Zumbrun Genealogy

Life Sketch
Johann Heinrich Zumbrunnen was the son of Heinrich Zumbrunnen and Maria Jauch, born about 1575. He attained considerable wealth via a career in politics, medicine and the military. He seems, though perhaps indirectly, to be the namesake of Johann Heinrich Zumbrun — the first Zumbrun in America.

He was a doctor of medicine by education.

In politics he was a member of the council of Uri, served as treasurer of the Canton from 1611 to 1617, the deputy of the Canton from 1617 to 1621, and in 1621 he became the Landammann of the Canton, the eighth (and final) Zumbrunnen to hold the office. While the Landammann in 1622, he negotiated with the Austrians over a territorial dispute over the region known as the Grisons. From 1612-1648 he was a representative to the Swiss diet, where he attended over 240 meetings.

He also had a lengthy military career. In 1620 he became a Knight in the Order of St Michael, and from 1621 to 1637 he owned a mercenary regiment that was in the service of France. After 1637 he may have sold his regiment and returned to Uri. He once again became the landammann of Uri, serving a second term until 1639.

This made Johann Heinrich a wealthy man. He was a landowner in Altdorf and also purchased the Rudenz Castle, which he converted into his personal residence. He created a family endowment of the Zumbrunnens in 1644.

He was married to Magdalena Reding von Biberegg with whom he is known to have had just one child — Anton Zumbrunnen. Anton died during the Thirty Years War, while Johann Heinrich was still alive.

For at least some purposes, he revived the name von Löwenstein, and called himself Johann Heinrich Zumbrunnen von Löwenstein. That would have made him the first man in several centuries to use the name. (Richenza von Löwenstein was his 11-greats grandmother and the name appears to have been mostly unused since Conrad Zumbrunnen in the late 1200s)

Vital Information

Name: Johann Heinrich Zumbrunnen
Sex: Male
Birth: 1575
Residence: Altdorf
Offices:
Death: April 18, 1648

Family Members

Father: Heinrich Zumbrunnen
Mother: Maria Jauch
Siblings: Fr. Fridolin Zumbrunnen, Franz Zumbrunnen, Josue Zumbrunnen, Johann Zumbrunnen

Spouse: Magdalena Reding von Biberegg
Children: Anton Zumbrunnen

Cousins: Burkhard Zumbrunnen, Erasmus Zumbrunnen, Mansuetus IV Zumbrunnen, Magdalena Zumbrunnen, Barbara Zumbrunnen

Second cousins: Caspar Zumbrunnen, Melchior Zumbrunnen, Franz Zumbrunnen, Catharina Zumbrunnen, Anna Maria Zumbrunnen, Balthasar Zumbrunnen, Madelaine Zumbrunnen, Mansuetus Zumbrunnen III, Joachim Zumbrunnen

Sources

Johann Heinrich Zumbrunnen entry (translated to English) in the old print version Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.

Johann Heinrich Zumbrunnen entry (in German) in the online version of the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.

Johann Heinrich Zumbrunnen entry in the Nobiliaire Militaire Suisse

Johann Heinrich Zumbrunnen entry at FamilySearch.org (free registration required).

Johann Heinrich Zumbrunnen entry at Zumbrunnen-family.ch genealogy website.

Johann Heinrich Zumbrunnen is included in the Necrology of the Brotherhood of Old Grysen.

Johann Heinrich Zumbrunnen is included in Bucelin’s genealogy of the Zumbrunnen family from the 1600s. (He is the second person in the third line from the bottom; his name is written in Latin as “Joan Henricus Eques Landamman”)