Von der Decken family
The von der Deckens are a Hanoverian family of German nobility. Since more than 750 years the center of the family is in a part of Lower Saxony at the south bank of the river Elbe called Kehdingen.
History
The first documented members of the family are Alverik and Herewart von Decca. About 1250 they were vassals of Friedrich von Haseldorf.[1][2] The genealogy of the family can be traced back to Nicolaus de Deken. He was a knave and lived from about 1290 to 1360.[3][4] All living von der Deckens are descendents of Claus von der Decken, who died in 1541.[5] He was a mayor of Stade and had eight children. Five of his sons started the different lines of the family (see Extract of genealogical table of the family von der Decken in German language).
von der Decken in South Africa
Adolphus (1834–1886), a descendant of the Oerichsheiler line and a son of Adolph Melchior (1806–1862),[3][4] emigrated 1855 first to England and later to South Africa and settled near King Williams Town. There are many descendents of Adolphus and his wife Emma living in South Africa. Some of them with the name von der Decken live in King William's Town, in Fort Beaufort and near to Durban.
Coat of arms
The coat of arms shows a fireplace trammel hook. On the helmet with black and silver covers is standing a natural short oak branch with hanging green leaves on both sides.
Historic coat of arms
Notable family members
- Claus von der Decken († 1541) since 1501 mayor of the town of Stade. He was a principal supporter of Johann Rode von Wale the Prince-archbishop of Bremen.[6]
- Claus von der Decken (* 1742 in Ritterhausen near Balje, † 1826), Hanoverian minister.[7][8]
- Graf Johann Friedrich von der Decken (* 1769 in Langwedel, † 1840 in Ringelheim), Hanoverian Generalfeldzeugmeister.
- Karl Klaus von der Decken (* 1833 in Kotzen, † 1865 in Bardera in Somalia), Explorer in East Africa, especially at the Kilimanjaro and at the Jubba River.
- Graf George von der Decken from Ringelheim (* 1836 in Braunschweig, † 1898 in Ringelheim), Member of Reichstag of the Deutsch-Hannoversche Partei. Grandson of Graf Johann Friedrich von der Decken.
- John Decker (* 1895 in Berlin, † 1947 in Los Angeles), was born with the name Leopold von der Decken or Leopold Avenarius. He was a painter, sculptor and caricaturist in London, New York and Los Angeles.
Bibliography in German language
- Luneberg Mushard, The Noble Families of Lower Saxony in the Duchy of Bremen: Die niedersächsischen Adelsfamilien in den Herzogtümern Bremen und Verden. 1708, S. 192–201.
- Elias Friedrich Schmersahl, a report on the von-der-Decken-family in the Hamburgian Magazine: Nachricht von dem alten ritterbürtigen Geschlechte der Herren von der Decken im Lande Kehdingen 1752 in Hamburgisches Magazin, volume 9, page 619 bis 629
- Wilhelm von der Decken (1807–1866) Secretary of the Kingdom of Hanover, History of the Family: Die Familie von der Decken. In ihren verschiedenen Verhältnissen dargestellt. Klindworth's Hof-Druckerei, Hanover 1865.
- Yearly Family News called: Blätter der Familie von der Decken 1919-....
- Richard Drögereit: Decken, v. der.. In: Neue Deutsche Biographie (NDB). Band 3. Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1957, p. 544 f. (German)
- Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Adelslexikon volume 56, 1974 and endorsements in volume 144, 2008
- Ernst Heinrich Kneschke, encyclopedia on nobility: Neues allgemeines deutsches Adels-Lexicon 1860 page 433 Article on Decken and Decken-Offen
- Johann Siebmacher, Book on coat of arms in Germany, Austria and Switzerland: Siebmachers Wappenbuch 1605 in WIKIMEDIA COMMONS: Ritterschaft und Adel in Brauschweig there on page 181 "V. DER TECKE" is the misspelled writing of "V. DER DECKEN"
- Brümmel, v. Gruben, v. Marschalck: Estates in the Duchy of Bremen: Die Güter der Ritterschaft im Herzogtum Bremen, Stade 2001
References
- ^ Wilhelm von Hodenberg (publisher) Hoyer Urkundenbuch (Document book from Hoya), Hanover 1855, 1. Abteilung (part) Hoyaer Hausarchiv (archive), Heft (booklet) IV: Hoyaer Lehne, 10. Haseldorfer Güter (Farms from Haseldorf): p. 8 and 9. on page 9 the first three lines cite a document of Herewart und Alverik von Deca, dated 1250/55 'her vredeke' is Friedrich von Haseldorf; 'twe houe' are two farms; 'in den dorpen ierlinhusen' is in the village Ihlienworth 10 km south of Otterndorf; 'en pund' are dues; 'bedenem' is the village Belum northwest of Neuhaus (Oste); 'bultestrope (61,a)' means: see on p. XI 61) 'Zum Amte Neuhaus an der Oste: ... Bülsdorf is the oldest part of the village Neuhaus (Oste).
- ^ a b Wilhelm von der Decken, History of the Family: Die Familie von der Decken in ihren verschiedenen Verhältnissen ..., 1865 page 7
- ^ a b Thora von der Decken, Pedigree of the Family: Stammtafeln der Familie von der Decken, 1936
- ^ a b Herwart und Thassilo von der Decken, Pedigree of the Family: Stammtafeln der Familie von der Decken, 1994
- ^ Karl Ernst Hermann Krause: in the Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Vol 5, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1877, S. 2.
- ^ Claus von der Decken mayor of Stade in the German Wikipedia
- ^ a b Claus von der Decken Melkof (Minister) in the German Wikipedia
- ^ a b c Chancery of the Kingdom of Hanover in the German Wikipedia
- ^ Georg Graf von der Decken Oerichsheil General of the Cavalry in the German Wikipedia
- ^ Friedrich von der Decken Rutenstein (Minister) in the German Wikipedia
- ^ Adolphus Graf von der Decken Ringelheim (Diplomat) in the German Wikipedia
- ^ Georg Graf von der Decken Ringelheim (Politician) in the German Wikipedia
- ^ Otto von der Decken Rutenstein (Politician) in the German Wikipedia
External links
See also
