromer hilff with the old and Burggraven Graven of Nassau gestifft, men Conrat of a Rott fürgesetzt Dasero managers to know the sex before age this time instead of gewonth as well as the dan Tantzsal auff the Schlosz the Veste eingefalen Rotter with a downfall and decay.

So is also still in the old brieffen found that in 1262, Mr. Conrat of Rott Anno 1265 and then Lord and Herman Hainrich of Rott in Rath gewest as also in obgedachtes Closzters old brieffen angezaigt A. 1288 Conrat of Rott benent a witness. So also A. 1291 Mr. Fridrich of Rott in Rath gesezt, But how this sex umbwegen is the beginning of the ...... vorderbten tion and old books, nit mer in gedächtnus.Lila’s help = the briefen is an old document or a scriptObgedachtes = maybe possablyAngezaigt = prove something

So the above paragraph is probably

found an old script about Herr Conrat von Rott year 1265Herman Hainrich of Rott in Rath maybe in the ClosztersIt had, however iederzeit Derren interest and IRER intraten receive under the fürnembsten citizens vorheirat like Bey angezaigt the halls and the Forchteln beschribenAfter angezogner auffrur nit more economic reporting by the Rott who is still in the Rath gewest but after such time on male tribes diminished and entlich even dead. Your hinterlaszen Foundation and gedächtnus mer sint little place, but however you fint Sebaltspfar Bey P. .. several kirchenornat and S. Lorentz churches in St. Cathrinenbildnius Stain with Wapner. "

About a century was the clan of the so-called "honest", a from influential businessmen, affluent professionals and academics " (eg pharmacists) existing urban elite. And out of the circle This "honest" then in turn recruited the members of the Patriziates, So the Council of the City. The first "Red", a patrician in Nuremberg on its own did speak, was the text in the above mentioned Conrad (I) by Roth.

Of the various tax benefits are likely to protect it especially important been, since it in and out of town had several feuds. Close relations tended to the church, other members of the family

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So 1255 was a Adelheidstraße Rotterin in the cloister of the said monastery buried after the first prioress of the monastery founded in 1240 in Nuremberg Engelthal was.Several other members of the family took place in the Franciscan monastery, or in the associated Lorenz Church their last rest, so even 1340 Conrad (II) Rotter, also the prosecutor of the monastery had been, and his wife Kunigunda.

The close relationship of the apparently very wealthy family Lorenzkirche is also shown in the fact that they are the church numerous foundations (Lands and Kirchenornat) bequeathed. Is still on the outside of the Catherine's Church a statue to see under the console plate the emblem the Rother / Rotter family shows. The emergence time of the statue may 1330 -- 1340 dated. The upper half shows the coat of arms one with the head oriented to the left fish on the bottom, the oversight of a rose blossom. When I received the following photo, Katherine was the statue on the coat of arms unfortunately just been removed for restoration. This is not (more) visible Colors of the emblem is a depiction of the Nuremberg State Archives of retained so-called "book Haller 's see: a silver fish on black and a red rose on a silver background. (See the coat of arms on Figure 1).

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Figure 8: Illustration of the coat of arms of the Rother / Rotter under (to eat just erntfernten) Catherine's statue at the Lawrence Church in Nuremberg (photo G. Rotter).

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Figure 9: Conrad (II) Rotter / Rother, carers of Barfüßerklosters in Nuremberg in a presentation in Ms. 248 of the Bavarian Staatsachivs in Nuremberg. This is the father of that Conrad (also Cuno or Kunen), and violates the other patrician revolted and 1348 along with his clan of the town was referred to.

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Hirschmann suspects that the Rother / Rotter-clan in Nuremberg in the second Half of the 14th Century, so with very few exceptions, the deeds and other sources of Nuremberg disappeared because too many members this clan is the living spiritual celibacy would stand and connected they are "therefore almost as sacred family" could describe. " Very casually, he admits the possibility that this also contributed to the fact could have, that the "respectable" citizens Kunen Red together with another "Honest," namely Türprech Ulrich, one of the ringleaders of the uprising, citizens from 1348 in Nuremberg, and was, therefore, after the failure of the revolt the city was referred to. I believe this fact, however, much worse, and probably also crucial for the sudden from about 1350 almost complete disappearance of the clan from the deeds of the town - finally came also many members of other aristocratic families, the spiritual state without necessarily extinct - which is why I am here just to wish to enter into this rebellion.

A whole set of political and economic causes that had Time together came to an uprising in Nuremberg - as it was also in other cities of the empire - to justify. One was the resentment of the population about self-enrichment and arrogance of the Council of the patricians, which is strictly be observed that membership in the Council in the same families continue to has grown steadily. Added that after the growing Wealth and an equally growing population 13th Century Total Western Europe in the 14th Century by climate change, worsening harvests, plagues, etc. experienced considerable social unrest. So was e.g. The 1347 also in Nuremberg and the surrounding area "is a very barren years gewest, everywhere then the wine and other frozen fruits, "as stated in the Nuremberg Annalen states. Above all, it was the great plague, the Black Death or "the great mortality," the whole of Central Europe from 1347 and began haunt probably the whole third of the population fell victim to. Nuremberg appears in the first few years yet to be spared, but a portion of the population does not seem prevented among the Jews of the city, like the one in other cities also to blame for the disease, said a slaughter anzurichten.

Your crucial mistake committed insurgents, however, the Nuremberg so that they are not only against the Patriziat collected, but that they simultaneously even against the 1346 in Frankfurt on the Roman-German Emperor elected King of Bohemia, Charles IV, rebelled, and with his initial opponents, the Wittelsbach Ludwig paktierten. When the power of Charles IV, however, and he quickly established themselves with an army to Nuremberg, it was with the rebellion quickly over, and the old Council, whose members are now largely abandoned the city had returned and was back in his Office established.

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The council exceeded 1349 returned immediately to the conviction of Ringleaders of the revolt. In the long list of those received, where a punishment "for ever" entering the city was banned, there was also "Kunen (< Kuno, Cuno = Konrat) the Rotter. This Cuno Rotter and Ulrich were Türprech the only ringleader of the revolt, who are themselves in the so-called "Honest", so too were the patricians, although they were no longer in the Council were represented. Perhaps had the Red Cuno already looming decline of the family tries to stop again by endorsing the Revolt of the population of the city against the Council of views. With the failure of the revolt, however, he reached the opposite. Christoph Derrer writes in his 1620 - still unpublished - Nuremberg coat of arms and gender book: "After angezogner auffrur nit more economic reporting by the Rott who is still in the Rath gewest but after such time on male tribes diminished and entlich even dead."

Where are Cuno Rotter after his banishment from Nuremberg has turned, say We are not the sources. It will not only continue to be pulled, but he certainly has his family, possibly his entire clan with them, their spokesman, he certainly was. Among the few documents in which the name Rotter / Rother after 1350 still seems, is that from the year 1356, in a certain Red Fritz and his wife Jette pack their goods in the village near Nuremberg sold. It can not be excluded that this Fritz therefore sold his property because he was elsewhere with the proceeds to build a new life wanted. And when he joined the clan Kunen Rotter should have heard, he probably pulled his footsteps after his.

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Figure 10: Sale certificate of Red Fritz, 28 November 1356 in the Bavarian State Archives Nuremberg.

So beautiful this old German script documents is so difficult is it for us today to read them. So I have it because our expert brother on Ekkehart Decoding pass. His result was a beautiful testimony of the medieval Written language and the economic conditions of the time that I do not wish to suppress. (In square brackets [] added by Ekkehart Letters. The end of line, of course not the end of the sentence and sometimes a word is cut, I each with double strokes / / marked):

I Hein [right] Grozz schulth [EISS]. And we .. the schepfen d [he] Stat czu Nueremberg . Verieh [e] n offenlich [e] n with Disem brif. DAZ / / kom for vns in Germany [i] cht. her Peter Stromeir .. vnd erzewegt than what reht with ersamen mannen. h [he] n / / Peter Nützel. vnd with Hern Conren [ad] Tuemler. di fasting on DAZ si ir eyde the loaded czeweg w [he] n. DAZ / / Fritz Red pan with [it] his hant frauwen Jewett [he] elichen wirtinn. vnd het reht good faith [e] n cze sale / / fen type in the egen [ annten] h [he] n Peter Stromeir half of his Guot cze Rudel village [e] n. DAZ Aigen / / who. vn [d] do .. the Holtzman aufsezze. DAZ same half Guot all iar valid. a sum [he] grain. AHT zwai / / tail habern. Recently kes. half-cze weihnahten vn [d] semi cze pfingsten. czweibzig ayer. vn [d] czwei / / vasnaht Huene. DAZ obge vnd [annt] Well before the egen [annten] Peter Hern Stromeirs half who / / in czehaben vnd czenizzen. with all nuotz vn [d] rehten. di Darz belonged. cze cze Dorff Velde. as / / Called di w [he] n. vn [d] as it ez her braht vn (d] had het. visited vnd vnbesucht czurehten ei / / gen furbaz forever [e] n. Vnd het in half with the Guotz egeschr [ieben] gult praised czewern / / for Aigen reht than who. Vnd do as he want DAZ erzewegt het. he asked czfragen do a vrteil / / if one of the causes of IHT billi Geriht give a brif Solt. d [he] were in erteilz vn [d] ge / / ben versigelt with vners Gerihts Stat of the vnd czu Nuerenberg insigeln di out hangent / / Enter you do zalt Christ's birth drewezenhundert iar. afterwards in the vnd Sehsten fifty iar to the Monday before sant Kathrein tag.

