Von Blumenthal
Encyclopedia
The von Blumenthal family
are German nobility
from Brandenburg-Prussia
. Other, unrelated, families of this name exist in Switzerland
and formerly in Russia
, and many unrelated families (both Jewish and non-Jewish) called "Blumenthal" without "von" are to be found worldwide.
The family was already noble from earliest times ("Uradel
"), antedating the creation of the Prussian and Second German Imperial monarchies, and different branches acquired different titles over time. All living members of the family descend from Heinrich (V) von Blumenthal (1654–93), whose baron
ial status was limited to the borders of Brandenburg
. Other members of the family were raised to allodial
baronies (Freiherren) all of which are now extinct, or count
ships, of which only one line survives.
, who inherited the estates of Blumenthal and Grabow from the only daughter and heiress of Nikolaus von Blumenthal, first referred to in a document of 1240. His family probably originally came from Bloemendaal
in Holland, and re-located first to Blumenthal near Verden
, in the diocese of Bremen, and thence to Blumenthal in the Archdiocese of Magdeburg, where they were vassal
s of the Wendish
Counts von Plotho
, naming each settlement after the previous one.
The von Plothos expanded their lands in the Prignitz
in the 13th century, bringing Nikolaus von Blumenthal with them. There he named the villages of Blumenthal and Grabow after his properties in the Archdiocese of Magdeburg. The family of his son-in-law, Ruthger von Amendorf, had also come from the country around Bremen. They inherited the von Blumenthal estates and took the name. The castle of Horst, near Blumenthal in the Prignitz, was the family seat for over 600 years until 1810. They claimed a legendary descent from the Roman Emperor Florianus
, as well as from the Arthurian knights Garel
and Daniel von Blumenthal
, whose stories are told in 13th-century poems by Der Pleier
and Der Stricker, respectively.
alone, and of eighteen who served in the Franco-Prussian War
eleven fought at the Battle of Gravelotte
. Nineteen served in the First World War. Three of its members won the Pour le Mérite (Blue Max)
, one became a field-marshal and six became generals, besides numerous family members who were regimental colonels. The family also produced three Prussia
n ministers of war, one leading statesman under King Jérome
of Westphalia (a Chevalier of the Legion d'Honneur), Danzig's longest-serving governor and a prominent 19th Century Bavarian politician opposed to rising anti-semitism. One member of the family became a head of state (Georg, Prince-Bishop
of Ratzeburg
, see below).
All living members of the family are descended from Eustachius Albrecht von Blumenthal and Margarethe Gans Edle zu Puttlitz (married circa 1575). She was a descendant, via the von Gleichen and von Henneberg families from Henry I the Child
, Landgrave of Hesse, and thus also of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, St. Hedwig of Silesia and Charlemagne
.
: Horst (1241-1810); Blumenthal (1263-1810); Hennekendorf (until 1318); Grabow (1274–1312); Dahlhausen (1487-1810); Brüsenhagen (mentioned in 1424); Vehlow (1486-1838; repurchased in 1930s); Wüsten-Boddin (1458–1495); Garz (1438–1541); Kyritz (Townhouse, 1315–1585)
In the West Prignitz: Pröttlin (1540–1756); Burg Stavenow (1647–1717); Rauschendorf & Schönermark (1798–1810); Abbendorf (1715-?); Krampffer
In the Old Brandenburg
Mark: Schloss Arneburg
(1441–1463)
In the rest of the Brandenburg Mark: Bukow (1546–1556); Haselberg & Harnekop (1617–1662); Paretz (1677–1795); Flatow (1797–1810); Steinhöfel (1774–1800); Trechwitz (1644–1650); Falkenberg
In the Lower Lausitz: Pretschen and Wittmannsdorf (1649 - mid-18th centtury); Guhrow (briefly in the 17th century)
In Mecklenburg
: Adamsdorf (formerly Kuhschwanz; 1800–1835) and Liepen (1800–1810)
In Halberstadt
: the former properties of the von Warberg family (1653–1732)
In Anhalt
: Quellendorf (1871-late 19th cent)
In Silesia
: Hundsfeld in Oels (late 19th cent)
In Pomerania
: Quackenburg (1717–1905); Egsow & Cummerzin (1734–1833); Suckow (19th cent to 1874); Varzin, Jannewitz & Wendisch-Puddiger, with Chorow, Wussow, Gross Onessow, Klein Onessow (1874; sold to Bismarck); Groß Schlönwitz (1734-1773 & 1843-1945); Staffelde (1883–1945; recovered and resold in 1990s); Segenthin (1834–1945); Deutsch-Puddiger (1839–1945); Grünwalde in Rummelsburg (briefly, 19th Cent)
In West Prussia
: Gottschalk & Dohnastedt (1841-after 1904)
In German New Guinea
: Kurakagaul & Natava (1904–1920)
Crest: A virgin, dressed per pale or and sable (or in some cases undressed), between two eagles' wings, holding a wreath in her dexter hand.
