Georg & Agathe FOUNDATION
of Hesse
German Conf.*,
Roman Empire*,
zu Eisenbach
Grand Duchy
from 1684–1806
Johann Jakob Trapp
1763–1827 (m. 1794)
Born: Lauterbach, Territory of Riedesel zu Eisenbach (today Lauterbach, Germany)
Career: 1808 appointed as Senior Government Official over Hesse-Homburg and five other towns
A State of Holy
Landgraviate
from 800–1806
1567–1806
Landgraviate
from 1815–1848
Holy Roman Emp.*,
1692–1814
from 1815–1848
of Hesse*, existed
from 1684–1806
Born and Died in:
from 1806–1918
Flag Key
Both died in:
Great-grandfather of the von Trapp children
Dr. Eduard Christian Trapp (1804-1854)
Esteemed Physician & Key to Development of Bad Homburg Spa
Multi-National: Born in Lauterbach (today in Hesse, Germany), at the time it was a small independent territory of Riedesel zu Eisenbach under the Holy Roman Empire. Two hundred years earlier his ancestors emigrated to Hesse from their origins in Steiermark and Tyrol, Austria, to escape religious persecution for their Lutheran belief.
Historic Merits: An esteemed physician who rediscovered the natural mineral springs (today Bad Homburg, Germany), later named the Elisabethenbrunnen. He published scientific papers on the merits of the Bad "Homburger cure".
Physician
Eduard Christian Trapp came from a long line of the "Thelenius family" medical doctors, including several of his second cousins, cousins, uncles, grandfather, great-uncles, great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather. He did his medical studies in Munich, Heidelberg, Wuerzburg, Darmstadt, Paris, and Vienna. In 1822, during his studies, he became a member of the Old Giessen fraternities in Germany. He settled down in Homburg, Hesse (today Bad Homburg, Germany) where he practiced medicine for the remainder of his life. He was instrumental in the development of Bad Homburg as a health and healing spa destination. In 1834, Eduard rediscovered the mineral spring, later named the Elisabethenbrunnen. He asked his close friend, the chemist Justus von Liebig, to examine the water to confirm its long term healing properties and then used scientific publications and lectures to promote the success of the 'Homburger cure'. Eduard also took in spa guests at his villa in Bad Homburg for treatment, including governing princes and their relatives. One of the first was the wife of the later Emperor Wilhelm I, Augusta of Saxony-Weimar-Eisenach. In his profession, Eduard dedicated himself to helping and healing others and was widely respected. The town of Bad Homburg appointed him an honorary citizen and a street today bears his name, "Trapp-Straße".
A State of Holy
(1567–1806)
from 1815–1848
of Hesse*, existed
Wilhelmine Thilenius
1774–1855 (m. 1794)
Born: Location unknown
Mother of six: Karl Moritz Trapp, Elisabeth Caroline Trapp, Anna Wilhelmine Trapp, Eduard Christian Trapp—Georg's grandfather (m. Marie Sofie Hoffman—Georg's grandmother), Auguste Wilhelmine Trapp, and Herman Trapp
zu Eisenbach*, existed
Died in:
Johann Gottlieb Metzler
Dates unknown
Born: Location unknown
Parents: Unknown
Career: Hesse Military Major (Fürstlich-Hessischer Major)
Johanna Katharina Moter
Dates unknown
Born: Location unknown
Parents: Unknown
Mother of (unknown number): Sophie Henriette Metzler—Georg's great-grandmother (m. Baron August Konrad von Hoffman—Georg's great-grandfather)
1806–1918
from 1567–1806
of Hesse*, from
(1692–1814)
Electorate
from 800–1806
German Conf.*,
Caspar Emanuel Trapp
1736–1814 (m. 1762)
