German Origins: The Earliest Curfmans (Korffmann)

The earliest Korffmanns (Curfmans) are known to have originated from Alzey, Morsfeld, Stein-Bockenheim, and the region of Westphalia, Germany. The earliest known bearer of the Korffmann form of the surname was Conrad Korffmann of Neuss am Rhein, Westphalia, born around 1498. His son Wilhelm was recorded as a burgher (meaning mayor) in 1555 in Westphalia.

During the 1600s, Westphalia, which is a region in northwestern Germany, was marked by the devastating effects of the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). This war was primarily a conflict between Catholic and Protestant states within the Holy Roman Empire, fueled by religious, political, and territorial tensions. The war had severe consequences for the region, leading to widespread destruction, depopulation, and economic decline. For these reasons, the Korffmann/Curfman descendants probably moved south, to Moresfeld, Germany for more security and economic opportunities. Moresfeld is within 6 miles of Stein-Bockenheim.

Image of Moresfeld, Credit: Google Maps, Sabine Zimmermann

Johann Georg Korbmann was born in 1610 in Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany and died in 1683 in Morsfeld, Germany.  According to records on Ancestry, he was the son of Anna and Blathassar Korffmann. Nothing more is known about Blathassar. Johann Georg Korbmann married Anna Magdalena Meyer in 1633 and they had a son, Johann Philipp Korffmann, when Johann Georg was 43.

Johann Philipp Korffmann (1653-1726) of Alzey and Stein-Bockenheim, Germany, is the earliest well-documented Korffmann in Germany. He is the grandfather of emigrants Daniel and Conrad, and his life will be documented in a separate blog.

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

Alzey is an important wine center and an ancient town, which derives its name from Altiaia (high castle) as it was called in 500 B.C. Alzey and its castle was regarded as the office of the kingdom since so many documents were issued. In the 15th and 16th centuries the castle was built into a representative castle complex which was badly destroyed during the Palatine War of Succession. The castle was restored in the 19th century and still stands today.

Stein-Bockenheim (Image credit from Stein-Bockenheim's Facebook Page)

The German town of Stein-Bockenheim dates to at least the 700’s when it was mentioned in a written document that described a meadow, vineyards and good plow land. Stein-Bockenheim is a very modest rural village of early origin located midway between Alzey and Bad Kreuznach. It is only about 6 miles from Morsfeld. The quarries of Stein-Bockenheim accounted for its early importance to monastic orders and for the Stein part of the name, although its coat of arms shows Steinbock, meaning mountain goat. The church that still stands in the town has been Protestant (Calvinist) since the Reformation and agriculture and stone cutting were the chief occupations.

References:

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The Curfman-Kurfman-Corfman-Korffmann Genealogy. Robert Joseph Curfman. Selbstverl., 1971 - 143 pages.

Ruth Curfman research

Wikipedia articles

Keith Curfman research