Schwirian Family History

Origin of The Schwirian Name

Compiled by Walter Schwirian, Larry Schwirian, and Dick Schwirian

Schwerin is a city of approximately 100,000 people in north central Germany, lying about 75 miles east of Hamburg and 15 miles south of the Baltic Sea on Lake Schwerin. It is today in Mecklenburg Province, once a part of Prussia.

The Schwerin or Schwirian's left the city about 1490 because of the militarism of the Hohenzollerns, who were assembling and conquering the Teutonic nations to mold them into one nation. The Schwerin's, together with a number of other families including the Halovats and the Hankos, emigrated to Austria-Hungary near Budapest, where they settled with permission of the Hungarian government. Hungarian citizenship was granted with the understanding that both Hungarian (1 day per week) and German (4 days per week) be taught in the schools. The settlement was called Dopshaw (sic Dobsza) and was operated on a community basis, with all agriculture owned by the town of Dobsza. The main industries in Dobsza at the time were iron ore mining, shoe making, and furniture.

Andrew Schwirian was born in Dobsza about 1820. Went into the Army at 18. When he was 37 years old he met Susie Anthony and married her about 1857 or 1860. He lost his life in the late 1870's at such time he had attained the status of an Adjutant.

Andrew and Susan (Anthony) Schwirian had 4 children: Susan, Andrew, Joseph, and John.

Susan Schwirian married Andrew Hanko who was a miner until he lost his leg in the mine at Port Royal near Smithton, PA at that time his wife became a professional mid-wife. Lived on tinplate hill, McKeesport, PA.

Andrew Schwirian by trade was a Wheel Wright. Married Susan Thern, lived on small farm in Elizabeth Township, PA.

Joseph Schwirian by trade was a shoemaker, then a dairy farmer. He married Anna Halovats and lived on a farm in Smithdale, PA.

John Schwirian by trade was a baker. He married Drusilla Blake and lived in Phillipi, WV.

A Famous Namesake

It is not clear whether, in their sojourn from Prussia to escape the power of the Hohenzollerns, all the families with the Schwerin name actually left. The presence of one Christoph Schwerin (1684-1757) in German history seems to indicate that at least some stayed behind. It may simply be that there were a number of German families, all unrelated, who had adopted the name Schwerin. There is no way of knowing for sure.

In any event, Christoph Schwerin was a Field-Marshal under Frederick II, King of Prussia - more commonly known as Frederick the Great - who was a Hohenzollern. Field-Marshal Schwerin's claim to fame lies in having warded off an Austrian army at Molvitz, on April 10, 1741. He was killed on May 7, 1757 at the Battle of Prague, even though the Prussian army for which he fought defeated that of the Russians in that battle.

This page last revised June 20, 1999.