THE CONFLUENCE OF
MüNCH / MüNNICH / MüNNIX / MINNIX SURNAME, RELIGION AND SCIENCE IN BASEL, MüNCHENSTEIN, MUTTENZ, BERN, SWITZERLAND,
Translation: The original name of today's Münchenstein was Geckingen. The old village name gave way to the new name in the 1270s, after a branch of the Münch of Basel had settled there and founded the castle on the rock above the village. The Münch, like the Reich and the Schaler, belonged to the Episcopal-Basel service nobility, who in the second half of the thirteenth century began to acquire or establish seats in the country. As a result of the various new land settlements as many new lines of gender were created in the Münch. So the Münch of Münchenstein Münch of Münchsberg, the Münch of Landskron, the Münch of Stettenberg (in Upper Alsace) and the Münch of Büren.
Like the Reich and the Schalers, the Münch had come up in the service of the Bishops of Basel. Her original name was Gliss; the later name Münch is due to the emergence of a second name, which then also the coat of arms of the lineage has adapted (a barehäuptiger black monk on a white ground). Already on their first appearance in history, the Munch, as episcopal bailiffs, was in possession of the important office of direct administration of the high jurisdiction in the episcopal city of Basel, and indeed as governor, the true owner of these powers, the Count of Homberg. Another important episcopal ministry, that of the mayor, which consisted in the exercise of lower jurisdiction in Basel, was also at times at the Münch. And when, after the establishment of the council as the supreme administrative authority of the Episcopal city, the burgomaster came to power, it was again the Münch who held this high office at the time.
The social position of the Münch is characterized by the fact that she is at the head of the powerful and illustrious Basler nobility party of Psitticher (field sign a green Psittich in the white field) against the other faction of the Basel city nobility of the Sterner (white star in the red field) stood. While in the battles between the Bishop of Basel and Count Rudolf of Habsburg the Parsons were the followers of the bishop, who drove their opponents, the Sterner, into the Habsburg camp, they did not hinder that, after the election of Rudolf as king in 1273 To pass to this and henceforth to form the head of the Austrian party in Basel. As a result of these changes, the Münch also entered into relations with the House of Austria, which became ever narrower and outlasted the Middle Ages. The imposing court of the Münch on the St. Petersberg in Basel became the preferred abode of King Albrecht, which in turn meant that after the assassination of King Albrecht (1308) the unleashed rage of the anti-Austrian citizenship especially against the Münch and their Hof judged.
Translation: The family, who had advanced to the first families of Basel, then came into the possession of the village of Geckingen through the entreaties of the counts of Pfirt. Although this was in the Sisgau, but had retired early from the Association of this Gaues, had come to the Sundgau Count of Pfirt and become their own property. Hugo Münch, who was entrusted with his own good in the 1270s, built the castle and carried it, since it was built on Pfirter's own property, also from the Pfirtergrafen to fiefs. When half a century later (1324) the counts of Pfirt died out in the male line, the county Pfirt and thus also the fiefdom over Münchenstein went to the house of Austria, as the heirs of the Pfirter. In the earthquake of 1356, the castle took some damage, but was soon restored. In the 1370s came to the Münch of Münchenstein the fief of the reign Muttenz-Wartenberg.
A marriage with the heiress of the Free from Löwenberg in Lützeltale brought the Münch and the rule Löwenberg. In 1415, as King Sigismund over Duke Frederick of Austria for the fact that he pope John XXIII forced to abdicate by the Constantine Council. had helped to escape from the realm of power of the Council, the Reichsacht imposed, would have been favorable for Basel, the opportunity to seize the Austrian Munchenstein, in the same manner as the Confederates have then seized the Austrian Aargau. Basel failed, however, to make use of this opportunity, probably under the strong political influence of the Münch in the rate of the city, a renunciation that Basel should later still expensive to stand.
At the time of the Battle of St. Jakob, the then owner of Münchenstein, Hans Thüring Münch, was necessarily neutral. He kept the castle closed against every war party and let the armagnacs and the nobility in Münchenstein enter only the outer bailey (today's upper village). Hans Thuringing's son, too, maintained good neighborly relations with Basle after the death of his father, and the city, for its part, was not prepared to let the Münch in and out of Basel despite the declaration of enactment issued to it by the Hofgericht zu Rottweil. On the other hand, the Muench were repeatedly damaged and offended by attacks of Count Oswald von Tierstein on Pfeffingen, who was always particularly inclined to such things, as the count attacked the unlawful exercise of bloodbath, salmon, and bird-catching in the domain of Münchenstein.
