The Johann Wendell Barth Family

The Johann Wendell Barth Family

Renaissance-era patriarch and great-grandfather of the American dynasty founder

Johann Wendell Barth lived during the late Renaissance period in the German states, marrying Ottilia Hermann and raising ten children during a time of religious upheaval and political transformation. His lineage represents the deep medieval roots of the Beard family, establishing the foundation that would survive the coming Thirty Years' War and eventually lead to the American dynasty.

Johann Wendell Barth & Ottilia Hermann

(July 9, 1574 – October 8, 1625) & (1583 – 1627)
Renaissance-era ancestors of the Beard family dynasty

Married July 19, 1601 in Rhodt, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
Renaissance Foundation: Johann Wendell Barth's marriage to Ottilia Hermann in 1601 established the lineage during the late Renaissance period. Their ten children would carry the family through the coming Thirty Years' War, with son Georg surviving to continue the line that would eventually produce the American Beard dynasty.

Their Children

Ten children who weathered the transition from Renaissance to Reformation

Click to read Georg's story

Georg Barth

(February 13, 1614 – Deceased)
8th Child

🌿 Father of Nichlaus Beard Bard

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Thirty Years' War survivor • Married Maria Mattes

Crucial link to American dynasty
Click to read Anna Margaretha's story

Anna Margaretha Barth

(1602 – 1662)
1st Child

👑 Eldest daughter and family matriarch

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Lived 60 years through Renaissance and war

Family stabilizer during Thirty Years' War
Click to read Catharina's story

Catharina Barth

(1604 – 1614)
2nd Child

😇 Died young before the great war

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Lived during final Renaissance peace

Spared the coming devastation
Click to read Anna Christina's story

Anna Christina Barth

(1605 – 1697)
3rd Child

🕰️ Lived an extraordinary 92 years

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Witnessed Renaissance to early modern era

Living bridge across centuries
Click to read Anna's story

Anna Barth

(1606 – ?)
4th Child

❓ Fate unknown after war

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Possibly relocated during conflict

Lost to history's chaos
Click to read Georg's story

Georg Barth (First)

(1607 – 1608)
5th Child

👼 Died in infancy

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Name honored by later brother

Remembered through family tradition
Click to read Hans Veith's story

Hans Veith Hermani Barth

(1608 – 1684)
6th Child

💪 Lived 76 years through war and peace

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Keeper of family war memories

Living witness to survival
Click to read Marx's story

Marx Barth

(1612 – ?)
7th Child

⚔️ Childhood during war

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Fate unknown after conflict

Lost generation of war
Click to read Catharina's story

Catharina Barth (Second)

(1615 – ?)
9th Child

🌸 Named for deceased sister

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Childhood in wartime chaos

Honored family memory
Click to read Appolonia's story

Appolonia Barth Höhr

(1620 – 1694)
Married into Höhr family
10th Child

👶 Youngest child born during war

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Lived 74 years through recovery

Final child of the Renaissance generation

Johann Wendell & Ottilia's Legacy

10 Children
24 Years Span
51 Johann's Age
1000s Descendants Today

From Renaissance to Reformation and Beyond

Johann Wendell Barth and Ottilia Hermann raised ten children during one of history's most turbulent transitions, from the final years of Renaissance prosperity through the devastating Thirty Years' War. Their family's survival through this catastrophic period created the foundation for all future generations, including the eventual American dynasty that began when their great-great-grandson John Beard crossed the Atlantic to colonial Pennsylvania.

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Johann Wendell Barth: A Life Through History

Johann Wendell Barth: A Life Through History

1574 – 1625: Renaissance Patriarch & Father of Ten Children

Born in Rhodt, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany during the late Renaissance period, Johann Wendell Barth lived through the transition from medieval to early modern Europe. His marriage to Ottilia Hermann and the raising of ten children would establish the foundation that would survive the coming Thirty Years' War and eventually lead to the American Beard dynasty.

