KLINGELHOEFER FAMILY BRANCHES
The Family Trees Klingelhöfer based on the latest Research
by Dipl.Archiv. Helmut Klingelhöfer, Rauschenberg
Up to now my research shows that there are today still seven family branches Klingelhöfer/Klingelhöffer. You can find both spellings of the name, also with further variations in all family trees. There you have to remember that fixed spelling of family names is only compulsory since the introduction of the Bureau of Vital Statistics. Since then, the way how the spelling of the family name was registered for the first time (sometimes accidentally) it has to be spelled until today.
Here not all places of residence can be named. Members of all family branches live today in the USA and in industrial areas at the Rhine river and in Westphalia in Germany. That is why only the main areas of residence can be mentioned, especially Hesse. Following you find Klingelhöfer spelled this way to simplify the matter. The family trees are the following:
1.) The Damshausen Branch with the ancestress Grethe im Klingelhobe, who is registered from 1523 bis 1529 as rent payer. Members of this branch live in Hesse until today, the former district Biedenkopf, but also in the Gießen district, Lahn-Dill district and in South Germany. The well-known Bottenhorn carpenter family belongs surely to this family tree.
2.) The Caldern Branch with subbranches Caldern, Eibelshausen, Rosenthal and perhaps also the Netherlands. The Caldern Branch starts with Gerlach Klingelhöfer, who was forester and tenant farmer of a Teutonic order farm from 1586 until 1612. His origin is not known.
3.) The Dautpher -Rauschenberg Branch, members of which are still living in Dautphe and Rauschenberg has ist origin in Weigand Klingelhöfer who was registered as a house-owner in Dautphe in 1597 and died between Febrary 23rd 1598 and June 2nd 1600. Later his widow Elisabeth and his son Jacob managed a part of half of the county farm in Dautphe which belonged to the Lords Breidenbach.
4.) The Weitershausen Branch from Weitershausen near Gladenbach, is mentioned for the first time with Hans Klingelhöfer in Weitershausen. Members of this family branch live today in Erdhausen, Holzhausen and other places.
5.) The Großseelheim Branch, today there are still living many families in and nearby Großseelheim near Kirchhain. Probably the first registered person was Caspar Klingelhöfer 1566 bis 1591/92 in Schönbach near Großseelheim. Heinrich Klingelhöfer registered since 1546 is for sure no direct ancestor of the Klingelhöfers in Großseelheim.
6.) The Wetter Branch in Wetter and Alsfeld is mentioned first time 1646 with Hans Klingelhöfer. He came from out-of-town to Wetter and was obviously not related to the Klingelhöfers who lived there 50 years ago.
7.) The Brungershausen Branch. Members of this branch are living up to now like members of the Caldern branch in Caldern. This branch has its origin with Henrich Klingelhofer, baptised on April 22nd,1644 in Caldern and maried 1665 in Damshausen. Henrich was the son of Hans Klingelhöfer, 1639-1647, tenant farmer in Brungershausen and his wife Catharina. The grandfather was tenant farmer in Brungershausen since 1609. His widow Anna was still living in 1639. Wether Hans came from Buchenau as Theodor Klingelhöfer supposed, could not be confirmed until now. If so, he could have been Hans Klingelhöfer´s, also called Zimmerhans, son who married Magdalena in 1584.
Further there is a family Klingenhöfer, in Ronshausen near Rotenburg/Fulda who has been living there since the end of the 18th century. Their origin is unknown. Relations to the different trees could not be confirmed until now. Nevertheless in some cases lateral connection can be supposed or established.