Although the history of Münchenstein, despite the various incidents, has so far been relatively quiet, this has changed since the 1460s. The Mülhauserkrieg, arose from the oppression of the city of Mulhouse by the Austrian nobility of Alsace and the assistance to the attacked city by Mülhausen's allies Solothurn and Bern (1468), led Solothurn, the important as bases for the war in Sundgau castles Landskron and Münchenstein to seize. Of course, Basel was very indignant over this coup d'état of Solothurn in his narrowest sphere of interest, and it was fitting that Bern and Zurich did not approve of him either. It was thanks to this attitude of the Confederates that, after one and a half years of diplomatic efforts, he succeeded in bringing Solothurn to the clearing and abandonment of Munich.
Solothurn's first company to join Münchenstein was followed by another attempt about two decades later. Between Basel and Konrad Münch disagreements had arisen, which triggered a long-winded process. Even before it came to a decision, Münch sold his rule to Solothurn (1485). Basel, since 1470 in the possession of Münchensteins, but Solothurn refused the publication of the castle. The Federal Diet adopted the mean and decided the trade in Basel's favor.
Thus, for the second time, Basel escaped the threat of being cut off from its Sisgau territory by Solothurn. If Solothurn had succeeded in realizing its purpose, Basel would have finally been brought to make a direct connection between the city and its subject territory. Basel was well aware of the capital importance of the matter at stake. It was therefore not satisfied with the achievements and did not rest until the danger threatened by Solothurn was finally averted.
Therefore, it sought to transform the mere pledge possession into inviolable property. The economic decline of the Münch made it easier for Basel to achieve this goal. The impoverished race may well understand that it will never again be able to redeem the pledge. For this reason, he sold his estates for 660 gulden to Basel, which thus turned his previous mere pledge ownership into property
Translation: Soon after Munich's transition to Basel, the Münch dissolved their last relations with the city. The reason for this was given by the Reformation in Basel in 1529. This completely estranged the city's lineage, and it retreated to its Sundish-speaking possessions. Mismanagement brought the Münch down heavily in the course of the 16th and 17th centuries. Around the middle of the 18th century they became extinct in the male line. {{{ Male line descendants were numerous, in other Switzerland Cantons. Male noble surnames became extinct, because descendants began using diminuive surnames contracted from the lengthy, noble name, Münch von Münchnstein von Löwenberg de Meier, because nobility was illegal following the Pesants War. For example, Casper de Meier remained a member of the Council of Basel, ~1690s, because nobels could function in administration and government, but not nobility. }}}
From the Landvogteizeit Münchensteins no historical events are of particular importance. A few events of the day are only reflected in the later history of this castle. Thus, the peasants' war that broke out in the Basel region in 1525 brought with it that the provincial governor of Münchenstein also had to prepare himself before the rebellious subjects of his office. In the gallows war of 1531, which had arisen from the disputes between Basel and Solothurn to handle the high court in the Solothurn possessions within the Sisgau,
Münchenstein was one of the most endangered Basel offices. His team was therefore not mobilized to extract, but put in the defense of the castle and office of the Provincial. The great rural unrest of 1653, which also spread to the Basel region, caused the bailiff "not a little trouble and work".
In 1691, in the so-called Einundneunziger Wesen, that indignation of the Basle citizenship against the increasing autocracy of the Small Council, there was an armed exodus of 150 citizens against Münchenstein, on which then sat an opponent of the revolutionary movement, the bailiff Remigius Frey.
In the second Vilimer war of 1712, Basel occupied its border festivals Münchenstein with an extraordinary crew of eight men for the daytime and of twelve men for the night time; In addition, the entire able-bodied team of the Office received orders to keep in constant readiness with their upper and lower rifles.
As the seat of a governor, the castle took the same exit to Münchenstein as the other Landvogteischlösser the landscape Basel. However, with the difference that the popularity of the new intimations devoted to the last Governor Jakob Christoph Rosenburger in the subjects of the change of the regime in the revolutionary year 1798 in Amte Münchenstein was carried out in all Minne. The castle was cleared, and furniture and archive were spent in the village Münchenstein. It fell victim to no torch of agitated people, but went with the goods by purchase from the Basle National Assembly by 24000 pounds to the municipality Münchenstein. His downfall was then the castle in that it was auctioned by the community on demolition.
Although this process, together with the parceling of the castle properties of the municipality of Münchenstein, at one time accounted for twice the designed purchase price, it brought to posterity a height castle that was equally distinguished by location and construction. Today we only see it in the pictures of the Merian, Meyer, Kauw and To admire Büchel.
