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Hans von WOLFSBERG
Hans von WOLFSBERG was born about 1395 and lived in the castle Hof Wolfsberg where many of the family lived for several generations. The generations between Knight BALDERBERT and Hans is not totally connected, but there are records of several members of the family between these two persons. The name of the spouse of Hans is unknown. Hans had five sons; Herman born about 1436, Ulrich born about 1439, Hans born about 1443, Frederich born about 1445 and Konrad born about 1446. All of the known WOLFENSBERGER family are descendants of this Hans von WOLFSBERG. The principle reference to this family is "Deutsch-Schweizerisches Geschlechterbuch" by Dr. Jur Bernhard HOERNER of Berlin and Fritz UMBERGER of Zurich, published in 1929. This book is out of print and only two copies are known in the United States. This book was underwritten by Jakob WOLFENSBERGER of Bauma, the father of Heini WOLFENSBERGER. The other important reference to this family is the "Wolfensberger Family of Switzerland", Film 1181673, Item No. 16 from the LDS Genealogical Library in Salt Lake City, UT.
Family History - Family Legend
At least one fairy tale has lived on for centuries about the Wolfensberger family. There's a fascinating legend associated with the original Wolfensberger family castle, a long-vanished medieval stone structure known as the Altlandenberg that once lay atop the Wolfensberg, the family's ancestral home in Bauma, Switzerland. Deep in the castle's cellar, as the legend goes, a golden plow lay buried, guarded only by a poisonous snake. One day, a goat herder noticed a beautiful young maiden walking by the castle walls. Since he'd never seen the maiden before, the shepherd asks who she is. The maiden replied that she is the daughter of the Knight of Wolfensberg. She is condemned to live under a spell as a snake to guard the golden plow. Only once in a century is she allowed to shed her skin and become a living figure, said the maiden. If the shepherd had the courage to kiss her three times, she would be released from her spell, never to return in the guise of a snake. Smitten by the maiden's beauty, the shepherd didn't hesitate. As he kissed her, she turned suddenly into an ugly snake. In the beautiful maiden's voice, the snake said sadly, "Now you must kiss me as I slide past you as a snake." With that, the snake rose up to meet his lips for a second kiss. When the shepherd saw the head of the terrible reptile just inches from his lips, he was horrified. He pushed the snake down and raced down the mountain, leaving the maiden to sob and scream in disappointment. The legend is included in the Swiss family history, 66 Familienamen seit 700 Jahren, written by Dr. Armin Sierszyn in 1996. |