Lorentz Bruch of Zweibrücken

Genealogy

According to his marriage record, Lorentz Bruch was originally from the village of St. Nabor, in Alsace southwest of Strassburg. His father was Clos Bruch, who seems to have still been alive when his son married in 1605. The St. Nabor origin of Lorentz Bruch strongly argues against any relation with the family of Hans Thomas Bruch of Saarbrücken. It should be noted that the Clos Bruch of St. Nabor is not and cannot be the same as Claus Bruch, the baker of Achtelsbach, as some genealogies claim. Claus of Achtelsbach was alive and living in Achtelsbach in 1605.   

Lorentz Bruch was well-connected. He married Anna Brücken, or Bricken, the daughter of the late Johann, who had been the city scribe in Saarbrücken. Lorentz would also become a scribe, although it is unclear what his status was when he married in 1605. After his marriage record, he does not appear in the church records again until 1612, at which point he is described as the scribe of the law court (Gerichtsschreiber) in Zweibrücken. In the references to him in 1619 (and only 1619) he is described as either “pro tempore Bürgermeister” or “pro tempore Consul.” Several of the baptismal sponsors of his children were high officials, such as the Schultheiss, the Oberkeller, and the “Commisarius.” He and his wife seem to have been especially close to Christoph Feigel, a goldsmith, and Daniel Sindersberger, a book binder. 

Lorentz was one of the many who died in Zweibrücken in late summer 1635 when there was active campaigning in the region and the disease associated with the warring armies. It is not clear that any of his descendants survived, at least in the immediate region of Zweibrücken.

Lorentz Bruch (Clos); b. abt 1575; m. Anna, daughter of the late Johann Brinken, city scribe of Saarbrücken; 12 Nov 1605; d. 31 Aug 1635 or early September; the exact date is unclear. He had the following known children:

  1. Maria: bap. 3 Oct 1613 (sponsors were Herr Johann Ludwig Schwebel, “Commissarius”; Engel, wife of Johann Henrich Rudinger…; Anna Brigitta, wife of Henrich Koch) – Lorentz Bruch is described as a court [Gerichts] scribe; m. Hans Georg Koch, son of the late Albrecht Koch, former Rathsverwanden, 17 Aug 1630; Her known children:
    1. Hans Daniel: bap. 19 Sep 1632 (sponsors were Johann Henrich Taglang, court master; Johann Daniel Koch; Hans Henrich Koch, citizen of Bergzabern; Anstatt [Anastasius] Ehrmann; Engel, wife of Johann Henrich Rudinger, Schultheiss; Judith, daughter of Debold Wald of [margin])
    2. Anna Susanna: bap. 22 Aug 1634 (sponsors were Susanna, daughter of Matthes Erhdinger of Bockenheim; Anna Rosina, daughter of Jacob Ludwig Baucher of Bergzabern; Susanna, daughter of Lorentz Bruch; Maria, wife of Hans Heppen, court surgeon; Abraham Waldt of [Borkenheim? Different than above]; Georg Meier of Lör[ken?]; Christoph Feigel)

Maria sponsored the following baptisms:

  1. Sponsors Catharina, daughter of Hans Georg Pax and Anna, 20 Dec 1626 [sic]
  2. Sponsors Jacob Balthasar, son of Enders Becker and Anna Margretha, 18 Nov 1627 [sic]
  3. Sponsors Maria Barbara, daughter of Wilhelm Hennrich Schön and Dorothea, 13 Nov 1628 (NB: another sponsor was wife of Peter Bruch of Kaiserslautern)
  4. Sponsors Anna Maria, daughter of Georg Rotgeb and Anna Margretha, 8 Feb 1629
  5. Sponsors Anna Maria, daughter of Caspar Belscher, usher, and Maria, 31 May 1629
  6. Sponsors Johann Jacob, son of Johann Ruprecht Scherer and Magdalena Sibylla, 4 Sep 1629
  7. Sponsors Hans Georg, son of Hans Bausch and Salome, 20 Dec 1629
  8. Sponsors Maria Salome, daughter of Wendel Jung and Margretha, 11 Nov 1632
  1. Susanna: bap. 16 Jun 1616 (sponsors were Jacob Weber, Oberkeller; Susanna, daughter of Jacob Taglags; Anna, wife of Georg [Knütters?] of Saarbrücken); Susanna sponsors the following baptisms:
    1. [Rosina? Name runs into margin], daughter of Hans Steinheubel and Anna Eva, 25 Feb 1633
    2. Susanna, daughter of Hansen the Cowherd and Margretha, 25 Apr 1633
    3. Maria Susanna, daughter of Christophel Schmittmann and Catharina, 21 Aug 1634
    4. Anna Susanna, daughter of Hans Georg Koch and Maria (Bruch), 22 Aug 1634
  2. Johann Nicolaus: bap. 25 Apr 1619 (sponsors were Mattheis Rodt; Anastasius Ehrmann; Anna Maria, wife of Christoph Feigel the goldsmith) [record describes Lorentz as “pro temp. Bürgermeister”]
  3. Anna Sibylla: bap. 9 Jul 1624 (sponsors were Hans Baum; Daniel Sindersberg, the bookbinder; Engel, wife of Johann Henrich Rindinger, Schultheiss; Magdalena, wife of Anthonius Ehrmann; Maria, wife of Johann Hoffbarbierer)
  4. Hans Georg: bap. 17 Dec 1630 (sponsors were Johann Daniel Koch, city scribe; Johann Homburger; Hans Georg Pax; Susanna, wife of Abraham Waldt of Bockenheim; Magdalena, wife of Anstatt Ehrmann)

