Our Family History
Learn the history of the Schmidt Family of the Werra Valley. We originated in the Hessian villages of Nentershausen, Blankenbach, and Machtlos, and many branches migrated to America.
Legendary Reunions
We organize mega-reunions every 10 years for all the descendants of Hans Schmidt. Join us in 2026, when we will attempt to break the record for largest reunion in the world.
Visit Our Blog
See the latest family news: everything from new family history discoveries, to current association projects, to progress on future reunions, to updates on Schmidts doing notable things.
Are you a Werra Valley Schmidt?
Our Schmidt family descends from Hans Schmidt (1594-1680), the shepherd of the Werra Valley. Hans's descendants populated the Hessian villages of Nentershausen, Blankenbach, and Machtlos. In this region, our family often connects with the Raubs, Lindemanns, Rimbachs, and Körzells.
In the 1800s, some of these Schmidts migrated to the Ruhr Valley, seeking work in larger cities like Essen, Bochum, and Dortmund. Many of our Schmidt ancestors immigrated to America, settling from coast to coast.
The largest branches of our family include: the Schmidt families of West Bend, Iowa, Washington, DC, and Houston, Texas; the Banwart, Eisler, and Zinnel families of West Bend, Iowa; the Schmidt and Schwenker families of Scranton, Pennsylvania; the Lindemann, Gernhardt, Guenther, Hagelgans, Koenig, Koertzel/Kertzel, and Stutzmann families of eastern Pennsylvania; the Raub family of Dysart, Iowa; the Rommann family of Vinton, Iowa; the Bohn family of Saint Paul, Minnesota; and the Koenig family of Dickinson County, Kansas.
If you have such ancestry in any of these areas, you may possibly be a descendant of Hans Schmidt. Explore around and get in touch with us to find out more!
Get Involved
Would you like to contribute photos, memories, or artifacts to our family history collection? Want to lend your talents to the running of the association? Care to contribute to our history research or charitable endeavors?