Kaiserslautern

Genealogy

The earliest available church records for Kaiserslautern only begin in the 18th Century. By that point, there are several Bruch family groups present. At least two Bruch men, Conrad and Jacob (son of Elias – see below), were bakers. It is unclear how they are all related, but it seems likely that they were. 

In the records of Dürkheim, there is a possible reference to the late “Herr Peter Bruch…Keller zu Keisers-Lautern.” This Peter seems to have held an official post and his daughter, Magdalena, married Hans Velten Schnaub in Dürkheim on 11 Feb 1645. It is possible that Peter was ancestral to the Bruch families in Kaiserslautern, but that is only speculation.

Hans Jacob Bruch, described as a baker from Lautern, married Agnes, daughter of the late Hans Jacob Grünen, a baker from Neustadt, 15 Oct 1684 (Neustadt Church Book, marriages, 1684). In this marriage record, Jacob was described as the son of the late “Herr Elias Bruch”, who had been a councilman in Kaiserslautern. It seems likely that Elias was also the father of Conrad. It would also make sense if Elias was the son of the above-mentioned Peter Bruch, who was also an official in Kaiserslautern, but there is no direct evidence for such a connection.

Also, it is very likely that Heinrich Bruch, the progenitor of the Bruch family in nearby Weilerbach, was born in Kaiserslautern and thus represents a branch of the Kaiserslautern Bruchs.  

All references below are from the Kaiserslautern Church Book (film 488751) unless otherwise indicated:

  • Katzweiler (K)
  • Neustadt (N)
  • Weilerbach (W)

Conrad Bruch, baker in Kaiserslautern (likely son of Elias Bruch, former councilman); sponsors Conrad Vogt, son of Georg Wilhelm and Elisabetha, 8 Dec 1707 = Anna Magdalena [d. 10 Mar 1706]

  1. Anna Margretha: b. abt 1685; poss. confirmed Sep 1703; m. Johannes Feldmüller, citizen and shoemaker, son of the late Jacob, shoemaker, 14 Jul 1705
    1. Johannes: bap. 20 Aug 1706 (Johannes, son of Hans Georg Müller, citizen and smith; Barbara, daughter of Hans Peter Rohrben, the Rohrbenwirt
  2. Anna Catharina: b. abt 1685; sponsor for Anna Esther, daughter of Georg Daniel Bruch and Anna Gertrudt, 8 Mar 1703; sponsor for Johann Peter Sommer, son of Johannes, citizen and cooper, and Julianna, 8 Apr 1704; sponsor for Johann Henrich Commenther [?], son of Theobald and Christina, 18 Jul 1706; sponsor for Anna Catharina Rinck, daughter of Henrich Rinck, citizen and butcher, and Maria Magdalena, 31 Jan 1707; m. Johann Henrich Rheinhard, the Electoral Palatine Chief Baker [Oberbecker], son of the late Johann Georg of Ziegelhausen by Heidelberg, 7 Apr 1712; sponsor for Johann Heinrich Bruch, son of Heinrich and Susanna of Weilerbach, 19 Dec 1722 (K)

Hans Jacob Bruch (son of Elias), baker in Kaiserslautern [d. Before 16 Jun 1735] m. Agnes, daughter of the late Hans Jacob Grünen of Neustadt, 15 Oct 1684 (N) [d. 16 Jun 1735; bur. 17 Jun 1735]

  1. Johannes, baker: b. abt 1685; sponsors Johannes Mann, son of Hans Georg, citizen and baker, and Maria Margretha, 14 Mar 1706; m. Maria Barbara, daughter of Johann Georg Knoll, citizen and trader [Handelsman], 25 Oct 1712
    1. Maria Margaretha: bap. 24 Sep 1713 (Johann Georg Mann, citizen and baker, and Maria Margaretha, his wife); bur. 25 Jan 1714
    2. Maria Catharina: bap. 2 May 1715 (Simon Schmid, citizen and baker, and Maria Margretha, his wife); d. 10 Dec 1717; bur. 12 Dec 1717
    3. Johannes: b. 1 Mar 1719; bap. 5 Mar 1719 (Johannes Feldmüller, citizen and shoemaker [husband of Anna Margretha Bruch, daughter of Conrad])
    4. Henrich: b. 19 Sep 1721; bap. 22 Sep 1721 (Henrich Reinhard, citizen and baker, and his wife [Anna Catharina Bruch, daughter of Conrad])
  2. Maria Catharina: b. abt 1695; m. Johann Jost Berys, citizen and butcher, son of Wilhelm, 18 Nov 1716
  3. Dorothea: bap. 23 Oct 1704 (Dorothea, wife of Hans Georg Müller, smith of here [see also Anna Esther Bruch, 1703]); d. 18 Dec 1704

Georg Daniel Bruch = Anna Gertrudt

  1. Anna Esther: bap. 8 Mar 1703 (Anna Esther, daughter of Daniel Schäfer, councilman; Anna Catharina, daughter of Conrad Bruch, citizen and baker; Johannes Müller, son of Johann Georg)

Unknown Relations

The following are references to Bruchs in the Kaiserslautern Church Book who cannot be placed into a family group. 

  1. Henrich Bruch confirmed Sep 1703 [I suspect this is Henrich Bruch of Weilerbach]
  2. Maria Magdalena confirmed Easter 1709
  3. Maria Catharina confirmed Easter 1709
  4. Johann Valentin Brug, confirmed Christmas 1712
  5. Anna Elisabetha Brug, confirmed Easter 1713
  6. Helena Bruch m. Elias Meyer, citizen and cooper, 31 Jan 1718
  7. Possibly an Ulrich Bruch or Buch or Bich, etc, conf. Pentecost 1719
  8. Henrich Bruch, born 21 Jan 1699, dies end of 1726, date unspecified; this is probably the Henrich Brug confirmed Easter 1713