Family
In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...
are German nobility
German nobility
The German nobility was the elite hereditary ruling class or aristocratic class from ca. 500 B.C. to the Holy Roman Empire and what is now Germany.-Principles of German nobility:...
from Brandenburg-Prussia
Brandenburg-Prussia
Brandenburg-Prussia is the historiographic denomination for the Early Modern realm of the Brandenburgian Hohenzollerns between 1618 and 1701. Based in the Electorate of Brandenburg, the main branch of the Hohenzollern intermarried with the branch ruling the Duchy of Prussia, and secured succession...
. Other, unrelated, families of this name exist in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and formerly in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, and many unrelated families (both Jewish and non-Jewish) called "Blumenthal" without "von" are to be found worldwide.
The family was already noble from earliest times ("Uradel
Uradel
The German and Scandinavian term Uradel refers to nobility who can trace back their noble ancestry at least to the year 1400 and probably originates from leadership positions during the Migration Period.-Divisions of German nobility:Uradel : Nobility that originates from leadership positions held...
"), antedating the creation of the Prussian and Second German Imperial monarchies, and different branches acquired different titles over time. All living members of the family descend from Heinrich (V) von Blumenthal (1654–93), whose baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
ial status was limited to the borders of Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
. Other members of the family were raised to allodial
Allodial title
Allodial title constitutes ownership of real property that is independent of any superior landlord, but it should not be confused with anarchy as the owner of allodial land is not independent of his sovereign...
baronies (Freiherren) all of which are now extinct, or count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
ships, of which only one line survives.
Origin
Like the von Grabow family, the von Blumenthals were originally a branch of the von Ammendorf FamilyVon Ammendorf Family
----The von Ammendorf family, now extinct, was a family of Brandenburg nobility from which the von Blumenthal and von Grabow families originated.- History :...
, who inherited the estates of Blumenthal and Grabow from the only daughter and heiress of Nikolaus von Blumenthal, first referred to in a document of 1240. His family probably originally came from Bloemendaal
Bloemendaal
Bloemendaal is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. According to the Dutch Central Statistical Bureau, Bloemendaal is the wealthiest place in the Netherlands.-Population centres :...
in Holland, and re-located first to Blumenthal near Verden
Verden
Verden can refer to:* Verden an der Aller, a town in Lower Saxony, Germany* Verden, Oklahoma, a small town in the USA* Verden , a district in Lower Saxony, Germany...
, in the diocese of Bremen, and thence to Blumenthal in the Archdiocese of Magdeburg, where they were vassal
Vassal
A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...
s of the Wendish
Wendish
Wendish may refer to:* the Sorbian languages used by the Slavs* the Wends, a Slav people of Northern Europe...
Counts von Plotho
Von Plotho
The von Plotho family are a German noble family traditionally believed to be of Wendish origin, particularly associated with the Prignitz region in Brandenburg.-History:...
, naming each settlement after the previous one.
The von Plothos expanded their lands in the Prignitz
Prignitz
Prignitz is a Kreis in the northwestern part of Brandenburg, Germany. Neighboring are the district Ludwigslust-Parchim in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the district Ostprignitz-Ruppin in Brandenburg, the district Stendal in Saxony-Anhalt and the district Lüchow-Dannenberg in Lower...
in the 13th century, bringing Nikolaus von Blumenthal with them. There he named the villages of Blumenthal and Grabow after his properties in the Archdiocese of Magdeburg. The family of his son-in-law, Ruthger von Amendorf, had also come from the country around Bremen. They inherited the von Blumenthal estates and took the name. The castle of Horst, near Blumenthal in the Prignitz, was the family seat for over 600 years until 1810. They claimed a legendary descent from the Roman Emperor Florianus
Florianus
-Biography: Florian was reportedly a maternal half-brother to the Emperor Marcus Claudius Tacitus. Appointed Praetorian Prefect in Tacitus's army in his campaign against the Goths, according to the available sources, he was chosen by the army in the West to succeed Tacitus in 276, without the...
