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The Family of Westerstetten

Introduction

The first members of this family resided in Westerstetten, a small village near Ulm in Baden-Württemberg. They took the family name from the village and were mentioned for the first time in 1094. They sold their ancestral castle in 1414 to the monastery of Elchingen.

Our first attempt at a genealogical tree was essentially based on Bucelin, who identifies relatively few members of the family (see chart: Descendants of Friedrich von Trackenstein etc). Subsequently we found about 350 members of this family, most  of them well-documented by charters or other sources. Some are mentioned only once and still others are mentioned only by Bucelin eg Egolphus and his issue.

The regular male names in the family are Hans/Johann, Rudolf, Friedrich and Dietegen.  This all creates difficulties in constructing a sound genealogical tree, showing everyone in the correct generation with correct relationships to one another.

In the 14th century the family split into several branches, establishing themselves in several districts such as Drackenstein, Katzenstein, Straßberg and Altenberg. We have therefore created several hypothetical family trees, linked to one  another so far as was possible. We provide separate tables for participants in tournaments, and also for members in religious orders.

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They were servants of the counts of Helfenstein and Württemberg. The family became extinct in 1649. Interestingly they had the same arms as the families of Schechingen, Böbingen and Schaumberg.

Unfortunately, the great number of people with identical names living at the same time, contradictory information in the sources and the impossibility to distinguish between Hans and Johann, all makes it impossible to create  reliable genealogical trees. Accordingly the author has reluctantly decided to discontinue this research study.

  • The web pages will be maintained online as a static resource for the time being. Anyone interested in pursuing this work should please contact the FMG.
  • Notification posted [26 July 2022]

 

Key source

Gabriel Bucelin, Germania topo-chrono-stemmato-graphica sacra et prophana. Ulmae et Augustae Vindelicorum, Apud Johannem Görlinum Bibliopolam; 1655 - 1678 [http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC09744173]

 

 

 map
   

Genealogical tables

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