No matter where your ancestors were from, chances are that they
endured tumultuous events such as famines, epidemics, and wars.
In researching my Bavarian ancestors, I’ve tried to immerse
myself in the history of their towns and villages to try to
understand the customs, beliefs, and society in which they
lived. If you dig deep enough, you’ll uncover many interesting
events that took place during the lives of your ancestors. There
aren’t any records that allow me to fully understand how these
events impacted my ancestors in particular, but learning about
these historical events helps to imagine what their lives were
like. The town of Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm has a long history
dating back to the 12th century. Like most areas of Europe,
Pfaffenhofen has witnessed many disasters over the years. In the
middle of the 18th Century, a war raged throughout Europe called
the War of Austrian Succession. Although it is largely forgotten
in history books, it could almost be called the first world war
since it involved al