Origin and meaning
The name Drangmeister (less frequently used are the variants Drankmeister and Drangemeister) originates in the village of Endeholz (Scharnhorst municipality), Celle (district), Lower Saxony. This name, originally a sobriquet, is one of the oldest surnames of the rural surrounding of Celle.
In the beginning there was a unique namebearer (see image below: Drancmester, approx. 1350, Endeholz).
In its early importance potion master (see: [Middle High German] Dranc, Tranc or [Middle Low German] Drang, Drank = potion), the name stood for healer or manufacturer of medicinal beverages.
The definition as a family name carried out in the years 1428-38 with certifications in the treasure register of the Greater Bailiwick Celle.
The documentary first mention of the name - about 1389 - is found in Stuart Jenks.
A plague pandemic in Europe, the so-called Black Death (approx. 1350), had caused the allocation of the name.
Coming into use approximately in the year 1350 at the farm-stead "Endeholz No. 6" the name Drangmeister had spread during the following 350 years as shown in the adjacent image - as far as namesakes could be determined for that period.
Even in 2011 there were about 75% of the approximately 350 known namesakes living within a circumradius of no more than 50 km (31 mi) length around the village of Endeholz.
The founder of the Drangmeister population of the United States, a Drangmeister native of Scharnhorst (a neighboring village of Endeholz), immigrated in the year 1854.
In historical documents you will find the name spellings:
Drancmester, Dranckmester, Drangmester, Dragmester, Dragemester, Drankmester, Dranckmeister, Drangmeister, Drankmeister, Drangemeister, Dracmeister, Dragmeister, Dragemeister, Trankmeister
Today's namesakes bear the name in the following forms:
Drangmeister, Drankmeister, Drangemeister
Ludeke (Dranckmester) Drangmeister, named between 1389–99 in the Gdansk area (1391/1393 certified at Malbork Castle and in the year 1392 recorded in Dordrecht as Ludeken Drancmester). Skipper of the Hanseatic League as well as England- and Flanders-trader. Furthermore, referenced between 1428–38 in the Celle area
Kersten (Karsten) Drangmester (Dranckmester), named for 1466 in the document no. 450 and for 1486 in the document no. 572 of the document book of the city of Uelzen. Homeowner in the Lueneburg street and first known representative of the urban line of the name
Hinrick Dragmester (Drangmester), mentioned 1499 as a townsman of Brunswick. Died about 1542. Owner of several houses in Brunswick
Dranckmester, named for 1521 in the document no. 725 of the document book of the city of Uelzen, guild master of the blacksmith's guild
Albrecht (Albert) Dranckmeister (Drankmeister), first studied namesake. 1598 registered at the University of Rostock, theologian. Author of: Ein kurzes Tractaetlein von der innerlichen geistlichen Hoffart, published Hamburg 1607, and: Gespraech des Hertzens: Oder das eivrige Gebet, published 1674
Hinrich Dranckmeister ( * 1678; † 1738), mayor of Scharnhorst
Wilhelm Drangmeister ( * 1687; † 1739), church council of Eschede
Johann Drangmeister ( * 1727; † 1798), first schoolmaster of Scharnhorst from 1767–98
Johann Heinrich Drangmeister ( * 1771; † 1818), second schoolmaster of Scharnhorst from 1798–1818
Heinrich Wilhelm Drangmeister ( * 1743; † 1786), mayor of Scharnhorst
Heinrich Christoph Drangmeister ( * 1743; † 1811), mayor of Wohlenrode
Heinrich Drankmeister (Drangmeister), born in Wohlenrode, Cornet, killed in action during the Battle of Waterloo, June 18, 1815, 2nd Regiment of Light Dragoons, King's German Legion
