MY  NAMESAKES

Selected items from own memoir

(English translation 2003)

 Introduction

In 1969, when I returned from a year spent doing chemical research in the free atmosphere of the United States, I discovered, sadly, that a political "normalization" was underway in Prague. It was a severe shake-up, which followed every step of my life.

Initially, various things seemed merely laughable to me. But soon I realized that they were just raw and ugly facts. Across an ocean, in America, it seemed impossible that the democratization hopes of Prague spring should be forgotten in the course of only one year. Impossible that an Eastern style of life could totally prevail again -- with all its untruths, humbug and fears. When I recognized the lack of interest at the Academy Institute in my pursuing any purposeful work in macromolecular chemistry, I began to conduct research in genealogy. I went beyond scientific chemical libraries and into the archives, going through various church registers in Prague district Karlov and accumulating information about Stamberg families.

I have asked myself: How it is possible that this unfortunate country is my homeland? My thinking isI, after all of a completely different kind. I instinctively appreciate true Western values. How did it happen that my parents and grandparents were born here? How many generations of ancestors lived in the same place? Where, actually, I am from?

And so I came to a more intensive thinking about my past and origins. I began going through family documents, visiting archives more frequently, gathering information from older people and listing the data I found about forefathers. I assumed that my discoveries would also interest my closest relatives and that they might participate in a mutual exchange of information.

From 1977-79 I began - with just a typewriter and plenty of carbon papers - to arrange the results of my research in my new family periodical Voice of the Descent. I mailed the periodical from Prague to my parents and sister in Pribram, to my brother in Prague on Novodvorska street, and to my aunt Pusova in Haj near Duchcov. Some of them even assisted me in my effors. I sparked tremendous interest in my old aunt Pusova – my father’s sister - who sent me her many reminiscences. And then my brother spent a number of hours with me in the national archives. After two years of intensive activities, it appeared that perhaps already everything there was to be found had been discovered. The full carton of data was put aside for a short time, and finally, in 1989 it was moved with me - pensioner and widower - to Pribram.

I began trying to organize all the fragmentary information, with the perspective gained through the passage of time. In chapters and sections of a report originally entitled Prenatal history - now renamed The gene heritage - I will soon try to summarize the results of my genealogical investigation. I want to outline the steps that lead to the moment of my conception, and then continue to the day of my birth. This material is described through detailed, independent treatments, particularly in the forementioned two volumes Voice of the kin and in a separate genealogical treatment about my parents and grandparents spanning five generations. I hope that I will succeed in finishing the genealogy of Stambergs on the basis of the data I have collected, and be able to elaborate on this material in a more professional text, thoroughly accompanied by appropriate scholarly citations. So far I have been able to finish finished a roundup treatment for the first volume of my personal chronicles.

In this selection I present some sections from the 1st volume of my chronicles. Attention is given to all namesakes I have discovered so far – who live not only in this country, but also abroad. Perhaps I will be able to find other family members among the people who have the same unusual name, Stamberg. Perhaps the other Stambergs – now alive or to be born -- will be able to clear up, step by step, how and from where we came to this country. The history of my own blood ancestors is outlined in documents from the end of the 17th century so far. But some hunches and family traditions are helping to reveal them in earlier times.

How and when did our name originate? Studying registers of the commune Obecnice, I have systematically tracked down different spellings of our name. I found a number of variations:

In the years Numbers of different forms found

* - S with wedge

In church registers of the commune Obecnice, names like Stamberger, Stambergr and Stemberk were discovered quite sporadically. But they were evidently connected with the offspring of the first two Obecnice families that were started by Vaclav (Wenceslas) and Matěj (Matthew). The different entries in church registers were obviously caused by the lack of attention from recorders, or a conscious effort to match the name to the Czech or German language. This brief list covers only part of the past century, because later church registers were not yet freely available in archives. In East Bohemia families of my namesakes -- forms like Stamberg, Sternberk, Sternberg, Stomberk, Stomberg -- were discovered in old records. On basis of these discoveries, I would like to pay attention in this text to the form Stamberg in particular. But I do not want to ignore the forementioned and documented forms. I will deal with alterations using S with wedge or without wedge, the letter g or k at the end of the name, and forms where the ”am” would be exchanged by em , om, ern, arn.

