Johann Philipp Korffmann (1653-1726), Grandfather of American Emigrants

Johann Philipp Korffmann was born in 1653 in Stein-Bockenheim within the Holy Roman Empire and lived a notable life until his passing at the age of 73 in April 1726. Having resided in both Alzey and Stein-Bockenheim, he married Anna Ottilia Lufft (information on the Lufft family below) in 1675. Johann Philipp and Anna Ottilia had at least eight children. Descendants, including the sons who emigrated to Pennsylvania and others who settled in Lorraine, Poland, and Yugoslavia via Vienna, continue the family legacy.

After the death of Anna Lufft, Johann Philipp remarried in 1711 to Anna Margaretha Frankfurter, a widow of Johann Leonard Frankfurter, a prominent baker and grocer in Stein-Bockenheim. Anna Margaretha lived until 1720, reaching the age of 61.

Johann Philipp, the earliest recorded family member in Stein-Bockenheim, served as an official sent from Alzey in 1685. In 1689, the French destruction of the castle in Alzey and numerous homes marked a challenging period. Johann Philipp held the role of overseer and tax collector under the Elector Palatine, administering taxes against Palatine subjects residing outside Palatine territory. It is likely that he served in the Palatine military before his appointment as a tax collector. Around 1689, Johann Philipp succeeded his step-father-in-law Johannes Lauer as Shultheiss (mayor or chief magistrate) under the Count of the "Wild and Rhine" in Stein-Bockenheim until his death in 1726. His son Johann Daniel succeeded him.

As Shultheiss, Johann Philipp held the highest secular office in German villages, overseeing legal, judicial, and administrative matters, and was responsible for garrisoning troops during emergencies. He served under the Wild un Rheingraft of the Rheingrafenstein line until the castle's destruction in 1688, prompting a move to Graugreweiler. Johann Philipp would have served in the below castle, which still stands today overlooking the Rhine river.

Image Credit: Wikipedia The Rheingrafenstein Castle dates to the 11th Century. Johann Philipp served a Shultheiss (mayor) in this castle. The castle is located six miles northwest of Stein-Bockenheim

Records from 1696 highlight Johann Philipp's diverse responsibilities and possessions, including a house in need of repair, raw oats, and leases for various properties. He was also a district magistrate, landlord, innkeeper, Evangelical elder, and witnessed the administration of his father-in-law's estate in 1697.

Information on the LUFFT Family: Records date to the mid 1300s.

The Lufft surname was tracked back to Basel am Rhein, Switzerland, where one Ulrich Lufft was a councilman in 1361, and in the canton Ober-Graubunden. Many of the Luffts moved to Germany during the 15th century.

• Peter Luft was a Rheingraf juror at Alzen, Pfalz, in 1437.

• His son, A Hans Lufft of Wittenberg was the first printer of the Luther Bible in 1534.

• Hans' son, Thomas Lufft the Elder was born about 1563 and died about 1633 and the earliest Lufft recorded at Stein-Bockenheim. He was a juror in 1616 according to its earliest book of curt records.  He married in 1584 and had a son, Philipp Thomas Lufft the Younger.

• Philipp Thomas Lufft the Younger was born about 1585 and died about 1642 in Stein-Bockenheim, Germany.  He was a juror in Stein-Bockenheim in 1626 and married Catharina. They had a son, Johann Daniel Lufft.

• Johann Daniel Lufft was born in 1626 in Stein-Bockenheim and died there in 1670. He married Anna Catherina, who died in 1711. They had a daughter, Anna Ottilia Lufft, who married Johann Philipp Korffmann.

• Anna Ottilia Lufft was born in Nov 1653 in Stein-Bockenheim and married Johann Philipp Korffmann around 1675. She died in 1711 at the age of 57. They had 10 children, including Johann Daniel Korffmann, the father of the Conrad and Daniel who traveled to America.

References:

Ruth Curfman research

Curfman, Robert Joseph,. The Curfman-Kurfman-Corfman-Korffmann genealogy. Denver: Priv. print., 1971.

Keith Curfman research