Heinrich II. Ostertag von Windstein

Heinrich married Matilda von Saffenberg in 1136. Matilda was born in 1113; died in 0Jan 1145. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

BIOGRAPHY:
OSTERTAG
The Ostertag family represents perhaps the most fascinating history of Anna
Barbara Ubelhor's ancestors. The information presented here is largely from the work of
Dennis A. Kastens The Ostertags of Alsace and Palatinate and Rumbach & Schonau,
Germany, Family Registry, 1430-1630, LDS Family History Library, call number
943.3/R8, D2k. Also private communications from Miriam Hall-Hanson, volunteer at the
LDS Library in Salt Lake City, UT. The Ostertag line is shown in Figure 6.
The first documented Ostertag is Heinrich Ostertag von Windstein (1) bom about
1160 in the upper region ofthe Alsace. Kastens reports:
"Tradition is that about a 3r great-grandson of Ostertag von Ramstein
participated AD 1096 in the First Cmsade as a squire. For his bravery in battle
with broad-sworded foes, he was knighted. Upon his retum to Alsace he was
given into marriage with a landed family near the present Windstein Castle mins
in the Wasgau. This increased his influence and wealth so that by 1205, his greatgrandson
Heinrich Ostertag von Windstein would erect Alt Windstein Castle and
be referred to as "von Windstein". He appears to have married Sophie of
Lorraine, daughter of Duke Matthaeus of Lorraine, brother-in-law of Holy Roman
emperor, Friedrich Barbarossa. Sophie's first cousin, King Philipp IV von
Staufen, willed or deeded her husband the properly upon which Alt Windstein
Castle was built a decade later."
Heinrich and Sophie had a son, Werner Ostertag von Windstein (2) bom about
1190 and died after 1225 in the Windstein Castle. The next 5 generations of Ostertags
were bom and died in the Windstein Castle. Johann Ostertag von Windstein (10) born
about 1400 and died about 1470, was the last ofthe "von Windsteins". Apparently the
Ostertags lost support ofthe Dahn protectorate. At the same time, the Ostertags lost their
land and probably most of their wealth. Two of their known sons settled nearby.
Wendell, bom 1430, moved to Cleebourg. The direct ancestor, Theobald Ostertag (11)
was bom in the Castle in 1434 and married a woman, name unknown, from the Amt
Wegelnburg in about 1459. Theobald (11) died before 1487 in Fischbach, Pfalz,
Germany. The move from the Windstein Castle must have taken place well before
Johann's death in 1470 as evidenced by his grandson's, Marzolph Ostertag, Sr. (13) birth
around 1462 in Fischbach, Pfalz. Marzolph (13) married (NN) about 1487 in Fischbach.
His wife was bom in the Amt Wegelnburg, village unknown.
Marzolph Ostertag, Sr. (13) appears to be patriarch of the Cleebourg/Alsace,
Fischbach and Rumbach Ostertags from 1400's-1600's. This family from Alsace and the
Palatinate figures into the pedigree of over 50 Colonial American sumames. (from Vol. 1
Rumbach, Schonau, Nothweiler, Hirschthat, Gebueg Family Registry. LDS FHL call
number 943.3/R8 D2k.)
29

Family/Spouse: Sophie de Lorraine. Sophie was born in 1162. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Unknown. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Unknown. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]