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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