Von der Decken family

The coat of arms of the von der Decken family is a fireplace trammel hook.

von der Decken coat of arms at Siebmachers Wappenbuch 1605

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 Origin of the Family

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.^[3][4] He was a squire and lived from about 1290 to 1360.^[5] The first von der Deckens lived near Freiburg, Lower Saxony, at the Southbank of the river Elbe.

Five Lines of the Family

All living von der Deckens are descendents of Claus von der Decken, who died in 1541.^[6] 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).

The von der Deckens in South Africa

Adolphus (1834–1886) is a son of Adolph Melchior (1806–1862).^[7] They are descendants of the Oerichsheiler linie.^[3][4] For Adolph Melchior and Adolphus see Extract of genealogical table of the family von der Decken 1. Line in German language. Adolphus emigrated 1855 first to England and later to South Africa. He settled near King Williams Town. Adolphus married in 1855 Emma Louisa Eustace, when he was 21 and she was 19 years old. There are many descendents of Adolphus and 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

• 

  Seal of Friedrich von der Decken noted as Zackewolde in a document dated 1394. This is the oldest seal of the family. (copied).^[1]

• 

  Seal of Heinrich von der Decken of the year 1585. He had three trammel hooks in his coat of arms and lived until 1590. Heinrich was alderman and mayor of the town Stade. He had farms in Götzdorf and Aschhorn near Drochtersen. He belonged to the extinct line in the town of Stade. (copied)

• 

  Seal of Peter von der Decken from the year 1591. Peter lived from 1539 to 1619. He is the son of Hermann. Herman was a mayor of Stade and he started the first family line. Peter owned the farms: Kampe, Oerichsheil, Ritterhof and Wechtern. This style of the coat of arms from 1591 stayed until present.

• 

  Since 1732 the coat of arms of the third line is a conjunction of the two families von der Decken and von Offen. The coat of arms of the family von Offen is a red wheel with six spokes on a silver ground. The title Freiherr in the third line stayed for two generations from 1885 to 1969.

• 

  Graf (Count) Johann Friedrich von der Decken bought Ringelheim in 1817. In 1833 he was honored with the title Graf. The title continues with agnatic primogeniture and Salic law like the order of succession in the House of Hanover and in the House of Liechtenstein.

• 

  The General of the Cavalry George von der Decken chose as blazon holders two soldiers of the 1. Hussar-Regiment of the King's German Legion, a Regiment, in which he had distinguished himself so much. He was honored with the title Graf (Count) in 1835. He had no legitimate children, therefore the title did not continue after his death in 1859.

1. ^ Wilhelm von der Decken, History of the Family: Die Familie von der Decken in ihren verschiedenen Verhältnissen ..., 1865

Notable family members

• Claus von der Decken († 1541) councillor and mayor of the town of Stade. He was a principal supporter of Johann Rode von Wale the Prince-archbishop of Bremen.^[8]
• Claus von der Decken (* 1742 Ritterhausen near Balje, † 1826 Hannover), Hanoverian minister.^[9][10]
• Graf Johann Friedrich von der Decken (* 1769 Langwedel, † 1840 Ringelheim), Hanoverian Generalfeldzeugmeister.
• Karl Klaus von der Decken (* 1833 Kotzen, † 1865 Bardera in Somalia), Explorer in East Africa, especially at the Kilimanjaro and at the Jubba River.
• Graf George von der Decken from Ringelheim (* 1836 Braunschweig, † 1898 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. Grandson of Graf George von der Decken.