, as well as from the Arthurian knights Garel
Garel
Garel von dem blühenden Tal is a medieval Arthurian romance composed by Der Pleier around 1230-40. It appears to have been written in contradiction to Der Stricker's Daniel von Blumenthal. It consists of 21,310 lines in rhyming couplets; the beginning is missing.After a journey, King Arthur...
and Daniel von Blumenthal
Daniel von Blumenthal
Daniel von dem blühenden Tal is an Arthurian romance composed around 1220 by the Middle High German poet Der Stricker, who claimed he had received the story from a French troubadour...
, whose stories are told in 13th-century poems by Der Pleier
Der Pleier
Der Pleier is the pen name of a Middle High German poet active between 1240 and 1270 whose real name is unknown. He is the author of three long romances all on Arthurian subjects, the most famous of which is Garel von dem blühenden Tal , but little else is known of him...
and Der Stricker, respectively.
Martial and Political History
The family had a strong military tradition. Twenty of its members died in battle; eleven fought at the Battle of KöniggrätzBattle of Königgrätz
The Battle of Königgrätz , also known as the Battle of Sadowa, Sadová, or Hradec Králové, was the decisive battle of the Austro-Prussian War, in which the Kingdom of Prussia defeated the Austrian Empire...
alone, and of eighteen who served in the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
eleven fought at the Battle of Gravelotte
Battle of Gravelotte
The Battle of Gravelotte was a battle of the Franco-Prussian War named after Gravelotte, a village in Lorraine between Metz and the former French–German frontier.-Terrain and armies:...
. Nineteen served in the First World War. Three of its members won the Pour le Mérite (Blue Max)
Pour le Mérite
The Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max , was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order for German soldiers until the end of World War I....
, one became a field-marshal and six became generals, besides numerous family members who were regimental colonels. The family also produced three Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n ministers of war, one leading statesman under King Jérome
Jérôme Bonaparte
Jérôme-Napoléon Bonaparte, French Prince, King of Westphalia, 1st Prince of Montfort was the youngest brother of Napoleon, who made him king of Westphalia...
of Westphalia (a Chevalier of the Legion d'Honneur), Danzig's longest-serving governor and a prominent 19th Century Bavarian politician opposed to rising anti-semitism. One member of the family became a head of state (Georg, Prince-Bishop
Prince-Bishop
A Prince-Bishop is a bishop who is a territorial Prince of the Church on account of one or more secular principalities, usually pre-existent titles of nobility held concurrently with their inherent clerical office...
of Ratzeburg
Ratzeburg
Ratzeburg is a town in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is surrounded by four lakes—the resulting isthmuses between the lakes form the access lanes to the town. Ratzeburg is the capital of the Kreis of Lauenburg.-History:...
, see below).
Prominent members
- Gerhard von Ammendorf (whose nephew became Ruthger von Blumenthal-Amendorf and then just von Blumenthal), Bishop of BrandenburgBishop of BrandenburgThe Bishopric of Brandenburg was a Roman Catholic diocese established by Otto the Great in 948, including the territory between the Elbe on the west, the Oder on the east, and the Schwarze Elster on the south, and taking in the Uckermark to the north. Its seat was Brandenburg upon Havel...
1241-51 - Otto (II) Magistrate in 1420, a bulwark of Frederick Count of Zollern against the WendishWendsWends is a historic name for West Slavs living near Germanic settlement areas. It does not refer to a homogeneous people, but to various peoples, tribes or groups depending on where and when it is used...
nobility of the Brandenburg Mark. - Otto (III) son of the above, Captain of the PrignitzPrignitzPrignitz is a Kreis in the northwestern part of Brandenburg, Germany. Neighboring are the district Ludwigslust-Parchim in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the district Ostprignitz-Ruppin in Brandenburg, the district Stendal in Saxony-Anhalt and the district Lüchow-Dannenberg in Lower...
