Show ContentsBasch History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The German state of Prussia, which reached the zenith of its power in the late 19th century, is the glorious birthplace of the distinguished surname Basch. In the medieval era, after the fall of the Roman Empire, the German lands were inhabited by a variety of Barbarian tribes. The borders of the Barbarian kingdoms changed frequently, but the region that became known as Prussia was roughly divided between the areas of Brandenburg-Prussia, West Prussia, and East Prussia. The colorful history of Brandenburg-Prussia provides a glimpse at the oldest origins of the Basch family.

Early Origins of the Basch family

The surname Basch was first found in Prussia, where the family made a great early contribution to the feudal society of early Europe.

Early History of the Basch family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Basch research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1630, 1705, 1711 and 1731 are included under the topic Early Basch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Basch Spelling Variations

Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Basch include Beschefer, Bescheffer, Bescheferr, Beshefer, Besheffer, Besheferr, Beschefen, Beschefel, Beschefele, Beschefle, Bescheffen, Bescheffel, Bescheffele, Bescheffle, Beshefen, Beshefel, Beshefele, Beshefle, Besheffen, Besheffel, Besheffele and many more.

Early Notables of the Basch family

Notable figures of the time with the name Basch were Thierry Beschefer, sometimes given as "Theodore", (1630-1711), a Jesuit missionary and became the superior of the Canadian mission; and Jacques Beschefer, a Prussian lieutenant, who received his diploma on January 18, 1705. He owned several...
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Basch Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Basch migration to the United States +

Prussia played an extremely influential role in shaping modern German history. It remained a part of Germany until after the Second World War. Prussia was divided among the Soviet Union, Poland, East Germany and West Germany. Many Prussians became residents of these new countries after the War, and many migrated to other parts of Germany or Europe, as well as to North America. In the United States, the majority of settlers landed in Philadelphia, and moved on to Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Many German settlers also migrated to Canada, particularly to Ontario and the Prairies. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Basch were

Basch Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Whilhelm Basch, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1749 [1]
  • Wilhelm Basch, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1749 [1]
  • Hans Georg Basch, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1750 [1]
  • Georg Friederich Basch, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1751 [1]
  • Friederich Basch, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1752 [1]
Basch Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Ferdinand Basch, who landed in Texas in 1846 [1]
  • Frederick W. Basch, who settled in Baltimore in 1846
  • Maria Margarietha Basch, aged 28, who arrived in New York, NY in 1849 [1]
  • Minna Basch, who landed in New York, NY in 1850 [1]
  • Friedrich Basch, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 [1]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Basch (post 1700) +

  • Peter Basch (1921-2004), Austrian-American photographer
  • Harry Basch (b. 1926), American actor
  • Victor Basch (1863-1944), Jewish Hungarian-French politician
  • Samuel Siegfried Karl Ritter von Basch (1837-1905), Jewish Bohemian-Austrian physician
  • Raphael Basch (b. 1813), Bohemian-Austrian Jewish writer and politician
  • Gyula Basch (1859-1928), Hungarian Jewish painter
  • Árpád Basch (1873-1944), Hungarian Jewish painter, graphic artist
  • Martín Almagro Basch (1911-1984), distinguished Spanish archaeologist


  1. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


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