🇩🇪 Johann Wendell Barth

(July 9, 1574 – October 8, 1625)

Renaissance patriarch who lived during the final flowering of medieval culture before the devastating Thirty Years' War. Father of ten children including Georg Barth, great-grandfather of John Beard who would establish the American Beard dynasty through his emigration to colonial Pennsylvania.

Birth and Youth in Renaissance Germany

1574 – 1600 • Johann's Formative Years
1574
Johann Wendell Barth is Born
Born July 9, 1574 in Rhodt unter Rietburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, during the height of the Renaissance and the reign of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II.
Birth Year
1576
Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II
Rudolf II becomes Holy Roman Emperor, beginning a reign marked by religious tensions and the gathering forces that would lead to the devastating Thirty Years' War.
Johann is 2 years old
1588
Spanish Armada Defeated
The defeat of the Spanish Armada by England shifts the balance of European power, affecting the Protestant regions of the Holy Roman Empire where Johann lives.
Johann is 14 years old
1590s
Coming of Age in Renaissance Culture
Johann reaches adulthood during the final flowering of Renaissance culture in the German states, experiencing the last period of relative peace before religious conflicts engulf Europe.
Johann is in his teens and twenties

Marriage and Family Foundation

1601 – 1620 • Johann Establishes His Legacy
1601
Marriage to Ottilia Hermann
On July 19, 1601, Johann marries Ottilia Hermann in Rhodt, beginning a 24-year marriage that will produce ten children and establish the family line during the transition from Renaissance to Reformation.
Johann is 27 years old
1602
First Child Anna Margaretha Born
Johann and Ottilia welcome their first child, Anna Margaretha, in 1602, beginning their large family during the final peaceful years before Europe descends into religious warfare.
Johann is 28 years old
1604-1608
Growing Family During Peace
Johann and Ottilia welcome more children: Catharina (1604), Anna Christina (1605), Anna (1606), Georg (1607-1608), and Hans Veith Hermani (1608), building their family during relatively stable times.
Johann is 30-34 years old
1609
Twelve Years' Truce Begins
The Twelve Years' Truce between Spain and the Dutch Republic brings temporary peace to parts of Europe, though religious tensions continue to build across the German states.
Johann is 35 years old
1612-1620
Final Children Born
Johann and Ottilia complete their family with the births of Marx (1612), Georg (1614), Catharina (1615), and Appolonia (1620), their ten children representing the final generation born before the great war.
Johann is 38-46 years old

War's Beginning and Johann's Final Years

1618 – 1625 • The World Changes Forever
1618
Thirty Years' War Begins
The Defenestration of Prague sparks the Thirty Years' War, beginning the most devastating conflict in European history. Johann, now 44, must protect his large family as war spreads across the German states.
Johann is 44 years old
1620
Battle of White Mountain
The Catholic victory at the Battle of White Mountain intensifies religious persecution across the Holy Roman Empire, affecting Protestant communities like Johann's in the Rhineland-Palatinate.
Johann is 46 years old
1621-1625
Protecting Family During Early War
Johann spends his final years trying to keep his large family safe as the Thirty Years' War spreads chaos across the German territories, establishing survival strategies that will serve his children well.
Johann is 47-51 years old
1625
Johann Wendell Barth Dies
Johann dies on October 8, 1625, at age 51, just seven years after the Thirty Years' War began. His death leaves Ottilia to raise their ten children through the worst conflict in European history.
Johann is 51 years old
2025
Johann's Legacy Endures Through Centuries
Four centuries later, Johann's decision to build a large family during the final peaceful years before the great war created a legacy that survived Europe's darkest period and eventually produced the American Beard dynasty through his descendants' courage and resilience.
His legacy lives through 10 children and countless descendants
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Explore the Beard Generations

Explore the Beard Generations

Johan Wilhem Barth1st Hanß Philips Barth2nd Johann Wendell Barth3rd Georg Barth4th Nichlaus Beard (Bard)5th John P. Beard6th Frederick Beard Sr.7th David Beard8th John Henry Beard Sr.9th John Henry Beard Jr.10th Allen John Beard11th