1415-22; Castellan of LenzenLenzenLenzen is a small town in the district of Prignitz, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is part of the Amt Lenzen-Elbtalaue.-Overview:Lenzen is situated near the Elbe, approx. 20 km northwest of Wittenberge. It was the scene of an early victory by the Germans over the Wends in 929...
1420-22 - Hans (II), son of Otto (III), Vogt (=Captain) of ArneburgArneburgArneburg is a town in the district of Stendal, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the Elbe, approx. 12 km northeast of Stendal. It is part of the Verbandsgemeinde Arneburg-Goldbeck.-History:...
1440-50 - Georg von BlumenthalGeorg von BlumenthalGeorg von Blumenthal was a German Prince-Bishop of Ratzeburg and Prince-Bishop of Lebus. He also served as a Privy Councillor of the Margraviate of Brandenburg and Chancellor of the University of Frankfurt , commonly called the Viadrina.Bishop von Blumenthal negotiated the second marriage of ...
(1490–1550), the last CatholicRoman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
sovereign ruler in northern Germany, and the only Bishop in Brandenburg during the Protestant ReformationProtestant ReformationThe Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
to die a Catholic. - Joachim Friedrich von BlumenthalJoachim Friedrich von BlumenthalJoachim Friedrich von Blumenthal was a German nobleman of the von Blumenthal family. He was a diplomat and the founder of the Brandenburg-Prussian Army.-Biography:He was born in 1609 and educated at the Viadrina...
(1609–1657), diplomat and politician of Brandenburg-PrussiaBrandenburg-PrussiaBrandenburg-Prussia is the historiographic denomination for the Early Modern realm of the Brandenburgian Hohenzollerns between 1618 and 1701. Based in the Electorate of Brandenburg, the main branch of the Hohenzollern intermarried with the branch ruling the Duchy of Prussia, and secured succession... - Christoph Caspar, Brandenburg's Ambassador to France, was the son of Joachim Friedrich. He negotiated the Peace of Oliva. He narrowly lost to Count Schwarzenberg the election to the Grand Mastership of the Order of Saint John (Bailiwick of Brandenburg).
- The brothers Friedrich (died 1745) and Hans (d. 1788) both commanded Frederick the Great's famous Gardes du Corps, which Friedrich had founded. Hans won the Pour le Mérite at Hohenfriedberg. He had to leave the army after being wounded leading his regiment in a successful cavalry charge at the Battle of LobositzBattle of LobositzThe Battle of Lobositz or Lovosice also Lowositz on 1 October 1756 was the opening land battle of the Seven Years' War. Frederick the Great's 29,000 Prussians prevented Field Marshal Maximilian Ulysses Count Browne 34,500 Austrians from relieving their besieged Saxon allies during the Siege of...
. He was later made a Count and supervised the education of Frederick William III's brother, Prince Henry. - Their brother Henrich (VII), a Major in Prinz Heinrich's Regiment, was killed in action at Ostritz in 1756. His gallant defence was reported in the British press and his friend the poet von KleistVon KleistVon Kleist is a Pomeranian Prussian noble family. Notable members of this family include:* Ewald Jürgen Georg von Kleist ; co-inventor of the Leyden jar* Ewald Christian von Kleist ; German poet and soldier...
wrote his epitaph. - Georg (IV) (b. at Quackenburg, PomeraniaPomeraniaPomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
in 1722, d. 1784) won the Pour le Mérite at the Battle of Prague. He was charged with raising forces to oppose the invasion of Pomerania in the 1760s by the Russians, who put a price on his head. He became a Major General. - Ludwig (II) (died 1760) and his nephew Joachim Christian von Blumenthal were both presidents of Frederick the Great's principal ministry, the War and Domains Directory.
- Count Heinrich (VIII) (1765–1830), the last von Blumenthal to occupy the original family seat at Horst bei Blumenthal, was Mayor of MagdeburgMagdeburgMagdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
(where his statue is to be seen) and Head Chamberlain to Jérôme BonaparteJérôme BonaparteJérôme-Napoléon Bonaparte, French Prince, King of Westphalia, 1st Prince of Montfort was the youngest brother of Napoleon, who made him king of Westphalia...
