Kluft / Klufft Family Genealogy (Vallendar, Germany)

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Surnames of those in my direct ancestral line appear in BOLD.

Descendants of Johann Klufft

1 Johann Klufft b: unknown d: Feb. 26, 1804 in Vallendar, Germany
..+ Maria Catharina (unknown)
........ 2 Maria Anna Klufft b: May 19, 1778 in Vallendar, Germany d: unknown
............+ Ludwig Franz Frank b: 1774 in Vallendar, Germany d: Nov. 30, 1855 in Vallendar, Germany
...…....... [click here for additional information on this family line.]
........ 2 Elverinus Klufft b: May 19, 1780 in Vallendar, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany d: unknown
........ 2 Peter Josef Klufft b: Dec. 21, 1782 in Vallendar, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany d: unknown

VALLENDAR, GERMANY

The Klufft family, also spelled Kluft, Klofft, and Kloft, originated in the town of Vallendar, Germany in what was then considered Prussia. Vallendar is located near Koblenz, the third largest city in The Palatinate, southeast of Cologne.

Vallendar (also spelled Wallendar) is located in the district Mayen Koblenz and the settlement area of the city spreads on the right bank of the Middle Rhine opposite the inhabited island Lower Rhine Werth (Niederwerth). The city is situated to the west of where the Westerwald (mountain range) meets the right bank of the Rhine. The city is located 5.7 km north of Koblenz and 12.3 km south of Neuwied in Neuwied Basin, a part of the Middle Rhine basin. In 1910 the population of the city was 4,462. The current population is 8,763.

The first record of Vallendar is in 830 CE. It was historically said to be owned by the archbishops of Trier, but may also be of Celtic origin, and thus much older (700 - 600 BCE). In 1232, the Count of Sayn built a castle on the north side of Vallendar. Today, the Marienburg stands where the castle was built.

The modern town hall stands where the original town hall stood, from 1294 to 1789. The ceramics industry (with porcelain factory) and the finishing of leather (and, thus, arts and crafts) were prime industries in the town. The town has had a tannery, a facility where tanning processes were applied to hides to produce leather, dating back to the 17th century.

In 1802 the city was under the principality of Nassau-Weilburg, but in 1815 it became the Kingdom of Prussia. In 1813, the Wars of Liberation began in Germany, following the destruction of Napoleon's army in Russia. After the Battle of the Nations at Leipzig, Germany was liberated from French rule. The Confederation of the Rhine was dissolved. During the Wars of Liberation, Vallendar is a constant passage and quartering station for ally troops. Many inhabitants died of typhoid fever.

The Congress of Vienna assigned Koblenz to Prussia, and in 1822 it was made the seat of government for the Prussian Rhine Province. The Rhine Province (German: Rheinprovinz), also known as Rhenish Prussia (Rheinpreuben), was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1822-1946. It was created from the provinces of the Lower Rhine and J'Cleves-Berg. In 1946, the Rhine Province was divided into the newly-founded states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate.

The Catholic parish St. Marzellinus and Peter had its west tower build in 1501 and was reconstructed between 1837 and 1841. Most of the town was Catholic, however there is now a Protestant church and a synagogue in town, constructed at the turn of the 19th century.

Today the town features a beautiful university and a health resort. Its grace chapel is known throughout the world, particularly in South America.

FAMILY ORIGINS

Johann and Maria Catharina Klufft lived in Vallender and had three children, Anna Maria, Elverinus, and Peter Joseph.

The baptismal sponsors of Anna Maria were A. Muller and Theodor Hisgen. Baptismal sponsors of her siblings included Elverinus Bender, Elisabetha Monreal, Peter Josef Bartel and A.M. (Anna Maria) Noll.

Ludwig Franz Frank married Anna Maria Kluft on November 28, 1804 in Vallendar.

Ludwig and Anna had seven children, including great-great-great-grandfather and immigrant ancestor Theodore Frank.

SURNAME ORIGINS

The surname Kluft is Old High German and is either a rift, gap, or fissure or a levee (embankment to prevent flooding).

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