As in Obecnice so also in Eastern Bohemia, tradition suggests that the family line of Stambergs may have aristocratic origins. To confirm this assumption, it would be necessary to discover older ancestors, going back to an era when the church registers were not yet kept. Therefore I have paid close attention to the history of noble clans.

The first offspring of Eastern Bohemia lineage was Ing Zdenek Stamberg from Lanskroun. I met him at Pardubice almost forty years ago. He mentioned a castle ruin Stamberk on the Czech-Moravian upland as the historical seat of his family. In other words, he assumed there was a connexion between his ancestors and the Bohemian noble family of Sternberks. In the case of castle Stamberk, little remains from original construction. They are situated north-west of Telc (ca 7 km) - close to a community Lhotka. In the textual part of the tourist map "Czech-Moravian upland - south" it is mentioned that the castle Stamberk was originally called Stemberk. In the ”Map of Cultural Czechoslovak Sights”, the castle ruin is marked as Sternberk, with this textual note: Sternberk - trivial name Stamberk. In the old Bohemian ”Ott encyclopaedia”, the entry "of Sternberk" notes that this old Czech earldom family has been mentioned since the beginning of the twelfth century. Sternberks were in possession of three seats. The Czech castle Sternberk on river Sazava is the best-known and best-preserved. Another seat was in Moravia near Olomouc. A third castle was near Telc.

Another indication of the possible noble origin of my namesakes is that they belonged to the Austrian strain of Starhemberg, whose name occurred in different variations in Czech environment ( also as Starhenberg, Starnberg). It has been also changed in the form Stamberk. Evidence of this is a farm near Naceradec. It should belong to Starhembergs, but now, it is reported as Stamberk. It is not possible to find out with sufficient certainty how the present name, Stamberg, originated. A very old Austrian strain of Starhemberg may have been mentioned as early as the 9th century, and is alleged to have belonged to the founders of the Austrian state. One of their family was in possession of the town Naceradec in the 18th century (about 1730), and the previously mentioned farm also belonged to them. They were called Starhenberg´s at that time. The name indeed underwent Czech influence again, and my investigation turned up various versions. Nowadays the farm is specified as Stamberk in the tourist map "Czech-Moravian Highland - North" (about 3km west-west-south from Naceradec). It is however interesting that the registry index of Birth (Naceradec 1680-1805) lists the same farm as Stamberg (the birthplace of a certain Jacob Sikora in 1686). But, it was in a period when the town of Naceradec did not yet belong to Starhembergs.

Another aristocratic family bore the name Stambersti. (The ending is evidently of Czech origin. The name can be translated like ”belonging among Stambergs”.) They were listed as crest families in town Unhosť and also in Moravia. In Moravia it is a stock from Hustopeč, where some members of the same lineage are mentioned as Strambersti. In that connection, it is interesting that the transfer of the house to my oldest ancestor Vaclav is recorded (in Obecnice land books from the beginning of the 19th century) under the title "Record to Bozena and Waczlaw Sstamberskegh wife and husband..." (”Sstamberskegh” is another word of the old-time Czech grammatical morphology which is close to the previously mentioned name ”Stambersti”.)

In the list of aristocratic stocks connected to Bohemia and Moravia and Silesia, Stambergs are also registered. A range of various names appear that could belong to the same families: Stamperg, Stanberg, Stanperg, Stanpergar, Stauperger; in this connection an entry in Bohemian state records from 1554 has to be mentioned.

