the knights of dußlingen were subjects of the count of tübingen, and seem to have flourished in the period from 1250 to 1400. they took on the family name of herter (surnames just coming into vogue during that time), and passed the village property on from generation to generation. the herters also performed the duties of pastor to the village. apparently falling on hard time, jacob herter with his nephew hans sold the village to count ludwig of württemberg in 1446. however, jacob's son wilhelm ended up getting the property back as a fief because of his stature in the württemberg court. when he died in 1477 in basel, switzerland, he was lauded as "brave knight wilhelm herter of tübingen, large of body, large of knowledge and wisdom and eloquence, mourned by all, by lordship and noblemen and common folk." the herter family retained its fief until the death of their last male heir in 1614. (this is just prior to the time when the dußlingen church records start.)