Imgrund, it is pointless, to speculate about where this Rotter-clan of the Cuno may be withdrawn at that time. Four, five centuries later, it would certainly emigrated to America. In the 14th Century, but formed the East Bohemia, Silesia and Moravia is the preferred goal, while emigrants are turned, as it particularly settlers from the likes of Germany started. However, such an assumption - and I should like to mention again - So long will remain pure speculation, so long as no concrete Documents can be found. And just as I imagine this here, reminds me a note in the hands, the most likely response to such a specific document indicates. In connection with the oldest in Rotter Glatzer Ländchen I will detail about it (see below, Chapter IV, c and Exkurs).

b) Old Rotter-clans in Swabia from 1200 to the 15th Century.

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In Swabia, the name appears today Rotter quite often, which is in the Rule as in Bavaria to displaced or descendants of displaced persons from the Former ostsudetendeutschen areas. In addition, I also have some few references to already live there longer Rotter-clans, but now there are these instructions are very vague. On the other hand, my brother Ekkehart first pointed out that in the Regesten Esslingen near Stuttgart, the name at the end of the Middle Ages emerges, and this notice, I am of course intensely investigated. Further guidance has me in a longer Correspondence from the City Archives where Esslingen, which I also copies a number of very enlightening documents received.

While I was still with the archive in Esslingen corresponded, I myself of course, the question of whether there may Rotter originally from Roth could come or not at all offshoots of the Nuremberg Rotter clan were. between the two cities. So I chose because of Schwäbisch Hall, the nearly in the middle of this route is, as a test object, and turned to the local archives, where I immediately received a thick envelope.

Schwäbisch Hall

The town lies what is now the spot is still audible in the Franconian-Swabian Dialect boundary. Even Hall was instead empire (since 1280), although it is never the rank Nuremberg reached, and had, thanks to its Saline over a certain Prosperity. Incidentally plunges "Haller" as a nice family name both in early Nuremberg as well - some time later - in the area of Sudetes on.

The thick envelope of city archivist Dr. Maisch contained approximately 30 pages brief descriptions of various instruments from around 1200 until the beginning of the 16th Century. Apparently there was Stadtarchiv a digitized database in which all currently in various treatises and Regesten recorded deeds of the city had, and Dr. Maisch had his PC in just a name to view all documents to be found in which this and similar name.

That the most important thing: Already published in a 1298 sale deed as a witness a certain amount of "Heinrich von Michel in red box, in a deed of 1345 Konrad called Roth "in Michel Field follows, together with his wife Catherine a farm with meadows and fields to the dean in Hall sold. The latter donates according to following this good deed once the new hospital, Konrad again with this thought. However, he then "Konrad by Rott, "another time" Konrad von Rotte referred. 1377 also appear Michel in the field also has a certain "Adelheid of red" on, almost to the different spelling variations of the name is to be completed. (Michel Field defacto is now a suburb of Hall).

But the name was changing rapidly. 1434 is the name of a Schultheiß in Hermann Hall only red, ie the preposition "of" the reference to the city of Roth produced is lost. And

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already in a document published in 1459 by hall a homeowner named Hanns Rotter, 1466 the same again mentioned. Only 1503 of the name appears again in the testament of Anna Rotter in for Hall their son, Master Conradt Rotter, and in the same year is also a Hall Ulrich Rotter as the owner of a vineyard mentioned. Master Conrad Rotter, then chaplain at the sacrament of the altar of St. Michael "in Hall, then appears in three instruments in the 1511 orthographic variant "Conrad Red".

Historically, the list provides all of these little instruments. Quite the contrary at Nuremberg, where we provide an extensive Sippennest right up to approximately 1350 could, it seems they are 1-2 families acted, in the Hall demographically could not widen. However, the frequent Emerging first name Conrad sit up, because this seems already in the Nuremberg Rotter-Gentil simply a clan name to have been.

I have these documents but hauptsählich therefore mentioned in detail because they a fine example of the gradual consolidation of the family in general Rotter and family offer. From the origin of Red (h) was between 13 and 15 Century "Rotter" or "Red". Are 34 such observations are in documents that interest me in the course of my name search more and more doubt left that the color "red" in the development of our name, the importance attached to it by the onomastics again is ascribed. At least with the Nuremberg and Haller Rotter, this is clearly not the case.

The Haller Rotter is a first attempt, however, as the origin of Less surname Roth near Nuremberg, but rather on the Red Sea to assume since that of Hall just over 40 km (in the direction Roth / Nuremberg) away. Certainly, the place is old and appears already from the 12th Century as Rod, Rode or Roden. Only with the creation of a dam was created around 1340 when place a lake, hence the term "river" has declared, even if this Lake since 1757 is again drained. What the Red Sea as a namesake but largely disqualified, is the fact that it's never about the status of a Estate and then grew out of a village.

The City of Esslingen

Esslingen am Neckar is a city in the Stuttgart Region of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany, capital of the District of Esslingen as well as the largest city in the district. It is located on the Neckar River, about 14 km southeast of Stuttgart city centre. The surrounding regions are also mostly developed around the city of Esslingen.

The Swabian cities had attained great prosperity under the protection of the Hohenstaufen emperors, but the extinction of that house in 1268 was followed by disintegration. Cities and nobles alike, now owing allegiance to none but the emperor, who was seldom able to defend them, were exposed to the aggression of ambitious princes.In 1331, 22 Swabian cities, including Ulm, Augsburg, Reutlingen and Heilbronn, formed a league at the instance of Emperor Louis the Bavarian, who in return for their support

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promised not to mortgage any of them to a vassal. The count of Württemberg was induced to join in 1340. Under Charles IV, the lesser Swabian nobles began to combine against the cities, and formed the Schleglerbund (from Schlegel, a maul). With civil war ensuing in 1367, the Emperor, jealous of the growing power of the cities, endeavoured to set up a league under his own control, for the maintenance of public peace (Landfriedensbund, 1370). The defeat of the city league by Eberhard II, Count of Württemberg in 1372, the murder of the captain of the league, and the breach of his obligations by Charles IV, led to the formation of a new league of 14 Swabian cities led by Ulm in 1376. This league triumphed over the count of Württemberg at Reutlingen in 1377], and the emperor having removed his ban, it set up an arbitration court, and was rapidly extended over the Rhineland, Bavaria, and Franconia. However, Württemberg struck back and defeated the league in 1388.

The city of Esslingen am Neckar from Stuttgart had südlöstlich after it previously already a significant Marktort had its heyday from the early 13. Century to the Reformation period and was of incomparably greater Significance as the adjacent or Hall Stuttgart. Esslingen was in the first decades of the 13th Century, reinforced and strengthened by the Hohenstaufen to the city and apparently also soon to Empire town, a property which it then Nuremberg was common.

Already for the period around 1200 in Esslingen is a citizen named Markwart Rotter documentary evidence, then the third of the Bailiwick of Zell and Altbach (now two suburbs of the city) belonged. This is the oldest evidence for this Rotter Spelling, which I know so far. I suspect that this Rotter-clan then 13. Century in documents, the city still called, but I have to Now, unfortunately, no insight into the documents of that century or the corresponding Regesten possible. From 1307 to 1418 appear Rotter (always in this spelling) around 50 instruments in the city, where members especially the clan as owners of houses and land in and around the City, as judges and councilmen as well as a guild master (probably the bakers' guild), individual priests as well (Kaplan, pastor convent sisters) and hospital nurses occur. To make a small impression of the type of instruments to convey, give I just my notes again, I'm on the basis of Regesten to the years 1362-1418 had made (source: Adolf Diehl, deed book of the city Esslingen, Vol 2, Stuttgart 1905; in parentheses after the year each Signature of the document):

years1362 (U 1190): Benz Rotter, guild masters, participant in resolving a Hereditary. 1362 (U 1172): Markward Rotter buy a 1 pound of Gülten Heller.1363-1392 (U 1195, fief of the book Count Eberhard von Württemberg Greiner): Item Merklin of Rotter Ezzelingen has three quarters kouft wineyards one morning and gets three quarters of the same package as a fiefdom. ---- Item 35 min herre gravemente

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Eberhard has gelihen Merklin the Rotter a burger ze Ezzelingen zwen tomorrow wingarten in Ulbach the Krawezel buwet, which are located in the santwege Eberlin and Articles of sins Swag were before. were .- - Maerklin Rotter of Esslingen has received loans drithalben tomorrow wingartes in the Ulbach located at the Santweg and a half tomorrow wingartz ze Dürnkheim located by the churches haisset and the heap, which formerly had ze loans and Hanns Rüdiger Rotter saeligen brothers.1365 (U 1238): Markward Rotter, councilman, bought for 66 pounds hellers two "Gülten" (Liens) at 2 pounds or 1 pound Heller Heller at two houses. 1369 (U 1331): .... Steinhöwels house on the market in the arcades next to the bread Rotter Cunz the location ...1371 (U 1369): Mechthild Johann Rotter widow buys a Gülten. 1374 (U 1390): Markward Rotter and Rotter Benz (in the Register as a "juror") In addition to numerous others in the cloister of the monastery preloaded to "In the name of the city" to promise not to worship of excommunicated participate. The two were so councilors.1374 (U 1401): Mechthild Rotterin as the guarantor1376 (U 1438): Markward Rotter, judges, as the first document in a Purchase amount is stated. In this role are numerous other documents available the last (U 1974) from the year 1418 in many of these instruments has the seal of the Markward Rotter received, such as U 1589, and especially the 1974th 1376 (U 1426): .... from the Konrad Rotter sel front and rear building intermediate where Henry the Schappellers and Heinu of Neuffen and back of Schitersgässlein Located ......1376 (U 1430): ... a Gülten on a house "now Märkli (sic) the old and Hans Kaiservischer duly "... 1376 (U 1437): ....... Schoeblins of cloth in the house Ägidiusquelle (sant Gylien) between Merkli Rotter Garden undf Heinrich Scheuermann Lustenowers ...... 1378 (U 1474): Konrad Rotter, as readers of "eternal" fair "to our Women above the altar in the choir "in a foundation called.1379 (U 1491): Rotter Markward and Konrad von Stetten, Edelknecht, lend while Hofstatt "under its six mill-wheels." 1381 (U 1529): Hans Rott sells a Gülten. 1386 (U 1611): Cunrad Rotter, Kaplan (with other users on a world clergyman Foundation)1386, January (U 1608, entry in the Red Book): Rüdiger Rotter is "diu stat verbotten because of dec uberloffens "and must swear in zwain jaren nit hie dishalb Rinse or Albe ze are still walking. " The Council "in the same" This has also ausbedungen.1388 (U 1633): the nobility Rotterin, wife of Hermann Leimlin is testament her husband of 18 guilders consideration of the 100 guilders to him the city annually 36 to give, as well as other inheritance (the U is a copy of the 16th century). Apparently the two had no common children, but only one step-daughter, Good to Tuwingin.1389 (U 1648): Hans Rotter Lange, hospital nurses, as a witness of a foundation for the hospital.