Born: Landenhausen, Landgraviate of Hesse (today Landenhausen, Germany)
Parents: Johann Christoph Trapp (1701- 1761) and Catharina Dahmer (Dahner) (?–est. 1763)
Career: Justice of Peace & Lawyer
Catarina Elisabeth Diehm
1740–1813 (m. 1762)
Born: Lauterbach, Landgraviate of Hesse (today Lauterbach, Germany)
Parents: Johann Jakob Diehm and Elisabeth Kick
Mother of ten: Johann Jacob Trapp—Georg's great-grandfather (m. Wilhelmine Thilenius—Georg's great-grandmother), plus nine more children
Confederation*,
Landgraviate
Hanover*, from
Historical Figure - Dr. Eduard Christian Trapp
Born in:
A State of German
Grand Duchy
Grand Duchy
from 1815–1848
Great-grandparents of the von Trapp Children
from 1567–1806
Landgraviate
from 1806–1918
Conrad Hofmann
1743–1799 (m. date unknown)
Born: Location unknown
Parents: Pastor Johann Conard Hoffmann (ca 1690-1746) and Sophie Magdalene Wenck (1704-1770)
Career: Legal Officer in Nidda, Hesse (today Nidda, Germany)
Susanne Schneider
1753–1826 (m. date unknown)
Born: Unknown, possibly Kranichstein, Hesse (today part of Darmstadt, Germany)
Parents: Johann Ludwig Schneider and Marie Dorothea Hofmann
Mother of (unknown number): Baron August Konrad von Hoffman—Georg's great-grandfather (m. Sophie Henriette Metzler—Georg's great-grandmother)
Both born in:
of Hesse*, from
of Hesse*, existed
A State of Holy
Landgraviate
of Hesse*, existed
of Hesse*, from
A State of German
from 800–1806
(1815–1848)
Grand Duchy
Territory of Riedesel
from 800–1806
from 1806–1918
Confederation*, from
*The Territory of Riedesel zu Eisenbach and the Landgraviate of Hesse were both independent territories and states under the Holy Roman Empire; these territories later were incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Hesse, an independent country and state under the German Confederation which consisted of 67 independent states.
See Flag Key below for details
*The Landgraviate of Hesse and Electorate of Hanover were both independent territories and states under the Holy Roman Empire; the Landgraviate of Hesse later became the Grand Duchy of Hesse, an independent country and state under the German Confederation which consisted of 67 independent states.
See Flag Key below for details
from 1806–1918
A State of Holy
Elisabethenbrunnen (Spring)
Bad Homburg, Germany
1834 Eduard rediscovered mineral spring
1918 Hans Dammann sculpted current well design
(800–1806)
Both lived in:
Territory of Riedesel zu Eisenbach
Today Lauterbach, Hesse, Germany. With a pact in 1684, Lauterbach came under the control of the Riedesel zu Eisenbach family, as a small independent territory and state under the Holy Roman Empire. Predominantly Lutheran following the Reformation, the first 'Trapp' to the area emigrated in the 16th century to escape religious persecution under Austria's Habsburg Monarchy. After the Napoleonic Wars and the Congress of Vienna, in 1806, Lauterbach became part of the Grand Duchy of Hesse, an independent country and state under the German Confederation. In 1871, Hesse lost its country status when it joined the German Empire, but remained a Duchy. The Duchy ended in 1918 with the German Revolution and end of World War I, when it became the People's State of Hesse (Volksstaat Hessen) within the Weimar Republic. From 1933 to 1943, the territory was under the German Reich. After World War II, it was renamed Hesse and incorporated as a federal state within Western Germany. In 1990, with the reunification of Germany, Hesse became a federal state within Germany, which it remains to this day.
