Source Overview
This page presents a research transcription and translation of a manuscript compiled by Carl Hirschmann, Secretary at the Augsburg City Archive (Stadtarchiv Augsburg), dated May 12, 1908. The original manuscript bears the official seal of the Stadtarchiv Augsburg.
Hirschmann drew upon tax books (Steuerbücher), Marriage Office Protocols (Hochzeitsamtsprotokolle, 1585–1808), property records (Häuserbücher), goldsmith guild tablets (Goldschmiedetafeln) in the Maximilian Museum, cemetery records, the 1908 Augsburg city address book, and letters of safe conduct and council correspondence.
Note on reliability: Hirschmann worked directly from archival originals. Dates and names reflect the records as found; editorial comments (such as probable family relationships) are noted where the compiler speculated beyond the documentary evidence.
Family Origins and Early Occupations
The Grill family is documented in Augsburg from 1418 through at least 1908, a span of nearly 500 years. The family did not originate from the nobility. They began as common tradespeople and artisans — bleachers, barbers, dice-makers (bone-turners), and shoemakers. By approximately 1550, the family had transitioned into the goldsmithing trade, in which they became prominent. Their goldsmith works gained recognition both domestically and internationally. In later generations, some family members moved into merchant activities.
Earliest Records (1418–1497)
The earliest documented Grill in Augsburg appears in the tax book of 1418 (page 6), listed under the heading ”From the Strafingertor outward” (Vom Sträfingertor ab extra). This individual is described as a bleacher/dyer (Bleicher/Färber) named Grill, residing in what is now the Jakober suburb (Jakober-Vorstadt). No first name was recorded.
| Year | Name(s) | Occupation / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1418 | Grill (no first name) | Bleacher/dyer; Jakober suburb; tax book p. 6 |
| 1422 | Heinrich Grill | Received letter of safe conduct (Apr. 29, 1422) for free travel; likely an itinerant craftsman |
| 1430 | Heinrich Grill | Traveled to Schnaidheim, Württemberg to collect inheritance; letter of recommendation to Count Ludwig von Württemberg (June 5, 1430) |
| 1448 | Ulrich Grill, Werlin Grill | Listed in tax book |
| 1455 | Ulrich, Conrad, Anna Grill | Listed in tax book |
| 1466 | Leonhard Grill | Barber (Bader) |
| 1479 | Grill (no first name) | Dice-maker / bone-turner (Würfler / Beinringler) |
| 1497 | Hans Grill (and wife) | Near Wertach Bridge; St. Georg parish |
| 1497 | Peter Grill (and wife) | St. Moritz parish |
Peter Grill, Shoemaker (active 1497–1535)
Peter Grill was a member of the shoemakers’ guild (Schuhmacherzunft). During the severe inflation of 1502, his guild received financial support from the City Council in the form of subsidized grain. Peter Grill was elected to the Small Council (Kleiner Rat) of Augsburg and served as a bread and herring inspector (Brod- und Heringgeschauer) from 1522 to 1535.
A notable incident: on June 22, 1517, Peter Grill’s daughter reportedly danced herself to death at a ball held by the shoemakers’ guild at the municipal dance hall (Tantzhaus).
Hans Grill, Shoemaker (d. after 1542)
Hans Grill resided near the Wertach Bridge and was also a shoemaker by trade. He was probably a brother of Peter Grill. On November 21, 1542, Hans Grill formally renounced his Augsburg citizenship (Bürgerrecht). His subsequent destination is unknown.
Peter Grill, Goldsmith (active 1566)
A son of Peter Grill the shoemaker, this Peter Grill became a goldsmith and represents the family’s transition into the trade that would define them for generations. On August 20, 1566, the Augsburg City Council granted him permission to reside outside the city for one year. He never returned to Augsburg, and his subsequent whereabouts could not be traced.
Marriage Records (1593–1808)
The following records are drawn from the Marriage Office Protocols (Hochzeitsamtsprotokolle) of the City of Augsburg, covering marriages registered with the civic authorities from 1585 to 1808.
