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 Baschefen. 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 Baschefen family.
Early Origins of the Baschefen family
The surname Baschefen was first found in
Prussia, where the family made a great early contribution to the
feudal society of early Europe.
Early History of the Baschefen family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Baschefen research.
Another 205 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1705, 1630, 1711, 1705 and 1731 are included under the topic Early Baschefen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Baschefen Spelling Variations
In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era.
Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The
spelling variations of the name Baschefen 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 Baschefen family (pre 1700)
Prominent bearers of the family name Baschefen during this time period 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...
Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Baschefen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Baschefen family to the New World and Oceana
Since medieval times, the state of
Prussia has played an important part in the history of
Germany. The state's military powers were historically very strong, and endured until after the Second World War, when the territory was broken up and divided between the
Soviet Union, Poland, East
Germany and West Germany. A spurt of migration followed, with some Prussians going elsewhere in Europe and many others crossing the ocean to North America. Most entered the United States through Philadelphia. Some remained there, while more moved on to the states of Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Others traveled to Canada and settled Ontario and the prairie provinces. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Baschefen or a variant listed above: Aba. H. Basch, who settled in New York, NY in 1867; Amalie Basch, who arrived in New York, NY in 1859; Catherine Basch, who came to New York, NY in 1861.