I am researching the genealogy of the BALBIERER family. My connection is with the BALBIERER family who emigrated
from Kurfurstentum Trier to Lenauheim in the Banat of Hungary as a Hapsburg colonist in about 1767. They were one of several families from the area to do so, and were one of the 54 original families to settle in Lenauheim, also known as Csatad/Tschadat. My greatgrandfather was JOSEF BALBIERER. He was cobbler in the Banat village of Gertianosch (?1860-1930?). His daughter Magdalena was my grandmother (geb. 1887) and she migrated to the USA with her husband JOSEF MEININGER (MINNINGER)in 1906.

posted March 1999

Hi John,
We must be related. I think you might be my grandmother's nephew. My grandmother is Mary Minninger Gottmann. I do not have any information to help you, I have just started my searching. I would love it if you would share your information with me and I will see what I can discover. Thanks. You can email me at annagottmann@aol.com

John,
I think we have common Balbierer ancestry, but my info is limited. I know that my Balbierer's were part of the Donau-Schwabians, colonists, who emigrated from the same area of SW Germany (no specifics on that)to the area of Temeschburg in what was then Hungary. My great grandfather was Josef Balbierer, who listed his last place of residence as Ghiroda, Hungary before he emigrated in 1902 to the US, through Baltimore. He was born in 1856 and was married in Hungary around 1884 to Eva Balbierer. Eva listed her last residence as Uberland, Hungary, just NW of Temesvar. She emigrated to the US in 1904 with her and Josef's two children, Joseph (19) and Eva (15). They sailed to Baltimore and met up with husband Josef in Allegheny, PA.
I believe that Josef Sr. was not the same cobbler who worked in Gertianosch at least until 1891. My Josef did not have a daughter, Magdalena and the Meininger connection isn't mine either. Joseph Jr., my grandfather, later changed their name to Balbier, which it has remained since.

I would love to learn more about their ancestors. I don't know where in Germany they came from, but for lack of any other clue, I will go with what your message said, Kurfurstentum, Trier. There must be a connection, the name is too unusual.