| Date | Grill Party | Spouse / Details |
|---|---|---|
| 14 Feb 1593 | Balthasar Grill, goldsmith | Rosina Schwegler, daughter of goldsmith Anton Schwegler. Balthasar was son of wine innkeeper Andreas Grill. |
| 12 Feb 1623 | Maria Grill, citizen’s daughter | Paulus Weck, goldsmith from Nördlingen. |
| 5 Jun 1623 | Catharina Grill, citizen’s daughter | Leonhard Forchheimer, goldsmith journeyman from Breitenbrunn. |
| 20 Sep 1626 | Balthasar Grill, goldsmith | Jacobina Wollhaupter, daughter of goldsmith Hans Wollhaupter. Father of groom probably the elder Balthasar Grill. |
| 26 Oct 1625 | Regina Grill, citizen’s daughter | Daniel Warnberger, widower, goldsmith. Son of goldsmith Hans Warnberger. |
| 2 Jan 1633 | Jacobina Wollhaupter (widow of Balthasar Grill) | Abraham Busch, goldsmith of Augsburg. |
| 19 Jun 1638 | Paulus Grill, goldsmith | Lucia Horngacher, merchant’s daughter of Augsburg. |
| 22 Apr 1669 | Anton Grill, goldsmith | Maria Magdalena Priester, widow of goldsmith Andreas Lotter. Father: Paulus Grill, goldsmith. |
| 16 Apr 1673 | Abraham Grill, goldsmith | Barbara Schneider. Witnesses: Paulus Grill (brother), Georg Brändl (bride’s stepfather). |
| 25 Jan 1671 | Paulus Grill, silver wire drawer | Anna Regina Höckl, widow of engraver Elias Küsel. Fathers: Paulus Grill (goldsmith), Raimund Höckl. |
| 30 May 1677 | Israel Grill, goldsmith | Maria Philippina Beck. Fathers: Paulus Grill (goldsmith), Hans Christoph Beck (merchant). |
| 19 Jul 1682 | Israel Grill, gold worker | Maria Helena Moranth of Augsburg. |
| 30 Aug 1683 | Paulus Grill jr., silver wire worker, widower | Anna Maria Dorner of Ravensburg, widow of Werner Kissling (salt admin., Tübingen). Father: Paulus Grill sr., goldsmith. |
| 20 May 1685 | Barbara Schneider (widow of Abraham Grill) | Caspar Rembold, loden weaver. Stepfather of bride: Georg Brändl, wine innkeeper. |
| 4 Nov 1689 | Anton Grill, goldsmith, widower | Rosina Heugle. Witness: Johann Erhard Heugle, goldsmith. |
| 15 Oct 1690 | Israel Grill, goldsmith, widower | Maria Catharina Widenmann, daughter of surgeon Benedikt Widenmann. |
| 8 Nov 1699 | Lucia Grill | Abraham Gugger, widower, book printer of Augsburg. |
| 6 Jul 1720 | Anton Grill, goldsmith | Anna Regina Erhard. Witnesses: J. E. Heugle (goldsmith), Christoph Erhard (clerk). |
| 12 Jul 1722 | Anna Maria Grill | Anton Glein, goldsmith from Diringheim. Witness: Benedikt Widenmann, surgeon. |
| 15 Oct 1722 | Maria Elisabetha Grill, daughter of Israel Grill | Emanuel Link, widower, cellar admin. at St. Ulrich, Augsburg. |
| 18 Nov 1723 | Anton Grill, silver worker | Anna Maria Rosa Steiner. Witness: Anton Klein (goldsmith). Guarantors: J. Schmid; J. F. de l’Ecluse (Brussels). |
| 8 Jul 1731 | Anton Grill, goldsmith, widower | Anna Margaretha Reich of Isny. |
| 26 Sep 1734 | Anna Margaretha Reich (widow of Anton Grill) | Johann Leonhard Allmann, goldsmith of Augsburg. |
| 11 Jul 1745 | Adam Friedrich Grill, art dealer, b. Regensburg | Maria Magdalena Stapf, daughter of art dealer Johann Georg Stapf. |
| 11 Jul 1749 | Adam Friedrich Grill, art dealer, widower | Maria Sabina Mayr of Lindau. |
| 20 May 1753 | Felicitas Grill (prob. daughter of Anton Grill) | Georg Gottfried Winkler, widower, engraver and sexton at Prot. Holy Cross. Witness: Leonhard Allmann, goldsmith. |
| 6 Sep 1767 | Jacob Eberhard Grill, goldsmith | Juliana Friederica Vogl of Blochingen. Witness: Leonhard Allmann. Grandfather: Anton Grill. |
| 22 Jun 1775 | Johann Christoph Grill, merchant | Maria Euphrosina Walter. His witness: Adam Friedrich Grill (merchant). Her witness: J. G. Walter (gold worker). |
| 22 Dec 1803 | Margaretha Barbara Grill | Wolfgang Fredlinger, merchant from Schwäbisch Hall. |
| 31 Jan 1808 | Johann Grill, merchant, age 30 | Barbara Johanna Hasel (age 20), daughter of jeweler J. M. Hasel. Married at Protestant St. Anna. |
Burial Sites
Before 1806: Grill family members who died before 1806 were interred in the old lower cemetery at St. Stephan (alter unterer Gottesacker zu St. Stephan), behind the gravedigger’s house adjacent to the church, in Section (Linie) VIII, No. 11. The crypt was inherited by the goldsmith Balthasar Grill on February 14, 1593, from his father-in-law, the goldsmith Anton Schwegler. This cemetery no longer exists.