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1389 (U 1644): Markward Rotter and other shareholders of the mill to Mühlbronnen received a complaint that it is the upper dam is too high and far built.1390 (U1656a): Sold a "vineyard to vineyard between her cheeks Rotter and wood. Under the same point: "Guta Rotterin, the widow Hansen of Saxony home, sold ........... And her brother is Markward Rotter as guarantors. 1390 (U 1690): Revision of the will of J. 1388 (see above), but the proportion of 18 guilders for the nobility Rotterin remains the same. For this change and the conditional law to further changes Adel and two of the family Beheim their consent. (Both are testaments to the assets of extremely instructive.)1393 (U 1712): Hans Rotter, citizens of Esslingen, sold for 28 Pounds Lighter Tagwerker three meadows to Zell. 1393 (U 1715): Markward Rotter .... Adelberg monastery sells to his third of the Freitagshofs to Oberesslingen and his third of the half cell to the Bailiwick and Altbach by 125 Rhenish guilders. Siegle of the exhibitors and the court 1393 (U 1718): Konrad Rotter sel 1393 (U 1715a): Rotter (without names) solves one sixth of the courtyard of the Guta Rotter has moved1394 (U 1715b): ..... the Freitagshof to Oberesslingen what Anna from her first husband Konrad Rotter in returnable shaft for 530 guilders inherited ..... 1396 (U 1743): Decision of a plea, the Hanns Rotter, citizens of Esslingen, because of his sister's daughter Anna Rotterin, Klosterfrau Sirnau to oppose this Monastery has collected. 1399 (U1780): Konrad Pfaff and Hans Rotter Hulwer sell ten morning Acker for 10 Rhenish guilders.1403 (U 1842): The instrument does include long indicates that Marqwart Rotter the Edelknecht Heinrich von Niunhausen year 5 Gulden is guilty. 1404 (U 1851): Hans Rotter concluded his donation in the amount of 1 pound Heller at the church after the death of his brother Pfaff Boland experimental. 1405 (U 1856): Hans Rotter and his wife Margaret have their Mentellerin Rotterin daughter Anna, wife Sirnau monastery and the convent several Gülten from their own lands to clean.1406 (U 1867): Heinrich Roner and Hans Sachs man to buy his daughter and others of Markward Rotter, 75 guilders 1 3 / 4 Weinberg morning between the upper and Untertürkheim where Rüdiger von Staig located.1408 (U 1882), "Hermann of Saxony Heim, Ritter, and his wife Agnes, citizen to Esslingen, notarize that Agnes and Brigitte and their children from ADLE the first marriage with Ulrich Rotter sel "on their rights to a mill wheel at a Mill Mühlbronnen to "renounce. Among Siegler is also Markward Rotter.1409 (U 1788c, Donzdorf document from the archive): Albrecht Dartmann, the Counts of Württemberg Chamber servant, is the same as the carrier for its Grandchildren Märklin Rotter mortgaged with 2 vineyards to Esslingen, which Makward Rotter sel man his

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daughter has left. 1410 (U 1908): Margaret Mentellerin, Hans Rotter widow and her son Markward Rotter sell a vineyard and 2 Tagwerker meadows to Hans Derrer.1412 (U1932): Pfaff Markward Rotter and his mother Margaret Mentellerin notarize the replacement of a Gülten. 1414 (U 1788f): ..... Weinberg Neckar at the dump where between Hans and Runers Ulrich Rotter ...... 1416 (U 1856): Sister Anna Rotterin, Kloster woman running, sells a Gülten to the hospital in Esslingen for 24 pounds Heller.1418 (U 1874): "Knights of Saxony Hermann Heim and his wife Agnes ..... leave the city of Esslingen a wheel .. the mill to Mühlbronnen <Vogelsangmühle>, which the daughters of Agnes by her first husband Ulrich Rotter, Brigitte and Adela had fallen, with the consent of the relatives of the daughters, the Konrad Pfaffen Besemer, Markward Rotter, Hans and Heinrich Besemer Sider ......" Among Siegler again Markward Rotter. (Siegel received the fourth Body)

The historian Otto Borst counts in his monumental "History of the City Esslingen am Neckar "(1977), the Rotter at that half a dozen leading age Patrician families of the city, at the end of the 14./Anfang of the 15th Century "after the Dörffinger disaster lost the courage to make their possession at the turn of the century significantly reduced or even tasks, and so from the urban arena Abtraten rivalry. "The" Dörffinger disaster ", which is called here, is it is the prelude to a series of military defeats of the Swabian Cities against the "gentlemen", i.e. the princes.

At least two documents have been received in which the decline and Finally, the complete disappearance of the Rotter-clan from the city announced. For example, in January 1386 a certain "Rüdiger Rotter .... the stat verbotten uberloffens because of dec and must swear in zwain jaren nit hie dishalb Rinse Albe ze or are still to be converted "(ie:" because of the overflow will Rüdiger Rotter, the city banned and he must swear, two years is not this side of the Rhine or the [Swabian] Alb reside "). Maybe it is This Rüdiger Rotter nor a single "black sheep" of the clan traded so have many documents from these years in which members possession of the clan sell to a general economic decline of the Family life. Among these documents is mainly those from the year 1393, in of a certain Markward Rotter, inter alia, "his third half of the Bailiwick to Zell and Altbach by 125 Rhenish guilders sold. Certainly this was Markward A descendant of that Rotter Rotter Markward already about 6-7 generations earlier, in the year 1200 a portion of these Bailiwick had possession. (Markward seems Rotter in this clan have a type name Gentil been to be.)

Around 1400 resolves these old-Rotter-clan from Esslingen result political and social upheavals in much the same as a half Century earlier, the Rotter-old clan from Nuremberg had disappeared. And also

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here is the question of where it has turned provisionally answered only speculatively will. As the goal of migration is reflected in Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia just think about how to Alsace beyond the Rhine, as well as here because we find after Rotter-families. And one random Fund Documents All these speculations may again become obsolete.

Ehingen

Finally, the appearance of the name Rotter in Swabia in the outgoing Middle Ages, just before the 30-year war was still on two separate finds in Ehingen noted. This town on the southern edge of the Swabian Alb near the Danube was as a city around 1230 by the Counts of Berg and justified by the Acquisition of numerous privileges, it soon moved into a realm of a city like Status, without ever even imperial city to be. Ehingen of 1343 was Austria acquired until 1568 but most pledged. Immediately before and during Austrian Ehingen this time will be there in the 14th Century two Rotter mentioned, on 7 January 1334 Henry Rotter as holder a Hube, i.e. a farmstead, which was large enough for a family to feed. On 22 November 1368 will appear in a purchase records Haintz Rotter as riparian land. Since the first name Haintz only a short form of Heinrich, may Haintz this with the said Henry identical or even his son. More specifically investigate these Rotter, perhaps an in-depth Reading the relevant documents bring what I have not done so. It would therefore be premature to conclude that there had been a farmer's family traded; well, it may involve the citizens of the city Ehingen acted, the these "Hube" just as the property was owned and leased.

Excursus - Cyprian Rotter solicits the crest of the EmperorBy a deed, which 250 years later, on 19 May 1598, in Prague was issued today in the Austrian State Archives in Vienna is to know we learned of the existence of a Cyprianus Rotter. This instrument is a so-called "Crest Letter", by which the right Cyprianus Rotter was awarded, he applied for a coat of arms to bear. The Crest Letter itself provides only a detailed description of the coat of arms, and otherwise contains no information on the person. The enclosed letter of Cyprianus Rotter is not of great value because it's flourished, extremely formulaic Baroque style formally stifled. That I am here on this instrument at hand, is that the said Cyprian possibly came from Swabia.

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Figure 11: Fol 3 of the letter for Crest Cyprianus Rotter 1598 (Staatsarchiv Vienna),

At the beginning of the tripartite application letter will be the emperor as Primarily in the then usual manner: [a] "Allerdurchleüchtigster Großmechtigster / / and Roman unüberwindtlichster Kayser, / / also starving zue Beheimb and King. "After a few polite phrases, the applicant then once on its own merits to speak to him a worthy emblem should appear: "When I happen to be the very underthenigsten be your Zuuersicht Et Kay: Mayst: in my consideration the well-born gentlemen, gentlemen Friderichs Graven to Fürstenberg, Heiligenberg and Will Berg, Landtgrafen in Bare, my genedigen Men sowol in ... Ampt: Private and done .., alß in which your Kay: Maester: Iro bißher allergenedigist ufgetragenen Imperial Commissioner werlich faithful geleistnen underthenigen Diennsten., [B] me obangeregter imperial grace and mercy, disfalß also allergenedigst can enjoy. "The rest consists of simple phrases, and the detailed description of the coat of arms, located on the third and last page also displayed in color takes place. The document ends

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with the name of the applicant: Allerunderthenigster demüetigster C: Cyprinaus Rotter. Above the coat of arms is initiated with Fiat ( "it happens"), the other Hand written permission of the coat of arms with the date of 19 May 1598.