As far as I know from my existing findings, an aristocratic stock bearing our name occurs very rarely in foreign countries. (There is no historical evidence of it.) My namesake Mrs Elfriede Stamberg from Vienna has learned from a friend about a small German castle Stamberg. She discovered it in German fiction from 1876. The building was mentioned in the proximity of Heidelberg (near Schriesheim) and an identical name was also quoted on a contemporary detailed map of the area. According to the book, the small castle belonged to Juliane Stamberg in first half of 19th century. Juliane came reputedly from a "Silesian" family of Stambergs. I have investigated that place and found a very small settlement with a building like small castle. Later, I was informed by some local citizens that there was an industrial plant on the territory in the past. Now the building has become a home for the elderly. These references from German fiction should be examined in detail. In particular the sources used by the writer should be checked. I might mention that these namesakes were allegedly Protestants.

Less accurate information was given to me by Stanislav Stamberg whom I visited in Olesna near Naceradec on July 9, 1970. According to him, our namesakes are mentioned in a historical novel from the time of Wallenstein. Also a portrait of certain Jiri Stamberg is said to exist in castle Dacice. I have also found out that there is gamekeeper´s lodge "Stamberk" near Klanovice which is mentioned in a pamphlet "Trips into surroundings of Prague" and also in other specialized literature. The small building is said to have existed there from time immemorial; but I know of no further historic data. A red marked foothpath goes from Klanovice railway station to the spot. A street ”Na Stamberku” ("At Stamberk") is also in Prague-Dablice. It is recorded in the publication ”Pražský uličník” ("Prague streets", Encyclopedia of Prague public places 1^st volume, Prague 1997). According to a local historian, this name occurred in Dablice land register intermittently since the end of 18^th century.

Now I must summarize the scanty information I have found on the history of Stambergs before the eighteenth century. The only information is what has been passed along by family tradition.

My aunt Pusova mentioned once that our Stambergs came somewhere from France. Recently I have contacted a relative Vaclav Stamberg living in Prague. Our fathers - both schoolmasters - were cousins; so we have a common great-grandfather Kaspar Stamberg. After our meeting in spring 1998, Vaclav became interested in the genealogy of our family. He took advantage of his clairvoyant abilities and also of his qualifications as a successful user of the divining rod. He was inspired by the birth certificate of our great-grandfather Kaspar, which also registers our common, earliest forefather Vaclav. On this ground he believed that our family of Stamberg came from Luxemburg. He envisioned the family origins going back to around 1400 and intuited that the founder might have been a craftsman. He was married and had three children, two boys and one girl. He lived for 72 years. The first son lived 57 years, was a craftsman, married and remained childless. The second son lived 60 years, he was also a craftsman and married. He had five sons, who produced numerous offspring. The daughter of the founder of the family never married, and lived to the age of 70. Vaclav said that our stock came into Bohemia around 1700.

The first offspring of the East Bohemian lineage Ing. Zdenek Stamberg presupposed that they belonged to the Bohemian strain of Sternberk - as was mentioned earlier. But later members of the same lineage indicate another tradition. Stanislav Stamberg from Olesna (near Naceradec) told me that according to his information, their family came from an aristocratic family in Saxony. It was said that one of them married a women of a lower class, and so he fell into disgrace and had to leave home. According to Ing. Josef Stamberk from Tabor, one of their ancestors - possibly the father or grandfather of Antonin from Caslavsko - came to Bohemia from Bavaria in the middle of 18th century. In Bohemia he served the local aristocracy. He served as a witness, in a land dispute with neighbouring farmers. He gave farmers some important and decisive information, on the basis of which they were able to rightfully win the dispute. The ancestor of Josef from Tabor was afraid he would be seriously harmed by the highest aristocracy, and escaped secretly to Bohemia; it is not known whether he fled alone or with his family.

So there is a very different tradition in the East Bohemia branch of Stambergs. There are also groups of near namesakes with similar names. Such name forms occured sporadically in past registers of Stambergs. So far I have learned their ancestral tradition in only one case. There is a Stemberg family living in Prague, and they should come from Sweden where they allegedly also later found their name.

In Bohemia the twentieth and nineteenth centuries were reliably documented in regularly kept parish registry records. So reliable documents about birth, marriage, death can be found. In the eighteenth century, the parish registers or other plausible records were ordained by the church, and therefore could be expected to exist. Nevertheless, it is often difficult to find accurate entries, as the tallies were done differently and less thoroughly than in later centuries. The parish registers were originally established at the end of seventeenth century, but we can only find rather scanty readings for the common people. Landowners and the nobility were more carefully documented.