, King of Westphalia, as well as governor of Jerôme's palace at WilhelmshöheWilhelmshöheSchloss Wilhelmshöhe is a palace located in the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe in Kassel, Germany. As King of Westphalia, Jérôme Bonaparte renamed it Napoleonshöhe and appointed his Head Chamberlain Heinrich von Blumenthal as its governor, with instructions to supervise extensive renovations.After the...
. - Count Albert (1797–1860) commanded the Prussian First Foot Guards and retired as a lieutenant-general
- Robert was Regierungspresident (Regional Governor) of Danzig from 1841–1863 and of SigmaringenSigmaringenSigmaringen is a town in southern Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg. Situated on the upper Danube, it is the capital of the Sigmaringen district....
from 1864-1873. He was a leading opponent of Catholicism in Prussia. - Leonhard Graf von BlumenthalLeonhard Graf von BlumenthalLeonhard Graf von Blumenthal was a Prussian Generalfeldmarschall. He was a member of the von Blumenthal family.-Biography:Blumenthal was born in Schwedt, Brandenburg on July 20, 1810...
(1810–1900), field marshal and leading general of the German wars of unificationUnification of GermanyThe formal unification of Germany into a politically and administratively integrated nation state officially occurred on 18 January 1871 at the Versailles Palace's Hall of Mirrors in France. Princes of the German states gathered there to proclaim Wilhelm of Prussia as Emperor Wilhelm of the German... - Albrecht (IV) (1842–1918), son of Leonhard, (who publish his father's memoirs) became a lieutenant general.
- Louis (Ludwig (VII)) (1811–1903), brother of Leonhard, led the Prussian 52nd Infantry as Colonel into its decisive charge on the Austrian Hoch- und Deutschmeister Regiment at the Battle of NachodBattle of NachodThe Battle of Nachod on 27 June 1866 was the first major action of the Austro-Prussian War. The advance guard of General Karl Friedrich von Steinmetz's 5th Corps occupied some high ground near Nachod as part of a Prussian advance into Bohemia from Silesia...
in 1866. He became a Major-General - Maximilian (I) (1823–1914), was a major in the 1st East Prussian Grenadiers No. 1 during the Austro Prussian War, where he won the Order of the Red EagleOrder of the Red EagleThe Order of the Red Eagle was an order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was awarded to both military personnel and civilians, to recognize valor in combat, excellence in military leadership, long and faithful service to the kingdom, or other achievements...
(IVth Class). In 1870 he commanded a battalion of the 73rd Fusilers and won the Iron Cross (II Class) at GravelotteBattle of GravelotteThe Battle of Gravelotte was a battle of the Franco-Prussian War named after Gravelotte, a village in Lorraine between Metz and the former French–German frontier.-Terrain and armies:...
. After the war he commanded the 1st. Silesian Grenadier Regiment No. 10. He retired as a Major General. - Count Werner (V) (1848–1928), a veteran of the Austro-Austro-Prussian WarThe Austro-Prussian War was a war fought in 1866 between the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the...
and Franco-PrussianFranco-Prussian WarThe Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
wars, and a friend of Prince Frederick von Hohenzollern of Prussia, became Chamberlain to the King of Saxony. He was a leading moderate in the Conservative Party, and at the Tivoli CongressTivoli CongressThe Tivoli Congress took place in 1892 and was named after the Tivoli Brewhouse in Berlin where the German Conservative Party first adopted anti-semitism as part of its political programme...
of 1892, at which Klasing persuaded the party to adopt anti-semitism as part of its programme, he spoke out courageously. He was shouted down, and those who supported him did not dare do so publicly. His daughter Maria, a nun, was murdered in her 70s by the SS. - Hans (XI) (1855–1945), youngest son of Ludwig (VII), lost his two elder brothers in the Franco-Prussian War. Most of his adult life was uneventful. He was colonel of the 13th Hussars in 1900; Commander of the 24th cavalry Brigade (13th Hussars and 9th Dragoons) stationed in MetzMetzMetz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...
in 1906, and promoted to Major General, but after quarrelling with his commanding officer, General Maximilian von PrittwitzMaximilian von PrittwitzMaximillion Von Prittwitz was a German General.-Family:Prittwitz came from an extremely old aristocratic Silesian family in Bernstadt...
