Johann Koch (Mayor)

Wayside shrine donated by Johann Koch and his wife

Johann Koch (* around 1600 in Beringhausen ; † 1687 in Brilon ) was a German merchant and mayor of the city of Brilon.

Life

He trained as a businessman in Volkmarsen in the Electorate of Cologne .

Koch was the son-in-law of the Brilon merchant and wine owner Johann Winterberg; he had been married to Magdalena Winterberg since 1629. After Winterberg's death, he successfully continued his company and became a respected citizen of Brilon. He was appointed mayor a total of five times, and he also held the office of treasurer of the city five times.

From 1647 to 1653 he was one of four riflemen in a top position in the old rifle society of 1417. This society played an important role in public safety. The office was associated with high esteem.

During the Thirty Years War , Koch lent large sums of money to the ailing city several times.

A municipal treasury book shows that he "had charcoal burned in a wooded area".

His brothers Elias and Andreas as well as his sister Anna also settled in Brilon through marriage. They belonged to the families of the upper middle class.

The marriage with Magdalena Winterberg had at least eight children by 1654. Magdalena Winterberg died in 1683, in the church book the following obituary can be read (in the original in Latin): “The virtuous woman from one of the oldest families of Brilon was a unique benefactress of the church, who adorned the altars and gave many treasures. She was very generous towards the poor and all people. She lived in marriage for 54 years and, in a rare example, saw the salvation of her descendants up to the third generation, in which she contributed so much. "

Johann Koch reached an unusually old age of over 85 for the time. A wayside shrine donated by them in front of the Upper Gate , at the place where the infirmary used to stand , still reminds of him and his wife .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Stefan Baumeier: Golden Times, Sauerland economic citizen from the 17th to 19th centuries . Writings of the Westfälisches Freilichtmuseum Detmold, Landesmuseum für Volkskunde. Ed .: Katharina Schlimmgen-Ehmke. Klartext Verlag , Essen 2001, ISBN 3-89861-006-3 , p. 96 .