The genealogical data about our branch of Obecnice Stamberg´s begin with an entry in the register of married couples for the year 1797. I hope earlier entries will be found at some other place. The two hundred year period which has been described in my existing documented family tree of Stambergs, is only a blink of time in the long history of this name. But there is more to be known about earlier times. Where were our namesakes in Obecnice coming from? As plebeian simple people they should have been recorded in parish registers at least since seventeenth century, when parish priests had begun to keep these books.

I consider the research about Stambergs before they have come to Obecnice to be our ”tribal tale”. In my father’s family, stories about a noble ancestry circulated. But my pragmatic father viewed them skeptically: "...that the females supposedly talked about something like that at home...". But I have obtained a little more information from his sister Marie (Mary). She wrote to me: "Old legends impart the message. They passed from one family line to another. The following things have been preserved. My father came from a margravial family. (Bohemian or German nobility corresponding in rank to a British earl or marquess.) They were supposed to own the domain Oboriste. (A place is situated near Pribram.) My father belonged to the fourth generation. At first, there were two siblings. They lost their parents and fortune through a stroke of fate - supposedly in the time of the Thirty Years War. One of them finally became a charcoal burner in Obecnice forest....”

There was much that was unclear in my aunt’s account. Mainly particulars of time are inconsistent. My grandfather lived from the second half of the nineteenth century. So between the end of Thirty Years War and his birth, more than 200 years went by! Which means there were more generations in the family than the three she indicates. There is another inaccuracy in the story from my auntie. It involves the ”domain Oboriste”. The old Bohemian Otto´s Cyclopedia lists all the owners of the local fort from 1408 to 1786. None of our namesakes are listed. I have been also looking in parish registers of Svaté Pole, because Obořiště was then ecclesiastically subordinated to that village. No mention of our name could be found in those records. I continued the investigation in parish registers of the nearby town Dobris – to which Obecnice belonged at the time of the Stambergs’ arrival; again the outcome was negative. The name Stamberg did not occur there. So the possibility that our forefathers came to Obecnice from Oboriste or Dobris was pretty much ruled out.

If we are seeking inspiration about a previous stay of our forefathers, a rather tattered web of tribal relationships between our other namesakes is available. Most of all, I have gotten acquainted with the East Bohemian branch of Stambergs. When I was conducting research at the institute in Pardubice (1955-1961), I met an engineer (Ing) Stamberg who worked in a nearby projection institute. He was very surprised to learn that there was another branch of Stambergs. In the seventies I recalled our encounter in Pardubice and was able – through my other contacts to East Bohemia - to find out Ing Stamberg´s address. He lived in Lanskroun and described his father’s blood line: “Our family comes from Caslavsko, i.e. a village near Kralovice, from Sebirovsky mlyn (a water mill that grinds grain). At the end of 18^th century, there lived Jan Sternberk a publican and later a miller. His son Jakub Sternberk - born July 4, 1790 - was also a miller there. Jakub’s son Jan Stamberk - born 23.10.1831 - was the first who had”am” in the name, and at the end –k. He was also a miller - in Bahynko near Malesov (district Kutna Hora). Son of Jan - Josef Stamberg – was my grandfather, also a miller, but in Lochy (near Caslav), where I have been born...”

