The state of Baden-Württemberg is located in southwestern Germany. Its capital is Stuttgart.

Shown on the map are the villages of Ötisheim and Dußlingen. Johannes Breyhel was born in Dußlingen, but moved to Ötisheim prior to his marriage there in 1703. The village is located about 10 miles northeast of Pforzheim. It was from Ötisheim that Johannes and his wife and family emigrated to the Colonies.

On the map, the highlighted pink-shaded area around Ötisheim and Heilbron is the area from which the "2nd Colony" immigrated in 1717. The families that came over at that time were: AMBERGER (AUBERGE), BELLENGER, BERGER (HANSBERGER), BLANKENBÜHLER (BLANKENBUCKER, BLANKENBUCHER, BLANKENBUCHLER, BLANKENBUCKLER), BREUEL (BROYLES, BROYL, BREYHEL, BREYEL), BULLENGER, CLORE, COOK, FLEISCHMAN (FLESHMAN), HOLT, KAIFER (CAFER), KERGER (KORKER), MAYER, MOTZ, PAULITZ, PARLUR (PAULUR, BARLOW, BOLLS, BARLOR), SCHEIBLE (SHEBLE, SHEBEL, SHIBEL, SHIBLE), SCHMIDT (SMITH), SCHNEIDER (SNIDER, SNYDER), UTZ, WILHEIT (WILHITE, WILHOIT), YÄGER (YAGER, YEAGER, JAGER), and ZIMMERMAN. This list of names was taken from Ken Broyles' "Broyles Family Ties", vol. 1, p. 6-7. Since the spellings of the names vary according to which document is referenced, we have listed the original German spelling first, followed by spellings found in various American documents.

There is also a closeup of the Pforzheim-Ötisheim area available.

HISTORY OF BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG

Baden-Württemberg is a Land (State) in southwestern Germany and is bordered by France, Switzerland, and Austria, as well as the Länder (states) of Rheinland-Pfalz (northwest) and Hessen (north). It was formed in 1952 from the former Länder of Baden, Württenberg-Baden, and Württemberg-Hohenzollern, which were three of the several Länder formed by the U.S. and French after World War II, from historic Württemberg. Württemberg itself had been, successively, a countship, a duchy, a kingdom, and a republic. Its dates back to the late 11th century, when the Wirtembergs (Württembergs) established a local dynasty of counts. It was made a duchy in 1495 and then was made a kingdom by Napolean in the 18th century. In 1919 a republican constitution was promulgated and it became a member Land of the newly unified country of Germany.

Go To Top of Page.

[Home Page]