Hans Bach 1 to 4: Is Hans Bach from Nürtingen a Member of this Family?..

Hans Bach. Is there one? Or are there even two Hans Bachs? In the Bach family, which used to be called the “Bache”? The Bach Genealogy – now only for those interested in Johann Sebastian Bach – is a compilation of all of Johann Sebastian Bach's relatives. It is very, very complicated. Like everything else related to the super composer. An example?

There isn't just one so important Johann Christoph Bach. That is, the Christoph who was Johann Sebastian Bach's oldest brother and whom Johann Sebastian moved in with after both parents died. There were actually 17 of these Bachs with this first name, Christoph, or rather, Johann Christoph Bach. Well ... there aren't that many Hans Bachs. Unfortunately for Bach fans who are interested in the history of the family:

There is a Hans Bach, of whom there are even two portraits, who does not belong to this Bach family at all. Not at all means: not even remotely. So not at all. He is the so-called “Nürtinger Hans Bach,” who was born around 1555 in Andelsbuch in Austria, relatively close to Lake Constance. This Hans Bach died in Nürtingen in early December 1615. He belonged to a family of farmers that can be traced back to around 1451. Even today, you can still find a heavily weathered gravestone with some of his sayings on the west wall of the Protestant cemetery in Nürtingen.

Even today, there is a website dedicated to Hans Bach, which presents a “traveling cinema” and a “culinary cinema” under his name: And there is the “Hans Bach Lichtspiele.” It is an association for the promotion of film art in the Bregenzerwald, in Andelsbuch, Austria.

What a mess. If you don't just focus on the “Hansens” of the family, but “dig around” in the early history of the musical family: Hans Bach, a ( ! ) minstrel: That's the musician from Nürtingen who doesn't belong to this Bach family. Hans Bach, the ( ! ) minstrel, is the second musician in the largest and most famous family of musicians in the world, and he also once lived in Wechmar.

There is even a second picture of Hans Bach from Nürtingen. And the gravestone in Nürtingen also exists. His origin is noted on it. In addition, the date of death on December 1st or 3rd, 1615, and the remark “more than 60 years old” is also noted. This suggests that he was born in 1555. © Many thanks to the Nürtingen City Archives for allowing me to publish the photo on the top right..

Next, there is another Hans Bach, the third one, who is really not interesting to anyone else on earth ... except me. It is Hans Bach, discovered around 2015 (... or rather rediscovered, and only by me), who once asked the pastor in Gräfenroda for his blessing for his son's emigration.

Okay ... so ... one Hans Bach (... the one from Nürtingen) is definitely less important in the “collection.” And that is very significant. Because even in Bach's genealogy, you meet the “wrong Hans Bach,” the one from Nürtingen. The one who does not belong to the family of musicians. Every now and then. And there, of course, this Hans Bach causes confusion. Because he ... does not belong to these Thuringian Bachs..

Bach Posters and Bach Calendars..