The only concrete information except that Cyprianus Rotter from the emperor for himself and his heirs for permission for the coat of arms depicted asked, is the indication that he in the service of the Landgrave Friedrich Graf zu Fürstenberg, Heiligenberg and Werdenberg had or still standing and even in imperial Commisionen had actively cooperated. The said Landgraf Friedrich von Fürstenberg lived from 1563 to 1617 and was with Elisabeth Gräfin von Sulz married. The County of Fürstenberg, Holy Mountain and in the south Werdenberg Swabia was at that time closely connected with the Catholic Austria associated, also maintained close ties to the Czech Republic and was in the following 30 years of war, very active in the Catholic League. Only a costly source of study can perhaps answer the question of whether his Lord said Cyprian already had served in Swabia or later as in Bohemia in his service was underfoot. Perhaps an expert in heraldry and the nature of the crest on the Origin of the Cyprian close, not in what I am able.

Fourth ChapterRotter in Bohemia, 14 to 17 Century

If we are completely unscientific, because no evidence yet of the proposition to expect that "our" Rotter of Rotter Franconian or Swabian descended, we could further the thesis that, on their long journey from Franken or Schwabenland east to the area of Jeseniky on some clan members "Lost" might have. Indeed, there are quite a few scattered early Rotter in Bohemia, but the same was anticipated that there is no concrete information is available, how they came, as in the case of Franks and Swabians Rotter disappeared no concrete evidence to suggest there where this went .

a) Two early Rotter in Prague

The earliest evidence of Rotter came from Bohemia in Prague. The city had 1255 German city law, which does its attractiveness to migrants from the area deutsprachigen significantly increased. Under Emperor Charles IV and his son Wenceslas IV, the city flourished as the capital of the Holy Roman Empire in the second half of the 14th Century. It was founded in 1348, the Charles University as the first university in Central Europe was founded. It was in Latin, but also in German. This high degree of flowering of the city was from 1419, however, by the Hussite wars severely shaken the city and partially destroyed.

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Just from this first flowering of the city are also the two oldest Rotter documents. In the oldest Urkundenregest (1853) for the Czech Republic is under the year 1343: "Conradus pellifex Rotter (Prague)", ie "Konrad Rotter of the furrier." Unfortunately, so far my search of this instrument in the State Archives in Prague in vain. Noteworthy to mention this is that the year 1343 before the disappearance of the Rotter from Nuremberg is located.

Already ten years later, ie 1353, is a second Rotter from Prague called on me again Ekkehart noted. He found him - strange ways - in the deed books of the city of Strasbourg in Alsace. Issued the relevant certificate in Prague at the court of Emperor Charles IV in the Latin text advised Emperor Charles IV, the Council of the City of Strasbourg, that he had with his daughter Catherine Duke Rudolf of Austria has married. At the end of the text will explicitly the bearer of the message referred to, namely the cursor Rudolphus Rotter. The cursor, "runners" were in fact running messengers on foot to the court in Prague on their bets waited - comparable to today's drivers, for example the Federal Chancellor or the courier of the Foreign Office. To ensure that the message is really to had made their intended destination, they had to acknowledge in writing that there can, and only after presentation of the receipt on their return, they received their reward. Of course it would be interesting to know whether the said Rudolph Rotter homonymous embassies in other more or less lie on his way Way lying imperial cities has brought about, such as Nuremberg, Esslingen, and perhaps even Frankfurt. A study of the social position of the cursor, there are m. W. is not so in case of doubt it is probably that they are simple and the easiest of people came, so hardly any of the views people belonged to families that we in Esslingen and Nuremberg have found. And it would be equally risky, therefore, a familial relationship between this and the furrier Rudolph Konrad Rotter in Prague to construct because the furrier in general been on the 'better' circles were craftsmen.

b) Rotter in the Erzgebirge and its edges?

The fact that Prague in that golden age is very attractive to craftsmen, merchants and even untied like ghosts Messenger runners exercised, is obvious. Certainly, Prague itself had a certain "international" flair, but it was in the midst of a fertile agricultural area that has already been of Slavs, the ancestors of the Czechs level, was settled. People from regions in the west, since the late 12th Century to the east on the road made, but were primarily in search of sparsely populated land areas, or those who had not yet been settled, to get there. Larger warlike events, such as first-Tatar invasion of the mid-13th Century repeatedly depopulated entire regions.

The natural way the geography such Neusiedler in German-speaking east dismissed, went on along the northern edge of the Ore Mountains, Giant Mountains and Jeseniky educated

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continuation of the German highlands. Because this mountain still covered by virgin forests, and was largely deserted, it was also already on one or the other the opportunity to get a piece of reclaimed land to make the effort if he does not shy grubbing of him and the fear of wolves and bears are not deterred .

Let's start with the Ore Mountains, which are the southern border of Thuringia and Saxon forms. This settlement was a separate room from the 12th Century "discovered", when the mining root, but only from 16 Century assumed greater proportions. What in the further Rotter search the northern, so Thuringian and Saxon side of the Erzgebirge is concerned, I looked after the first day there existing private Telefonanschlüssn Chemnitz in and around within a radius of about 50km, which not only the mountain edge to the Czech border but also the foreshore in Thuringia further and things were covered. This provided the first insightful result of 22 private phone numbers Rotter, 65 under Roder, 200 in Rother and 390 under Roeder. The one we have here is thus once again to change the spelling of the name of Rotter Rother to the north of the Mountain Line documented, especially as the Rotter also displaced from the southeast and continues today on the Czech side lying areas can be. Other hand, however, the relatively large number Roder, and most of all the quantity of Röder on. Here, for comparison, the current telephone connections of the Franconian city Wuerzburg and Nuremberg in comparison to the Thuringian or Saxon cities of Erfurt, Dresden and Chemnitz:

Stadt Röder Roder Rother RotterErfurt 24 2 8 3Dresden 54 3 45 11Chemnitz 52 4 44 4Dto. + 50km 390 65 200 22Würzburg 50 4 11 4Nürnberg 90 13 28 11

To assess the value of this statistic for our Mirko history could have, should we all start calling this telephone connections and explore where their owners were, what I have obviously not pleased. Indeed, by the population shift to the Second World War especially in those border areas, but also in the decades thereafter continuing to the present location in the entire German-speaking countries, it is valid conclusions about the existence of our family in this area in previous Centuries, not pull.

In the search for clear evidence of the name in Bohemia in the Rotter 14. and 15 Century, I have an extensive literature "fought" and also have sources to the 17th Century is used, but the result was, surprisingly, almost zero. Even the so-called "List of subjects according to the faith" until the stage in 1651 after 30 years of war had been created to "hardened" by the Protestants fairly devout Catholics to distinguish, was unproductive.

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This directory is now in the State Archive in Prague stored. Since the archive due to the frequent use of this directory by family historians and legal researchers a rapid destruction of this unique plant feared, it was decided to publish it in print, what happens now since 1993. Examples I have the first three volumes systematically reviewed, then the circles of Boleslawiec Elbogen and included in the north of Bohemia, and were mostly inhabited by German-speaking population were. Elbogen, now a small village near Sokolov (Sokolov formerly of Eger) is a fairly significant area, including the cities of Eger (Cheb today) and Carlsbad (now Karlovy Vary) in northwestern Bohemia / Czech Republic on the southern edge of the Erzgebirge included. Boleslawiec The circle was one of the largest districts of Bohemia at all - in the printed directory fills two volumes - and covered by Friedland (Frýdlant) in the Jizera Mountains in the north, near the present-day Poland Border Reichenberg (Liberec), Turnau (Turnov) and numerous other Towns and villages down to Nimburg (Nymburk) in the south and approximately 50 km east of Prague. Since the two circles exactly on the road in the direction of Franconia Jeseniky beaten, I was hoping there one or the other to find Rotter, whose ancestor was once on the way to the east there "stuck" to be liked.

The circle between Eger Loket and Karlovy Vary was settlement history and linguistically closely related to the subsequent Oberfranken in the west, and hid in the 12th Century, partly even possessions Upper Franconian lords:

it belonged e.g. Kodta (Chodov) of the monastery Waldsassen. A first Examination of the relevant volume of the "Vezeichnisses of subjects according to the beliefs" of services in 1651 among the many thousands of names not a single or Rotter Rother. It was not until years later I now have the insight that the dialects in those days still a crucial influence on the pronunciation and the spelling of the name of exercising, I saw the register again thoroughly and found a few names that are phonetically similar sounds such as Rowing, Rutte, Rothe and Rutta or Ruta (the latter only in a purely Czech villages), but also their occurrence sporadically so that inferences, especially in Earlier centuries ban.

b) Rotter im Braunauer Ländchen

Only in the very northeastern Bohemia on the border of the present Polish Lower Silesia, where the Sudetenkamm from the eastern foothills of the Krkonose Mountains in the southeast over the Eagle Mountains, in Braunau (Broumov) or brown Sûre Ländchen, I came back to Rotter, and not until the 17th, but already in the 15th and 16 Century. The evidence can be found again in the two-works by Ernst Schwarz "Sudeten German surnames. Already for the year 1412, ie before the Hussite wars, he calls for the village of Schönau (Šonov) in brown Sûre Ländchen a "Hannus Rotter," relying on the yet unpublished called "City Paper" of Braunau convene. In this book the city will appear in the year 1455 a "Stephan Rotir" and in 1459 a Daniel Rotter. Possibly we have in these

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three Rotter Rotter ancestor of a large clan or a nest in the Rotter-Braun Sûre Ländchen to see, because we have the names until the 20th Century in large numbers for you. Even in the so-called tax-roll (Berni Rula) from the year 1654, So immediately after the 30 years of war, he is abundantly represented. So for a Schönau Gärtler named Johann Rotter mentioned, probably with that Hanß Rotter is identical to the 1648 farm land had sold. Furthermore, under the barren surface Häusler posts in the "suburbs" of the names Braunau Roder, Rotter and Rutter, which probably represents only spelling variants. We continue to remain in Brown Ländchen Auer in the 17th Century: In 1670 Hermsdorf bought a Christian Rutter Häusler a body.

