Our story begins in the North-Western part of Bohemia situated in the triangle between the Elbe River and Eger River and bounded by Saxony, the south-western part of which forms part of the Voigtland.

Eight hundred and eighty-three years had passed since the birth of Christ. Krzes owed his allegiance to Duke Hostiwit, and the Duke had asked him to defeat a rebel named Sukoslaw. Krzes and his men left their home in Budin and rode 11 miles northwest to Bilin, at the junction of the Eger and Elbe Rivers. After arriving, they ransacked Sukoslaw’s estate until he agreed to meet them on the battlefield.

On the day of the battle, they carried spears, axes, swords, clubs, maces, and bows. Slings and daggers hung from their belts. Krzes and most of the men rode horses. They intended to fight a fierce battle, and they did. Three hundred men, including Sukoslaw’s son, died before Sukoslaw retreated.

However, he didn’t give up. Vowing to revenge his son’s death, he began plundering nearby villages.

Again, Hostiwit summoned Krzes and the other knights, and they retired to Bilin.

They attacked Sukoslaw’s castle, where he was holed up. They hurled rocks and torches into it, tried to tunnel under it, and battered the walls with picks and iron encased logs. Meanwhile, they tried to dodge and protect themselves from an onslaught of arrows, boiling water, and hot oil that the castle inhabitants aimed at them.

Eventually, a standoff developed. Hostiwit and Krze’s only hope was that Sukoslaw would run out of supplies before camp life took a toil on their men. They killed or took prisoner anyone who tried to sneak supplies into the castle.

Finally, running out of food and other necessities, Sukoslaw lost hope and called out, “I give up!”

Hostiwit, encouraged by Krzes, replied, “I don’t want vassals like you.” The siege continued another four days before Hostiwit’s men broke into the castle. After entering it, Hostiwit ordered his men, “Destroy it so that other outlaws can’t hide here.”

While following his orders, they found Sukoslaw hiding among the rocks. After they brought him to Hostiwit, Sukoslaw begged for his life, so Hostiwit sentenced him to life in prison.

The enraged warriors, however, cut off his hands and feet and threw him into the Eger River.

Hostiwit rewarded Krzes with land and permission to build a manor on it. They named the place Krzesein.

Eventually the Kress Family moved from Krzesein to the Voigtland mountain slopes. However, their lives were both short and harsh with little entertainment. When Emperor Henry, in 1190, announced a tournament in Nuremberg, the Kress men wanted to attend. A tourney was an event not to be missed. It provided entertainment and an opportunity for them to prove their skill and valor. With nine good horses, they rode to Nuremberg and joined the competition.

There were two types of events: the joust during which two knights with blunt lances charged at each other and the melee, a small battle between team. During both events, helmets fell off, horses refused to charge or went out of control, lances, teeth, and bones broke. It was to be expected. Tourneys prepared men for battle.

At the end of the tourney, the Emperor announced a campaign against Donauewith, Swabia. The Kress men went with him and, during the war, impressed him with their bravery.

At the end of the war, they returned to Voigtland. However, during their absence, warring troops had devastated their land. Therefore, they and their servants moved south to Nuremberg where they were good citizens.

Heroldus Kress, born about 1240, was their descendant.

Heroldus is considered the ancestor of all the Kress and Cress family.