Quanz:
The meaning of the name: The name could be of Slavonic origin and could mean Quand, Quant = wall + garment or quant = cunning. In middle High German kwant = rogue, clever person and likewise "qaund" in middle Low German and still today in East Frisian.

Well-known persons bearing the name are:

Johann Joachim Quantz, flute instructor at the court of Frederick the Great (1697-1773)
Johannes Dictus Quant von Greifswald (1308)

The ancestors of the Quanz family can be traced back to the "Thirty Years War". We discover that nine families with the name Quanz lived in Schlotzau. Since the information on their descent is missing from this time period, one cannot determine the relationships of these families to each other. Two families possessed a farm. The others worked as craftsmen in various occupations. Over the course of the centuries in some families the last name changed through intermarriage or died out, since there were no descendants. Today four families with the last name Quanz still live in Schlotzau, who can be traced through two different lines of descent.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Schlotzau, Germany

One line is represented by the family of Otto Quanz ("Kiefesch"), whose great-great-grandfather Andreas came to Schlotzau from Oberstoppel in 1848. The family is now in its sixth generation there.

To the other line belong the families of Jakob, Helmut and Gerhard Quanz. Their ancestors can be traced back to 1688. This family is therefore long-established and has lived in Schlotzau for eleven generations. The most common occupation was, besides farming, tailoring. There were self-employed tailors in five generations, which partly formed the household name "Schniedesch." The economic and technological changes of the past centuries have brought about the result that most traditional craftsmen's occupations were given up in the villages. So also the "made-to-measure" production of clothing was driven out by industrially produced ready-made clothes.

According to the table of ancestors, up to the present-day tenth generation, 120 children trace their lineage back to Johann Quanz (born 1688) and his male descendants. 64 children died as infants and children, most of them in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. After that child mortality was greatly reduced. 15 female and 29 male descendants stayed and were married in Schlotzau. 18 female and 12 male descendants of the Quanz family left the village and lived with their families near and, in order to build a life for themselves there.

It is not impossible that Johann Joachim Quanz, the flute-player at the court of Frederick the Great ("Old Fritz") came from this kindred.

At present three families from the line of Johann Quanz (born 1688) still live in Schlotzau:

Genealogy From Common Ancestor in Schlotzau
to Canadian and German Descendants

Peter and Katharine Quanz
50^th Wedding Anniversary - 2001
 
 
 

Published in Local Newspaper

The beloved couple in the municipality of Schlotzau, Peter and Kaethe Quanz celebrated their golden wedding anniversary on Saturday. The 78-year old celebrant trained with the Raffeisen Loan Cooperative in Langenschwarz, with which he was the first apprentice, for the occupation of bank businessman. After his return from war imprisonment, he started in 1949 again at Raffeisen bank. Here Peter Quanz was an employee until 1970 and manager until his retirement in 1982. Kaethe Quanz (71) is a daughter of the Langenschwarz Scheidermeister Adam Bolender. She wanted to become a teacher, but the war years drew a line through her career plans. Thus she worked in different households and supported her mother with the upbringing of seven siblings. Since 1953 Peter Quanz belongs to the regional federation of the Heimkehrer and since 1978 in the VdK Schlotzau Grossenmoor. In both interests he participates in the executive committee. The Schlotzau church executive committee, to which he belonged from 1957 to 1989, could count on his constant support. Peter Quanz rendered a large service with the development of the Keibitzgrunder books of local history and geography, for which Ortsvorsteherin Erna Weber and Mayor Wolfgang Brown, as well as others congratulate him. Among the congratulators are their two children, in-laws and five grandchildren.

In Memory
One of the Quanz Family's most esteemed family history contributors, Peter Quanz, passed away this past July (July 21, 2002) in Schlotzau, Germany. He was 79 years old.

Peter fell ill in early springtime. He went through a series of tests in the hospital but these did not help solve the problem. The suspicion of a stroke in April led the doctors to perform a MRI scan that revealed a brain tumour. Unfortunately the tumour was inoperable. He was able to return home to the house he helped build and loved where he was able to stay until he passed away.

Peter Quanz was born in 1923 in Schlotzau Germany and grew up right in the village. He lived all his life in the same home and in fact helped his father build the second story on the house in 1939. Peter trained with the Raffeisen Loan Cooperative in Langenschwarz, with which he was the first apprentice, for the occupation of bank businessman. After his return from war imprisonment, he started in 1949 again at Raffeisen bank. Here Peter Quanz was an employee until 1970 and manager until his retirement in 1982.

In 1951 Peter married Kaethe (Katharina) Bolender, a daughter of the Schneidermeister (tailor) Adam Bolender from Langenschwarz. Peter and Katharina had two children - Gerhard and Waltraud.

Lovingly remembered by his wife Katharina and son Gerhard with his wife Elke and his daughter Waltraud. Cherished grandfather of Gerhard's children Mathias, Frederick, Henrik and Waltraud´s children Amrid and Rahul.

"Now there is a great empty space. We lost a kind, warm-hearted and lovable man and fellow. Until he fell ill, he was very vital and in good condition. My father helped his wife and us so much in house and outside. He helped care for my sheep right up until March. We miss him so much..."
                                                                                                                     Gerhard

Our thoughts and our prayers are with you at this time.