Show ContentsSpielburger History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Medieval Austria is the ancient homeland of the Spielburger family. Austria, which was originally home to a Celtic people, was conquered by the Roman Empire in about 15 BC. Following the fall of Rome, Austria was repeatedly invaded by barbarian tribes, such as the Vandals, Visigoths, and Huns, who swept in from the east. During the 5th and 6th centuries, the Alemanni, Avars and Slavs settled Austria. The Avars were defeated in 785 by the Frankish emperor Charlemagne, who set up the East Mark, which later became known as the Österreich. Austria was ruled by the Babenburger dynasty until 1278, when they were succeeded by the Hapsburg dynasty, which ruled Austria until the 20th century.

Early Origins of the Spielburger family

The surname Spielburger was first found in Austria, where the name was anciently associated with the tribal conflicts of the area. They declared allegiances to many nobles and princes of early history, lending their influence in struggles for power and status within the region. They had their noble seat in the 12th century at the fortified castle Spillburg on an island in the Danube river. Eberhard Spielberg sold the castle to Kaiser Rudolph I in the second half of the 13th century. They branched into many houses, and their contributions were sought by many leaders in their search for power.

Early History of the Spielburger family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Spielburger research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1652 and 1700 are included under the topic Early Spielburger History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Spielburger 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 Spielburger include Spielburg, Spielberg, Spielberger, Spielburger, Spielenberg, Spielbergen, Spillberg, Spillsberg and many more.

Early Notables of the Spielburger family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Spielburger were Adriana Spilberg (1652-1700), a Dutch Golden Age painter; and Eberhard Spielberg, a knight and a Baron, who was the...
Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Spielburger Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Spielburger family

After the First World War, Austria became a republic. The Treaty of Versailles broke up the empire in 1919 and many of the Sudeten Germans were incorporated into the new nation of Czechoslovakia. In the 20th century, many Austrians 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 Ontario and the Prairies. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Spielburger were Johann Spielberger, who settled in Georgia in 1735. Joseph Spielberger came to Philadelphia in 1832; as did Lewis Spielberger in 1837 and David Spielberger in 1868..



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