🏠︎ Springorum

Beiträge zur Geschichte der Familie Springorum in der Zeit von 1700 - 1800

Beiträge zur Geschichte der Familie Springorum in der Zeit von 1700 - 1800

In Beiträge zur Geschichte der Familie Springorum in der Zeit von 1700–1800 (1894), Dr. Höfken presents a detailed genealogical and social history of the Springorum family during the eighteenth century, based primarily on archival sources from Westphalia. The study builds upon earlier volumes and incorporates newly discovered documents, including seals, legal records, and church sources.

The work begins with supplementary notes to the first volume, notably discussing the family’s heraldry and seals, and includes a key section on the five sons of Pastor Johannes Springorum of Kirchende. Höfken explicitly identifies their descendants and traces how different family branches emerged from this generation.

The main part of the book focuses on the Herdecke branch of the family, beginning with Caspar Reinhard Springorum and continuing through successive generations, particularly the prominent merchants and city councillors Johann Bernhard Springorum senior and junior. Their economic activities, civic roles, and family networks are described in detail, set against the broader social and economic conditions of the region.

Additional chapters and appendices cover related branches in Unna, Henrichenburg, Schwelm, and beyond, including an overview of Springorum families in Holland. Where possible, Höfken follows these lines down to individuals living at the time of writing, providing a near-contemporary snapshot of the family’s distribution.

Throughout the study, Höfken carefully distinguishes between documented facts and unresolved questions, noting where archival evidence remains incomplete. The work is both a genealogical reconstruction and a contextual history, illustrating how the Springorum family moved between agriculture, trade, craftsmanship, and public office over the course of the eighteenth century.