Shitz History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

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 Shitz. 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 in 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 Shitz family.

Early Origins of the Shitz family

The surname Shitz was first found in Brandenburg, where the name could be considered to have made an early contribution to the feudal society which became the backbone of early development of Europe. Chronicles first mention the names Schacz, Scheczel, and Scheczler in Breslau in 1350. The name became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses which played important roles in the local power struggles, each group seeking power and status in an ever changing territorial profile.

Early History of the Shitz family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shitz research. Another 202 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1470, 1665, 1780 and 1821 are included under the topic Early Shitz History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shitz 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 Shitz include Schaeztel, Schatz, Schatzel, Schatzl, Schatze, Schaetze, Schaetzle and many more.

Early Notables of the Shitz family

Notable figures of the time with the name Shitz were Carl Heinrich von Schaetzel (d.1780), Lord of Doeberitz and Verbitz in Havelland, who was a Prussian general and commander of the Garde du...
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Shitz Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Shitz migration to the United States +

The state of Prussia was a great influence on the shape of modern Germany. After the Second World War, Prussia's land was divided among the Soviet Union, Poland, East Germany and West Germany and the state was abolished. Some Prussians remained in those countries after the war, while many others migrated to North America in search of a new start. Philadelphia was their primary point of entry to the United States, after which many of them moved on to Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. A large number of Prussians also migrated to Ontario and the prairie provinces as United Empire Loyalists. Analysis of immigration records has shown some of the first Shitzs to arrive in North America, and among them were:

Shitz Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Mathews Shitz, aged 34, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1732 1
Matthias Shitz, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1753 1
Peter Shitz, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1759 1
Tillman Shitz, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1761 1
Tillmar Shitz, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1761 1
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

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)