Johann Heinrich Drangmeister (Trankmeister), soldier, born in Eschede, killed in action during the Battle of Waterloo, June 18, 1815, Hanoverian Army
Johann Carl Christoph Drangmeister, born in Wohlenrode, 1815 soldier of the King's German Legion during the Battle of Waterloo
Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Drangmeister, first namebearer of the United States, * April 17, 1816 in Scharnhorst, emigrated on November 20, 1854, † December 25, 1895
Johann Heinrich Drangmeister, squire and potato starch manufacturer of Scharnhorst, 1854
Johann Heinrich Drangmeister, born in Endeholz, soldier of the Hanoverian Army during the German War 1866
Heinrich Wilhelm Drangmeister, born in Endeholz, killed in action during the Franco-Prussian War 1870–71
Heinrich Wilhelm Christian Drangmeister, born in Oerrel, soldier during the Franco-Prussian War 1870–71
Hans Drangemeister ( * 1849 in Hannover), immigrated in the United States on September 16, 1897
Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Drangmeister, 1895-1904 mayor of Wohlenrode
Wilhelm Drangmeister, 1905 town master mason of Celle
Heinrich Drangmeister ( * 1875 in Endeholz), Adventism, until 1916 missioner in German East Africa
Luise Drangmeister, Adventism, 1935 teacher in Africa, in the 1930s immigrated in the United States
Wilhelm Drangmeister, 1911-18 mayor of Wohlenrode
Wilhelm (William) August Drangmeister ( * 1886; † 1986), naval architect, in the 1920s immigrated in the United States
Ernst Drangmeister ( * 1860 in Scharnhorst), Managing Director, member of the German-Völkisch Freedom Party (DVFP), 1929 senator of the magistrate of Celle
Ernst Drangmeister ( * 1882 and † 1952 in Endeholz), farmer, member of the NSDAP, 1933–45 mayor of Endeholz
Hermann Drangmeister ( * 1896 in Alt-Isenhagen; † 1960), 1935–45 teacher and headmaster in Munster, 1939–41 district administrator of the National Socialist Teacher League (NSLB) in the eastern Hannover area. Later on teacher in Wittingen
Reinhard Drangemeister, Hannover, 1936 district administrator of the German Labour Front (DAF) in the southern Hannover area
Franz Drangmeister ( * 1886 in Egeln), in Łódź (Poland) due to war crimes sentenced to life imprisonment, August 7, 1947. Died in custody
Wilhelm Drangmeister ( * 1905 in Celle), teacher, music educator. In the 1930/40s teacher at the Lessing school of Slupsk, Pomerania. 1933-45 member of the NSDAP. Later on teacher in Soltau and Celle. Publisher of several music educational books
Heinz Drangmeister ( * 1925; † 1992), author of several books
Gerhard Drangmeister ( * 1925; † 2001), teacher, author of a school chronicle of Eldingen
Rudolf Grieser: Das Schatzregister der Grossvogtei Celle von 1438 und andere Quellen zur Bevölkerungsgeschichte der Kreise Celle, Fallingbostel, Soltau und Burgdorf zwischen 1428 und 1442, Hildesheim und Leipzig 1934 (Nachdruck 1961)
Stuart Jenks: England, die Hanse und Preußen: Handel und Diplomatie, 1377-1474, Band 1-3, Böhlau, Köln 1992
Carl Koppmann (Hrsg.): Die Recesse und andere Akten der Hansetage von 1256-1430, Band 1-8, Leipzig 1870–1897
Thomas Vogtherr (Hrsg.): Urkundenbuch der Stadt Uelzen, (= Lüneburger Urkundenbuch, 14. Abteilung), August Lax, Hildesheim 1988, ISBN 3-7848-3018-8
Adolf Meyer, Hans Türschmann (Mitarbeit): Endeholz: Quellen und Darstellungen zur Geschichte des Dorfes und seiner Einwohner
Kerstin Rahn: Religiöse Bruderschaften in der spätmittelalterlichen Stadt Braunschweig, Reichold, Hannover, Braunschweig 1994