Translation: What the first demolition left over then disappeared in the course of the nineteenth century. The sparse masonry, which has survived over our days, is limited to a few games: the formerly from the north gate of the bailey to the lowest Höflein the castle reaching staggered wall, a piece of the battlements of the former "Griener" on the east side of the former palace complex , on the south side of the staggered curtain wall, the former castle and castle connected and finally in the west, only as foundations still preserved, remains of the foundations of the former knight's house, the old rise to the castle and the former gate building with a short subsequent game. Everything else has disappeared. What you see today on buildings at the height, rises on the former enclosing walls of the formerly the knights' house northward farms and dates only from the 19th century. The building material for this building complex, today known as the "Castle", was undoubtedly obtained from the demolition of the old castle, namely the Knights' House.
An idea of the old castle complex before its destruction we get through the rich, from the 17th and 18th century on us come pictures, material. "All these pictures show the splendid castle richly structured on the towering cliff, south-storm-free by the precipitous fall of the rock, down north in defensive sections down to the bailey east fell the steep rocky slope, and west could hardly room for the stairwell At the foot of the castle rock on a small hill, the outer bailey consisted of a main street leading from the lower to the upper gate, with a fountain in the middle, and to the north was a natural tobe, through which a stream flowed, to the east and south artificially created, west but served the steep embankment of the bailey as protection. "
In the outer bailey was the vicarage directly behind the north gate facing the Kirchbühl. In the middle of the bailey on the place where the ascent to the castle began, the tenth-grave. Outside the outer bailey in front of the south gate, the stately tavern. A little below against the lowland of the castle garden with the vegetable beds. In the lowland itself near the Birs the manor Gstad.
The stronghold was connected to the outer bailey to the north and south by ring walls. From the north gate the staggered ring wall climbed the castle rock to the lowest walled little court, to the south and higher a larger, likewise with a Zinnenmauer fortified, as "Griener" designated yard joined. It followed immediately rising in a southerly direction as the core of the complex the big knight's house (the Palas). On the ground floor there was the so-called "castle parlor." A large hall occupying the entire width of the building, with a beamed ceiling supported by a strong wooden pillar, whose windows sat in deep niches corresponding to the wall thickness, and whose walls above The interior of the hall consisted of long benches along the wall and a large iron-cast iron stove The knight's house was in its northwestern corner, with a crenellated wreath reaching to the top of the roof
The knights' house was entered from the south by a small court, which was closed off to the west by a gate, which led to the ascent from the outer bailey. and as a southern end a residential building with westl I present Hoflein, whose ring wall bore a bay window, below which lay an encased terrace garden. The keep was structurally related to the Palas and was accessible from there by a connecting structure in the height. Finally, on the south side, a staggered curtain wall led down to the gates of the outer bailey. The plant is reminiscent, even apart from the connection between the castle and the outer bailey or town, in the structural arrangement strongly to the Waldenburg.
“Basel city, Switzerland is known for its many internationally renowned museums, The University of Basel is Switzerland's oldest university (founded in 1460), mathematicians, scientists and medicine and the city's centuries long commitment to humanism, a nontheistic life stance centered on human agency and looking to science rather than revelation from a supernatural source to understand the world.[3][4]. [Revolvy, https://www.revolvy.com/page/Basel ] Einstein conducted his first thought experiment in Bern, Switzerland which underpinned the Einstein’s Theory of Relativity.
“The Rhine is the true lifeblood of Basel and the city's enduring landmark. As one of the most important trading routes, it has had a huge influence on the development of the city. The Rhine is the artery carrying the lifeblood of the city, it provides recreation, inspiration and has molded the history and architecture of the city. [Basel Culture Unlimited]
“The Rhine River begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps, forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein, Swiss-Austrian, Swiss-German and then the Franco-German border, then flows through the German Rhineland and the Netherlands and eventually empties into the North Sea.
The map pictured above shows the Rhine knee, when the Rhine changes its westerly direction of flow north in an angle of 90 degrees, the Rhine Knee, to a northerly direction, along the borders of France and Germany, to flow to the North Sea. From a political viewpoint, the Rhine knee is near the tripoint of France, Germany and Switzerland. Consequently, Basel is a cosmopolitan city and has an intense religious, military, commercial, banking and educational history.
The whole Rhine knee lies within Swiss territory and is settled by the city of Basel and its adjacent municipalities Riehen and Bettingen. Basel a safe haven at times of political unrest in other parts of Europe for the likes of Erasmus of Rotterdam, the Holbein family, and more recently also Hermann Hesse and Karl Jaspers. Basel has been the seat of a Prince Bishopric since the 11th century, and joined the Swiss Confederacy in 1501.
