The apotheosis of the family seems to have been Jonas Schönlebe I (1582-1658). His father was Michael Schönlebe II (1546 – 1594) and his wife Anna Budewisctz. He was the brother of the Three Loeck sister’s Nth great grandmother Anna (Schönlebe) Hilliger (1562 – 1614) We distinguish between this Jonas with the use of I and his son (?) Jonas (circa 1587 – 1647) with the use of II. We have already seen here the role that Jonas I played in the defense of Freiberg during the Thirty Years War.
He was a merchant apprentice in Görlitz and then traveled several times to the Reich. At the age of 16 he returned to Freiberg. From 1599 – 1602 he was on the road again and was with Chilian II Steck in Italy and Switzerland in 1602. At the age of 27 he married 16-year-old Anna Horn in St. Petri, Freiberg, on November 28, 1609. Anna was the daughter of Paul Horn and Barbara Prager,
The marriage remained childless but gave him two estates: the Vorwerk Langerinne and the Steitansche Gut. He lived on Langerinne until 1623. Because of his wife’s long illness, he moved to Freiberg, Obermarkt 1. He had bought the house from his uncle Gottfried Buchfuhrer for 1,600 thalers in 1624. During its renovation in 1977 there was discovered on the first floor a valuable painted wooden ceiling with motifs from Agricola’s “De re metallica” 1556. In 1625 he was elected to the council and in the following years he was entrusted with numerous municipal offices. He was also mayor several times
After Anna died on 18th September 1642, he married on 24 September 1644 Maria Magdalena Lindner (1622 – 1701) the widow of N? Graul. From this second marriage two sons were born: i. Jonas (II) (1646 – 1722) and ii. Johan Ernst (1648 – 1714).
In 1638, the pulpit below was dedicated on 26th July to Jonas I and his wife Anna Horn and the occasion was marked by marked by a publication titled: Euphemiae Metricae Super Auspicatissimam Novi Suggesti Inaugurationem a … Dn. Jona Schonlebio in Langenrinn …
In 1640, the people of Freiburg published – Der krancken Clio Durchdringender Hertzens-Wuntsch … consisting of one sheet celebrating Jonas Schönlebe’s ‘name day’ (below left) and referring to him as – ‘Lord and Patron’. And, When Anna (Horn) Schönlebe died in 1642 several funeral books marked the occasion, such as: Memoriae Annae Schonlebiae, Ex Patritio Horniorum Sanguine Oriunde Coniugi Desideratissimae … Erigit Maritus Moestissimus Jonas Schonlebius …. (center) and Confessio Fidei, Patientiæ Et Constantiæ Pie Denatæ, Das ist: Christliches vnd schön GlaubensBekentnis grosser Gedult vnd Bestendigkeit … Ein- vnd außgeführet bey der Leichbestattung Der WolErbarn … Frawen Annen, Geborner Hornin. Des … Herrn Jonæ Schönlebens vff Langenrinne … [right].
In 1644, the 42-year-old Jonas married the widow Maria Magdalena Graul. She was the daughter of his friend Johannes Lindner, with whom he was a hostage in Bohemia in 1632. There were 2 sons from the marriage. Jonas I sold the house at Obermarkt 1 to his son Jonas II and acquired the neighboring house at Obermarkt 2 in 1648 from his aunt Beate Metzner. Finally, in 1654, he acquired Vorwerk ABC for 1,706 talers. Jonas Schönleben died on February 12, 1658 and was buried in the cathedral next to his pulpit. His widow died 49 years later, in 1706.
NOTE: Anna Horn married Jonas Schönleben I, Anna Catherina Horn married Caspar Ludwig Schönlebe and Anna Catharina Schonlebe married Jonas II.
In 1680 a book about Jonas was published under the title: Serius at serius Curriculum Vitae pulcherrimae, Quam vixit, dum vixit Vir … Dn. Jonas Schönleben In Langenrinn Hic Freibergae 9. Aug. A.C. 1582. Natus 28. Nov. A.C. 1609. Prima vice: 24. Sept. A.C. 1644. Altera Maritus: 26. April. A.C. 1625… which tells us that Jonas lived, 75 years, 6 months, 2 days and one hour!
