Lawrence Huber’s Parents

In my post about finding Lawrence Huber’s baptism is Butschbach, I glossed over several important details.

Church records often contain more information than just the obvious. It is important that every single word be read and understood. The subtle details are extremely helpful. For example, Lawrence’s baptism record told me his father’s occupation.[1] How did he make money to survive and raise his family? The record told me that Joseph Huber was a Rebbauer [winegrower]. 

Lawrence’s baptism also contained specific information about his birth. He was born 31 July 1817 at 12:00 noon in Butschbach. Sometimes people are born in a small village near where the church was located, so this record clarified that information. He was baptized the same day at 4 p.m. in the parish church. Isn’t it amazing to think he was baptized just four hours after his birth? It also tells us he was a healthy baby. Sometimes a midwife might administer an emergency baptism, not the case with Lawrence.

The baptism states this was a legitimate birth, so we know his parents were married before this date. If his parents had not been married, that would certainly be noted, too. The godparents were Andreas Spinnen, also a Rebbauer, who lived “in der Höd;” Franziska Huber, wife of Wendelin Springmann, “aus der Bodenau;” and Georg Schwarz, Messner [sexton] in Oberkirch.[2]

Those words after the godparents’ names explain where they lived specifically within or near Butschbach. Historical maps help with this. You need to be creative with phonetic interpretations. “In der Höd” could mean the area “in der Huld.” The Springmann’s lived “aus der Bodenau,” There were a few areas in the region with the name Bottenau. There was a nearby village so named, but if they lived in the village, the record would say “in Bottenau.” There were also two places named Bottenau designated as Zinken (outlying farm) and Hof (a type of farm), respectively.[3] The Springmanns may have lived there. On the southeast border of Butschbach was a section called “Bottenauer Eck.” The Springmanns might also have lived there. The last listed godparent lived in the nearby city of Oberkirch.

These godparents are potential relatives. Franziska, with her maiden name Huber, is a likely sister of Joseph. As the research on this family continues, these are names to look for to see how they connect.

The blue arrow shows “in der Huld,” and the red arrow shows “Bottenauer Eck.” This beautiful map is easier to see online: http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de/plink/?f=4-468200.

Lawrence’s parents, Joseph Huber and Theresa Kuder, married in 1809, as mentioned in the prior post. Their marriage record, written in Latin, gives more information about them. Joseph Huber’s parents were Joseph Huber and Maria Anna Heizmann who lived in Giedensbach. Theresa’s parents were Georg Kuder and Magdalena Sorrer who lived in Durbach. Magdalena was deceased. Durbach was a nearby village with its own parish, so Theresa’s baptism might be found there. The people who witnessed their marriage were Georg Huber and Joseph Sorrer, surely relatives. The groom, bride, and witnesses signed the record. Joseph and Theresa signed with their marks, so we know they cannot write.[4]

These details in the records set the stage for finding more information about Joseph and Theresa’s origins. We’ll do that in upcoming posts.

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[1] Katholische Kirche (Butschbach, Offenburg, Baden), Taufen [Baptisms], 1778–1840, p. 23, no. 6, Laurentius Huber; FamilySearch, FSL 995,795, item 1.

[2] Ernest Thode, German English Genealogical Dictionary (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1992), 164.

[3] MeyersGaz, database (https://www.meyersgaz.org : accessed December 2025), entries for Bottenau.

[4] Katholische Kirche (Oberkirch, Offenburg, Baden), Heiraten [Marriages], 1647–1815, p. 420, May 1809, Huber-Kuder; FamilySearch, FSL 995,509.