An 18^th century relationship between their ”East Bohemian branch” and our forefathers in Obecnice could not be ruled out. I searched not only in parish registers but also in telephone books and learned several new particulars and interesting people. I discovered new namesakes who know something about the family and tribal chroniclers among them. I have come to know some of them personally, or have exchanged letters at least. Ing Zdenek Stamberg from Lanskroun reminded a chronicler of their family Mr.Bernard Consolascio. Zdenek – as a ”seignior”, the first born son of the first born son - obtained from him a copy of the family tree. The wife of Bernard Consolascio - born Bozena Stamberg - was the aunt of Zdenek. Bernard was not alive, but Mr Capek - the Bozena´s son from her first marriage – lived in Prague. I visited him and we exchanged some information. We discussed the different forms of the name, and I learned that the original name - according to the author of their chronicle - was Sternberk. In the country at Naceradec the name Sternberk was allegedly transformed to Stamberk; it was said for example ”I go to Stamberk” but not ”I go to Sternberk”. Apparently the oldest known forefather had some relationship to the place Sternberk, e.g. he moved in from the community Sternberk. Nevertheless their first forefather Jan – mentioned by Mr.Capek – was entered as Stemberg in the oldest marriage certificate from the year 1783. I have confirmed this, in browsing through parish registers.

The ”seignior” Zdeněk has mentioned two more other relatives: Josefa (nickname Jozinka) Stamberg who lived in Prague - they celebrated her 75^th birthday in summer 1974 (i.e. she was so old as my mother) - and her brother Ludvik - residing at the mill in Bahynko. I have dropped a line to Jozinka and her brother Ludvik replyed. Also his information was closed with Jan Stamberg at the end of 18^th century and he did not know neither his birth nor any further information about him.

In a telephone book of Karlovy Vary, I have found a namesake Mr. Bohuslav Stamberg. A member of his family who dealt with genealogy supposedly had come across a very old entry in Bohemian state records - possibly dating back to 1690. In compliance of his experience, two family lines should exist: one from Kutna Hora – he came from – and onother from South Bohemia – he should also met with its members personally. More he specified that his father came from Lochy at Kutna Hora, where his great grandfather owned the mill.

Ing Stamberk from Tabor considered the German written name Stamberg as original. In their family, it was allegedly changed to Stamberk through the verdict of the court. His father was born in Blanicka under the legendary mount Blanik. (The famous Czech composer Bedrich Smetana named one of his symphonic poems after that mount.) The elder ancestors were already living in Caslavsko. The siblings of the grandfather left for the U.S., and Ing.Stamberk had heard, that someone from the family was living near Pribram.

I have found another eminent member of the East Bohemian branch in the book of the well-known physician and narrator MUDr. Vondracek. This was Vaclav Stamberg from Malovidy near Vlasim. We called each other and he presented me a copy of the family chronicle with loose pages. This chronicle was written by his uncle Vaclav, the director of the savings bank in Prague.

In seventies I passed during vacation a solo trip with the Skoda car Octavia Combi through the places that are connected with the origin of East Bohemian branch. I arrived in Caslavsko and to the near Sebir mill where the first forefather of East Bohemian Stamberg´s should come from. At this opportunity Ihave called also Mr. Stanislav Stamberg in Olesna near Naceradec who was interested in genealogy. We had a chat about Stamberg´s and he gave me his family tree. His brother should live in Opava and proposed as retiree to investigate the genealogy of their family. So much for the meantime about the very succinct outline of the large East Bohemian branch of Stamberg´s. We searched with brother Karel in their parish registers, but no connections to our the first Stamberg´s – Vaclav and Matej – was found.

I have also investigated the footsteps of Stamberg´s in foreign countries. With some complications – corresponding to the lack of freedom in the time of communism – I was browsing through Viennese telephone book at the Main Post Office in Prague and found addresses of some namesakes. Despite of obstructions put by communists and due to understanding of the Viennese Elfriede Stamberg, I could find that the family of her not already living husband came actually from Bohemia originally. Besides, she helped me to find the very earliest documented namesake Johann Stamberg. He was a huntsman (chasseur) and as young person lived in Bohemia near town Blatna in Oselec, where he obtained as apprentice the certificate for his huntsman (chasseur) qualification in May 22, 1732. The framed document has Mrs. Elfriede displayed in her sitting room. It can be assumed that this Johann belonged to the earliest forefathers of the East Bohemian branch because all Stambergs of Mrs. Elfriede´s family tree belong to this branch. She gave me copies of parish register documents and I could find that there is documented as first forefather Antonin from Caslavsko. The same Antonin is the oldest forefather in the Malovidy chronicle and also in the family tree of Stanislav Stamberg from Olešná near Naceradec. Due to relative proximity of Oselec (near Blatna) and of Pribram, some connection between huntsman (chasseur) Johann and Stamberg´s living in Obecnice can not be excluded, but as yet, the evidence for it is not available. During my holiday trip in seventies, I have visited Oselec – where Johann has obtained his huntsman (chasseur) certificate – and also the near village Kotoun with the parish. By asking the local citizens, I found that Stamberg´s are not more living in Kotoun today, but, one house is still called ”At Stamberg´s”. For searching parish registers from these places, I had to visit the record office in Plzen and browse the books there from 18^th century. I have found the parents of Johann and his siblings and also other namesakes. But I was not able to trace any connection with Stambergs from Obecnice.

