Hermann II Kress of Kressenstein

The information in this article was taken from pages 104-107 of Kress Family History by von Frank.

Herman II Kress of Kressenstein (near Culmbach) (#23 in Kress Family History by von Frank), Master of Stables of the Prince of Anhalt, is said to have been the common ancestor of the Kresses of Halle as well as those of Culmbach. He is the "foreigner" who in 1489, when master of stables for the Prince of Anhalt, hung up his escutcheon with the sword at Nuremberg at the house of Cunrad Haller. This action led later on to the quarrels with the Kresses at Nuremberg, about which affair I shall let the authentic records follow.

The information about his parents differs. Biedermann recorded them as Eberhard Kress (#14 in Kress Family History by von Frank) and Barbara Neustadter, called Sturmer. However, Christoph Kress (# 136 in Kress Family History by von Frank) called him in his writings son of Hermann Kress I (#15 in Kress Family Histroy by von Frank) and Agnes von Wirsberg. This descent seems to me more probable than that which Biedermann stated and therefore I used it in this work. It is to be considered that Christoph Kress wrote about 1530, so that no more than forty years had passed since the quarrel of Hermann II, with reference to his belonging to the Nuremberg branch, and that Christoph's father, Anton I Kress (#93) himself, took part in these disputes, so that he must have had exact genealogical documents at his disposal. Again in the later Kress family tree Hermann II appeared as the son of Hermann I.

The information, recorded about Hermann II, is meagre. We only know that he provoked Anhalt; that he married twice, but in this connection the names of his wives are unknown to us; and that later on he settled at Culmbach and had the castle of Kressenstein built for himself, outside the town, after which his descendants occasionally called themselves "of Kressenstein." He died in 1491. Most likely his first marriage took place while being at the court of Anhalt. From this marriage seems to have sprung Wilhelm Kress (#39), the founder of the branch at Halle. This issue of his second marriage were, as far as we know, his two sons: Briccius Kress (#40) and Georg Kress (#41).

I am going to quote some extracts of the information, which Carl Sigmund Kress von Kressenstein (#509) recorded in his Collectanea about the dispute with Hermann II Kress and about his family and the Kressenstein at Culmbach:

A Preceding Quarrel with Hans Kress of Dormentz

This quarrel seems to have begun with a friendly letter of invitation, which ran as follows: (modernized)

"First of all, my best regards, dear cousin. I wish to let you know that I am getting up a little festivity at Neunkirchen and I should be pleased, dear cousin, if you and your wife would come to Neunkirchen and not stay away, when the marriage feast will take place on the next Day of St. Antonius. I am asking this as a favour of you and your good wife."

"Date, written at Dormentz, Hans Kress of Dormentz" (#21) Address: "To the Honourable and Deserving Hans Kress (#88) the Elder, my Dear Cousin, at Nuremberg."

Sealed with the coat-of-arms with the sword of the Kresses. On account of this letter, the addressee and Sebald (#87), Anton (#93), Caspar (#116) and Hans (#121), all of them citizens of Nuremberg, met and asked the Kress of Dormentz for an explanation of what made him use their coat-of-arms and call them "cousins."

The Kress at Dormentz most likely was not much pleased with the success of his well-meant invitation. If and what he answered remained unknown. At any rate the four Kresses of Nuremberg sent a written complaint about it to the Imperial Attorney-General. As a reason they stated that "out of such assumed relationship and seals many disputes could arise about inheritances, purchases and other dealings, which are necessary for our family's welfare and exigency, disputes, which could be to the disadvantage of me and my relations."

It appears that material reasons chiefly made them refuse the Kress at Dormentz, because they feared that the latter's family, who belonged the the rural nobility, might raise claims for their municipal fiefs and foundations, in case a relationship should be acknowledged.

Now the Imperial Attorney-General demanded by a letter a justification from the Kress of Dormentz, failing which he would have to summon him to the Imperial Court.

Kress at Dormentz seems to have cared very little about this summons, for we have not heard that this case was ever settled one way or another. However, this case became mixed up with a claim which Hermann II brought in against the four Kresses at Nuremberg, for which reason I mentioned the incident in this place.

The Dispute with Hermann II

The dispute with Hermann II started in the following way:

On account of the Diet which King Maximilian had called at Nuremberg in 1489, the master of stables of Anhalt had also come to Nuremberg and taken lodgings with Cunz (Conrad) Haller. According to custom, he had his escutcheon hung up at his dwelling. This, however, the Kresses at Nuremberg would not put up with, whereupon Hermann hung up a sign with his escutcheon, on which was written: "Hermann Kress. Whoever does not think me a Kress, may he write his name to this sign, so that he shall repent for having given me dishonour and disgrace on such a royal day." Nobody seems to have signed his name, but the disputes went on, for Hermann Kress complained the the Emperor, whereupon the latter summoned both parties before him and had a council of arbitration formed, which consisted of Veit von Wolckenstein, Imperial Superintendant, Hans von Liechtenstein, Imperial Master of Stables, and Adam von Freinsperg, Imperial Commander-in-Chief.

Of Hermann's party there appeared:

Hermann Kress and Cunz Kress (#33), who were cousins, with their assistant Conrad von Rabiel, Superintendent of Anhalt, Heinrich von Traupitz, and Christophe Ungelter, as well as other persons in the service of the court of Anhalt. The description of the course of the trial recorded that the plaintiffs, Hermann and Cunz Kress, brought as testimonials two documents and other legal evidence for the fact "that their forefathers, parents, ancestors and their fathers in God have been in honourable positions in the services of princes and lords, so that they had borne their coat-of-arms in honour for a long time and had also married daughters of noble, honourable families, such as of the von Wichsenstein, Sturmer, Ochs von Guntzendorff, Schuz, Aufsess etc."

They insisted that nobody should hinder them in bearing their legally acquired coat-of-arms in view of their descent. The Kresses of Nuremberg did not seem to be able to bring forward any but rather weak arguments, not knowing how to defend themselves in any other way than by saying that they knew nothing of a relationship, but that they were willing to esteem the name of the other Kresses.

At last the Imperial counsellors announced their decision: "That the Kresses of Nuremberg should not hinder Hermann and Cunz Kress as well as their descendants in bearing their coat-of-arms and that they should try to show good will to one another. If, however, the first mentioned should be of the opinion that the latter bear their coat-of-arms without any right to it, they should bring their claims to the Imperial Chamber of Justice."

It appears that they came to an agreement one way or another and acknowledged the Kresses of Dormentz as belonging to the same family. Consequently, also Christoph Kress (#136) did this and recorded them in the family-registers of the Kresses.

The Kressenstein at Culmbach

In the collectanea of Carl Sigmund Kress von Kressenstein (#509), we find that he had research made about the Kresses of Culmbach and the Kressenstein, which was in their possession there, by his proctor notary, Andreas Keller at Nuremberg, and that the result of these investigations has been preserved in the original. I quote here the most important passages. Report of October 19, 1737: "The so-called Kressenstein is still in existence and situated rather far from the old city wall (of Culmbach), outside the southern suburb, near the Rindlein or Bayreuth gate. Still (in 1737) to be seen there is a two storied dwelling-house, used today as a wine inn, various stables, buildings, a summer house, garden, etc. Before the present owner, Mrs. Weinl, a forester's wife, Magistrate Horn, and before him Commander and Provost von Magwitz were in possession of the estate." Even today (1930) the environment, on which several other houses are situated, is called "To the Kressenstein" and the whole was a nobleman's seat before the Margravian-Nuremberg war in 1533.

As of 2023, there is a short stretch of road in Kulmbach called Kressenstein with many buildings on either side.