Von_Plettenberg_Scheiblersches_Wappenbuch

The House of Plettenberg is the name of the

Westphalia Westphalia (; german: Westfalen ; nds, Westfalen ) is a region of northwestern Germany and one of the three historic parts of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It has an area of and 7.9 million inhabitants. The territory of the regio ...

n noble family of the ''

Uradel (, German: "ancient nobility"; adjective or ) is a genealogical term introduced in late 18th-century Germany to distinguish those families whose noble rank can be traced to the 14th century or earlier. The word stands opposed to ''Briefadel'', ...

''. It dates back at least to 1187, when ''Heidolphus de Plettenbrath'' was mentioned in a document by

Philip I (Archbishop of Cologne) Philip I () (c. 1130 – 13 August 1191) was the Archbishop of Cologne and Archchancellor of Italy from 1167 to 1191. He was the son of Count Goswin II of Heinsberg and Adelaide of Sommerschenburg. He received his ecclesiastic training in Cologn ...

.Deed of the Oelinghausen monastery (transcript, German)
/ref> Plettenberg-Wittem branch that ruled immediate Lodships of

Meitingen Meitingen is a market town in the district of Augsburg, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the Lech, south of Donauwörth, and north of Augsburg. History Meitingen was firstly mentioned in a certificate in 1231. Since ...

and Sulmingen lost its sovereignty and became mediatised to

Württemberg Württemberg ( ; ) is a historical German territory roughly corresponding to the cultural and linguistic region of Swabia. The main town of the region is Stuttgart. Together with Baden and Hohenzollern, two other historical territories, Würt ...

in 1806. This line of the family went extinct in 1813.

Origins

The family's first estate was located at

Plettenberg Plettenberg (; Westphalian: ''Plettmert'') is a town in the Märkischer Kreis, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Geography Plettenberg is located to the west of the Sauerland hills. The highest elevation of the town area is in the ''Ebbegebir ...

. ''Hunold I.'' was

Marshal Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used for elevated o ...

of the

Duchy of Westphalia The Duchy of Westphalia (german: Herzogtum Westfalen) was a historic territory in the Holy Roman Empire, which existed from 1102 to 1803. It was located in the greater region of Westphalia, originally one of the three main regions in the Germa ...

which was ruled by the

Archbishop of Cologne The Archbishop of Cologne is an archbishop governing the Archdiocese of Cologne of the Catholic Church in western North Rhine-Westphalia and is also a historical state in the Rhine holding the birthplace of Beethoven and northern Rhineland-Palati ...

. His son ''Heydenricus de Plettenberg'' was cited as

bailiff A bailiff (from Middle English baillif, Old French ''baillis'', ''bail'' "custody") is a manager, overseer or custodian – a legal officer to whom some degree of authority or jurisdiction is given. Bailiffs are of various kinds and their offi ...

of the Counts of

Arnsberg Arnsberg (; wep, Arensperg) is a town in the Hochsauerland county, in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is the location of the Regierungsbezirk Arnsberg administration and one of the three local administration offices of the Hochs ...

in 1258Enache, Nicolas. ''La Descendance de Marie-Therese de Habsburg''. ICC, Paris, 1996. pp. 88, 92, 150, 161. (French). and became himself marshal of Westphalia in 1266. His son ''Johann I.'' was Marshal between 1294 and 1312. Heydenricus' brother ''Gerhard'' became ''Drost'' (Lord High Steward) of

Engelbert III of the Mark Engelbert III of the Mark (1333–1391) was the Count of Mark from 1347 until 1391. Adolph was the eldest son of Count Adolph II of the Marck and Margaret of Cleves. After his father died in 1347, Engelbert III ruled the County of Mark, mainly ...

. He fortified Schwarzenberg Castle at Plettenberg for the

House of La Marck The House of La Marck (german: von der Mar(c)k) was a noble family, which from about 1200 appeared as the counts of Mark. History The family history started with Count Adolf I, scion of a cadet branch of the Rhenish Berg dynasty residing at A ...

feuds A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one par ...

with the archbishops of Cologne. In 1513 the castle passed into the ownership of the Plettenberg family, which still owns the ruin today. The two branches of the family still extant today are the Schwarzenberg branch (

Graf (feminine: ) is a historical title of the German nobility, usually translated as "count". Considered to be intermediate among noble ranks, the title is often treated as equivalent to the British title of "earl" (whose female version is "coun ...

en von Plettenberg-Heeren,

Freiherr (; male, abbreviated as ), (; his wife, abbreviated as , literally "free lord" or "free lady") and (, his unmarried daughters and maiden aunts) are designations used as titles of nobility in the German-speaking areas of the Holy Roman Empire ...

en von Plettenberg and Freiherren von Bodelschwingh-Plettenberg) who are Lutherans (

Evangelical Church in Germany The Evangelical Church in Germany (german: Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland, abbreviated EKD) is a federation of twenty Lutheranism, Lutheran, Continental Reformed church, Reformed (Calvinism, Calvinist) and united and uniting churches, United ( ...