In Plzen I have learned particularly that certain Georgius Stemberg from Wosselec has married Catharina Wowsova from nearby Životice in 1700. Their 3^rd child was Jan Servacius born in 1708. Probably he was the later huntsman Johann according to the certificate for huntsman (chasseur) qualification. As above mentioned the huntsman (chasseur) Johann should be with respect to documents from Mrs. Elfriede the first ancestor supported by parish register. Antonin Stamberg, born in Caslavsko 1756 could be the son of the huntsman Johann from Oselec. A close kinship between Johann in Oselec and Antonin in Caslavsko is quite probable. It is also supported by a tribute of Viennese Stambergs that is done to the Johann´s certificate. Mrs. Elfriede displays the framed document in her sitting room.

The genealogical ”building set” can be interestingly completed through data from the chronicle of the Stamberg family, which was kept in the settlement of Malovidy. These are not chronologized and documented, but, they are passing by word of mouth as traditional knowledge. It is said that the eldest forefather was the top huntsman (chasseur) Johann who was mentioned ”of Stamberg” as a nobel person. He should be the father of the mentioned Antonin from Caslavsko. Johann was employed in an executive center Stattenbrunn near Caslavsko and he was married and had children. In addition to Antonin he had two sons and started so a wide branch of East Bohemian Stamberg´s. In the indicated progeny of Jiri Stemberg from Oselec, a branch could be sought out who could bring us to the family of our forefather Vaclav at the end of 18^th century. It is not unimportant that the presumptive son of Jiri Stemberg - the top huntsman (chasseur) Johann - was allegedly named as nobel person ”von Stamberg” (”of Stamberg”) – as it corresponds to our tradition according to family saga. Jiri had also a younger son Simon, but, his destiny is not known.

Also another place of origin for Obecnice Stamberg´s can not be quite ruled out. Browsing in the parish registers of the Middle Bohemian record office in Prague, I have found in the books of parish Slivice (near Pribram) a marriage certificate from 1847. The name of bride was Stamberg Maria and she lived in a small village Palivo circa 3 km west from Slivice; her father was entered as Waclaw Stamberk. In the books of baptized, the bride was entered Stemberg and her older brothers Stemberg and Sternberg. In the corresponding entries was their father recorded Stemberk, Stemberg, Sternberg. Searching for this family, my brother Karel came to the right side of river Vltava and in the village Hojsin to the manor Vysoky Chlumec. In the registry written records of this area, many names Stemberg, and Stenberg, and Stamberger appeared. Any straight connection to Obecnice Stamberg branch in 18^th century did not come off.

Also has not to forget - still not successful, but, not completely finished – the search among residents of two German villages near town Rozmital. Nepomuk - the first of them - was founded 1727 by 22 families of Germans from Sumava who were invited through then archbishop – the owner of the town Rozmital. The village Nepomuk lies inside mountains Brdy like Obecnice which is situated ca 11 km east by north. I succeeded to find the names of all German founders of the village Nepomuk in Pribram library, unfortunately, our namesakes were not betwen them. Nevertheless the hypothesis can not be yet quite excluded because the Stamberg´s could come to Nepomuk either subsequently or to later founded nearby village Zalany. Both villages were long time – and also today – nicknamed as At Germans.