The home areas Braunau has its own working genealogy, the also available on the internet a very instructive web-side and database has a name. The internet is there a list of most common surnames in Brown Sûre Ländchen before the expulsion, and Rotter's name is also there.

c) Rotter im Glatzer Ländchen

Braun Ora Ländchen bordered to the east Ländchen Glatzer. Also, the former county of Glatz centuries belonged to Bohemia. She was repeatedly since 1278 with Silesian principalities connected (including the end of the 14th century, even temporarily with the Upper Opava) 1554 and was owned by the Bohemian crown. Only in 1742 Breslauer peace between Austria and Prussia Prussia was added and was now a part of the Prussian Lower Silesia, which is why they are after the Second World War Poland fell and Klodzko is today. Klodzko seems the original Slavic name of the place had to be of approximately from 12 Century. of German immigrants were supposed Kłodzko was.

The county contains two circles, namely Kłodzko Habelschwerth in the north and the south (today the Polish Bystrzca Kłodzka on three sides by the Czech territory surrounded). In the role of fiscal 1653 are listed in detail both parties, although initially stick sword for us here is of interest. If we see even by the Counts of Herberstein, Mr. von Roder (or Röder) as well as a draper named George Rott, as it was at the time probably no more than spelling variants for Rotter / Rother views can be found in the village of Alt-Rosenthal a meat hacker named "Dauidt Rother" who apparently had to pay no taxes in the village Niederlangenau a farmer named Simon Rotter, the 40 cruiser had to pay, in the village of writing a peasant village called Christoff Rutter, Cruiser of the 34 had paid, and in the village a peasant named Tandorf Mertin Rutter, to the payment of 32 cruisers was required. At least in the case of specifically designated as farmers Rotter / Rutter is assumed that they are with their families before the Thirty Years' in these villages were established, since the end of this war Neubesiedlung of 1648, the then wholly or partially destroyed villages slowly went from equip. However, in this war, like other families also have been significantly depleted.

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Three of these villages - the fourth I have not managed to locate it - all are not far apart from each other south of Habel Schwerdt and near the present-day Czech border. In this area can undoubtedly one of the early clan nests of Rother / Rother adopted. Even in the official "German Reichsadreßbuch" of 1941/1942, in which, however, only in commerce, Commerce, industry, government agencies and some freelance workers (eg doctors), but no farmers or wage workers are, are in the district / county Kłodzko total of 22 Rother / Rotter, ie The name remained there for centuries, firmly anchored. Meanwhile, I also care letters to a contact Rotter incredibly nice family in the U.S. state of Oregon, we also have here in northern Germany has visited. The grandfather of Art Rotter walked once stick sword in the U.S.. (The ancestors of his wife Jean once came from Denmark, and a daughter of two now lives in Alaska and is equipped with an Eskimo married!)

The boundary of the Glatzer Ländchens to the Czech Republic in the south form the two Level features of the Eagle Mountains and the Snow Mountains Glatzer. Approximately in the middle of the two lies in the small town Grulich Bohemia (Czech: Králíky), which help me with my research again and again as the origin of one or the other was called Rotter. So for example, came Guido Rotter (st. 1940), the first youth hostel High River Elbe in Germany has established, from Grulich. Similarly, it deals with the south once followed, formerly largest German Language island, the so-called Schönhengstgau, whose western part too Bohemia is one, whose eastern part, however, already belongs to Moravia. In several places, so for example in Müglitz, I am from the 19./20. Rotter single century has been called. So far, I could not name the individual to larger families or clans together, and above all, I have no evidence of the existence of Rotter in large numbers already in the 18th, let alone in the 17th Century or even earlier. But I must immediately add that I am so far in terms of Grulich and Hengstgau have not tried systematically to the relevant sources to incorporate this region.

Excursus:Flea from the Nuremberg displaced after Kłodzko Conrat Rotter?

A.

When I was in the Christmas days of 2007 the wealth of my material now accumulated familiengeschichtlichen even after some additional information for this little memorial book looked, I made a "sensational" discovery that my vague theory of the potential of the Rotter Ostwanderung from Nuremberg crucially supported. At the same time, this "discovery" a beautiful example of how families and Onomastics, just micro-history, sometimes expires today, so I somewhat exceptional detail that would like.

Given me a complete collapse of my computer program - that is one of the "most popular" issues with which the modern scientist has to do - my entire e-mail correspondence before

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2001 has destroyed me and I unfortunately only the principal correspondent for safety's sake had also printed out, is that I have the beginning of the history rhyme. So I suspect that I am around the year 1999/2000 in the Internet on the relevant list Sudeten German family research (bms = Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia) to the e-mail a certain Margot oils from Cologne pushed'm in the room Kłodzko familiengeschichtlich is active and from a "family book of the County of Glatz," cited. I am probably out of this lady with the issue have approached, whether they are in the clan book also mentioned once by name Rotter could see. They did so kindly and sent me on 13 April 2000 e-mail, the four copies of pages from the said factory was attached. This e-mail I printed out along with copies, it probably also volatile over and - sadly also in the wrong folder - filed and forgotten. Perhaps I was with my Nürnberger searches also not so much that I named Conrat Rotter a particular explosive have been assigned.

Only when I last night, on 22 December 2007, in one of my folders in this paper came, I was suddenly aware of what they had a meaning, or at least may have. That "family book of the County of Glatz," so I learned from the first e-mail, is 1967 or 1968 after a long work of Jahrzenhnte Richard Lauterbach Leipzig written and typed in two volumes have been put to paper. The rather lengthy discussion of the family Rother / Rotter begin with the following lines:ROTHER (* - 18 -182) ROTTER (* - 20 – 66)Urk: 1358 Hans, das dem Cunat Rote gehört hat, Glatz, GGQ IV 33; 1378Niclos, Sohn des Niclos Rote, Glatz, IV 122; 1389 dem frummen Cunel Roten,Glatz, IV 150; 1392 der fromme Mann Hannus Rotir, Glatz, IV 158;1412 Peter Rot, Glatz, II 538; 1464 Peter Roter, Glatz, II 273; Braunau: 142-4733 Roter Hanus, Schönau, BRSTb 58; 1455 Rotir Stephan oo Kathar. Braunau,361; 1459 Rotter Daniel, - Nickel, - Jorge, Bürger Braunau 381; 1492Roter Steffen, 470; 1460 Niclas Roter, von Hannsdorf, Schöffe, Glatz, Vj VIII7; 96; 1515 Rot Michael, Vorwerk, Neundorf, Vj VIII 127; 1534 Michel Rother,Eisenhauer, Schreckendorf, Vj II 245; 1571 Hans Rutter, Eisenhammer,Schreckendorf etc. until well into the 17th Century.

ROTHER (* - 18 -182) ROTTER (* - 20 - 66) Urk: 1358 Hans, with the Red Cunat heard, Glatz, GGQ IV 33; 1378 Niclos, son of Red Niclos, Glatz, IV 122; 1389 the frummen Red Cunel, Glatz, IV 150; 1392 the pious man Hannus Rotir, Glatz, IV 158; 1412 Peter Rot, Glatz, II 538; 1464 Red Peter, Glatz, II 273; Braunau: 142 - 33 Red Hanus, Schönau, BRSTb 58 ; 1455 Rotir Stephan Cathares oo. Braunau, 361, 1459 Daniel Rotter, - nickel, - Jorge, citizens Braunau 381; 1492 Red Steffen, 470; 1460 Niclas Red, by Hanns village alderman, Glatz, Vj VIII 7; 96, 1515 Michael Red, Vorwerk, Neundorf, Vj VIII, 127; 1534 Michel Rother, Eisenhauer, horror village Vj II, 245; 1571 Hans Rutter, Iron Hammer, Horror Village etc. until well into the 17th Century.

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The "sensational" in this list is in the first row. For the year 1358 will be referred to a document in which a property (house or agriculture) of a reference is Hans, previously a "Cunat Red" has heard. In the name of the form "Cunat" is merely a variant writing, maybe just a read or write errors for "Cunrat". Red Cunrat And this could very well just that Conrad / Conrat, etc. Red / Rother / Rotter, who ten years previously from Nuremberg have had to flee. Unfortunately, I can the abbreviations in this clan book because I do not see could not indicate why I do not know if and where the instrument GGQ IV 33 to see. Even yesterday evening, I have the Internet to the central catalog of the German Paper stocks (KVK Karlsruhe virtual catalog) to the clan book searches and found that a total of only two copies of this work are typed. One is located in the Martin Opitz Library in Herne. I got there via e-mail also ordered a copy, but it seems likely to end in January 2008 take until I have in the hands. Then the detective work, i.e. I must determine whether and where the relevant document today - likely in Poland - is kept. If I'm lucky and have the instrument e.g. somewhere in Wroclaw verified, is then given a further Schreiberei to get a copy of the certificate to arrive. If this is not possible or too time, I must, willy-nilly go and hope that you see me in the instrument or even photograph it. But the hope in this document, perhaps a point to find that the origin of the Red Cunrat information there, it seems to me worth the effort. So much for the effort of Miktrohistorikers! (Miktro historian!)

