Gustav Bauernfeind

Gustav Bauernfeind (1848-1904) was a German painter. He is best known for his paintings of Palestine. He painted around twenty or more paintings.

A Street Scene Damascus

Bauernfeind origins

Below is a compilation of some research I gathered from Michael Bauernfeind research in 1980 and from Bauernfeinds in Wisconsin.

The history is filled with Crusader knights, Catholic Church officials, including a bishop, crumbled castles, and numerous coats-of-arms. Wolfgang Mozart’s mother was a Salzberg Bauernfeind.

The family castles are no more than small, grass-covered heaps of stone. The families lost most of their titles. In the 1600s a Bauernfeind was beheaded for stealing a sheep. A painting of this event still hangs in a small village church in upper Bavaria. The painter gave our theif a saint’s halo.

Kemnater von Kemnat lived in his family castle Hohenkemnate located in the Upper Palatinate near Amberg, Bayern. This family served the Bohemian kings.

The Pauernfeind/Bauernfeind name surfaced by the 1400s. Their descendants served royal families in Prague. There were numerous great Bauernfeind Houses and castles. There is the impression that one Bauernfeind branch was too closely associated politically with the death of Jan Hus. During the Hussite Rebellion, the Bauernfeinds fled throughout Europe as religious refugees, specifically to Austria, Bayern, and the Tirol. At the time, they split into five branches, hoping that by traveling separately, they could more easily regain their titles, or earn new titles. Some did, however, the Arzberg branch became commoners, although an Arzberg Bauernfeind was knighted in the 1870s.

Overall, the Bauernfeinds were very determined people who welcomed challenges. Some were tall, but others were quite short.
When our ancestors traveled into the Byzantine, they were impressed by the more elegant culture there. So after returning home they adopted some of its practices and mannerisms. Hence, Bauernfeind, which translates roughly as ,,enemy of the peasant’s life style.

The Arzberg Bauernfeinds began to emigrate in 1842. Although, Arzberg, Bayern switched back and forth between Catholic and Lutheran several times, the Arzberg Bauernfeinds remained faithful Roman Catholics. Röthenberg, which is near Arzberg, however, is decidedly Lutheran. I suspect the Baltimore Bauernfeinds hail from Roethenbach.

Coming soon: a blog on Gustav Bauernfeind.

Siebermacher's description of the Bauernfeind crest

Das Illustrierte Bauernfeind Wappen ist offiziell. Im Siebermachers Wappenbuch Dokumentiert. Die original Beschreibung diese Wappens ist wie folgt: 

Geviert: 1. 4. G. Einhorn in B. 2. 3. Gespalten, vorn W. Adler am Spalt in K. Hinten 6. aus dem Spalt Hervorgehende G. Flammen in R. (altdeutsche Beschreibung)

Schildbescreibung: “Quadriert: 1) und 4) blau; ein goldenes Einhorn. 2) und 3) senkrecht Geteilt: A) rot; ein weisser Adler Ensteigt der Teilung. B) rot; sechs goldene, übereinander Illustrierte Fische, der Teilung zugekehrt.”

Helmzier: “Ein goldenes, sich aufbaeumendes Einhorn.” 

The Illustrated Bauernfeind Coat of Arms is officially documented in Siebermacher’s coat of arms book. The original description of this crest is as follows:

Quarter: 1. and 4. a gold unicorn on blue; 2. and 3. divided, in front of the partition in K. a white eagle and behind the partition 6 gold flames on red. (Old German description)

Shield description: “Quarter: 1) and 4) on blue, a gold unicorn. 2) and 3) vertically shared: A) on red, a white eagle emerges from the division. B) on red, six gold fish, one above the other, facing the partition. ”

Helm ornament: “A gold unicorn rearing up.”

Bauernfeind family crest

Below is a summary of correspondence I had ten years ago with Michael Bauernfeind who has done extensive research on the family in Germany:

"There is no one crest for the family. There are maybe ten different crests preceded by a Hausmark (House mark), which is an ancient symbol used by families in in very early Middle Ages, at the millennium. The three part crest most associated with the family today is an Allianzwappen (Alliance coat-of-arms). It is a combination of the crests from the three major branches of the family in Suedtirol, Salzburg and Franken/Oberpfalz. It is beautiful." This Allianzwappen is what is pictured on this website.

