Dreisbach-Dresbach Family Association

The two churches called “St Martin’s” in Wittgenstein, Germany

St. Martin’s Feudingen and St. Martin’s Bad Berleburg - Both are important to the Dreisbach family

St. Martin's Church, Bad Berleburg, Raumland, Germany is the repository of the records of the Martin Dreisbach family and other Dreisbachs of Balde, Raumland and Berghausen. It is where Martinus (Martin) Dreisbach was baptized on 26 May 1717. St. Martin’s is a noteworthy church. The current building dates from 1250 A.D. but underneath it are the foundations of two earlier churches, one on top of the other. The uppermost of these is mentioned in a document from 1059 and so existed at that time. The foundation of the church beneath this one is from the era of St. Boniface, the man who lived from 675 to 754 and brought Christianity to this part of Germany.

St. Martin’s in Feudingen dates back to 1218. The current building is from the middle of the 1300’s and is positioned at the top of a hill so that it overlooks the town of Feudingen. In 1741 a lightening strike started a fire that burned half of the town, but because the church was built of stone and had a slate roof, it survived. This is the church where Simon Dreisbach Sr, and all of his children (Jost, Adam, Simon Jr, George, John and Anna Catharina) were baptized. The records of their baptisms are kept in a safe in the church office.

Also see the 2012 DDFA Newsletter titled A Research Trip to Wittgenstein for more information.