, he left the army in 1910 as a Lieutenant General. However, on the outbreak of the First World War he rejoined the army and first commanded the 60th Landwehr Brigade, then the 49th in Bois de Lord, south of the Champagne, until 1917, when health forced him to retire again. He was made a Count of the Grand Duchy of Baden, and married Lillian Steinway-Oakes (1860–1904), daughter of the celebrated co-founder of Steinway & SonsSteinway & SonsSteinway & Sons, also known as Steinway , is an American and German manufacturer of handmade pianos, founded 1853 in Manhattan in New York City by German immigrant Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg...
, Henry Steinway, and sister-in-law of Baden's minister of the interior, Baron Heinrich von Bodman. His end was tragic. His son Curt joined the SA and rose to be Reiterstandartenführer (equivalent to a major general) in command of the 27th SA Reiterstandarte at KyritzKyritzKyritz is a town in the Ostprignitz-Ruppin district, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated 28 km west of Neuruppin and 28 km southeast of Pritzwalk.There are 9,900 inhabitants .-Overview:...
. On the night of May 1, 1945 Curt shot his wife, children and himself in front of his father and sister Clarissa. Shortly after that, the Russians arrived and attempted to rape the 65-year-old Clarissa. Hans, himself over ninety, drove (or shamed) them off. But the experience was a shock and he died of a heart attack a few days later on 7 May. - Albrecht (1889–1945) was a respected philologist and as a poet was a leading member of the circle of Stefan GeorgeStefan GeorgeStefan Anton George was a German poet, editor, and translator.-Biography:George was born in Bingen in Germany in 1868. He spent time in Paris, where he was among the writers and artists who attended the Tuesday soireés held by the poet Stéphane Mallarmé. He began to publish poetry in the 1890s,...
, to whom he introduced the StauffenbergStauffenbergThe Schenken von Stauffenberg are an aristocratic Roman Catholic family from Swabia in Germany, whose best-known member was Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg – the key figure in the 1944 "20 July plot" to assassinate Adolf Hitler....
brothers. The dissident Lutheran pastor Dietrich BonhoefferDietrich BonhoefferDietrich Bonhoeffer was a German Lutheran pastor, theologian and martyr. He was a participant in the German resistance movement against Nazism and a founding member of the Confessing Church. He was involved in plans by members of the Abwehr to assassinate Adolf Hitler...
conducted an illegal seminary in 1938 from Albrecht's estate at Groß Schlönwitz. - Hans-Jürgen von BlumenthalHans-Jürgen von BlumenthalHans-Jürgen Graf von Blumenthal was a German aristocrat and Army officer in World War II who was executed by the Nazi régime for his role in the July 20 Plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler.-Biography:...
(1907–1944), officer who took part in Oster's 1938 conspiracy and was executed after the July 20 PlotJuly 20 PlotOn 20 July 1944, an attempt was made to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Führer of the Third Reich, inside his Wolf's Lair field headquarters near Rastenburg, East Prussia. The plot was the culmination of the efforts of several groups in the German Resistance to overthrow the Nazi-led German government...
against Adolf HitlerAdolf HitlerAdolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
in 1944. - Werner Richard and Wolfgang Charles, Albrecht's sons, ceased using their first Christian name and adopted their stepfather's surname, becoming, respectively, Richard and Charles Arnold-BakerCharles Arnold-BakerCharles Arnold-Baker, OBE, born Wolfgang Charles Werner von Blumenthal was an English barrister , an academic and a historian. He was the author of the Companion to British History...
, joined the British army and both served as officers in MI6. Richard (called Captain Barnes in the transcripts) was in the team of officers who interrogated Rudolf HessRudolf HessRudolf Walter Richard Hess was a prominent Nazi politician who was Adolf Hitler's deputy in the Nazi Party during the 1930s and early 1940s...
, and Charles commanded Winston ChurchillWinston ChurchillSir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
's bodyguard for part of the war, and in Norway arrested the Deputy Commandant of Auschwitz, Hans AumeierHans AumeierHans Aumeier was a Nazi war criminal, an SS-Sturmbannführer and the deputy commandant of Auschwitz concentration camp.-Life before the War:...
