Johnny Weissmüller

Birth Name: János Weissmüller

Date of Birth: 2 June, 1904

Place of Birth: Szabadfalva/Freidorf, Austria-Hungary, now in Timișoara, Romania

Date of Death: January 20, 1984

Place of Death: Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico

Ethnicity: German

Johnny Weissmüller was an American competition swimmer, water polo player, and actor. At the Olympics, he won five Gold medals for swimming and one Bronze medal for water polo. He is known for having played Tarzan in numerous 1930s and 1940s films.

Johnny was born in Szabadfalva/Freidorf, an ethnic German settlement, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, now Romania. He was the son of Elisabetha/Ersebert (Kersch) and Petrus Weißmüller, a miner. His parents were ethnic Germans, Banat Swabians. His family moved to the U.S. in 1905, settling in Windber, Pennsylvania, and later living in Chicago, Illinois.

Johnny was married to Maria Brock Mandell Bauman, until his death. He had three children, including actor and longshoreman Johnny Weissmuller, Jr., with his former wife Beryl Scott.

Johnny’s paternal grandfather was Michael Weißmüller/Weissmüller (the son of Joseph Weißmüller/Weissmüller and Maria Anna Metschang). Michael was born in Grabaț, Timiș. Maria was the daughter of Franz Metschang and Maria Dorothea Neurohr.

Johnny’s paternal grandmother was named Barbara Szartorius.

Johnny’s maternal grandfather was Conrad Kersch (the son of Jakob Kersch and Eva Pabst). Jakob was the son of Nikolaus Kersch and Maria Anna Mauer. Eva was the daughter of Jakob Pabst and Barbara Hetzer.

Johnny’s maternal grandmother was Elisabeth Picher (the daughter of Joseph Picher and Eva Kafka). Elisabeth was born in Timisoara, Timiș. Eva was the daughter of Joseph Kafka and Margaretha Egler.

Source: Genealogy of Johnny Weissmuller – http://www.geni.com