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Individual Report



Johann and Andreas Steiert, the ancestors of the Krasna Steiert

The two brothers emigrated with their parents (Johannes Baptist Steiert * ca. 1749 and Maria Anna Enz * ca. 1762) to southern Russia in 1803. They were the first people of this name to come to Krasna with their families in 1843:

The origins of the Steiert family lie in Hinterzarten in the Black Forest

The origin and meaning of the surname STEIERT are not exactly known. According to some sources, STEIERT means "from Styria". The spelling of the name could also be Stayert, Steyer, Steier, Steier or similar. Until shortly before the Second World War, almost all STEIERTs in Germany were to be found in Baden-Württemberg, especially in the south-western regions (Black Forest, Freiburg/Breisgau area).

The Steiert clan is documented from 1608 in Hinterzarten1, initially in an outdated form as STEINHARDT, STEINHART, STEIGERT.

In the years and centuries before 1600, Hinterzarten and most of its surroundings were under the feudal rule of nobles and princes who had historical connections to the region of Styria in Austria. It therefore seems plausible that settlers were recruited from Styria to clear the forests and colonize the lands. Fallow land was unproductive for the prince.

Hans Steiert, Bühlbauer was the first Steiert there according to the Hinterzarten family register.
On July 6, 1628 he bought the Steiertenhof for 1200 fl.

Hans Steiert was the father of Jakob Steinhart Senior (1628 - 1674).

Johann Steiert * 1749 became a miller in Wagenstadt and Kippenheim because he saw no source of income for himself in Hinterzarten. There, the youngest son inherited the Steiertenhof. As there were many sons in each generation, the older ones had to move elsewhere. Johann Steiert's parents no longer lived on Steiertenhof, but in Hinterzarten-Bisten in the Bistenhäusle on the Bistenhof on a lease.

Steiertenhof

According to the book Ekkehard Liehl: "Geschichte der Hinterzartener Hofgüter" Jakob Steinhart (1628 - 1674) from Bühlhof is the owner of Steiertenhof The farm Steiertenhof was first mentioned in documents in 1446 as "Urhof". The farm was owned by the STEIERT family from 1628 until the early 19th century, after which it passed to the Schelb and Steurenthaler families.

In 1957, the farm was acquired by the municipality of Hinterzarten. It was sold in 1984 and the farmhouse burned down in 1985.

Emigration to southern Russia

Johannes Baptist Steiert * 1749 and his wife Maria Anna Enz * ca. 1762 emigrated to southern Russia in 18032, their children:

The reason for the emigration is not known. It could be related to the following event.

Johann Steiert is described as a miller in Wagenstadt. The mills in the area (Mahlberg Orschweier, Münchweier) mainly belonged to the Benedictine monastery Ettenheimmünster. It was dissolved on 23.04.1803 (secularization). The Margraviate of Baden took the place of the monastery and the High Abbey of Strasbourg. This change of ownership may have had negative consequences for the millers.

It is not yet known how the family ended up in Russia:

The Steiert family came to Kleinliebental in the Odessa region in 1803, the year in which German colonization began near Odessa.

Kleinliebental

Kleinliebental was founded by Catholic settlers mainly from Alsace and the Palatinate and belonged to the parish of Großliebental. 16 families, who were destined for this colony and arrived as early as 1803, had to be quartered in Odessa as the land had not yet been purchased for them. Over the next few years, more families arrived, so that by 1810 there were already over 80 households.
The colonies shown on the map belonged to the LIEBENTAL COLONIST DISTRICT in the district of Odessa. With the exception of the Catholic colony of Kleinliebental, all the colonies were initially settled by Lutherans. Franzfeld eventually became a Catholic village after a few years as a result of a large influx of Catholics.

Johann Steiert sen. *1749 himself probably died immediately after his arrival or beforehand on the journey, as his wife and her children were staying with Johann Paulo in Kleinliebental. She married Paulo. Paulo from Kapsweier also came to Kleinliebental in 1803.

Two of their sons inherited farms in Kleinliebental3:

After a few years, Johann bought a farm in Franzfeld. It is not known why he gave up the farm he had inherited from his stepfather. Andreas Steiert remained on his inherited farm in Kleinliebental until he moved on to Krasna.

From Kleinliebental to Franzfeld

Franzfeld was one of the ten mother colonies in the Liebental colonist district. According to Conrad Keller4, Franzfeld was founded by thirteen German Lutheran families from Timisoara in Hungary who came to Russia between 1805 and 1806. In the following years, however, there was a large influx of Catholics, which eventually turned it into a Catholic village.

One of these Catholics was Johann Steiert. Although he had inherited the farm from his stepfather in Kleinliebental, he bought the farm from J. Wohlgemuth in the Franzfeld colony. A. Zerr, "Immigration history of the Zerr family in Russia" states on p. 72: " Settled 1803: 8a. Johann Steiert. Bought the farm from J. Wohlgemuth Feb. 28, 1819; wife Anna-Maria 18 years (in 1816)".

And Conrad Keller says: "Georg Bailer (born 1754), a Lutheran from Mariental/Rockenhausen, Palatinate, who came via Sekitch, Batshka, Hungary, received the land at house no. 8 in 1807. He gave it to his son-in-law Jakob Wohlgemuth (born 1785) from Illingen/Vaihingen, Württemberg, via Hungary, who sold it in 1815 to Johann Steiert (born 1791), ... who came to Franzfeld from Kleinliebental. In 1843, Steiert moved to Krasna, Bessarabia "5.

.

It is not known why he moved to Franzfeld and later to Krasna. Presumably he was not satisfied with the farms in the Liebental colonist district.

From the clonist district of Großliebental to Krasna

Großliebenthal

Between 1835 and 1843, more than 25 families moved to Krasna from the colonist districts near Odessa. Among them were the Steiert families listed below from Kleinliebental and Franzfeld (colonist district of Großliebental).

It is not known why the Steiert brothers moved away from there. Both owned their own farms there. The lack of land for farmers in the Odessa region can therefore hardly have been the reason for their departure. Nevertheless, they decided to move to Krasna. Places became available there, as at least 20 families moved abroad or to other colonies around 1843.

In Krasna, the Steierts developed into one of the largest clans in the village.

Eduard Volk
Neuwied, Juli 2024
Eduard's ancestor is Klemens VOLK

1 Ekkehard Liehl reports on the history of the Hinterzarten farms and their owners in a two-volume work entitled "Geschichte der Hinterzartner Hofgüter". These books are based on extensive research by Liehl in local, regional and state archives relating to Hinterzarten.

2 Source: Zerr, Anton Einwanderungsgeschichte der Familie Zerr in Russland. S.12

3 Namentliches Verzeichnis der ersten Ansiedler und Wirtschaftsbesitzer der Kolonie Kleinliebental, S. 159:

4 Konrad Keller; Die deutschen Kolonien in Südrußland

5 CHANGES IN LANDOWNERSHIP IN FRANZFELD/ODESSA 1806-1822 by Adam Giesinger
Journal Of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, Vol. 3, No. 3 Winter 1960, pages 41-44

6 They can be found in the OFD Krasna.

Further individual ancestor lists and reports

The text was translated by Otto Riehl using the translation tool from DeepL, Cologne, Germany .

This report and all informations therein contained
may not be used or transmitted elsewhere without prior approval of the authors
Ted J. Becker [†]  &  Otto Riehl, Kirchlinteln

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