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Most of the Austrian exiles of the 16. and 17. century found a new home in Franconia, Germany. Franconia had become Protestant quite early. One of the
immigrants´ advantages was the same German language. Furthermore, Franconia had been badly destroyed during the Thirty Years War and thus offered land whose owners had been killed or chased away. Also craftsmen lacked
everywhere. On this fundament, the exiled Austrians started to build their new homes and quickly mixed with the local popuation. This happened so rapidly, that many of their descendants have forgotten about their families´
roots today. Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a perfect example of medieval handcraft and still looks like it did in the times when our ancestors arrived (our family moved there in 1652).
So the city of Rothenburg gave home to thousands of exiled Austrians.
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