GENERATION 6- Heinrich, Wilhelm, and HannB

   Heinrich Schuttenhelm was successful on many fronts. Like his grandfather, he was made a knight, and he also served as Mayor of Gruntal and Wittensweiler. He was a "miller" by trade, and he was clearly well respected in his communities. As noted, he founded the Gruntal branch of the family. He was born in Vogelsberg, around 1525, and he died in Gruntal, around 1583. Heinrich fathered four sons: Matthias, Philipp, Heinrich, and Martin, who was a member of the Administrative Board in Gruntal. Heinrich's financial and social status in not clear... but peasants were not knighted and city administrators often benefited from their work (sometimes illegally).  It is important to note that there were differences between north and south Germany, but in the main, the social classes in the 16th century were these: 1) Princes, who levied taxes as they saw fit; 2) lesser nobility, including knights.. whose prestige, power and profit were waning; 3) the clergy, who along with knights and other lesser nobility, paid no taxes; 4) patricians- wealthy families who ruled town councils and levied taxes; 5) burghers, which consisted of well-to-do and middle-class men who served on town councils and challenged the authority of both patricians and clergy; 6) plebians, who were journeymen laborers who were not guild members and also ruined burghers; 7) peasants, who eked out a living and had very few rights and little judicial redress. Thus, it is clear that the Schuttenhelm's/Schittenhelm's were significant members of society at this time.

Wittensweiler

Gruntal

Wilhelm Schuttenhelm founded the Aach branch of the family. He was a farmer (bauer), who was born around 1528 and died in Aach in 1590. Like his brother, Wilhelm fathered four sons: Michael, Wendel (who became a judge in Aach and a justice in Untersmusbach)l HannB, born in 1564, (we have a lot of HannB's in the family) and Wilhelm, who was born in 1565.
      HannB was also a bauer as well. He was born around 1530, and he fathered two sons: Jakob and (yet another) HannB.
      Matthias, Heinrich, Phillip, Martin, Michael, Wendal, HannB, Wilhelm, Jakob, and Hann B constitute Generation 7 of the Schuttenhelm/ Schittenhelm family.