The city has been a commercial hub and an important cultural center since the Renaissance, and has emerged as a centre for the chemical and pharmaceutical industry in the 20th century. In 1897, the city was chosen by Theodor Herzl as the location for the first World Zionist Congress, and altogether the congress has been held in Basel ten times over a time span of 50 years, more than in any other city in the world. The city is also home to the world headquarters of the Bank for International Settlements. Today the city of Basel, together with two other Swiss cities, Zürich and Geneva, is counted among the cities with the highest standards of living in the world.[7]
There are traces of a settlement at the Rhine knee from the early La Tène period(5th century BC). In the 2nd century BC, there was a village of the Raurici at the site of Basel-Gasfabrik, to the northwest of the Old City, likely identical with the town of Arialbinnum mentioned on the Tabula Peutingeriana.[8]
The unfortified settlement was abandoned in the 1st century BC in favour of an oppidum on the site of Basel Minster, probably in reaction to the Roman invasion of Gaul. In Roman Gaul, Augusta Raurica was established some 20 km (12 mi) from Basel as the regional administrative centre, while a castra (fortified camp) was built on the site of the Celtic oppidum.
The city of Basel eventually grew around the castra. In AD 83, Basel was incorporated into the Roman province of Germania Superior. Roman control over the area deteriorated in the 3rd century, and Basel became an outpost of the Provincia Maxima Sequanorum formed by Diocletian.
The Germanic confederation of the Alemanni attempted to cross the Rhine several times in the 4th century, but were repelled; one such event was the Battle of Solicinium (368). However, in the great invasion of AD 406, the Alemanni appear to have crossed the Rhine river a final time, conquering and then settling what is today Alsace and a large part of the Swiss Plateau. From that time, Basel has been an Alemannic settlement.
The Duchy of Alemannia fell under Frankish rule in the 6th century, and by the 7th century, the former bishopric of Augusta Raurica was re-established as the Bishopric of Basel. Based on the evidence of a third solidus with the inscription Basilia fit, Basel seems to have minted its own coins in the 7th century.[9]
Under bishop Haito, the first cathedral was built on the site of the Roman castle, later replaced by a Romanesque structure consecrated in 1019. At the partition of the Carolingian Empire, Basel was first given to West Francia, but it passed to East Francia with the treaty of Meerssen of 870.
The city was plundered and destroyed by a Magyar invasion in 917. The rebuilt city became part of Upper Burgundy, and as such was incorporated into the Holy Roman Empire in 1032 and ruled by Rome and the subordinate, German King.
[Revolvy, https://www.revolvy.com/page/Basel ]
“Roman Emperor Constantine’s Christian Religion was achieved by bloody ‘conquest and triumph’ in less than a 100 years and resulted in the replacement of paganism with Christianity (Dijkstra 2008: 85-86) and was the final ‘conquest’ of the Roman Empire.” The conquests were culminated with canonization of the Constantine and Nicene Council’s Bible in 325 AD (325 years after the death of Jesus.
Yes, Constatine's Christian religion was good to "keep the followers in check " morally and otherwise at that time…“McMullen (1984) examined the motivations behind people to convert to the new Constantine religion, concluding that the “belief of miracles and the supernatural” was pivotal to the rise of converts in the early phases of Christianity”. Therefore, Constantines' Model of Christianity was somewhat different from the Jesus Model of Christianity during his life and time. Contextually, Christian model modifications were necessary. There were signifcant differences in the vast Roman Empire and Jerusalem. [Urban and Rural Transformations in a Time of Transition, AD 300-800,1.2.1 Christianisation]
Science was not discovered until Copernicus' research approximately in 1650. There were 1275 years between the canonized Bible and the Scientific Revolution. Therefore, science was not a factor in Constintine's Christian doctrines, creeds, policies and procedures.
German chain migration, "volkerwanderung” began with military presence, conquest and triumph, followed by Protestant occupation and commercial enterprise. Migration especially of Germanic groups in central and southern Europe in the period from the invasion of the Huns to Europe circa 375/376 AD until the invasion of the Lombards in Italy 568 AD. The Migration Period dates back to late antiquity and forms a link between classical antiquity and the early Middle Ages for the history of the northern Mediterranean and western and central Europe, since it can be attributed to both eras.