After 1806: All Grill family members who died after 1806 are buried in the new Protestant cemetery before the Red Gate (protestantischer Gottesacker vor dem Roten Tor). The family plot is designated Line I, No. 186.
Deaths of the Goldsmith Line
Death dates recorded on the goldsmith tablets (Goldschmiedetafeln) preserved in the Maximilian Museum, Augsburg:
| Name | Died | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Balthasar Grill | 1614 | First documented Grill goldsmith (m. 1593) |
| Paulus Grill | 1689 | Goldsmith; married Lucia Horngacher (1638) |
| Anton Grill | 1700 | Goldsmith; son of Paulus; married 1669 |
| Israel Grill | 1733 | Goldsmith; son of Paulus; married 1677 |
| Anton Grill | 1734 | Goldsmith; married Anna Margaretha Reich (1731) |
| Johann Engelhard Grill | 1752 | Goldsmith |
| Anton Grill | 1772 | Goldsmith |
| Jacob Eberhard Grill | 1790 | Last documented Grill goldsmith; married 1767 |
Property Holdings in Augsburg
Properties owned by the Grill family, from the Augsburg property registers (Häuserbücher). Designations follow the historical ”Lit.” (Litera) system.
| Designation | Street | Acquired | Acquired By |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lit. D 51 | Karlsstrasse | 22 Dec 1672 | Paul Grill, goldsmith |
| Lit. D 51 | Karlsstrasse | 23 May 1685 | Anton Grill, goldsmith |
| Lit. F 56 | Georgenstrasse | 12 Oct 1673 | Anton Grill, gold/silver assayer |
| Lit. B 29 | Upper Maximilianstrasse | 12 Mar 1676 | Abraham Grill, goldsmith |
| Lit. D 166 | Kesselmarkt | 21 Jul 1678 | Israel Grill, goldsmith |
| Lit. A 509 | Upper Hunoldsgraben | 22 Mar 1684 | Anton Grill, gold/silver assayer |
| Lit. F 158, 162–164 | Katzenstadel | 28 Sep 1691 | Paul Grill, silver wire drawer |
| Lit. A 402 | Schwibbogenstrasse | 4 Nov 1693 | Israel Grill, goldsmith |
| Lit. A 403 | Schwibbogenstrasse | 4 Nov 1693 | Israel Grill, goldsmith |
| Lit. A 125 | Milchberg | 10 Jan 1736 | Anton Grill, gold worker |
| Lit. D 47 | Carlsstrasse | 7 May 1790 | Johann Christoph Grill, merchant |
Known Goldsmith Works
The Grill goldsmiths used a distinctive maker’s mark: a heron with a branch in its beak. The following works bearing this mark were documented by Hirschmann as of 1908:
| No. | Description | Size | Owner / Location (1908) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gilded goblet (first half, 17th c.) | 36 cm high | H. Boscowitz, Vienna |
| 2 | Oval plate with landscape; fruit and vine border | 25.5 cm long | Carl Kah, Baden-Baden |
| 3 | Gilded bowl | 15 cm high | Patriarch’s Treasury, Moscow |
| 4 | Partially gilded cup with large floral decoration | — | N. M. Oppenheim, Frankfurt am Main |
| 5 | 3 partially gilded conical cups | — | Patriarch’s Treasury, Moscow |
| 6 | Gilded lidded pitcher with narrow neck | — | Green Vault (Grünes Gewölbe), Dresden |
Copperplate Portrait
A single portrait of a Grill family member is documented: Euphrosina Grill, married name Matsperger, dated 1627. The copperplate engraving is held in the City Library of Augsburg (Stadtbibliothek Augsburg), Copperplate Engraving Collection, No. 19 IV 56. As of 1908, it was noted as not for sale.
Based on the original manuscript ”Die Familie Grill in Augsburg” by Carl Hirschmann, Secretary at the Augsburg City Archive, dated May 12, 1908. Transcribed and translated into modern English for research purposes.
