From Tiefenbach, Bavaria, Germany
to Wisconsin
In Germany, Ringelstetter was spelled in many ways in archive records, such as: Ringelstetter, Ringlstetter, Ringlstätter, Ringlstädter, Ringelstädter, Ringstetter, Ringsteter. Most common is Ringelstetter and Ringlstetter.
Of interest to Wisconsin Ringelstetters in Sauk County is John Ringelstetter and his family:
Johann Baptist Ringelstetter was born June 24, 1831, at house number 29 in Tiefenbach, Cham, Bavaria, Germany. He was the son of Johann Nepomuk Ringelstetter and Eva Katharina Zangl, and he had six siblings. At least 5-6 generations of Ringelstetters have lived in Tiefenbach. The earliest known Ringelstetter was Erhardt whose birthplace is not known but he died in Tiefenbach in 1701. Erhardt may have been born in the Dingolfing area near Landshut.
Johann's wife was Franziska Huber born Sept. 8, 1832, in Grosssteinlohe, Cham, Bavaria, Germany.
They married on May 31, 1860, in Tiefenbach.
Johann and Franziska had 12 children: the first two were born in Großsteinlohe, children #3-9 were born at house #13 in Altenschneeberg, and children #10-12 were born in Bear Creek Township, Sauk County, Wisconsin. The children born in Germany were baptized in Tiefenbach. The church in Tiefenbach is St. Vitus Catholic Church. Six children died in infancy.
The original house where Johann and Franziska lived, recorded as house number 13 in Altenschneeberg, no longer exists. A small building now stands there. This historic map (mid 1800s) from BayernAtlas shows the location of the house: https://v.bayern.de/3xcZg Also check out this 2024 map with a red marker pointing to house #13: https://maps.app.goo.gl/gbmukJ2PdDrnFFC8A Behind their house is a castle ruins with a large wooden cross on top.
Johann owned several very small fields in various places along the road that leads from Altenschneeberg to Poliztka (near Hoffeld). In March 1870, he sold all his fields and house before emigrating on July 1, 1870, on the SS Baltimore with his wife and 4 living children, Andrew, Barbara, and Frances.
Johann's memorial at Findagrave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/21467917/johann-baptist-ringelstetter
Click to see my Ringelstetter family tree at Ancestry.com (you'll need a subscription to view the tree).
I also added Johann Ringelstetter and family to FamilySearch's public "world" tree which can be edited by anyone: https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/details/K2YD-L4J
There is a Ringelstetter message board at Ancestry.com: