Kiening Genealogy northwest of Munich/Bavaria
People all over the world associate the town of Dachau with terror and fear. In the year 1933 the first German concentration camp (KZ) had been established by the national socialists (Nazis) near Dachau. Between 1933 and 1945 people suffered and were murdered by the Nazis.
The reason why Dachau was selected as the location for the camp, was the existence of an old unused ammunition factory from World War I., with solid fences around the area and many simple buildings, as well as railroad tracks connecting it to the main railway station.
Today the former camp is a museum to remember the victims and remind the visitors of what had happened.
Most visitors to the Concentration Camp Memorial do not know that there is an old town on a small mountain west of the camp with a unique and long history.
On this small mountain was and still is a castle, which belonged to the Bavarian Dukes and Earls. From the terrace of the castle they could see far into their Bavarian country all the way to the mountain range of the Alps, which used to be the southern border of their territory.
In Dachau resided the judge (Landrichter), who was responsible for the administration of the farm country in the vicinity, his court district. Before 1806 the court districts were called 'Pfleggerichte' which literally means 'Maintaining Courts', but refers to a district, not a court itself. The highest official of the area was called 'Pfleger' or 'Pflegrichter' (pflegen = maintain, care for).
Kiening's Genealogy's goal is to investigate the historic population of the region belonging to the court district of Dachau. It therefore collects the data of the people who lived in the country site, not in the town of Dachau.
The years 1600 to 1875 (by birth year) were investigated. For the time after 1876 personal data cannot be published. Information about people of the time after 1876 or living persons needs to be requested from the register offices (Standesamt), considering the Personal Data Protection Act.
Only a few locals know that the territory of the old court district of Dachau began right outside the Munich city gates. Up to the year 1812 the places Schwabing, Neuhausen and Untersendling, which today are part of Munich's city, belonged to the court district Dachau. The Theresienwiese, known as the location of the Munich October Fest, was the border between the court district Dachau and the city of Munich.
With the growth of the city of Munich the borders of the court district Dachau were pushed gradually to the northwest. Today the district Dachau begins just before the town borders of Dachau.
Since the political borders of the districts were changed several times in the course of history, it makes it difficult, to map out the investigated area accurately. Furthermore where people intermarried with each other over the borders of the investigated area, you also find data outside the mainly researched territory.
In the east the river Isar is the border. Until the 20est century there where no bridges across the Isar between Munich and Freising. It therefore also forms a border genealogically. Marriages over the river Isar occurred very rarely.
In the south is a large uninhabited forest area. The large forests of "Forstenrieder Park", "Kreuzlinger Forst" etc. separate the northern area of grain cultivation from the southern area of dairy farming and cattle breeding. The area of the forests remained uninhabited, since it was not possible to build wells here. The different agriculture between south and north is due to altitude and climate in the region north of the Alps. Here we find a genealogical border as well.
In the west the river Lech was the border between Bavaria and Swabia. The river Lech is also the border between the Bavarian and Swabian dialect/accent. That transition is gradually however.
The "Kiening Genealogy" does not reach all the way up to the river Lech yet. Beside the old court district of Dachau there are the early court districts of Mering, Friedberg and Aichach. Parts of the Friedberg court district are investigated. Mering and Aichach have not yet been researched.
In the north there is no exact border. The investigated area ends approximately at the small rivers Glonn and Amper. These rivers in former times formed also the borders of the court district. A lot of people married across the court district borders into those neighboring areas.
In Kienings's genealogy there is one page for each house of the old court district of Dachau. On this page you will at least find the owner of the house in 1812, usually however there is much more: Indeed the complete families of the owners from 1600 to 1875 and their genealogy.
Since the ice age, the hill country west of Dachau has good soil fruitful harvests. Grain was cultivated here. The farmers sold their harvest on the market, called "Schranne", in Munich.
For the residents of Munich the "Farmers of Dachau" with their characteristic costume became the typical grain farmers of old Bavaria. The costumes differentiated them from the "Mountain Farmers" from the area south of Munich, who supplied cattle and wood for the Munich residents.
Die "Farmers of Dachauer" delivered their goods with horse-covered carts. The "Mountain Farmers" came to Munich down the river Isar on rafts.
That investigated territory was rich farm land. One child would inherit the estate. The other children could find work in the cities of Munich, Augsburg and Freising. Thus there was always a lack of workers on the farms.
There was little reason to immigrate into other countries. Emigration to America didn't start much before 1920. Currently we know of only 21 people who immigrated to the USA.
The small old market village Hahnbach north of Amberg in the Oberpfalz (Upper Palatinate) and its region is the second topic of "Kiening's Genealogy". The genealogical situation in Hahnbach is unique.
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(C) Josef Kiening, back to the Start Page www.genealogie-kiening/estart.htm