.
All living members of the family are descended from Eustachius Albrecht von Blumenthal and Margarethe Gans Edle zu Puttlitz (married circa 1575). She was a descendant, via the von Gleichen and von Henneberg families from Henry I the Child
Henry I, Landgrave of Hesse
Henry I of Hesse "the Child" was the first Landgrave of Hesse. He was the son of Henry II, Duke of Brabant and Sophie of Thuringia.-Life:...
, Landgrave of Hesse, and thus also of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, St. Hedwig of Silesia and Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
.
Principal historical estates
In the East PrignitzPrignitz
Prignitz is a Kreis in the northwestern part of Brandenburg, Germany. Neighboring are the district Ludwigslust-Parchim in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the district Ostprignitz-Ruppin in Brandenburg, the district Stendal in Saxony-Anhalt and the district Lüchow-Dannenberg in Lower...
: Horst (1241-1810); Blumenthal (1263-1810); Hennekendorf (until 1318); Grabow (1274–1312); Dahlhausen (1487-1810); Brüsenhagen (mentioned in 1424); Vehlow (1486-1838; repurchased in 1930s); Wüsten-Boddin (1458–1495); Garz (1438–1541); Kyritz (Townhouse, 1315–1585)
In the West Prignitz: Pröttlin (1540–1756); Burg Stavenow (1647–1717); Rauschendorf & Schönermark (1798–1810); Abbendorf (1715-?); Krampffer
In the Old Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
Mark: Schloss Arneburg
Arneburg
Arneburg is a town in the district of Stendal, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the Elbe, approx. 12 km northeast of Stendal. It is part of the Verbandsgemeinde Arneburg-Goldbeck.-History:...
(1441–1463)
In the rest of the Brandenburg Mark: Bukow (1546–1556); Haselberg & Harnekop (1617–1662); Paretz (1677–1795); Flatow (1797–1810); Steinhöfel (1774–1800); Trechwitz (1644–1650); Falkenberg
In the Lower Lausitz: Pretschen and Wittmannsdorf (1649 - mid-18th centtury); Guhrow (briefly in the 17th century)
In Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern...
: Adamsdorf (formerly Kuhschwanz; 1800–1835) and Liepen (1800–1810)
In Halberstadt
Halberstadt
Halberstadt is a town in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt and the capital of the district of Harz. It is located on the German Half-Timbered House Road and the Magdeburg–Thale railway....
: the former properties of the von Warberg family (1653–1732)
In Anhalt
Anhalt
Anhalt was a sovereign county in Germany, located between the Harz Mountains and the river Elbe in Middle Germany. It now forms part of the state of Saxony-Anhalt.- Dukes of Anhalt :...
: Quellendorf (1871-late 19th cent)
In Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
: Hundsfeld in Oels (late 19th cent)
In Pomerania
Pomerania
Pomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
: Quackenburg (1717–1905); Egsow & Cummerzin (1734–1833); Suckow (19th cent to 1874); Varzin, Jannewitz & Wendisch-Puddiger, with Chorow, Wussow, Gross Onessow, Klein Onessow (1874; sold to Bismarck); Groß Schlönwitz (1734-1773 & 1843-1945); Staffelde (1883–1945; recovered and resold in 1990s); Segenthin (1834–1945); Deutsch-Puddiger (1839–1945); Grünwalde in Rummelsburg (briefly, 19th Cent)
In West Prussia
West Prussia
West Prussia was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1773–1824 and 1878–1919/20 which was created out of the earlier Polish province of Royal Prussia...
: Gottschalk & Dohnastedt (1841-after 1904)
In German New Guinea
German New Guinea
German New Guinea was the first part of the German colonial empire. It was a protectorate from 1884 until 1914 when it fell to Australia following the outbreak of the First World War. It consisted of the northeastern part of New Guinea and several nearby island groups...
: Kurakagaul & Natava (1904–1920)
Heraldry
Arms : Or (or depending on the branch of the family, party per pale, sable and or); in bend sinister, a vinestock couped (or planted, again depending upon the branch of the family), with three clusters and three leaves proper, all counterchanged.Crest: A virgin, dressed per pale or and sable (or in some cases undressed), between two eagles' wings, holding a wreath in her dexter hand.