Elias Fügenschow was son of saddler Hans Fügenschuh who moved from Bregenz in Austria in December 1599 to Copenhagen invited by King Christian IV.
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On the front of Fügenschuh's house you can still see vague remainders of the family Fügeschuh's mark (three mountains with spruce forest) and Fugger's coat of arms.
Hans Fügenschuh was probably born where his parents lived, in Allgäu in Hindelang in South Germany on the border to Austria and Switzerland (by Bodensee) 170 km south of München.
His father run a famous stud farm in Allgäu.
Hans Fügenschuh, his wife and children emigrated to Copenhagen in December 1599 - on invitation from King Christian IV - because he was an famous saddler. He said his last living place was Bregenz in Austria and that his parents were Mathias and Katharina Fügenschuh, living in Hindelang in Allgäu in South Germany - a small place called "The gateway to Italy" and was surrounded by high mountains.
Hoff saddler Hans Fügenschuh changed his last name to Fiigenschouf / Fiigenschow. It is spelled in different ways in different documents.
A note from a wedding, found in " Dansk-Norske Registranter", tell us about the Hoff saddlers grand son saddler Niclas Jeremiassen Fiigenschow, who in Copenhagen continued the business that his grand father founded there. His ancestors had been saddlers for generations.
The saddler business was important, and can be compared with today's car factory. The saddler decorated saddle, harness, riding boots etc. For kings and noble man he decorated with gold, silver and pearls. The name Fügenschuh was famous in Europe, they had business in Allgäu, and in Wien members of the family were ennobled, and some of the Fügenschuh palaces still exist in the old part of the city.
"Kongens gade 34" (the Kings street 34, near The Nicolaj church) still exist in Copenhagen with some changes, the house where saddler Hans Fügenschuh lived (and bought in January 1600).