Research Notes
The following notes are not part of the original Hirschmann manuscript. They record additional research undertaken in connection with this translation.
About the author: Carl Hirschmann
Carl Hirschmann held the title Sekretär am Stadtarchiv Augsburg (Secretary at the Augsburg City Archive) at the time of writing in 1908. No biographical entry for him has been found in publicly accessible sources, including Wikipedia, genealogical databases, or published histories of the Stadtarchiv. In the administrative structure of early 20th-century German municipal archives, the Sekretär was typically a senior clerical official responsible for correspondence, research commissions, and day-to-day archive operations, working under the direction of the Archivrat or Archivdirektor.
The Stadtarchiv Augsburg had moved into its own dedicated building at Fuggerstraße 12 in 1885, and the first scientific archivist, Theodor Herberger, had been appointed in 1843. Hirschmann was part of the subsequent generation of professional staff. The quality and methodical rigour of this manuscript — citing specific page numbers in tax books, exact dates from marriage protocols, and cross-referencing property registers with goldsmith guild tablets — suggests formal archival training. An enquiry has been directed to the Stadtarchiv Augsburg (now located at Zur Kammgarnspinnerei 11, 86153 Augsburg) to establish his biographical details and whether other manuscripts or works by him survive in the archive’s collections.
The Grill maker’s mark
Hirschmann describes the Grill goldsmiths’ distinctive maker’s mark as a heron with a branch in its beak (ein Vogel — Reiher — mit einem Zweig im Schnabel). No digitised image of this mark has been located in publicly accessible online sources. The definitive reference for Augsburg goldsmith marks is Helmut Seling’s Die Kunst der Augsburger Goldschmiede 1529–1868 (3 vols., Munich: C.H. Beck, 1980), with supplements in 1994 and a revised fifth volume, Die Augsburger Gold- und Silberschmiede 1529–1868: Meister, Marken, Werke (Munich, 2007, with Stephanie Singer). This work catalogues over 2,700 Augsburg goldsmith marks with drawings and photographs, and the individual Grill masters — Balthasar, Paulus, Anton, Israel, Johann Engelhard, and Jacob Eberhard — would be indexed under their respective entries.
Surviving Grill works in museum collections
Hirschmann records six identified works bearing the Grill mark as of 1908. Two of the institutional collections he names remain major museums today:
- The Grünes Gewölbe (Green Vault) in Dresden held a gilded lidded pitcher with narrow neck attributed to the Grill workshop. The Grünes Gewölbe’s collection is now extensively digitised and may offer photographic documentation of the piece and its maker’s mark.
- The Patriarch’s Treasury in Moscow (now part of the Moscow Kremlin Museums) held a gilded bowl and three partially gilded conical cups. The current status and accessibility of these pieces is unknown.
- The three works in private hands (H. Boscowitz in Vienna, Carl Kah in Baden-Baden, and N. M. Oppenheim in Frankfurt am Main) would need to be traced through provenance research; these collections may have been dispersed in the intervening century.
The portrait of Euphrosina Grill
Hirschmann records a single portrait of a Grill family member: a copperplate engraving of Euphrosina Grill, married name Matsperger, dated 1627, held in the Staats- und Stadtbibliothek Augsburg (formerly Stadtbibliothek), Copperplate Engraving Collection, catalogue number No. 19 IV 56. The portrait does not appear to have been digitised or published online.
The married name is significant: the Matsperger (also spelled Mattsperger) family were themselves active as engravers and publishers in Augsburg during the 17th century. Euphrosina Grill therefore married into a family directly connected to the copperplate engraving trade. This connection likely explains the existence of the portrait itself — it would have been unusual for an ordinary citizen’s wife to be the subject of a copperplate engraving in 1627 unless the engraver was family or closely associated. The portrait may well have been produced within the Matsperger workshop.
The Staats- und Stadtbibliothek Augsburg (Schaezlerstraße 25, 86152 Augsburg) maintains the copperplate collection and may be able to provide a digital reproduction of the portrait on request.
The Maximilian Museum, Augsburg
The goldsmith tablets (Goldschmiedetafeln) cited by Hirschmann as his source for the death dates of the Grill goldsmiths are preserved in the Maximilian Museum, Augsburg (Philippine-Welser-Straße 24, 86150 Augsburg). These tablets are a primary documentary source for the Augsburg goldsmiths’ guild and may contain additional information about the Grill family, including a reproduction or impression of the heron maker’s mark.
Research notes compiled July 2026.