Zams, Mungenast Store

Emmy’s Grandfather, who’s name was Mungenast (one “g”), was born in this part of Austria, and we were looking for people with that name. Across the street from the campsite, a grocery store had the name “Mungenast” on the awning. After we shopped for groceries, Herr Mungenast informed us that there were many people with that name in Schnann, a few miles away. As we drove out of Zams, we passed a “Zimmer Frei, Haus Mungenast” so there must be a bunch of them around here.

Perhaps the most famous Munggenast (spelled “gg”) from Schnann, is Josef (1680-1741), confirmed as one of Emmy’s ancestors, who was the architect who completed the Baroque Benedictine monastery at Melk, Austria, as well as the monasteries of Herzogenburg, Altenburg and Dürnstein, Austria. We were unaware of this the first time we visited the monastery in Melk, but then saw his name on picture postcards we had purchased. You can be sure we were careful to mention Emmy’s maiden name the next time we visited and toured the most magnificent monastery in Austria. Wonder when the second “g” in the name Mungenast was dropped.