) and the Grafen von Plettenberg-Lenhausen (

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

s).

Schwarzenberg Branch

The Schwarzenberg branch was elevated to the rank of

(

Baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knig ...

) of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...

in 1689. Since 1433 they lived on their estate

Haus Bamenohl Haus Bamenohl is a castle in the village of Bamenohl, municipality of Finnentrop, Olpe district in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. History 14th to 17th century The first owner of the Haus Bamenohl was probably the family ''von Hundem genann ...

. In 1726 they acquired Haus Hilbeck estate near

Werl Werl (; Westphalian: ''Wiärl'') is a town located in the district of Soest in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Geography Werl is easily accessible because it is located between the Sauerland, Münsterland, and the Ruhr Area. The Hellweg road ...

and in 1767 Heeren Castle near

Kamen Kamen () is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, in the district Unna. Geography Kamen is situated at the east end of the Ruhr area, approximately 10 km south-west of Hamm and 25 km north-east of Dortmund. Neighbouring cities ...

. In 1861 they also inherited Sandfort Castle near

Olfen Olfen is a town in the district of Coesfeld, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. History Bishop Wolfhelm, who originated from the Ulfloa Oberhof, gave the small town its name in 889. Wolfhelm was the fourth bishop of "Mimingardeford", today cal ...

. All of these estates are still today owned and inhabited by the family. In 1913,

Wilhelm II, German Emperor Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert; 27 January 18594 June 1941) was the last German Emperor (german: Kaiser) and King of Prussia, reigning from 15 June 1888 until his abdication on 9 November 1918. Despite strengthening the German Empir ...

, elevated the respective owners of Heeren Castle to the primogenital rank of

while all other family members remained Freiherr. In 1788, ''Baron Karl Wilhelm Plettenberg'' married ''Anna Luisa von Bodelschwingh'', heiress of Bodelschwingh Castle at

Dortmund Dortmund (; Westphalian nds, Düörpm ; la, Tremonia) is the third-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne and Düsseldorf, and the eighth-largest city of Germany, with a population of 588,250 inhabitants as of 2021. It is the la ...

, and changed his name to ''Baron von Bodelschwingh-Plettenberg''. His grandson ''Karl'' (1821-1907) was made Graf in 1888, and passed his title and estate to his only daughter ''Wilhelmine'' who married ''Baron Dodo Alexander zu Innhausen und Knyphausen'' (1835-1911). While their son ''Karl Moritz'' (1871-1958) and the grandson ''Edzard'' (b. 1905) still used the primogenital title ''Graf von Bodelschwingh-Plettenberg'', the present generation is only using the name ''Baron zu Innhausen und Knyphausen''. They still own Bodelschwingh Castle. File:Haus Bamenohl-front.png, Bamenohl House Dortmund - Schloßstraße - Haus Bodelschwingh 08 ies.jpg, Bodelschwingh House Draiser Hof Weingut Baron Knyphausen.jpg, Draiser Hof Haus Hilbeck Herbst nah01.jpg, Hilbeck House Haus Heeren3.JPG, Heeren Castle Haus Mehrum Duncker 1865.jpg, Haus Mehrum Schloss Sandfort.jpg, Sandfort Castle

Lenhausen Branch

''Heidenreich von Plettenberg'' (ca 1450–1485), a second son of Haus Bamenohl, acquired the neighboring Lenhausen Castle near

Finnentrop Finnentrop is a ''Gemeinde'' (municipality) in Olpe district in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Geography Finnentrop is situated in the Sauerland, near the forks of the rivers Bigge and Lenne. Finnentrop shares borders with Sundern and Eslo ...

in 1457. In 1494 Gut Stockum estate at

Sundern Sundern is a town in the Hochsauerland district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The name Sundern is common in Westphalia, as it means "ground given away for private usage" in the Westphalian dialect. Geography Sundern is situated approximate ...

was purchased. ''Friedrich Christian von Plettenberg'' (1644-1706) became Prince-Bishop of Münster in 1688. One year later, the Lenhausen-Stockum branch was elevated to the rank of Freiherr of the

, together with the Schwarzenberg branch, in 1689. In 1710 they acquired Hovestadt Castle at

Lippetal Lippetal is a municipality in the district of Soest, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Geography Lippetal is located north and south of the river Lippe between the cities of Lippstadt () and Hamm (). Lippetal is situated at the northern bou ...

. In 1724 the Lenhausen barons were made

Imperial count Imperial Count (german: Reichsgraf) was a title in the Holy Roman Empire. In the medieval era, it was used exclusively to designate the holder of an imperial county, that is, a fief held directly ( immediately) from the emperor, rather than from ...

s. Prince-Bishop ''Friedrich Christian'' built the monumental

Schloss Nordkirchen Schloss Nordkirchen is a palace situated in the town of Nordkirchen in the Coesfeld administrative district in the state of North Rhine Westphalia, Germany. The ''schloss'' was largely built between 1703 and 1734 and is known as the "Versaill ...

