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Deutsch Kaltenbrunn
Village of about 1200 residents in the Jennersdorf district. Consists of the "core" village and the "Berghäuser" (houses in the hills). Old village names: Hydegseg (1428-51), Hidegkut (1524), called (Deutsch) Kaltenbrunn since 1654.

Given to Franz BATTHYANY in 1524 as a part of the Güssing domain. In 1599 Franz B. owned 42 houses, Thomas ZECHY 7 and Andreas WKY 4. Almost completly destroyed by BOCSKAY's troops in 1605. The houses were rebuilt, only to be burned down again in 1622 by BETHLEN's army (30 houses). Granted the status of an "oppidum" (market town) in 1647 by King Ferdinand III. In 1687 Count Adam BATTHYANY gave the land for a (half-)house to Michael HERMSTREIT for faithful services.

The 1693-Urbarium names the following families: SCHMALDIENST (6), BOGNER, ZACH, TAUSCH (5 each), SCHMIDT (4), STABER, HAFFNER, ERKINGER, SZIGOLT, PUMMER (3 each), WAGNER, STROBL, DEUTSCH, SIMANDL, GELECZ, PAUKER, FEYERTAG, FRISCH, KRACHER (2 each), HIMLER, SCHABHÜTL, KOGLMANN, KRAIHAUFF, FASCHING, STEFANICS, HERMSTREIT, SZAT, MANDL, SRETTER, SAUHER, SZAIHER, RÜGLER, WEBER, BRAUN, PUNTSCHUH, NOIBICS, WOLF anders [= otherwise] RATT, KADNER, HASNPATZER, PERL, KOCH, HEDL, POTZMANN, SEDLI, VOLLMANN (1 each). Other inhabitants: GUSICH (free), Stefan KISFALUDI (Dreißigst (= customs) official), POSTAKOVICS (free), Sigmund DESÖ (Lieutenant). Söllner (small-holders) in their own houses: PUMMER, KRACHER, SIMANDL, STABER, FEYERTAG, SCHNEIDER, MOTTER, THOMA, KRAISZAUFF, WOLF, HAFNER (some of them on area owned by the church). Söllner in their own houses in the vineyard hills: ZACH (3), SEDL (2), FRISCH, LEDERER, FASZBINDER, WEBER, MANDL, SCHNECKER, VOLLMANN, NIKISCHER, KRACHER, LOIBERSBECK, STROBL, STABER, FAICS, KROBOTH, SCHMIDT, PUNTSCHUH, TRINKL, HAFFNER, FASCHING, STABER, SIMANDL, HAFFNER, KRIXLER. The Urbarium remarks that the inhabitants have suffered through many quarterings of Germans (soldiers), so the landlord (BATTHYANY) has granted them a 50 % tax reduction "until God will improve the situation".

A fire destroyed many houses in 1880. 63 casualties in WW I. Number of inhabitants: 1802: 230 Catholics, 1152 Lutherans; 1812: 255 C, 1206 L; 1856: 448 C, 1030 L; 1930: 548 C, 1160 L, 2 Jewish, together 1710. Church (St. Nicholas) built due to a report from 1698 "by the ancient Catholics" [i.e. in times prior to the reformation]. A chapel in front of the Catholic cemetery built in 1868, donated by Lorenz LAGLER (# 24). A chapel in the Catholic cemetery donated by the Rev. Michael RATHNER (his mother is buried in this chapel). Catholic priests: Alexius Xaverius VODENIGG (1693), Josef BLASKOVICS (1773-1802), Franz GABRIELYI (1803-15), Josef SZAKATSITS (1815-30), Andreas KORAUSZ (1830-68), Franz SCHMIDT (1868-75), Michael RATHNER (1875-83), Franz Xaver BIRICZ (1884-1903), Franz STAMPF (1903-).

Lutherans in Deutsch-Kaltenbrunn: Ca. 1528-31 first Lutheran period, second period started ca. 1560. When the Catholic counter-reformation started in Styria (ca. 1600), many Lutheran preachers fled to the BATTHYANY estates, so that by 1610 all parishes of the Güssing domain were administered by them. In 1618 Balthasar TILLESIUS was Lutheran pastor in Kaltenbrunn, later Jakob GRUMER (1624) and Johann KECZIUS (1627). After KECZIUS had left K. in 1627, the Lutheran Styrians who had come here because of him went away. ["entfernten sich"; note: it is not clear as to wether this means they had settled in K. or just had came here to attend church]. In 1665 Christian ECKHART was Lutheran pastor in K. In 1862 K. becomes a Lutheran parish, having been a part of Kukmirn parish since 1783. Lutheran pastors: Theodor HUBER (1862-1906), Stephan SZABO (1907-13), Alexius SPARAS (1913-22), Kornelius Wilhelm Emil Eduard GUTTENBERGER (1923-28), Karl CIENCIALI (1929-30). Lutheran elementary school - teachers: Michael ZACH (ca. 1822), Jeremias MAHR (ca. 1830), Georg HAFNER (ca. 1832), Georg KNÖBEL (1833-37), Johann JANISCH (1837-42), Johann MÜCKE (1842-66), Alexander KNÖBEL (1866-96), Joseph FLECK (1896-1921), Karl KAPPEL (1921-), second teacher Karl JANY (since 1897). 168 pupils in 1930.

Source: Dr. Josef Loibersbeck's series "Um den Eisenberg", published in "Volk und Heimat" 13-14/1958; summarized and translated by Albert Schuch 10 Nov 1999

Family History Library microfilms:
Catholic: Római Katólikus Egyház, Némethidegkut [FHL INTL Films 700694 - 95]
Lutheran: Evangélikus Egyház, Némethidegkut [VAULT INTL Film 700696]

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