• 

  Claus von der Decken (1742–1826), King's Hanoverian stateminister.^[1][2]

• 

  Graf Johann Friedrich von der Decken (1769–1840), King's Hanoverian Generalfeldzeugmeister

• 

  Graf George von der Decken (1787–1859), King's Hanoverian General of the Cavalry (Germany).^[3]

• 

  Claus von der Decken (1782–1839), Oberhauptmann of Harburg (lawyer)

• 

  Friedrich von der Decken (1802–1881), King's Hanoverian stateminister.^[2][4]

• 

  Graf Adolphus von der Decken (1807–1886), Hanoverian Diplomat.^[5]

• 

  Karl Klaus von der Decken (1833–1865), Explorer of East Africa

• 

  Graf George von der Decken (1836–1898), Member of Reichstag.^[6]

• 

  Otto von der Decken (1839–1916), Member of Reichstag.^[7]

• 

  On the right-hand side lieutenant general Otto von der Decken (1858-1937) with field marshal August von Mackensen, (1849-1945) 1931 in Dresden at a military review of German cavalry

• 

  Charlotte von der Decken (1863–1933) and her husband Graf Friedrich von Hohenau, son of Prince Albert of Prussia

• 

  Leopold von der Decken changed his name to John Decker when he left Europe in 1921. He was a notable painter, set designer, statuary and caricaturist in Hollywood

1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Claus.28Minister.29 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Minister was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
3. ^ Georg Graf von der Decken Oerichsheil General of the Cavalry in the German Wikipedia
4. ^ Friedrich von der Decken Rutenstein (Minister) in the German Wikipedia
5. ^ Adolphus Graf von der Decken Ringelheim (Diplomat) in the German Wikipedia
6. ^ Georg Graf von der Decken Ringelheim (Politician) in the German Wikipedia
7. ^ Otto von der Decken Rutenstein (Politician) in the German Wikipedia

Bibliography in German language

Oak tree with coat of arms on the title of the Yearly Family News. Pro Aris et Focis is the heraldic motto.

• 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 (1957), "Decken, v. der.", Neue Deutsche Biographie (NDB) (in German) 3, Berlin: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 544–545 
• 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

Transcription of a document from 1250/55 for Herewart und Alverik von Deca - extract of the Hoyer Urkundenbuch from 1865 Herausgeber: Wilhelm v. Hodenberg - Heft IV - Hoyer Lehne - page 9

Chart of river Elbe 1860 with places of the family: Neuhaus (Oste), Belum, Balje, Krummendeich and Freiburg/Elbe

1. ↑ 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).
2. ↑ Wilhelm von der Decken, History of the Family: Die Familie von der Decken in ihren verschiedenen Verhältnissen ..., 1865 page 7
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Thora von der Decken, Pedigree of the Family: Stammtafeln der Familie von der Decken, 1936
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Herwart und Thassilo von der Decken, Pedigree of the Family: Stammtafeln der Familie von der Decken, 1994
5. ↑ Document from 1360 in state archive in Stade: Rep 3, Altkloster 106, there: The famulus = squire Claus (Nicolaus de Deken) witnesseth on 25.07.1360 this document with the following circumstances: Der squire Hinricus de Dozen (Heinrich von der Döse) sells farming ground near Wechtern in the parish of Freiburg/Elbe to the Benediktine monastery in Altkloster nowadays a part of Buxtehude.
6. ↑ Karl Ernst Hermann Krause: in the Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Vol 5, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1877, page 2
7. ↑ From the church book entry: Adolphus is born February 08, 1834 and baptised February 20, 1834 in the Mainchurch St. Trinitatis in Altona. Altona belonged to Denmark until 1867. The mother is Anna Maria Ernestine Hume, the father is Claus Melchior Adolph von der Decken, see: Kirchenkreisarchiv Hamburg West / Südholstein - Lutheran Church Book Office (=Kirchenbuchamt) in Pinneberg
8. ↑ Claus von der Decken mayor of Stade in the German Wikipedia
9. ↑ Claus von der Decken Melkof (Minister) in the German Wikipedia
10. ↑ Chancery of the Kingdom of Hanover in the German Wikipedia

External links

• Wikimedia Commons has media related to Decken family.

• List of Lower Saxonies noble families
• Schlossarchiv Wildenfels: The family von der Decken in the books like Almanach de Gotha
• Database Persons of Lower Saxony There are 33 members of the family. Search in the database with the Name: Decken.

See also

• Extract of genealogical table of the family von der Decken in German language
• List of German noble families starting with the letter D