A “knab” of Lorentz Bruch, the judge, was buried 10 Sep 1626. It is not clear if this is one of his children or a servant. 

Lorentz Bruch sponsored the following baptisms:

  1. Lorentz, son of Wendel Sichborn[?], 16 Feb 1612; Lorentz Bruch is described as a court scribe (Gerichtsschreiber) – this is the first reference to Lorentz Bruch since his marriage
  2. Anna Elisabeth, daughter of Daniel Süntenberger (Sindersberg), the book binder, 7 May 1615
  3. Anna Margretha, daughter of Susanna Braunen, 4 Feb 1617
  4. Hans Michael, son of Anstatt (Anastasius) Ehrmann, 8 Mar 1618
  5. Hans Simon, son of Hans Georg Pas, glazier, and Anna, 12 Mar 1619 (Lorentz Bruch is described as “pro tempore consul”)
  6. Laurentius, son of Bartholomeus Edelmann and Catharina, [undated, between 28 Jun and 6 Jul], 1619 (Lorentz Bruch is described as “pro tempore consul”)
  7. Hans Henrich, son of Christoph Feigel, the goldsmith, and Anna Maria, 17 Jul 1622
  8. Hans Lorentz, son of Caspar Betzer, wagoner, and Maria, 1 Oct 1624 (note: another sponsor was Hans Peter Brink; perhaps a relation of Anna)
  9. Johann Wilhelm, son of Friedrich Zimmerman and Barbara, 29 Jul 1627
  10. Anna Kunigunda, daughter of Georg Bernhard Knoll, secretary, 3 Nov 1627
  11. Johann Wolfgang, son of Antonius Rihel, “Collaboratoris” in the school of here, and Margretha, 27 Aug 1628. Another sponsor was Susanna Margretha, wife of Peter Brink.
  12. Johann Lorentz, son of Hans Michael Rüdel and Eva, 28 Nov 1628 
  13. Hans Balthasar, son of Christian Werning and Magdalena, 9 May 1630 
  14. Daniel, son of Hans Racket and Ursula, 13 Jan 1631
  15. Abraham, son of Abraham Waldt of Bockenheim[?] and Susanna, 20 Sep 1631

Anna sponsored the following baptisms:

  1. Hans Albert, son of Michael Fess, 11 Apr 1613
  2. Benedict, son of Hans Vogelius, 17 Apr 1614 (“Lorentz Bruch the scribe’s wife”)
  3. Hans Daniel, son of Hans David Conrad, 30 Jul 1616
  4. Anna Magdalena, daughter of Hans Georg Pes/Pax, 12 Jan 1617
  5. Anna Maria, daughter of Matthias Rodt and Gertrudt, 8 Aug 1619
  6. Anna Catharina, daughter of Christoph Feigel, the goldsmith, and Anna Maria, 10 May 1620
  7. Hans Jacob Edelmann, son of Panteleon Edelmann and Otillia, 5 Jul 1620 
  8. Hans Dietrich, son of Hans Vogel, carpenter, and Elsa,  Jan 1621
  9. Dorothea, daughter of Johann [?] Reiss and Agnes, 30 May 1622
  10. Anna Catharina, daughter Anstat Metzinger and Magdalena, 11 Apr 1624
  11. Anna Barbara, daughter of Panteleon Schneider and Otillia [same as Panteleon Edelmann and Otillia above?], 8 Aug 1624
  12. Anna Maria, daughter of Hans Peter Brunk and Susanna Margretha, 21 Mar 1626 [likely a relation – per Hans Peter’s marriage record, Peter was son of the Oberschultheiss of Alsenz, Hans]
  13. Anna Margretha, daughter of Johann Daniel Koch and Anna Margretha, 3 Mar 1626
  14. Adam, son of Wilhelm Henrich Schön and Dorothea, 8 Mar 1627
  15. Anna Justina, daughter of Hans Homburger and Sibylla, 19 Jul 1631
  16. Christophel, son of Georg Rodgeb and Anna Margretha, 24 Mar 1633