The earliest known Rothenhöfer in the village of Brötzingen probably dates to the last quarter of the seventeenth century. Brötzingen was a farming village, but today is incorporated in the town of Pforzheim. The sources for the information used to compile this section are the Brötzingen evangelisch parish records and "The Records of Williams Township Congregation" (Northampton County, Pennsylvania), issued by the Pennsylvania- German Society, which contains data pertinent to Jacob Rottenhofer's marriage, children, and death.

I. Martin Rottenhofer -- born probably around 1640 based on the age of his wife, place unknown -- is the first know individual of this surname in this village. Martin was identified as a deceased Bürger from Brötzingen in the 1715 marriage record of his son, Ludwig. Martin wed Margaretha (--?--), a Roman Catholic, place and date unknown. Whether she is the mother of Ludwig Rottenhofer has not been established. Since Margaretha and Ludwig, however, are Roman Catholics, we strongly suspect that she is his mother. Martin likely died before 1709 as his name is not included in the 1709 "Bürgerlisten -- Oberamt Pforzheim."

A. Ludwig Rottenhofer, born 22 January 1688, probably in Brötzingen. As a single man, he first appears in the "Bürgerlisten -- Oberamt Pforzheim" in 1709. He married Esther Maria Neff, daughter of Schultheis Johann Neff, on 5 February 1715 in Brötzingen. He was identified as a Roman Catholic Bürger at the time of his death on 7 April 1745 in Brötzingen, at the age of 57.

1. Anna Barbara Rottenhofer, born 24 July 1715, died 10 August 1715.

2. Johann Reinhard Rottenhofer, born 2 October 1716, died 1795.

4. Elisabetha, born 22 December 1721.