The above lines arid but offer even more promising. For the year 1389 is in fact a "frummen Kunel Red" and for 1392 to a "pious man Hannus Rotir" in documents referenced. Although it is simply one of the usual meaningless phrases act, but let us remember that in Nuremberg Conrat Rotter once "carer" or "prosecutor", ie secular legal officer, the Barfü ßerklosters had been so closely related to the church had stood. In the "frummen Kunel" may be why a son of Cunrat or acted Cuno and the "devout Hannus" a brother of Kunel. So it is also necessary for these two instruments are to find etc. And last but not least, I will now turn to those early times in the County of Glatz plunge before the Hussites also large parts of the country devastated. After all, we know now that it is already against the Hussites in this area of the eastern German Sudetengebirgszuges people were found to be "Red" in all possible spelling variants designated. But I do just for the copies of the book of the clan called rafschaft Kłodzko am, was in two long chapters on the Rother / Rotter abschließnde paragraphs out a very short and a longer. The short consists of only the following information:

Addr: 1942 182 + 66 house., S.K.!

This will probably mean that there is 1942 in Glatzer Ländchen total of 182 and in the city itself Kłodzko 66 Rother / Rotter households and that they gave to the card (?) Should look. If I interpret this correctly, I can no insight into the Book does not judge clan. The

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second paragraph is significantly longer and includes theories about the origin of our name, which is the author of the clan book, Richard Lauterbach, has made:

Name: 1 the redhead: 1362 of Eydam Hermanus Red Snyders, Kłodzko GCQ IV 62nd The early forms of FN-s Red, Red, Rotter, Rutter are not segregated. You are already confused in places, such as Braunau [toponym is Ms. deleted]: Roth, Red 6x; Rott, Rotter 21x, of which District Landeck 9x, Rutter 10x. The separation between Rother and Rotter only carried out for the address book. 2. Nor is it to decide whether the interpretation as' adjective name `is the only one. 1520 'to `rotterei u. reuberei in Bohemia, which is very much in the country was this time." Hue 45; Rotter therefore also called a' predator 'is possible. For as Ruthner Ruter, Ruthe a country has, there is no criterion. 3. Rutte = KF for Rudolph and Robert, Prof. III 614th

I would also like these lines, the contents of my above Chapter II include uncommented, leave it to the digression is not unnecessarily extended. What has become abundantly clear that there is a recognition that the former county probably from the second half of the 14th Jht.s starting point of the oldest mountain range in the Sudetes for further expansion of our family after East.

B.

A first continuation of that story of a mikrohistischen search is still in mid-February 2008 be reported. To me further into the sources of the history of the county of Glatz to incorporate, I had my first basic bibliography of Dieter Pohl "The County of Glatz (Silesia) in presentations and sources (1995)" increased, from which I learned that the quoted specification on "Cunat Rothe" from the year 1358, ultimately to the oldest city Glatzer book "diminished its original now in the Polish state archives in Wroclaw and would be kept was never printed. To me the job easier, I wrote to Dr. Pohl, and asked him if somewhere in Germany at least a photocopy of this valuable book there. The detailed response from Dr. Pohl was sadly sobering. He wrote that among other things:

"As far as the oldest city Glatzer book (wahrschenlich the oldest of our time came Silesia City Paper), I have unfortunately a very bad information to: the parchment paper, which is in excellent condition in the State Archives Wroclaw and where I myself a few years ago, worked have is a few years --- since disappeared. This is an unbelievable Kulturschande. I have the book after two years at the site was not - at first I got the information that it would in Torun restored, given the good condition was not credible - when it was opened to me that it is no longer available. The stock in which it is found, was not affected by the great flood in Wroclaw affected. Perhaps indirectly, but yet I was told, during the months of repair work had beaten the workers with their backpacks completely unchecked in the magazine on and expected. The book is still not resurfaced, although the state archives of a major search operation was carried out. I had at the Directorate-General of the Polish

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State Archives in Warsaw is written, then also to the Directorate of the Federal Archives and the Foundation of Prussian Cultural Heritage, but only weak reactions get. "

This was the first part of the bad news. In the next paragraph was followed by equal to the second: "A copy of this extremely valuable book town, which is also an important source for the German would be involved in the medieval German language in the Silesia region of interest, there is unfortunately not."

Of course I wanted to Dr. Pohl will still donate some consolation, as he drove continued: "We are on the highly creditable work of Franz Volkmer in GGQ IV instructed. There, incidentally, on p. 32 below "home", not "John". Among the names Rotter, Rother in the County of Glatz, there are a lot of literature, the "Book of kinship County Kłodzko" ("Sippenbuch der Grafschaft Glatz") Lauterbach of you already know. In Glatzer Steuerrolla of 1653 found Rother 6 / Roth, 31 Rotter and 10 Rutter (dialect). Gladly, I can send you copies, but would then ask for some patience. "

After all, I learned through the correction of my clan from the book (and this in turn from GGQ IV) over quote that Cunat Rothe Kłodzko in the city actually owned a house had what it considered to be relatively well-off values. (For the GGQ is actually an older publication series called "The history of the county Kłodzko sources" from which the relevant Volume IV by Franz Volkmer entitled: "The oldest Glatzer City Paper 1324-1412," Schwerdt Habel 1889). Dr. Pohl remark that the "Rotter, in the Rother Grafschaft Glatz lot of literature [is] "and does not let me still hope, even when he finally finds:" Any link with Nuremberg in these sources are not clear. "

Dr. Pohl is undoubtedly the best source familiar with the living situation Glatz, but I want these nonetheless Exkurs with the hackneyed phrase quit: The hope dies last!

Dr. phil. Ekkehart Rotter, born 1948, studied ancient, medieval and new history, Germanic and Islamic studies in Frankfurt and Tübingen. He lives near Frankfurt and is a historian for the Mainz Academy of Sciences and the literature.

I would like to correspond with professor Rotter about the history of the Families named Rotter

Fourth ChapterRotter in Bohemia, 14 to 17 Century

If we are completely unscientific, because no evidence yet of the proposition to expect that "our" Rotter of Rotter Franconian or Swabian descended, we could further the thesis that, on their long journey from Franken or Schwabenland east to the area of Jeseniky on some

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clan members "Lost" might have. Indeed, there are quite a few scattered early Rotter in Bohemia, but the same was anticipated that there is no concrete information is available, how they came, as in the case of Franks and Swabians Rotter disappeared no concrete evidence to suggest there where this went .

d) Two early Rotter in Prague

The earliest evidence of Rotter came from Bohemia in Prague. The city had 1255 German city law, which does its attractiveness to migrants from the area deutsprachigen significantly increased. Under Emperor Charles IV and his son Wenceslas IV, the city flourished as the capital of the Holy Roman Empire in the second half of the 14th Century. It was founded in 1348, the Charles University as the first university in Central Europe was founded. It was in Latin, but also in German. This high degree of flowering of the city was from 1419, however, by the Hussite wars severely shaken the city and partially destroyed.

Just from this first flowering of the city are also the two oldest Rotter documents. In the oldest Urkundenregest (1853) for the Czech Republic is under the year 1343: "Conradus pellifex Rotter (Prague)", ie "Konrad Rotter of the furrier." Unfortunately, so far my search of this instrument in the State Archives in Prague in vain. Noteworthy to mention this is that the year 1343 before the disappearance of the Rotter from Nuremberg is located.

Already ten years later, ie 1353, is a second Rotter from Prague called on me again Ekkehart noted. He found him - strange ways - in the deed books of the city of Strasbourg in Alsace. Issued the relevant certificate in Prague at the court of Emperor Charles IV in the Latin text advised Emperor Charles IV, the Council of the City of Strasbourg, that he had with his daughter Catherine Duke Rudolf of Austria has married. At the end of the text will explicitly the bearer of the message referred to, namely the cursor Rudolphus Rotter. The cursor, "runners" were in fact running messengers on foot to the court in Prague on their bets waited - comparable to today's drivers, for example the Federal Chancellor or the courier of the Foreign Office. To ensure that the message is really to had made their intended destination, they had to acknowledge in writing that there can, and only after presentation of the receipt on their return, they received their reward. Of course it would be interesting to know whether the said Rudolph Rotter homonymous embassies in other more or less lie on his way Way lying imperial cities has brought about, such as Nuremberg, Esslingen, and perhaps even Frankfurt. A study of the social position of the cursor, there are m. W. is not so in case of doubt it is probably that they are simple and the easiest of people came, so hardly any of the views people belonged to families that we in Esslingen and Nuremberg have found. And it would be equally risky, therefore, a familial relationship between this and the furrier Rudolph Konrad Rotter in Prague to construct because the furrier in general been on the 'better' circles were craftsmen.

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b) Rotter in the Erzgebirge and its edges?

The fact that Prague in that golden age is very attractive to craftsmen, merchants and even untied like ghosts Messenger runners exercised, is obvious. Certainly, Prague itself had a certain "international" flair, but it was in the midst of a fertile agricultural area that has already been of Slavs, the ancestors of the Czechs level, was settled. People from regions in the west, since the late 12th Century to the east on the road made, but were primarily in search of sparsely populated land areas, or those who had not yet been settled, to get there. Larger warlike events, such as first-Tatar invasion of the mid-13th Century repeatedly depopulated entire regions.

The natural way the geography such Neusiedler in German-speaking east dismissed, went on along the northern edge of the Ore Mountains, Giant Mountains and Jeseniky educated continuation of the German highlands. Because this mountain still covered by virgin forests, and was largely deserted, it was also already on one or the other the opportunity to get a piece of reclaimed land to make the effort if he does not shy grubbing of him and the fear of wolves and bears are not deterred .

