My cousin Luc Stenger is actually researching this right now. He is writing a comprehensive history of the Stenger family starting back in the 1400s. It spans several continents and many countries. Here is a note he rescently sent me in an email: Oldest DOCUMENTED trace of the family and the glass trade : 1406 : creation of the Glassmaker guild in the former Spessart (today part of Bavaria). 40 glassmaster signed among them 6 Stenger.

From this region STENGER are supposed (still not fully documented) having emigrated to the Siegerland (actual big German city of Siegen – see google maps please) and abandoning the glass trade (due to economical hardship). These Stenger started a strong line travelling East and the 4th generation ending in the Imperial Guard of Russia at commending level. The story of this line is mostly documented by me.

From Spessart, after the peasants war (1525) they migrate in many directions, mostly north, north-east and north-west.

South of Spessart, in actual Württemberg is also a strong STENGER presence, all glassmaker, they have a very strong bound to the other famous glassmaker family the GREINER (well documented).

Links between Spessart and this region are little documented for now but exist.

From Württemberg they came to the East of France (reasonably documented but not enough to my taste). Greiner went to the Fleckenstein county + some Stenger and the Stenger went to the nearby Lützelstein county + a few Greiner.

They developed a lot of businesses moving around when the major component was running out : wood…

They spread toward Wingen sur Moder and Wangenbourg (see google maps please) developing new businesses.

Further, they reached Walscheid, Troisfontaines (see google maps please).

From the Lützelstein county a group went to the USA. They are at the origin of Glassboro/ New Jersey.

Luc has been working on this migration for years now. He is making great headway and we have been able with the help of people in many places in Europe and the US to connect many of the families now. There is still work to be done. This is the tip of the iceberg so to speak.