Landstuhl History

 
Pfalz: (Or  Palatinate)
This is the known ancestral home of the Hochbans (Hochbein) of Johann-Peter (1703) whose children migrated to Austria/Hungary between 1765-70 . What made Adam Hochban (1749-50), our ancestor, and thousands of Germans migrate to the newly opened lands of Austria is a story that deserves a brief history. When one views the map of Germany today, the two southern German states of Rhineland-Pfalz and Baden-Wurttemberg are located with the Rhine (Rhein) river separating the two. Most of this land was originally called Swabia consequently the nickname "Donauschwaben" (Danube-Swabians) for the settlers who migrated to the Banat.

Prior to 1875 this region of Germany included about 200 separate states in the Pfalz and about 600 in Wurttemberg, which changed frequently as the result of war and other causes. This was the land of Princes, Knights, Dukes, Counts, and Robber Barons, each competing for greater land and power. Unfortunately, old German feudal rights-laws, available since the 15th century, allowed domination of the low aristocracy and the farmers, including their use in military enterprises.
The German peasant was little more than a serf, and belonged to his Prince who viewed him as a valuable asset, little more than a slave. The rights were also granted to the Knights and other nobles by the Emperor. These aristocrats drafted the young men, forced them into the army, and rented them out to other warring factions in Europe. The peasant could not legally move off of his land without paying a sort of ransom called a manumission tax. Another feature of this power was religious control. Each noble determine the religion of his state, which became very relevant during the Reformation, and also led in part to the 30 year war.

To start this historical tour, its interesting to observe the formation of Germany through its past, beginning with medieval times.
Charlemagne (742-814) 
German King of Franks & Emperor of Holy Roman Empire:
The greatest of medieval kings was born in 742. He was of German blood and speech. Stood 6' 4" tall, strength in body and spirit, with an unassailable pride of race.

His father, King Pepin, controlled a huge amount of European land and before his death, divided his lands between his two sons. Charlemagne was allotted all lands running westward and his brother, Carloman, controlled part of present-day Germany, France, and Switzerland until his untimely death in 771. This placed Charlemagne in charge of an enormous section of land which unified the kingdom under one ruler once again.
772 - Charlemagne begins and wins wars with the pagan Saxons to the north of his kingdom.

778 - Around this time, Charlemagne advances to the East, against the Avars and Slavs, and adds the   lands of Eastern Germany and Hungary to his growing empire.

800 - Charlemagne is crowned emperor of the Holy Roman Empire at St. Peter's Basilica. 

802 - Charlemagne completes the establishment of his court at Aachen, Germany, and gathers the best scholars in Europe in hopes of turning Aachen into an educational city. 

814 - Charlemagne's health declines, he delegates power to his son, Louis the Pious, and dies in 814.
The Empire was devided into counties, each governed spiritually by catholic bishops and in secular affairs by counts. Charlemagne conceived of his new authority as a revival of the old Roman power and it became "holy" in name when Frederick Barbarossa introduced the word sacrum into his title in 1155.
Holy Roman Empire:Frederick I  (Barbarossa-Red Beard)
Frederick I (called Barbarossa), son of Frederick, the duke of Swabia, was made German king, and elected Holy Roman Emperor in 1152. He decided to consolidate the imperial position in Germany and began issuing orders for peace among the Princes of Germany, also granting them extensive concessions.

After he was elected emperor, he began to fortify the land of Pfalz, building a castle at  Kaiserslautern and a number of surrounding fortifications at Hohenecken and the castle Nanstein at Landstuhl. Construction of these castles continued throughout the following centuries to meet the challenges of new attack weapons. The unique Pfalz castle was owned by a typical baron who levyed Rhine tolls against travellers..
It is the land around Landstuhl (Obernheim) where the Hochban family originated.
Franz von Sickingen of Landstuhl The Last German Knight (1481-1523)
By 1482, Knight Schweikart of Sickingen became joint owner of the castle Nanstein, and in 1518 it succeeded to his son, Franz, who gradually acquired all portions of it. Franz of Sickingen modernized the medieval fortress to a modern "mountain lock" (cannon castle), which should resist the modern cannons. 
He uses the same old German feudal rights using the peasants in military enterprises. Some of these Knights became quite poor so they began a life as mercenaries and robbers. The most successful of these was Franz Sickingen from Landstuhl.

The mercenary Franz begins raids along the Rhine, surprising his oponents, resulting in quick success with low casualties. He also feuds with the Princes in realm politics, thus breaking the peace. 
 
This places Franz  under the ban of the Holy Roman Empire so he decides to serve King Francis I of France. Later he makes peace with the Holy Roman Kaiser, Maximilian I, and also helps to elect Charles V as emperor.

The Realm Knight War (1523)

This was the time of the Reformation (Martin Luther & others) and many Knights chose to side with the reformers in objection to the wealth of the Bishop rulers. Sickingen was chosen to lead this group against the catholic Princes of the Holy Roman Empire and began a war against the archbishop of Trier.
Unsuccessfully laying siege to Trier, he was again put under the imperial ban and was besieged at his castle Nanstein by the Princes of Trier, Hesse, and the Palatinate. Forced to capitulate, he died of his wounds in 1523. His defeat symbolized the end of the power of German knighthood. 

The Sons of Franz of Sickingens received the ruin in 1542 and rebuilt the plant immediately. The castle went through the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) undamaged. In 1688 invading French troops, pursuing a scorched earth policy, occupied the castle and eventually blew it up. It was never restored after its destruction.
The Thirty Years' War (1618-1648)
The Thirty Years' War was literally a series of wars, fought mainly on German soil, and was in large part a struggle to alter the European balance of power. It also may be considered a struggle of German Protestant princes allied with foreign powers (France, Sweden, Denmark, England) against the unity and power of the Holy Roman Empire (the Hapsburg Emperors) allied with the Catholic princes of Germany.

The Wars End -  Westphalia Treaty Results

1) Control of the Habsburg Emperor over the German territorial rulers was reduced to zero thus ending the Holy Roman Empire. The Hapsburgs however remained strong in the east and eventually formed the Austrian - Hungarian empire.

2) The common people bore the heaviest cost of this devastating war with population losses believed to have been about 40-50 % (20 million to 12 million) Education and agriculture were halted as there were not enough people left to rebuild or replant the farms.

 3) Religious unity was not established and remained the same as pre-war. Northern Germany tended to remain Protestant, and the south was Catholic as before.

4) The Treaty of Westphalia still recognized the sovereign, independent authority of the German princes with each ruler still governing his particular territory and ability to make war or peace. The peasants gained nothing but death and despair.

5) The main gain was made by France who now became the dominate power in Europe.
The Seven Years War: 1756-1763
The Seven Years War was a conflict between the major European powers with France, Austria, and Russia on one side and Great Britain and Prussia on the other. Prussia had became a kingdom in 1701 and still owed allegiance to the Holy Roman emperor in Vienna, but rivalry between the Austrian and Prussian rulers was bitter.
Frederick the Great began his reign the same time as Maria Theresia became the monarch of Austria. When Frederick seized the province of Silesia from Austria, Maria Theresia organized an alliance of other European countries and various battles were fought. The end result of this restored the prewar status quo, however Prussia emerged as a powerful force in Europe.

The war also coincided with the French and English colonial struggle in North America with the result that Britain emerged as the world's chief colonial empire. France lost most of its overseas possessions.
This then was the land of our original  Hochban ancestors who decided to migrate to Austia-Hungary in 1765. Their home village was Obernheim, county Sickingen, region Landstuhl in the Pfalz, Germany.