Von der Decken family
Encyclopedia
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
.
s of Friedrich von Haseldorf. The genealogy of the family can be traced back to Nicolaus de Deken. He was a knave
and lived from about 1290 to 1360. All living von der Deckens are descendents of Claus von der Decken, who died in 1541. 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).
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
.
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.
Hanoverian
The adjective Hanoverian is used to describe:* British monarchs or supporters of the House of Hanover, the dynasty which ruled the United Kingdom from 1714 to 1901.* things relating to the Electorate of Hanover, Kingdom of Hanover, or Province of Hanover...
family of 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:...
. Since more than 750 years the center of the family is in a part of Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
at the south bank of the river Elbe
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
called Kehdingen
Kehdingen
Kehdingen is the name of a landscape in the north German district of Stade on the lower reaches of the River Elbe. It extends roughly from the mouth of the Oste in the north to the town of Stade in the south...
.
History
The first documented members of the family are Alverik and Herewart von Decca. About 1250 they were vassalVassal
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 Friedrich von Haseldorf. The genealogy of the family can be traced back to Nicolaus de Deken. He was a knave
Knave
Knave may refer to:* Knave , a British adult magazine*A male servant see also varlet*A journeyman*Another name for the Jack in a deck of cards*In knights and knaves logic puzzles, a person who always lies...
and lived from about 1290 to 1360. All living von der Deckens are descendents of Claus von der Decken, who died in 1541. He was a mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Stade
Stade
Stade is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany and part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region . It is the seat of the district named after it...
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), emigrated 1855 first to England and later to South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and settled near King Williams Town. There are many descendents of Adolphus and his wife Emma living in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Some of them with the name von der Decken live in King William's Town
King William's Town
King William's Town is a town in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa along the banks of the Buffalo River. The town is about 40 minutes' motorway drive WNW of the Indian Ocean port of East London...
, in Fort Beaufort
Fort Beaufort
Fort Beaufort is a town in the Amatole District of South Africa's Eastern Cape Province, and has a population of 78,300. The town was established in 1837 and became a municipality in 1883. The town lies at the confluence of the Kat and Brak rivers between the Keiskamma and Great Fish rivers...
and near to Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
.
Coat of arms
The coat of armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
shows a fireplace trammel hook
Trammel hook
A trammel hook is an adjustable hook used to suspend objects at variable heights.Trammel hooks may be used to hold a pot or kettle over a fire while cooking, allowing the height of the pot to be easily changed. Thus the rate of heating can be controlled....
. On the helmet with black and silver covers is standing a natural short oak branch with hanging green leaves on both sides.
Notable family members
- Claus von der Decken († 1541) since 1501 mayorMayorIn many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of the town of StadeStadeStade is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany and part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region . It is the seat of the district named after it...
. He was a principal supporter of Johann Rode von WaleJohann Rode von WaleJohann Rode von Wale was a Catholic cleric, a Doctor of Canon and Civil Law, a chronicler, a long-serving government official and as John III Prince-archbishop of Bremen between 1497 and...
the Prince-archbishop of BremenArchbishopric of BremenThe Archdiocese of Bremen was a historical Roman Catholic diocese and formed from 1180 to 1648 an ecclesiastical state , named Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen within the Holy Roman Empire...
. - Claus von der Decken (* 1742 in Ritterhausen near BaljeBaljeBalje is a municipality in the district of Stade, in Lower Saxony, Germany.It belonged to the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen. In 1648 the Prince-Archbishopric was transformed into the Duchy of Bremen, which was first ruled in personal union by the Swedish and from 1715 on by the Hanoverian Crown....
, † 1826), HanoverianHanoverianThe adjective Hanoverian is used to describe:* British monarchs or supporters of the House of Hanover, the dynasty which ruled the United Kingdom from 1714 to 1901.* things relating to the Electorate of Hanover, Kingdom of Hanover, or Province of Hanover...
minister.Chancery of the Kingdom of Hanover in the German Wikipedia - Graf Johann Friedrich von der DeckenJohann Friedrich von der DeckenJohann Friedrich Graf von der Decken was a Hanoverian general and diplomat during the Napoleonic Wars.-Life:...
(* 1769 in LangwedelLangwedelLangwedel is a municipality in the district of Verden, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Weser, approx. 7 km northwest of Verden, and 30 km southeast of Bremen....
, † 1840 in Ringelheim), HanoverianHanoverianThe adjective Hanoverian is used to describe:* British monarchs or supporters of the House of Hanover, the dynasty which ruled the United Kingdom from 1714 to 1901.* things relating to the Electorate of Hanover, Kingdom of Hanover, or Province of Hanover...
GeneralfeldzeugmeisterFeldzeugmeisterFeldzeugmeister was a military rank in various European armies , especially in the artillery. It was commonly used in the 16th or 17th century, but could even be found in the beginning of the 20th century in some European countries...
. - Karl Klaus von der DeckenKarl Klaus von der DeckenBaron Karl Klaus von der Decken was a German explorer of eastern Africa and the first European to attempt to climb Mount Kilimanjaro....
(* 1833 in KotzenKotzenKotzen is a municipality in the Havelland district, in Brandenburg, Germany.-Translation:Since one English translation of the German verb "kotzen" is "to vomit" therefore the town was jokingly incorrectly referred to in Ripley's Believe-It-or-Not under the title "Barfburg"...
, † 1865 in BarderaBarderaBardera City is an important agricultural city in the Gedo region of Somalia. It is the second most populous town in the Juba Valley, with Kismayo being the largest and most densely populated city in the region, and Garbahaarreey serving as Gedo's capital...
in SomaliaSomaliaSomalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
), Explorer in East AfricaEast AfricaEast Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
, especially at the Kilimanjaro and at the Jubba RiverJubba RiverThe Jubba River is a river in southern Somalia. It begins at the border with Ethiopia, where the Dawa and Ganale Dorya rivers meet, and flows directly south to the Indian Ocean, where it empties at the Goobweyn juncture.-History:...
. - Graf George von der DeckenGeorg von der Decken (politician)Count Georg Friedrich Armand von der Decken owner of Ringelheim and member of the German Reichstag- Life :...
from Ringelheim (* 1836 in BraunschweigBraunschweigBraunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
, † 1898 in Ringelheim), Member of ReichstagReichstag (German Empire)The Reichstag was the parliament of the North German Confederation , and of the German Reich ....
of the Deutsch-Hannoversche Partei. Grandson of Graf Johann Friedrich von der DeckenJohann Friedrich von der DeckenJohann Friedrich Graf von der Decken was a Hanoverian general and diplomat during the Napoleonic Wars.-Life:...
. - John DeckerJohn DeckerJohn Decker was a painter, set designer and caricaturist in Hollywood during the 1930s and 1940s....
(* 1895 in BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, † 1947 in Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
), was born with the name Leopold von der Decken or Leopold Avenarius. He was a painterPaintingPainting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, sculptor and caricaturistCaricatureA caricature is a portrait that exaggerates or distorts the essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness. In literature, a caricature is a description of a person using exaggeration of some characteristics and oversimplification of others.Caricatures can be...
in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, New YorkNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
External links
- 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