Let's start with the Ore Mountains, which are the southern border of Thuringia and Saxon forms. This settlement was a separate room from the 12th Century "discovered", when the mining root, but only from 16 Century assumed greater proportions. What in the further Rotter search the northern, so Thuringian and Saxon side of the Erzgebirge is concerned, I looked after the first day there existing private Telefonanschlüssn Chemnitz in and around within a radius of about 50km, which not only the mountain edge to the Czech border but also the foreshore in Thuringia further and things were covered. This provided the first insightful result of 22 private phone numbers Rotter, 65 under Roder, 200 in Rother and 390 under Roeder. The one we have here is thus once again to change the spelling of the name of Rotter Rother to the north of the Mountain Line documented, especially as the Rotter also displaced from the southeast and continues today on the Czech side lying areas can be. Other hand, however, the relatively large number Roder, and most of all the quantity of Röder on. Here, for comparison, the current telephone connections of the Franconian city Wuerzburg and Nuremberg in comparison to the Thuringian or Saxon cities of Erfurt, Dresden and Chemnitz:

Stadt Röder Roder Rother RotterErfurt 24 2 8 3Dresden 54 3 45 11Chemnitz 52 4 44 4Dto. + 50km 390 65 200 22Würzburg 50 4 11 4

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Nürnberg 90 13 28 11

To assess the value of this statistic for our Mirko history could have, should we all start calling this telephone connections and explore where their owners were, what I have obviously not pleased. Indeed, by the population shift to the Second World War especially in those border areas, but also in the decades thereafter continuing to the present location in the entire German-speaking countries, it is valid conclusions about the existence of our family in this area in previous Centuries, not pull.

In the search for clear evidence of the name in Bohemia in the Rotter 14. and 15 Century, I have an extensive literature "fought" and also have sources to the 17th Century is used, but the result was, surprisingly, almost zero. Even the so-called "List of subjects according to the faith" until the stage in 1651 after 30 years of war had been created to "hardened" by the Protestants fairly devout Catholics to distinguish, was unproductive.

This directory is now in the State Archive in Prague stored. Since the archive due to the frequent use of this directory by family historians and legal researchers a rapid destruction of this unique plant feared, it was decided to publish it in print, what happens now since 1993. Examples I have the first three volumes systematically reviewed, then the circles of Boleslawiec Elbogen and included in the north of Bohemia, and were mostly inhabited by German-speaking population were. Elbogen, now a small village near Sokolov (Sokolov formerly of Eger) is a fairly significant area, including the cities of Eger (Cheb today) and Carlsbad (now Karlovy Vary) in northwestern Bohemia / Czech Republic on the southern edge of the Erzgebirge included. Boleslawiec The circle was one of the largest districts of Bohemia at all - in the printed directory fills two volumes - and covered by Friedland (Frýdlant) in the Jizera Mountains in the north, near the present-day Poland Border Reichenberg (Liberec), Turnau (Turnov) and numerous other Towns and villages down to Nimburg (Nymburk) in the south and approximately 50 km east of Prague. Since the two circles exactly on the road in the direction of Franconia Jeseniky beaten, I was hoping there one or the other to find Rotter, whose ancestor was once on the way to the east there "stuck" to be liked.

The circle between Eger Loket and Karlovy Vary was settlement history and linguistically closely related to the subsequent Oberfranken in the west, and hid in the 12th Century, partly even possessions Upper Franconian lords:

it belonged e.g. Kodta (Chodov) of the monastery Waldsassen. A first Examination of the relevant volume of the "Vezeichnisses of subjects according to the beliefs" of services in 1651 among the many thousands of names not a single or Rotter Rother. It was not until years later I now have the insight that the dialects in those days still a crucial influence on the pronunciation and the spelling of the name

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of exercising, I saw the register again thoroughly and found a few names that are phonetically similar sounds such as Rowing, Rutte, Rothe and Rutta or Ruta (the latter only in a purely Czech villages), but also their occurrence sporadically so that inferences, especially in Earlier centuries ban.

e) Rotter im Braunauer Ländchen

Only in the very northeastern Bohemia on the border of the present Polish Lower Silesia, where the Sudetenkamm from the eastern foothills of the Krkonose Mountains in the southeast over the Eagle Mountains, in Braunau (Broumov) or brown Sûre Ländchen, I came back to Rotter, and not until the 17th, but already in the 15th and 16 Century. The evidence can be found again in the two-works by Ernst Schwarz "Sudeten German surnames. Already for the year 1412, ie before the Hussite wars, he calls for the village of Schönau (Šonov) in brown Sûre Ländchen a "Hannus Rotter," relying on the yet unpublished called "City Paper" of Braunau convene. In this book the city will appear in the year 1455 a "Stephan Rotir" and in 1459 a Daniel Rotter. Possibly we have in these three Rotter Rotter ancestor of a large clan or a nest in the Rotter-Braun Sûre Ländchen to see, because we have the names until the 20th Century in large numbers for you. Even in the so-called tax-roll (Berni Rula) from the year 1654, So immediately after the 30 years of war, he is abundantly represented. So for a Schönau Gärtler named Johann Rotter mentioned, probably with that Hanß Rotter is identical to the 1648 farm land had sold. Furthermore, under the barren surface Häusler posts in the "suburbs" of the names Braunau Roder, Rotter and Rutter, which probably represents only spelling variants. We continue to remain in Brown Ländchen Auer in the 17th Century: In 1670 Hermsdorf bought a Christian Rutter Häusler a body.

The home areas Braunau has its own working genealogy, the also available on the internet a very instructive web-side and database has a name. The internet is there a list of most common surnames in Brown Sûre Ländchen before the expulsion, and Rotter's name is also there.

f) Rotter im Glatzer Ländchen

Braun Ora Ländchen bordered to the east Ländchen Glatzer. Also, the former county of Glatz centuries belonged to Bohemia. She was repeatedly since 1278 with Silesian principalities connected (including the end of the 14th century, even temporarily with the Upper Opava) 1554 and was owned by the Bohemian crown. Only in 1742 Breslauer peace between Austria and Prussia Prussia was added and was now a part of the Prussian Lower Silesia, which is why they are after the Second World War Poland fell and Klodzko is today. Klodzko seems the original Slavic name of the place had to be of approximately from 12 Century. of German immigrants were supposed Kłodzko was.

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The county contains two circles, namely Kłodzko Habelschwerth in the north and the south (today the Polish Bystrzca Kłodzka on three sides by the Czech territory surrounded). In the role of fiscal 1653 are listed in detail both parties, although initially stick sword for us here is of interest. If we see even by the Counts of Herberstein, Mr. von Roder (or Röder) as well as a draper named George Rott, as it was at the time probably no more than spelling variants for Rotter / Rother views can be found in the village of Alt-Rosenthal a meat hacker named "Dauidt Rother" who apparently had to pay no taxes in the village Niederlangenau a farmer named Simon Rotter, the 40 cruiser had to pay, in the village of writing a peasant village called Christoff Rutter, Cruiser of the 34 had paid, and in the village a peasant named Tandorf Mertin Rutter, to the payment of 32 cruisers was required. At least in the case of specifically designated as farmers Rotter / Rutter is assumed that they are with their families before the Thirty Years' in these villages were established, since the end of this war Neubesiedlung of 1648, the then wholly or partially destroyed villages slowly went from equip. However, in this war, like other families also have been significantly depleted.

Three of these villages - the fourth I have not managed to locate it - all are not far apart from each other south of Habel Schwerdt and near the present-day Czech border. In this area can undoubtedly one of the early clan nests of Rother / Rother adopted. Even in the official "German Reichsadreßbuch" of 1941/1942, in which, however, only in commerce, Commerce, industry, government agencies and some freelance workers (eg doctors), but no farmers or wage workers are, are in the district / county Kłodzko total of 22 Rother / Rotter, ie The name remained there for centuries, firmly anchored. Meanwhile, I also care letters to a contact Rotter incredibly nice family in the U.S. state of Oregon, we also have here in northern Germany has visited. The grandfather of Art Rotter walked once stick sword in the U.S.. (The ancestors of his wife Jean once came from Denmark, and a daughter of two now lives in Alaska and is equipped with an Eskimo married!)

The boundary of the Glatzer Ländchens to the Czech Republic in the south form the two Level features of the Eagle Mountains and the Snow Mountains Glatzer. Approximately in the middle of the two lies in the small town Grulich Bohemia (Czech: Králíky), which help me with my research again and again as the origin of one or the other was called Rotter. So for example, came Guido Rotter (st. 1940), the first youth hostel High River Elbe in Germany has established, from Grulich. Similarly, it deals with the south once followed, formerly largest German Language island, the so-called Schönhengstgau, whose western part too Bohemia is one, whose eastern part, however, already belongs to Moravia. In several places, so for example in Müglitz, I am from the 19./20. Rotter single century has been called. So far, I could not name the individual to larger families or clans together, and above all, I have no evidence of the existence of Rotter in large numbers already in the 18th, let alone in the 17th Century or even earlier. But I must immediately add that I am

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so far in terms of Grulich and Hengstgau have not tried systematically to the relevant sources to incorporate this region.

Excursus:Flea from the Nuremberg displaced after Kłodzko Conrat Rotter?

A.

When I was in the Christmas days of 2007 the wealth of my material now accumulated familiengeschichtlichen even after some additional information for this little memorial book looked, I made a "sensational" discovery that my vague theory of the potential of the Rotter Ostwanderung from Nuremberg crucially supported. At the same time, this "discovery" a beautiful example of how families and Onomastics, just micro-history, sometimes expires today, so I somewhat exceptional detail that would like.

Given me a complete collapse of my computer program - that is one of the "most popular" issues with which the modern scientist has to do - my entire e-mail correspondence before 2001 has destroyed me and I unfortunately only the principal correspondent for safety's sake had also printed out, is that I have the beginning of the history rhyme. So I suspect that I am around the year 1999/2000 in the Internet on the relevant list Sudeten German family research (bms = Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia) to the e-mail a certain Margot oils from Cologne pushed'm in the room Kłodzko familiengeschichtlich is active and from a "family book of the County of Glatz," cited. I am probably out of this lady with the issue have approached, whether they are in the clan book also mentioned once by name Rotter could see. They did so kindly and sent me on 13 April 2000 e-mail, the four copies of pages from the said factory was attached. This e-mail I printed out along with copies, it probably also volatile over and - sadly also in the wrong folder - filed and forgotten. Perhaps I was with my Nürnberger searches also not so much that I named Conrat Rotter a particular explosive have been assigned.

