A history of
Europaische Stammtafeln,
part I, by Ronny Bodine .

Over the past few months since I first subscribed to an on-line service and became a regular follower of this newsgroup, I found "Europaeische Stammtafeln" to be a regular topic of discussion. I also gathered that many harbor under a misconception of the intent of this publication and are confused about early editions and what they represent. To better educate myself in this area, and drawing upon my native ability with the German language, I took to reading the introductions to all of the early editions, reprints, and the current newer series. It was quite eye opening and I have decided to share this new found wisdom. For those who focus upon grammatical exactness, I have taken to spelling out vowels without use of Umlauts. Any other errors may be attributed to my inability to be as precise in proofreading of my own work as I am with that of others. Part II, which will encompass volumes 2 to 16 of the new series, will be presented after my return from a week at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City later this month.

As presented in the introduction to the 1936 edition of Europaeische Stammtafeln, the idea for genealogical tables of the noble families of Europe originated with Traugott Gotthelf Voigtel (1765-1843), Professor of History at the University of Halle. In 1811, he published his single 271 page volume "Genealogische Tabellen zur Erlaeuterung der Europaeischen Staatengeschichte fuer freunde der Wissenschaft und studierende auf Universitaeten und Schulen" (Genealogical Tables Illustrating European State History for Friends of Science and Students at Universities and Schools). This edition is available on LDS film 1051694.

Next, Ludwig Adolf Cohn (1834-1871), a unsalaried lecturer at the University of the Netherlands, completed the first (265 pages) of what he hoped to be several volumes of "Stammtafeln der deutschen Staaten und der Niederlande" (Genealogical Tables of the German States and the Netherlands). He died shortly before its publication and the projected series was not continued.

In 1936, Professor Doctor Wilhelm Karl Prinz von Isenburg (1903- ), published his two volumes of "Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europaeischen Staaten" (Genealogical Tables Towards the History of the European States), shortened to "Europaeische Stammtafeln" (European Genealogical Tables). In his introduction, Isenburg explained the necessity of a reference work that provided an overview of the genealogical relationships of those historical families that have influenced our past development. Consequently, in succession to the attempts by Voigtel and Cohn, his will be the third such endeavor. Volume 1 (Die deutschen Staaten) takes into account Germany and Austria, whereas Volume 2 (Die ausserdeutschen Staaten) presents the genealogical charts for non-German countries. The charts were prepared to depict only the essential details so as not to detract from their intent. Consequently, locations for birth and death dates were not given which would otherwise have required extensive research into medieval resources. Combined, the two volumes presented 242 genealogical tables with one index to both volumes and bibliographies to each. This two volume set is available on LDS film 0599240.

It had been the intention of Professor Isenburg to publish additional volumes to his series. World War II essentially hindered him from carrying this forth and the postwar demand for his out-of-print first two volumes prompted him to consider publication of a revised edition of these volumes while be proceeded into the extensive research necessary to continue the series. A severe illness precluded Isenburg from doing so. With Isenburg's concurrance, the publisher, Verlag von J. A. Stargardt of Marburg, approached Frank Baron Freytag von Loringhoven to pick up where Isenburg left off.

In 1953, Loringhoven, through Verlag Stargardt, issued a revised 2nd edition of Isenburg's work combined into one volume. This edition was greatly enhanced through the resources provided by the archives and libraries in Detmold, Hamburg, Marburg, Munich, Sigmaringen, Stuttgart, Paris and Vienna. The revisions were so great that only twenty percent of Isenburg's charts remained unchanged in the 2nd edition. In 1954, he issued volumes three and four. Volumes one and two of this edition are available on LDS film 0251160.

In 1956, Loringhoven issued a supplemented reprint of the 1953 edition consisting of three volumes, followed by a 4th volume in 1957. All volumes appeared in the original format, each with an index, and totaled 661 tables. The changes were noted separately in each volume, not having been incorporated into the tables. Volumes 1 and 2 are available on LDS film 0599240, volumes 3 and 4 are on film 0251160 (with the 1953 edition).

Shortly before his death in 1977, Loringhoven turned over to Pfarrer (Reverend) Detleff Schwennicke the results of what would become the first volume of the current Neue Folge (New Series) of "Europaeische Stammtafeln." Loringhoven did not prepare a bibliography and thus none is included in the present volume. Schwennike added a table of contents, the index (prepared by his son Andreas), table headings, and made corrections to individual tables where possible. Volume 1 was issued in 1980, comprises 160 genealogical tables and is entitled "Band I: Die Deutschen Staaten" (Volume 1: The German States) with the subtitle "Die Stammesherzoge, Die Weltlichen- kurfuersten, Die Kaiserlichen, Koeniglichen und Gossherzoglichen Familien" (The Ancestral Dukes, the Temporal Electoral, the Imperial, Royal and Grand Ducal Families). This initial volume is available on LDS film 1810094, incorrectly identified in the LDS catalogue as Volume 7.

In the preface to volume 1 of the New Series, the publisher, J. A. Stargardt, provides some interesting insight into the original and present intent of the series. In 1936, at a session of the Herold Verein in Berlin, the first volume of "Europaeische Stammtafeln" was the topic of debate. Those genealogists present criticized the work as unusable for the lack of locations relating to dates of birth and death in the genealogical tables. The publisher replied "This is not intended to represent a genealogical work," eliciting with this seemingly paradoxical reply a shaking of heads. Indeed, as Baron Loringhoven stated in 1955 in the preface to volume 3, which the present publisher ascribes to and reiterates, Europaeische Stammtafeln is not a genealogical reference, rather, a quick orientation to the history of European States for the historian, historically interested novice, herald, sociologist, teacher, and art historian. In his preface to volume 4 in 1957, Loringhoven elaborates that the assembly of the charts is subjective. and could be compared with the work of a painter. A painter can only depict what he sees and how he sees it. In the process of painting the same landscape, one painter may place more emphasis on the depiction of the course of a river whereas another may do better with a group of trees. One may present a scene which encompasses everything essential, whereas another will depict that same scene to include the unimportant. Loringhoven concludes by stating that he has endeavored to make as clear as possible that which he feels to be important. It is also not his intent to follow the decline of uninteresting lines, apparent in earlier generations, down to 'the bitter end and beyond."

Stargardt, the publisher, concludes by stating the lines in volume one have been followed only down to November 1918. Children who died young are noted only in exceptional cases. In order to correct the inevitable errors that occur in the preparation of such a work it is essential to depend upon the goodwill of the readers to make these known.

Part I concluded.

Ronny RBodine996@aol.com

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