The House of Wedel (or Wedell) is an old and distinguished German noble family, from Stormarn in what is now

Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Sch ...

. The family members held the title of

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

and

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 ...

History

The family is first mentioned in records through ''Heinricus'', ''Hasso'' and ''Reimbernus de Wedele'' in 1212, and traces its familial line to the monastery ''

Vogt During the Middle Ages, an (sometimes given as modern English: advocate; German: ; French: ) was an office-holder who was legally delegated to perform some of the secular responsibilities of a major feudal lord, or for an institution such as ...

'' Heinrich, of the monastery "Novum Monasterium“, who is mentioned on 13 September 1149 in Ottenbüttel (Steinburg, Schleswig-Holstein). In December 1302 the brothers Heinrich, Johannes and Reinbert recorded that their uncle Reinhard the Elder was selling the village of Spitzerdorf to the

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

cathedral chapter in their presence and with their consent. Three brothers from the family appear in 1212 as witnesses in a record by Heinrich von Barmstede. A member of the family was captured after the second battle of Uetersen in 1306,

broken on the wheel The breaking wheel or execution wheel, also known as the Wheel of Catherine or simply the Wheel, was a torture method used for public execution primarily in Europe from antiquity through the Middle Ages into the early modern period by breakin ...

and quartered. The family exists in three branches. In 1328 Emperor Louis IV granted the lords of Wedel the towns or castles of Küstrin, Falkenburg, Schievelbein, Neu-Wedel, Kallies, Reetz, Nörenberg, Hochzeit, Klein-Mellen and Berneuchen as fiefs. From 1444 to 1445, Hans von Wedel was a diplomatic negotiator between the

Teutonic Knights The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...

and the

Kingdom of Poland The Kingdom of Poland ( pl, Królestwo Polskie; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a state in Central Europe. It may refer to: Historical political entities *Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom existing from 1025 to 1031 *Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom exist ...

. A branch of the family was settled from the early 18th century in

East Frisia East Frisia or East Friesland (german: Ostfriesland; ; stq, Aastfräislound) is a historic region in the northwest of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is primarily located on the western half of the East Frisian peninsula, to the east of West Frisia ...

. They owned the manor of Loga, now a part of the city of Leer. Here they built the

Evenburg The Evenburg is a water castle in the village of Loga, Leer, Loga (Leer, Lower Saxony, Leer) in north Germany (East Frisia, East Frisia/Ostfriesland) not far from the River Leda. History It was built by Colonel Erhard Reichsfreiherr von Ehrentr ...

and the Philippsburg. In 1746, the family acquired Schloss Gödens through marriage. This comital line (Gödens-Evenburg) had a hereditary seat in the

Prussian House of Lords The Prussian House of Lords (german: Preußisches Herrenhaus) in Berlin was the upper house of the Landtag of Prussia (german: Preußischer Landtag), the parliament of Prussia from 1850 to 1918. Together with the lower house, the House of Repres ...

from 5 December 1867 until the 1918 Revolution. No fewer than 77 member of Wedel family joined the

NSDAP The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that crea ...

, the largest among any German noble family. The family is not related to the Warsaw business family Wedel.

Notable members

Adam Ditlev Wedell-Wedellsborg Adam Ditlev Wedell-Wedellsborg (1782-1827) was a Dano-Norwegian government official. He served as the County Governor of Lister og Mandal amt from 1810 until 1814. When he got the governorship he was only 28 years old. He was a baron and a memb ...

(1782-1827), Dano-Norwegian government official * Albert von Wedel (1793–1866), Prussian district administrator of

Angermünde Angermünde () is a town in the district of Uckermark in the state of Brandenburg, Germany. It is about northeast of Berlin, the capital of Germany. The population is about 14,000, but has been declining since its traditional industrial base, ...

Botho von Wedel Botho Graf von Wedel (23 December 1862 – 5 February 1943) was a German nobleman and a diplomat who served as the German ambassador to Austria. Life He was born as a younger son of Count Carl Georg Friedrich von Wedel-Jarlsberg (1827-1898) and hi ...

(1862–1943), German diplomat * Busso von Wedell (1804–1874), Prussian treasury official and district president * Busso von Wedel (1897–1981), German colonel and recipient of the

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (german: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. The Knight' ...

on 18 May 1943, recipient of the

German Cross The War Order of the German Cross (german: Der Kriegsorden Deutsches Kreuz), normally abbreviated to the German Cross or ''Deutsches Kreuz'', was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 28 September 1941. It was awarded in two divisions: in gold for repe ...

in gold on 25 March 1942 *

Carl Georg Friedrich Gerhard von Wedel Carl may refer to: *Carl, Georgia, city in USA *Carl, West Virginia, an unincorporated community * Carl (name), includes info about the name, variations of the name, and a list of people with the name *Carl², a TV series * "Carl", an episode of te ...

(1827–1898), hereditary member of the

Carl Heinrich von Wedel Carl Heinrich von Wedel (also spelled Wedell; 12 July 1712 – 2 April 1782) was a Prussian lieutenant general in the War of Austrian Succession (1740–1748), the Seven Years' War (1756–1763), and the War of Bavarian Succession (1778–1779). H ...

(1712–1782), Prussian Lieutenant General and minister of war, recipient of the

Pour le Mérite The ' (; , ) is an order of merit (german: Verdienstorden) established in 1740 by Frederick the Great, King Frederick II of Prussia. The was awarded as both a military and civil honour and ranked, along with the Order of the Black Eagle, the Or ...