I arrived now in my search after the forefathers Stamberg´s up to nineteenth century. The situation here is much simpler for it can be started more readily from particular data that are available from family documents and parish registers.

At first I should remind – as I have learned browsing parish registers - that actually two separate parallel families of the name Stamberg developed in Obecnice. The oldest namesake of the second family was called Matej and he appeared in Obecnice approximately at the same time as my own first documented forefather Vaclav. Their mutual kinship is not immediately documented, but, it is rather likely. It can not be excluded that they had the same parents or grandparents, but, any evidence as yet is missing.

My forefather Vaclav Stamberg has married in Obecnice 1797, but, his birth was not found in Obecnice books. There are no footsteps leading to the origin of Vaclav, his parents, grandparents… He is yet our eldest forefather who was in documents really found and confirmed. Studying the registers of Pribram and - after establishment of an own parish – also of Obecnice, I could easily draft a patrilineal family tree from the first Vaclav up to my father. Besides the first Vaclav is already cited in the preserved birth certificate of his grandson Kaspar who was my great grandfather.

The Obecnice cadastre – the official register of the quantity, value, and ownership of real estate – reveals more information about the family of our eldest forefather. It records the turning over of the house of the bride´s parents to the newly married couple. A valuable aid in sketching the life of our eldest ancestors in Obecnice is provided in the archive of the local authority in Dobris. There humbled supplications for old-age pension and also data about subsistence rations for the ”sichtmistr” (the shift chief) are noted. Our eldest Vaclav was employed by such a mediator of power – the sichtmistr - in the time around his marriage.

After Vaclav started the family, it changed apparently not too much in his subordination to the Dobris castle, but, certain independence in his situation perhaps arose after all. In the book of married is yet entered as ”Celedjn u P.Schichtemistra z Obecnic” – this Czech-German inscription can be translated as "Groom with Mr. sichtmistr from Obecnice”. However in next registry entries is gradually mentioned as ”journeyman at furnace or chief at wood coal”. As father of a family, he was probably engaged in production of wood coal in Brdy mountains and in its next exploitation in Obecnice ironworks.

A will to better living of the descendants may be perceived in the family. The son of the eldest Vaclav – ”Vaclav 2^nd” – continued in the coalman´s skill, but, the grandson Kaspar probably accomplished also certain supervisory functions at supplementation of the furnace with coal, and his great-grandson and/or my grandfather Jan has learned to cast iron. He became an ironmaster, and he exerted himself with this profession not only in Obecnice, but also later in Prague, and then a shorter time in the Russion territory, and in a new built foundry in Pribram at the end. My father Karel did like the occupation of his father. He would like to run it, but the father did not permit it. My grandfather wanted to have sons teachers and so it was – not only in the case of my father, but also of his younger brother Jaroslav. So my father continued in the original intention of the forefathers and letted his both sons to have academic education. It was in chemistry what was indeed consistent with the ambition of forefathers. After all both, the production of wood coal and production or fabrication of steel belong to the subject areas of chemical technology.

This is merely a brief outline about the bearers of the infrequently occuring name Stamberg. Our immediate forefathers may also have descended from them. Further information is included in two volumes of my family periodical Voice of the descent from years 1977-79 where the informations obtained from record office and private documents, through letters or personal announcements are released with more details and occasionally with respective references.

The genealogical search is a long way from being finished and many questions remain open. To begin with, genealogical data about the Obecnice forefathers should be pursued further into the past – back at least one century. It would be especielly interesting to find out more links between individual families e.g. between the East Bohemian branch which is relatively credibly traced up to the end of 17^th century and two Obecnice families which appear one century later.

It is a great appeal for the living generations of Stambergs and for their posterity. No doubt, many procurable informations repose at still unknown places and wait for its discoverers. For the present, the treasures of the sought-after genealogical data are concealed whereever in some decaying archive materials. It is a big question whether they survive to future until they will be set free into electronic memory. We could wait and hope that they will not vanish completely, but it is more reliable already today to rescue what possible by donkey work. Wishing full success to all colleagues in pursuing our common target.