Only when I last night, on 22 December 2007, in one of my folders in this paper came, I was suddenly aware of what they had a meaning, or at least may have. That "family book of the County of Glatz," so I learned from the first e-mail, is 1967 or 1968 after a long work of Jahrzenhnte Richard Lauterbach Leipzig written and typed in two volumes have been put to paper. The rather lengthy discussion of the family Rother / Rotter begin with the following lines:ROTHER (* - 18 -182) ROTTER (* - 20 – 66)Urk: 1358 Hans, das dem Cunat Rote gehört hat, Glatz, GGQ IV 33; 1378Niclos, Sohn des Niclos Rote, Glatz, IV 122; 1389 dem frummen Cunel Roten,Glatz, IV 150; 1392 der fromme Mann Hannus Rotir, Glatz, IV 158;1412 Peter Rot, Glatz, II 538; 1464 Peter Roter, Glatz, II 273; Braunau: 142-4733 Roter Hanus, Schönau, BRSTb 58; 1455 Rotir Stephan oo Kathar. Braunau,

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361; 1459 Rotter Daniel, - Nickel, - Jorge, Bürger Braunau 381; 1492Roter Steffen, 470; 1460 Niclas Roter, von Hannsdorf, Schöffe, Glatz, Vj VIII7; 96; 1515 Rot Michael, Vorwerk, Neundorf, Vj VIII 127; 1534 Michel Rother,Eisenhauer, Schreckendorf, Vj II 245; 1571 Hans Rutter, Eisenhammer,Schreckendorf etc. until well into the 17th Century.

ROTHER (* - 18 -182) ROTTER (* - 20 - 66) Urk: 1358 Hans, with the Red Cunat heard, Glatz, GGQ IV 33; 1378 Niclos, son of Red Niclos, Glatz, IV 122; 1389 the frummen Red Cunel, Glatz, IV 150; 1392 the pious man Hannus Rotir, Glatz, IV 158; 1412 Peter Rot, Glatz, II 538; 1464 Red Peter, Glatz, II 273; Braunau: 142 - 33 Red Hanus, Schönau, BRSTb 58 ; 1455 Rotir Stephan Cathares oo. Braunau, 361, 1459 Daniel Rotter, - nickel, - Jorge, citizens Braunau 381; 1492 Red Steffen, 470; 1460 Niclas Red, by Hanns village alderman, Glatz, Vj VIII 7; 96, 1515 Michael Red, Vorwerk, Neundorf, Vj VIII, 127; 1534 Michel Rother, Eisenhauer, horror village Vj II, 245; 1571 Hans Rutter, Iron Hammer, Horror Village etc. until well into the 17th Century.

The "sensational" in this list is in the first row. For the year 1358 will be referred to a document in which a property (house or agriculture) of a reference is Hans, previously a "Cunat Red" has heard. In the name of the form "Cunat" is merely a variant writing, maybe just a read or write errors for "Cunrat". Red Cunrat And this could very well just that Conrad / Conrat, etc. Red / Rother / Rotter, who ten years previously from Nuremberg have had to flee. Unfortunately, I can the abbreviations in this clan book because I do not see could not indicate why I do not know if and where the instrument GGQ IV 33 to see. Even yesterday evening, I have the Internet to the central catalog of the German Paper stocks (KVK Karlsruhe virtual catalog) to the clan book searches and found that a total of only two copies of this work are typed. One is located in the Martin Opitz Library in Herne. I got there via e-mail also ordered a copy, but it seems likely to end in January 2008 take until I have in the hands. Then the detective work, i.e. I must determine whether and where the relevant document today - likely in Poland - is kept. If I'm lucky and have the instrument e.g. somewhere in Wroclaw verified, is then given a further Schreiberei to get a copy of the certificate to arrive. If this is not possible or too time, I must, willy-nilly go and hope that you see me in the instrument or even photograph it. But the hope in this document, perhaps a point to find that the origin of the Red Cunrat information there, it seems to me worth the effort. So much for the effort of Miktrohistorikers! (Miktro historian!)

The above lines arid but offer even more promising. For the year 1389 is in fact a "frummen Kunel Red" and for 1392 to a "pious man Hannus Rotir" in documents referenced. Although it is simply one of the usual meaningless phrases act, but let us remember that in Nuremberg Conrat Rotter once "carer" or "prosecutor", ie secular legal officer, the Barfü ßerklosters had been so closely related to the church had stood. In the

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"frummen Kunel" may be why a son of Cunrat or acted Cuno and the "devout Hannus" a brother of Kunel. So it is also necessary for these two instruments are to find etc. And last but not least, I will now turn to those early times in the County of Glatz plunge before the Hussites also large parts of the country devastated. After all, we know now that it is already against the Hussites in this area of the eastern German Sudetengebirgszuges people were found to be "Red" in all possible spelling variants designated. But I do just for the copies of the book of the clan called rafschaft Kłodzko am, was in two long chapters on the Rother / Rotter abschließnde paragraphs out a very short and a longer. The short consists of only the following information:

Addr: 1942 182 + 66 house., S.K.!

This will probably mean that there is 1942 in Glatzer Ländchen total of 182 and in the city itself Kłodzko 66 Rother / Rotter households and that they gave to the card (?) Should look. If I interpret this correctly, I can no insight into the Book does not judge clan. The second paragraph is significantly longer and includes theories about the origin of our name, which is the author of the clan book, Richard Lauterbach, has made:

Name: 1 the redhead: 1362 of Eydam Hermanus Red Snyders, Kłodzko GCQ IV 62nd The early forms of FN-s Red, Red, Rotter, Rutter are not segregated. You are already confused in places, such as Braunau [toponym is Ms. deleted]: Roth, Red 6x; Rott, Rotter 21x, of which District Landeck 9x, Rutter 10x. The separation between Rother and Rotter only carried out for the address book. 2. Nor is it to decide whether the interpretation as' adjective name `is the only one. 1520 'to `rotterei u. reuberei in Bohemia, which is very much in the country was this time." Hue 45; Rotter therefore also called a' predator 'is possible. For as Ruthner Ruter, Ruthe a country has, there is no criterion. 3. Rutte = KF for Rudolph and Robert, Prof. III 614th

I would also like these lines, the contents of my above Chapter II include uncommented, leave it to the digression is not unnecessarily extended. What has become abundantly clear that there is a recognition that the former county probably from the second half of the 14th Jht.s starting point of the oldest mountain range in the Sudetes for further expansion of our family after East.

B.

A first continuation of that story of a mikrohistischen search is still in mid-February 2008 be reported. To me further into the sources of the history of the county of Glatz to incorporate, I had my first basic bibliography of Dieter Pohl "The County of Glatz (Silesia) in presentations and sources (1995)" increased, from which I learned that the quoted specification on "Cunat Rothe" from the year 1358, ultimately to the oldest city Glatzer book "diminished its original now in the Polish state archives in Wroclaw and

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would be kept was never printed. To me the job easier, I wrote to Dr. Pohl, and asked him if somewhere in Germany at least a photocopy of this valuable book there. The detailed response from Dr. Pohl was sadly sobering. He wrote that among other things:

"As far as the oldest city Glatzer book (wahrschenlich the oldest of our time came Silesia City Paper), I have unfortunately a very bad information to: the parchment paper, which is in excellent condition in the State Archives Wroclaw and where I myself a few years ago, worked have is a few years --- since disappeared. This is an unbelievable Kulturschande. I have the book after two years at the site was not - at first I got the information that it would in Torun restored, given the good condition was not credible - when it was opened to me that it is no longer available. The stock in which it is found, was not affected by the great flood in Wroclaw affected. Perhaps indirectly, but yet I was told, during the months of repair work had beaten the workers with their backpacks completely unchecked in the magazine on and expected. The book is still not resurfaced, although the state archives of a major search operation was carried out. I had at the Directorate-General of the Polish State Archives in Warsaw is written, then also to the Directorate of the Federal Archives and the Foundation of Prussian Cultural Heritage, but only weak reactions get. "

This was the first part of the bad news. In the next paragraph was followed by equal to the second: "A copy of this extremely valuable book town, which is also an important source for the German would be involved in the medieval German language in the Silesia region of interest, there is unfortunately not."

Of course I wanted to Dr. Pohl will still donate some consolation, as he drove continued: "We are on the highly creditable work of Franz Volkmer in GGQ IV instructed. There, incidentally, on p. 32 below "home", not "John". Among the names Rotter, Rother in the County of Glatz, there are a lot of literature, the "Book of kinship County Kłodzko" ("Sippenbuch der Grafschaft Glatz") Lauterbach of you already know. In Glatzer Steuerrolla of 1653 found Rother 6 / Roth, 31 Rotter and 10 Rutter (dialect). Gladly, I can send you copies, but would then ask for some patience. "

After all, I learned through the correction of my clan from the book (and this in turn from GGQ IV) over quote that Cunat Rothe Kłodzko in the city actually owned a house had what it considered to be relatively well-off values. (For the GGQ is actually an older publication series called "The history of the county Kłodzko sources" from which the relevant Volume IV by Franz Volkmer entitled: "The oldest Glatzer City Paper 1324-1412," Schwerdt Habel 1889). Dr. Pohl remark that the "Rotter, in the Rother Grafschaft Glatz lot of literature [is] "and does not let me still hope, even when he finally finds:" Any link with Nuremberg in these sources are not clear. "

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Dr. Pohl is undoubtedly the best source familiar with the living situation Glatz, but I want these nonetheless Exkurs with the hackneyed phrase quit: The hope dies last!

Dr. phil. Ekkehart Rotter, born 1948, studied ancient, medieval and new history, Germanic and Islamic studies in Frankfurt and Tübingen. He lives near Frankfurt and is a historian for the Mainz Academy of Sciences and the literature.

I would like to correspond with professor Rotter about the history of the Families named Rotter

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