Honoring Georg's Paternal Side, Great to 3x-Great-grandparents to the von Trapp Children
Confederation*,
of Hesse*, existed
Lived in:
Born in:
FREE: Updates and history trivia
of Hesse*, existed
from 800–1806
Landgraviate
Both lived: in
of Hesse*, existed
Territory of Riedesel
existed from 800–1806
Baron August Konrad von Hofmann
1776–1841 (m. 1799)
Born: Nidda, Landgraviate of Hesse (today Nidda, Germany)
Career: Finance Minister of Hesse
and State-Advisor to Archduke of Hesse, titled nobility in 1827
Talent: Amateur pianist, tutored by Carl Maria von Weber (considered one of the first significant composers of the Romantic school); August Konrad co-founded the Darmstadt Orchesta in 1832
from 800–1806
from 1815–1848
Roman Empire
3x-Great-grandfather of the von Trapp children
Dr. Moritz Gerhard Thilenius (1745-1809)
Esteemed Physician & Balneologist (Study of Medicinal Springs)
Multi-National Exposure: Moritz's father, Johann Heinrich Thilenius (1696-1766), was an adventurer and medical practitioner extraordinaire; he spent five years as ships doctor for Admiral Lowenschild and sailed from Amsterdam to ports in Java, Honduras, Siam, Sumatra, Borneo, Persia, and the Arabias. While on his travels, he collected native healing knowledge from the natives and incorporated these techniques into his practice at home.
Historic Merits: Dr. Thilenius' father and grandfather were medical practitioners. Mortiz founded a family branch for Balneology (the study of medicinal springs). He is also attributed with being the first to perform a tenotomy of the Achilles tendon by a surgeon.
Physician and Balneologist
He was the son of Johannes Heinrich Thilenius, known as the "traveling doctor", and grandson of Jacob Thile, a stone mason injury practitioner. Moritz was born in Eddigehausen, Hesse in 1745. In Göttingen in 1765, he earned his medical degree with a dissertation on rheumatism pathology and settled in town. In 1771, he moved to Einbeck and practiced as a natural scientist. Shortly thereafter, he moved to Lauterbach and became the City and County physician under the Riedesel family patronage. In 1796 he was called to Wiesbaden as the court-appointed Spa doctor of Wiesbaden. In 1801, he served in the Chamber of Physicians in Wetzlar. In 1803, he was assigned as a personal physician to the Princely house of Nassau-Usingen with the responsibilities of the highest advisory official at the court of Usingen. His outstanding medical career spanned 43 years. Two of his sons, Christian Heinrich and Otto Heinrich, followed in his footsteps, becoming renowned medical doctors in their own right continuing to expand the knowledge and implementation of Balneology. Mortiz's daughter, Wilhemine Thilenius, married Johann Jacob Trapp, their son Eduard Christian Trapp (Georg's grandfather), also contributed to balneology and medical science in his day.
2x-Great-grandparents of the von Trapp Children
from 1815–1848
A State of German
from 1815–1848
zu Eisenbach*,
Holy Roman Emp.*,
Sophie Henriette Metzler
1772–1825 (1st wife m. 1799)
Born: Location unknown
Mother of three: Charlotte von Hoffman (m. Friedrich Hahn), Ernst von Hofmann, Marie Sophie von Hoffman—Georg's grandmother (m. Eduard Christian Trapp—Georg's grandfather)
of Hanover
Husband born in:
Photo: ©Georg & Agathe Foundation
Confederation*, existed
Photo: ©Georg & Agathe Foundation
A State of German
from 1567–1806
A State of German
Lived in:
Holy Roman Emp.*,
3x-Great-grandparents of the von Trapp Children
from 800–1806
Grand Duchy
Territory of Riedesel
of Hesse*, existed
*The Territory of Riedesel zu Eisenbach was an independent territory and state under the Holy Roman Empire; it later was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Hesse, an independent country and state under the German Confederation which consisted of 67 independent states.
See Flag Key below for details
A State of Holy
A State of German
Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire*,
Hesse
From 1264–1567 the Landgraviate of Hesse was a single entity and state of the Holy Roman Empire. From 1567-1806, it was divided into two states within the Empire, Hesse-Kassel and Hesse-Darmstadt. From 1806–1871, it was an independent country and state under the German Confederation, known as the Grand Duchy of Hesse. In 1871, Hesse lost its country status when it joined the German Empire, but remained a Duchy. The Duchy ended in 1918 with the German Revolution and end of World War I, when it became the People's State of Hesse (Volksstaat Hessen) within the Weimar Republic. From 1933 to 1943, the territory was under the German Reich. After World War II, it was renamed Hesse and incorporated as a federal state within Western Germany. In 1990, with the reunification of Germany, Hesse became a federal state within Germany, which it remains to this day.
