The Catholic Parish of Altbessingen (Assumption of Mary and St. Giles), belongs to Bistum Würzburg in Bavaria. It includes branches for Gauaschach, today a part of the town of Hammelburg, and Neubessingen. The records for this parish have been digitized back to 1573 and extend into the early 1900s at Matricula Online: Altbessingen. The parish is referred to as Bessingen in some records.

This parish is where my immigrant ancestor Magdalena SPAHN was confirmed in 1816, specifically in the Neubessingen branch. She was called Magdalena DÖLL on this record, as her mother had married a Georg DÖLL of Neubessingen when she was just 2 years old in 1809.

My surnames of interest for this parish include HEURUNG, PFEUFFER, and ZIEGLER, as her maternal grandfather Johannes HEURUNG was born in Gauaschach in 1750, his mother was Catharina ZIEGLER from Gauaschach, and her mother was Ursula PFEUFFER from Gauaschach.

Please get in touch with me if you have any questions, know more about these families, or otherwise would like to connect.

Altbessingen – Gauaschach Family Names

Surnames that appear in Altbessingen Parish include: BINSBACH, DÖLL, DORN, FELLA, FISCHER, FÜLLER, GÖBEL, HEURUNG, HOFFMANN, HOTZ, KELLER, KEUL, KRAPF, MEDER, MÜNCH, PFEUFFER, PFISTER, REITZ, SCHMITT, SCHMITTROTH, SPAHN, VETH, WEBER, WERNER, ZIEGLER. Surnames in my direct ancestry with Gauaschach and Altbessingen roots are bolded.

Ancestors in Altbessingen Parish Records

My 4th great-grandmotheer Magdalena SPAHN was confirmed at the Neubessingen branch of Altbessingen Parish in 1816. She is called Magdalena DÖLL on this record.

Her mother, my 5th great-grandmother Barbara HEURUNG, married Georg DÖLL in 1809 at the Neubessingen branch of Altbessingen Parish. She never formally married Michael SPAHN, biologically Magdalena’s father (confirmed by DNA), and Georg legally became Magdalena’s father.

My 6th great-grandfather Johannes HEURUNG was born in Gauaschach, a branch of Altbessingen Parish, on 3 March 1750, a son of Andreas HEURUNG and Catharina ZIEGLER.

Andreas HEURUNG and Catharina ZIEGLER married on 14 November 1746 in Gauaschach, Altbessingen Parish. Andreas was from Speicherz in Bad Brückenau Parish, while Catharina was from Gauaschach.

Catharina ZIEGLER was born on 29 April 1724 in Gauaschach, Altbessingen Parish to a schoolmaster Andreas ZIEGLER and Ursula PFEUFFER.

Andreas ZIEGLER and Ursula PFEUFFER married on 22 November 1707 in Gauaschach, Altbessingen Parish. While Andreas was the son of a blacksmith from Euerdorf, Ursula had deep roots in Gauaschach, and her parents Jacob and Margaretha were both PFEUFFERs.