Central to the discussion are the questions of whether the decay of the Western Roman Empire was the result or rather the cause of the "migrations" and whether at that time actually "peoples" were roaming or rather warrior associations were in search of prey and supply. [General Springer (2006), who also points to alternative definitions outside the communis opinio. All epoch boundaries are ultimately only a construct and founded mainly by convention. Cf. also Stefan Krautschick: To the emergence of a date. 375 - Beginning of the migration of peoples. In: Klio 82, 2000, pp. 217-222 as well as Stefan Krautschick: Hunnensturm and Germanic Flood: 375 - Beginning of the migration of peoples? In: Byzantine Journal 92, 1999, pp. 10-67]
“Roman Emperor Constantine’s religion was achieved by bloody ‘conquest and triumph’ in less than a 100 years and resulted in the replacement of paganism with Christianity (Dijkstra 2008: 85-86) and was the final ‘conquest’ of the Roman Empire”, which was culminated by canonization of the Constantine and Nicene Council’s Bible 325 Ad (325 years after the death of Jesus. Yes, the religion was good to "keep their followers in check " morally and otherwise at that time.
“McMullen (1984) examined the motivations behind people to convert to the new Constantine religion, concluding that the “belief of miracles and the supernatural” were pivotal to the rise of converts in the early phases of Christianity”.
Readers should understand at that time Constatine's constituents were Christian, Sun Worshipers, Jews, Gentiles, pagans and everyone in the Roman Empire, contextually and all were considered, Christians more than others, when the Bible was canonized, but hopefully revered by all. Hence, there were histories, events, doctrines and creeds considered, which are sometimes far removed from the Jesus Model of Christianity during his life and time and according to Dr. Ben Witherington III, a Jesus history expert, the context of the bible must be taken into consideration when reading, otheerwise it is pretext. Readers are encouraged to review sun worshiper representations in the Vatican and city. [Urban and Rural Transformations in a Time of Transition, AD 300-800,1.2.1 Christianisation]
Science was not discovered until ~ 1650's. Current Scientists agree with the overview of creation described in Genesis, but believe the timelines and other narratives are allegorical representations and not litteral. Everyone is free to interpret the Bible as they understand it. Otherwise only 1 Christian religion would exist today, not hundreds or thousands counted, and only 1 apostle would have been necessary, not the 12 sent to different areas with different languages, called "tongues".
The German chain migration process, "volkerwanderung”, typically began with a military presence, conquest and triumph, followed by Protestant occupation and commercial enterprise. Migration especially of Germanic groups in central and southern Europe existed in the period from the invasion of the Huns to Europe circa 375/376 AD until the invasion of the Lombards in Italy 568 AD. The Migration Period dates back to late antiquity and forms a link between classical antiquity and the early Middle Ages for the history of the northern Mediterranean and western and central Europe, since it can be attributed to both eras.
This scientific investigator surname, family, religious and scientific zwigs were traced backwards to Basel, Münchenstein, Muttenz, Bern, Switzerland and the Rhine River knee. The Rhine River was the natural gateway to the Netherlands for the ultimate European exodus to the New World, America.
The Minnix / Minnick family migrated to Maryland between 1740 and 1760, Interestingly, Maryland House of Representatives 2007 record revealed diminutive reminants of the original noble surname, Münch von Münchenstein von Löwenberg de Meier. The noble compound surname was obviously to long for American New World records, since only 1 forename and 1 surname were recorded. Thus, only simple names appeared in diminutive bits and pieces.
The following are diminutive bits and pieces forming simple, non-compound names from Münch von Münchenstein von Löwenberg de Meier which appeared in actual Maryland records.
- An actual Maryland record "HOUSE BILL 1403 M1 EMERGENCY BILL 7lr3085 by Delegates' surnames: Olszewski, Aumann, Beidle, Bromwell, Cardin, V. Clagett, DeBoy, Frush, Glenn, Impallaria, Kach, Lafferty, Minnick, Stein, Stukes, Tarrant, and Weir Introduced and read first time: March 5, 2007 Assigned to: Rules and Executive Nominations.” From Münchenstein
- Washington County Maryland Historical Society Family Surnames: M - Minnick, Muck, Myers, Myers, Meier, S - Stein, Stine https://washcohistory.org/standard-secondary-2/
- All Maryland 1940 United States Federal Census for Minnick / Minnix Exact, sounds like, similar & soundex. Results 574
- All Maryland 1940 United States Federal Census results for Stein / Stine Exact, sounds like, similar & soundex. Results 2,458
- All Maryland 1940 United States Federal Census results for Lowenberg Exact, sounds like, similar & soundex. Results 18
- All Maryland 1940 United States Federal Census results for Meier, Meyer, Myer etc. Exact, sounds like, similar & soundex. Results 10,338 [Ancestry.com]
Please see THE MINNIX AND MISCHLER ANCESTORS OF CHARLES MINNIX, SR. FRANKLIN COUNTY, VIRGINIA Liber IV, BY MICHEAL B. MINIX, SR., M.D., March 24, 2017,
updated July 9, 2018 :
link: http://www.minnixmischler.com/