* *

Charlotte Wedell Charlotte Bolette Sophie, Baroness Wedell-Wedellsborg (27 January 1862 – 22 July 1953) was one of four women mathematicians to attend the inaugural International Congress of Mathematicians, held in Zurich in 1897. Wedell was originally from De ...

(1862–1953), Danish baroness and mathematician *

Erhard von Wedel Erhard is a male German given name and surname, and may refer to: People *Erhard of Regensburg, bishop of Regensburg in the 7th century *Erhard Altdorfer (c. 1480–1561), German Early Renaissance printmaker, painter and architect *Erhard Arnold Ju ...

(1861–1931), hereditary member of the Prussian House of Lords *

Erich Rüdiger von Wedel Oberleutnant Erich Rüdiger von Wedel (1892–1954) was a German World War I flying ace credited with thirteen aerial victories. Additionally, he spent most of the time from 2 May 1918 until the war's end on 11 November 1918 as commander of Ja ...

(1892–1954), German fighter pilot in World War I *

Ernst von Wedel Ernst is both a surname and a given name, the German, Dutch, and Scandinavian form of Ernest. Notable people with the name include: Surname * Adolf Ernst (1832–1899) German botanist known by the author abbreviation "Ernst" * Anton Ernst (1975- ...

(1844–1910), landowner and member of the Prussian House of Lords * Ernst Sigismund von Wedell (1704–1758), Prussian Major and commander of a grenadier battalion * Friedrich von Wedell-Malchow (1823–1890), jurist and member of the Reichstag * Georg von Wedell (1820–1894), Prussian Lieutenant General, recipient of the Pour le Mérite on 20 September 1866 * Georg Clemens August von Wedel, president of the East Frisian Estates-General (1779–1788) * Gustav Wilhelm von Wedel (1641–1717), Danish general in Norway, from 1684 Danish count of Jarlsberg (''see also'':

Wedel-Jarlsberg The Count of Wedel-Jarlsberg (also ''Wedel Jarlsberg'') is a title of the Norwegian nobility and of the Danish nobility. The family of Wedel-Jarlsberg is a branch of the larger family von Wedel, which comes from Pomerania, Germany. Family members ...

) * Hans von Wedel (14th century), Hofmeister to the Margrave of Brandenburg and co-owner of Fortress Oderberg * Hans Otto von Wedel (1861–1929), Prussian Major General * Hasso von Wedel (1898–1961), German Major General * Hasso von Wedel (1893–1945), colonel of the Luftwaffe * Hasso Otto von Wedel (1863–1940), German Major General * Hasso Sebastian Georg von Wedel (1859–1935), Prussian Lieutenant General * Hedda von Wedel, née ''Meseke'' (born 1942), German jurist and politician * Heinrich Kaspar von Wedel (1778–1858), Prussian officer und recipient of the Pour le Mérite * Hermann Alexander Wilhelm von Wedel (1813–1894), Prussian Lieutenant General *

Hermann von Wedel __NOTOC__ Hermann von Wedel (27 July 1893 – 5 February 1944) was a German general (Generalmajor) in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Wedel was wounded during the Battl ...

(1893–1944), Major General and commander of the 10th Field Division (L), recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 8 June 1943, recipient of the German Cross in gold on 18 October 1941 * Hermann Georg von Wedel (1848–1913), Prussian Lieutenant General * Joachim von Wedel (1552–1609), German landowner and annalist * Johann von Wedell (1679–1742), Prussian Major General * Karl von Wedel (1783–1858), Prussian Lieutenant General * Karl Fürst von Wedel (1842–1919), Prussian General and diplomat * Karl von Wedel (1845–1917), district administrator, member of the Prussian House of Lords * Karl von Wedel-Parlow (1873–1936), landowner and member of the Reichstag *

Kurt von Wedel Kurt is a male given name of Germanic or Turkish origin. ''Kurt'' or ''Curt'' originated as short forms of the Germanic Conrad, depending on geographical usage, with meanings including counselor or advisor. In Turkish, Kurt means "Wolf" and i ...

(1846–1927), landowner und member of the Prussian House of Lords *

Lupold von Wedel Lupold von Wedel (25 January 1544 – 13 June 1612/1615) was a German travel writer, mercenary leader and landowner. Career He was the son of Kurt (Curdt) von Wedel (died 1552) and his second wife Anna von Borcke (died 1573). After the death of h ...

(1544–), German travel writer, war reporter and mercenary leader * Otto von Wedel (1769–1813), Prussian officer und recipient of the Pour le Mérite * Wilhelm von Wedel (1798–1872), Lieutenant General *

Wilhelm von Wedell-Piesdorf Wilhelm von Wedell-Piesdorf (20 May 1837 in Frankfurt (Oder) – 11 July 1915 in Berlin) was a German politician for German Conservative Party. Biography From 1879 to 1885 he was a conservative member of the Prussian House of Representatives. ...

(1837–1915), Prussian minister of the royal household and member of the Prussian House of Lords * Wilhelm von Wedel (1891−1939), German police official and SS-Brigadeführer * Wilhelm von Wedell (1801–1866), Prussian administrative lawyer

References

{{Authority control German noble families Pomeranian nobility Brandenburgian nobility Danish noble families

History

Notable members

See also

References