There is some confusion about the six gold items stacked one on top of the other on the red background. I have the original description from the official German book on family crests. These six items are either fish or flames.

A little insight on the family name:

Bauernfeind: enemy of the farmer (gross translation);
enemy of the peasant or rebel (specific translation).

In Latin, the name would be: Inimicus Pauperorum: enemy of the poor.

Boumi's

This corner store used to be William and Annie's confectionary store, Boumi's. They owned a double house connected to the corner store.

3 photos added to the slideshow

I have added three more Bauernfeind photos to the slideshow; two came from Cousin Paula via Cousin Iris. Thanks!!!

Ancestry of the Name Bauernfeind

The following is from Hermann Bauernfeind’s Homepage, which last time I checked was no longer on the internet.

Hugo of Trimberg: “The Renner” [The Racehorse] is a moral poem written in Middle-High German, originating in 1290 in St. Gangolf near Bamberg. It is a reservoir for Family and name-researchers.

Quotation: ... und manic ander boesewiht, and manic different villainous
Geburnvint und Galgenswengel, peasant foe and gallows
Lasterbalc und Rüdenbengel burdensome brat & male dog-rascals...

The name Bauernfeind appears here as "GEBURNVINT," and in the footnote with deviations of "Pawrnfeynt", "Pawrveint", and also "Gebure vient"

The farmer was also called around this time "gebaur," and also "gebur"; one still finds this today in surnames like Gebauer and Neugebauer.

The surname mentioned by Hugo Trimberger is still largely encounted today in Franconia. Trimberger lived in St. Gangolf near Bamberg.

Attempting an interpretation of the name in "DER SPRACHDIENST, Jg. XXXV ('91), H. 5

Bauer(n) feind is an Upper-German or Middle-German Übername [overall-name], that was common in Munich, Nuremberg, Regensburgm, Vienna, and especially in Plauen (occurred 63 times) around 1930; it was often found in Augsburg, Ingolstadt, Berlin, Frankfurt on the Main, Cologne, Leipzig, Chemnitz, and Dresden. This wide distribution indicates that Bauernfeind could not solely be an Übername in the narrow sense of 'Feind des Bauern' [enemy of the famer]; for this Bauer [farmer], mhd. bur, gebur, Ackersmann [field-man], Dorfgenosse [village-comrade], Nachbar [neighbor], Mitbewohner' [fellow occupant] +--feind, mhd. Viant, vient, vint, veint, ahd. fiant, got, fijands (zu fijan, hassen'), "Gegner aus Abneigung, Haß" [adversaries out of aversion, hate]. It may be that in particular cases an Übername has been assumed for knights [Ritter], robber-barons [Raubritter], and their bodyguards [Trabanten], which is apparent regarding: Heintz von Redwitz, who is called Bauemfeind (15th century). To a large extent Bauernfeind originated in high- and middle-German countrysides as a Übername for soldiers [Soldaten], brush-hands [Reisige], farmhands [Knechte], and servants [Diener], who by order of their lords proceeded to be severe and hard against the farmers and because of their incursion received this name. The mercenary-name [Söldnername] Bauernfeind is covered by the role of the Matz Bawrenfeind, who is one of the four soldiers who appears in Johann Pomarius' "Votum Jephtae" (Magdeburg 1574). As a mercenary-name, Bauer'nfeind could be found widely-dispersed since the 14th century and would then become an established surname.

Oldest references: Frenczl Pawernfeint of 1360 in Iglauer's city register; Anderlinus Pawerenveint in 1363, Heinczlinus Pawrenfeint in 1397 in the pass-book of Znaim; Tile Burfient in 1383 citizen [Bürger] of Sandau; Albertus dictus Pawerfint in 1390 in Ttschaslau, Paulus Pawrenfeint in 1409 in Prague; Conrad Paurenfeint in 1414 a forest ranger [Förster] in Cadolzburg; Hans Purenvyend in 1419 citizen of Ravensburg; Endres Bawerfeint der Kürschner [the fur trader] in 1443 in Coburg; Hannus Gebouwer vynd in 1388 in Liegnitz; Jörg Pawrenfeind, coach builder [Wagner]. 1495 in Weißenburg/Bayern, Burfindt van Munster 1547 mercenary [Söldner] in Peine; Weygel Bawemfeind 1554: Caspar and Niclas Bauernfeindt 1563 in Bersrod (Gießen).
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