The Hein family was not one of the largest families in the village in terms of numbers, but it had a prominent representative in Maximilian Hein.
Maximilian Hein was wealthy. He ran a large farm in Krasna. For a time he was the head schoolmaster/mayor of Krasna (see book: Krasna, ein deutsches Dorf in Bessarabien). He worked as a sexton. This function did not correspond to the sexton service in Germany, but included higher-ranking activities (organist, holding services of the word, religious instruction, etc.).
He was married (on October 2, 1896) to Gotoleva VOLK 1879-1945 and they had 14 children, all of whom were very musical.
So far, only his ancestors are known:
Karl HEIN, 1795-1847,
⚭ Maria Eva HARSCHE 1800-1867
- Joseph Hein, 1825 -1852
⚭ Elisabeth Materi 1827 -1860
- Nikolaus Hein 1846-1888
⚭ Katharina Mueller 1849-1925
- Maximilian Hein 1874-1928
⚭ 1896 Gotoleva Volk 1879-1945
In Krasna documents there are two persons of the name Hein who were born before 1814 and already lived in Krasna in 1815: Johannes Hein * before 1793, Karl Hein * 1793.
It can be assumed that they were related (brothers?). In any case, Johannes was best man at Karl's marriage. Conversely, Karl was godfather to Johannes' first child in 1813 in Orzechowo (a teenager; Johannes did not marry until 1814).
Johannes Hein got married in Czeszewo Wrzesnia:
Catholic parish Czeszewo Wrzesnia, entry 2 / 1814 (source: Poznan project) Joannes Heyn & Margaretha Hartmann 1
Witnesses: Mathias Müller and Philipp Hartmann (brother of the bride * 1797)
Three children of Johannes Hein are known:
Johannes must have died before 1835, because he no longer appears in the 1835 census. His children - at least in Krasna - had no descendants.
All others born in Krasna are descendants of Karl Hein.
Karl Hein married for the first time on Sept. 12, 1815 in Krasna (the widow Anna Maria Müller, she was probably married to Mathias Müller and was called Anna Maria Heidrich * 26.05.1782 in Büdingen, parents Johann Heidrich and Elisabeth, witnesses Johannes Hein & Martin Dressler). Martin Dressler was married to Katharina Hartmann, a relative of Johannes Hein's wife.
He is named as godfather in the Krasna baptismal register as early as 1816 (No. 86); his daughter Katharina is registered in 1817 (No. 119).
Karl Hein married for the second time in 1821.
Karl had a total of eight children.
Earlier ancestors and the origin of the family could not yet be determined.
There are the following indications of origin:
In addition to Krasna, the name Hein also occurs in the neighboring colonies of Borodino, Klöstitz and Kulm.
Some family researchers believe that there is a family connection between the various Hein families in Bessarabia. They are all said to have lived in Borodino at first. The Hein families in Borodino came from West Prussia (Kulm, Graudemz area).
Whether this applies to the Krasnaer Hein is questionable: they were Catholic, the others Protestant. At least Karl and Johannes Hein did not live in Borodino first, but in Krasna as early as 1815.
In Klöstitz there was a Christina Hein * 1810 from Wilhelmsdorf/Neuostpreußen. Are there any connections to the Hein family in Krasna?
The Riehl family in Krasna comes from the village of Wilhelmsdorf.
It cannot be ruled out that the Heins in Krasna came from the Principality of Nassau, because there were Hein emigrants from there to South Prussia, namely to the Czeszewo Wrzesnia area, where Johannes Hein was married and his first child was born.
Previous research into the above-mentioned clues has not yielded any further information, so the origin of our Heins in Germany remains unclear.
Eduard Volk
Neuwied, December 2024
Eduard's ancestor is Klemens VOLK