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Translation (as literally as possible; in brackets my own words): So far the translation. I hope, you’ll find in it what you were looking for. Gernot Rotter

Reformed. This lineage was originally settling (lit.: sitting on land) in Thueringen and was later absorbed by the town nobility of Schmalkalden. They were feudal lords of the earls of Henneberg. They got their name from the modern village of Rodach in Thueringen. Already ..... (end of page).

*) Note: The name of this very old family has in recent time again become talk of the town by the find of coins at Seligenthal.

In The Pages of the Historical Society of Henneberg the president of this society, R. Mathias, writes: “Some days ago, during the construction of a track across the fields on the hill behind the church of Seligenthal in direction to Reichenbach, there have been found 90 heavy silver double Taler (name of a certain type of coins from which the word “Dollar” was taken) and 5 gold coins. In a sandstone rock debris and after removing a thick layer of rubble, there was discovered a block of ..... –stone (in German: Koernberger- , which I don’t know) abt. ¾ meter high and cut in the shape of a boundary stone. After removing this there was found the money lying open beneath it and a small padlock. On the one vertical side of the stone there was carved in a V (with a dash over it that gives it the shape of a triange ; compare the German text). Since several centuries this V has been the family arms of the famous and rich family R o d e r (with two point over the o) at Schmalkalden; a renewed permit by Emperor Ludwig allowed the family Roder to carve a triangle in their ironmongery. The Roeder families of Seligenthal and Hohledorn a part of which have been rich owners of smithies are certainly descendants of the Roeders of Schmalkalden. Therefore it seems reasonable to suppose that this treasure was buried by a Roeder and that (this happened) – acording to the minting dates – during the Thirty Years’ War (1618 – 1648).”

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(Already) ..... in 1317 this Rode (Roda, Rota, Rotha) is mentioned as fief of the Hennebergers. In 1348 we meet Conradus de Rode as mayor of Rode. In 1348 Conradus de Rode (Kunz vom Rode, de Rotha, Consze von Rota) is mentioned as of Henneberg and of Frankenberg near Schmalkalden, 1361 he is “scultestus” (latin: mayor) of Schmalkalden, 1363 “schulheyse zcu Schmalkalden” (mayor of Schmalkalden). On 1. January 1341 this Kunz von Rode gets at Gotha from Heinrich count of Henneberg “a house and a farm in our town Schmalkaldin with everyrthing belonging to it.” He is the progenitor of the the lineage of Roder or Roder (with two point on the “o”) at Schmalkalden. In 1400 Hans Roder (with two points) is commom guardian, in 1408 Wolfram vom Rode is president of the councel of Schmalkalden. The Feihaus (i.e. a house and farm exempted from taxes) remained in the possession of the Roders (with two points). Geisthirt writes in his “Historia Schmalcaldica” of 1720 on the Roders under the headline: “Well-known old lineages at Schmalkalden”: The Roders (with two points) are, without any doubt, the olest lineage at Schmalkalden, because already in 1400 Hans Roder (with two points) was the Common Guardian. They were people who had many friends because of their riches, but of all these mentioned families nothing is left except of their name.” The same author also says: “Finally I’m coming to the yeomans who have been living at the town (i.e. Schmalkalden) but have been of different conditions. It seems that they got their privilegies from the Counts of Henneberg who released all Canonici of the cathedral chapter from all charges. (end of page)

vom Rode, Roeder II.*

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