Roman Empire*,
Photo: Public Domain
Electorate of
Confederation
Roman Empire*,
Dr. Moritz Gerhard Thilenius
1745–1809 (m. 1771)
Born: Eddigehausen, state of Holy Roman Empire (today Eddigehausen, Germany)
Parents: Johann Heinrich Thilenius and (first name unknown) Bremer
Career: Dotor & Privy Councillor
To learn more about Moritz, see the 'Historical Figure' section below.
Christine Sofie Doll (1st wife)
1746–1793 (m. 1771)
Born: Kassel, Landgraviate of Hesse (today Kassel, Germany)
Parents: Unknown
Mother of ten: Christian Heinrich Thilenius (doctor), Otto Heinrich Thilenius (doctor), Wilhelmine Thilenius—Georg's great-grandmather (m. Johann Jacob Trap—Georg's great-grandfather), plus seven more children
(1806–1918)
(800–1806)
Died in:
of Hesse*, existed
from 1806–1918
(1684–1806)
Born in:
Public Domain
Both died in:
Photo: ©giggel
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
Electorate of Hanover
Also known as the electorate of Braunschweig-Lüneburg, it was a state of the Holy Roman Empire from 1692-1806, and ruled by the House of Hanover. The Electorate came from the sub-principality Calenberg of the Duchy of Braunschweig and Lüneburg. In 1714, it became joint-ruled by Great Britain in a personal union. The Electorate ended at the Congress of Vienna in 1814, to become the Kingdom of Hanover. In 1868, it was absorbed by the Kingdom of Prussia and became a Province until 1918. After World War I, the area was under the Weimar Republic and then the German Reich from 1933 to 1943. After War War II, it was incorporated into the newly created federal state of Lower Saxony, within Western Germany. In 1990, with the reunification of Germany, Lower Saxony became a federal state within Germany, which it remains to this day.
FAMILY TREE: Trapp / Hoffman / Thilenius / Metzler
of Hesse*, existed
Confederation*,
Dr. Eduard Christian Trapp
1804–1854 (m. 1833)
Born: Lauterbach, a small but independent territory of Riedesel zu Eisenbach, under the Holy Roman Empire (today Lauterbach, Germany)
Career: Eduard was a respected and accomplished Physician, who descended from the renowned Thilenius "line of medical doctors". Eduard later gained notoriety for the rediscovery of the mineral spring in Bad Homburg, later named the Elisabethenbrunnen, and he played a key role in the town's spa development. He was awarded many honors including, in 1845, the title Privy Medical Adviser. He was also a personal physician to the Landgrafen Phillip and Gustav Hessen-Homburg. Despite his honors and celebrity clientele, he is remembered for his commitment to all citizens of Homburg with his practice and work at the regional hospital.
To learn more about Eduard, see the 'Historical Figure' section below.
1567–1806
from 1815–1848
Roman Empire
Grand Duchy
of Hesse
Grand Duchy
from 1806–1918
Confederation*,
A State of Holy
A State of German
Died in:
Both lived in:
Grand Duchy
from 1806–1918
Founded Family Branch of
Medical Balneologists
- The study of medicinal mineral springs -
Grand Duchy
(800–1806)
Baroness Marie Sophie von Hofmann
1812–1872 (m. 1833)
Born: Darmstadt, Grand Duchy of Hesse, a State of the German Confederation (today Darmstadt, Germany)
Mother of five: Anna Trapp, Eduard II Trapp (engineer, emigrated to the U.S.A., land-surveyed for the Transatlantic Railway, consulted on the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, and m. 2nd Barbara Rost); August Johann Ritter (Knight) von Trapp—Georg's father (m. Hedwig Emilie Wepler—Georg's mother), Konard II Trapp (Mining Director in Homburg, Grand Duchy of Hesse and m. Henriette Droescher), and Karl Trapp (emigrated to the U.S.A)
Holy Roman Emp.*,
Medical Lineage - Thilenius family
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Honoring the von Trapp
and Whitehead Heritage