, and his nephew ''Ferdinand'' (1690-1737), prime minister of the

Electorate of Cologne The Electorate of Cologne (german: Kurfürstentum Köln), sometimes referred to as Electoral Cologne (german: Kurköln, links=no), was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire that existed from the 10th to the early 19th century. ...

, inherited it and completed it by 1734. The Plettenberg family owned

Nordkirchen Castle Schloss Nordkirchen is a palace situated in the town of Nordkirchen in the Coesfeld administrative district in the state of North Rhine Westphalia, Germany. The ''schloss'' was largely built between 1703 and 1734 and is known as the "Versaill ...

until 1833. The castles at Lenhausen and Hovestadt are still today owned and inhabited by the von Plettenberg family. File:Wasserschloss Lenhausen (7648999282).jpg, Lenhausen Castle File:Schloss Hovestadt.jpg, Hovestadt Castle File:20141101 Schloss Nordkirchen (06956).jpg,

File:Gut_stockum.jpg, Gut Stockum

Notable members

Friedrich Christian von Plettenberg, Kappers, c

Wolter von Plettenberg Wolter (or Walter) von Plettenberg (c. 1450 – February 28, 1535) was the Master (''Landmeister'') of the Livonian Order from 1494 to 1535 and one of the greatest leaders of the Teutonic knights. He was an important early Baltic German. ...

(around 1450–1535), Master of the

Livonian Order The Livonian Order was an autonomous branch of the Teutonic Order, formed in 1237. From 1435 to 1561 it was a member of the Livonian Confederation. History The order was formed from the remnants of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword after the ...

* Gertrud von Plettenberg (15??–1608), royal mistress of Prince-Elector-Archbishop of Cologne

Ernest of Bavaria Ernest of Bavaria (german: Ernst von Bayern) (17 December 1554 – 17 February 1612) was Prince-elector-archbishop of the Archbishopric of Cologne from 1583 to 1612 as successor of the expelled Gebhard Truchsess von Waldburg. He was also bishop ...

* Matthieu van Plattenberg (1607/8–1660), Baroque painter, draughtsman, etcher and engraver * Frederick Christian von Plettenberg (1644–1706), prince bishop of

Münster Münster (; nds, Mönster) is an independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a state distr ...

* Ferdinand von Plettenberg (1690–1737),

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

of the

Joachim van Plettenberg Baron Joachim Ammena van Plettenberg (8 March 1739, Leeuwarden, Netherlands – 18 August 1793, Zwolle, Netherlands) was the governor of the Cape of Good Hope from 11 August 1771 to 14 February 1785. Plettenberg was presiding governor after ...

(1739–1793), Governor of the

Cape of Good Hope The Cape of Good Hope ( af, Kaap die Goeie Hoop ) ;''Kaap'' in isolation: pt, Cabo da Boa Esperança is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. A common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is t ...

and founder of

Plettenberg Bay Plettenberg Bay, nicknamed Plet or Plett, is the primary town of the Bitou Local Municipality in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. As of the census of 2001, there were 29,149 population. It was originally named Bahia Formosa ("beautifu ...

Karl von Plettenberg Karl Freiherr von Plettenberg (18 December 1852, in Neuhaus – 10 February 1938, in Bückeburg) was a Prussian officer, and later General of Infantry during World War I. He was Commandant-General of the Guards Corps, Adjutant General of the Ge ...

(1852–1938),

General of the Infantry General of the Infantry is a military rank of a General officer in the infantry and refers to: * General of the Infantry (Austria) * General of the Infantry (Bulgaria) * General of the Infantry (Germany) ('), a rank of a general in the German Impe ...

Commandant-General Commandant-general is a military rank in several countries and is generally equivalent to that of major-general. Argentina Commandant general is the highest rank in the Argentine National Gendarmerie, and is held by the national director of the g ...

of the Guards Corps and

Adjutant General An adjutant general is a military chief administrative officer. France In Revolutionary France, the was a senior staff officer, effectively an assistant to a general officer. It was a special position for lieutenant-colonels and colonels in staf ...

of the German

Kaiser ''Kaiser'' is the German word for "emperor" (female Kaiserin). In general, the German title in principle applies to rulers anywhere in the world above the rank of king (''König''). In English, the (untranslated) word ''Kaiser'' is mainly ap ...

* Kurt von Plettenberg (1891–1945), plenipotentiary of the

House of Hohenzollern The House of Hohenzollern (, also , german: Haus Hohenzollern, , ro, Casa de Hohenzollern) is a German royal (and from 1871 to 1918, imperial) dynasty whose members were variously princes, Prince-elector, electors, kings and emperors of Hohenzol ...

(the royal house of Prussia), one of the inner circle of the July 20th plot against Hitler * Georg von Plettenberg (1918-1980), Colonel of the Bundeswehr

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:House of Plettenberg