The House von der Decken is the name of an old

Hanover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...

ian family of

German nobility The German nobility (german: deutscher Adel) and royalty were status groups of the medieval society in Central Europe, which enjoyed certain privileges relative to other people under the laws and customs in the German-speaking area, until the b ...

. Since more than 750 years the center of the family is in a part of

Lower Saxony Lower Saxony (german: Niedersachsen ; nds, Neddersassen; stq, Läichsaksen) is a German state (') in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ...

at the south bank of the river

Elbe The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Re ...

called

Kehdingen Kehdingen is the name of a landscape in the north German district of Stade on the Lower Elbe, 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. Kehdingen is one of t ...

History

The Origin of the Family

The first documented members of the family are ''Alverik and Herewart von Decca''. About 1250 they were

vassal A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerai ...

s of . (ed.), ''Hoyer Urkundenbuch'' (Document book from Hoya), Hanover: 1855, 1. Abteilung (part) Hoyaer Hausarchiv (archive), Heft (booklet) IV: Hoyaer Lehne, 10. Haseldorfer Güter (estates from Haseldorf): pp. 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 Frederick of Haseldorf; 'twe houe' are two farms; 'in den dorpen ierlinhusen' is in the village

Ihlienworth Ihlienworth (in High German, in Low Saxon: Helmworth) is a municipality in the district of Cuxhaven, in Lower Saxony, Germany. History Ihlienworth belongs to the Land of Hadeln, first an exclave of the younger Duchy of Saxony and after its ...

10 km south of Otterndorf; 'en pund' are dues; 'bedenem' is the village Belum northwest of

Neuhaus (Oste) Neuhaus an der Oste (in High German, in Low Saxon: Neehuus) is a municipality in the district of Cuxhaven, in Lower Saxony, Germany. History The area of today's Neuhaus belonged to the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen, established in 1180. In ...

'bultestrope (61,a)' means: see on p. XI 61) 'Zum Amte Neuhaus an der Oste: ... Bülsdorf
is the oldest part of the village

.Wilhelm von der Decken, ''Die Familie von der Decken in ihren verschiedenen Verhältnissen dargestellt'' (history of the family von der Decken), Hanover: Klindworth's Hof-Druckerei, 186
p. 7
/ref> The genealogy of the family can be traced back to ''Nicolaus de Deken''.''Stammtafeln der Familie von der Decken'', Thora von der Decken (ed.) on behalf of the Wangenheim-Decken'sche Familienstiftung, Stade: Heimberg, 1936, p. 83.Herwart und Thassilo von der Decken, Pedigree of the Family: ''Stammtafeln der Familie von der Decken'', 1994 He was a

squire In the Middle Ages, a squire was the shield- or armour-bearer of a knight. Use of the term evolved over time. Initially, a squire served as a knight's apprentice. Later, a village leader or a lord of the manor might come to be known as ...

and lived from about 1290 to 1360. The first von der Deckens lived near Freiburg, Lower Saxony, at the southern bank of the

river.

Five Lines of the Family

All living von der Deckens are descendants of , who died in 1541.Karl Ernst Hermann Krause: in the ''

Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie ''Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie'' (ADB, german: Universal German Biography) is one of the most important and comprehensive biographical reference works in the German language. It was published by the Historical Commission of the Bavarian Ac ...

'' (ADB). Vol 5, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1877, page 2 He was a

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

Stade Stade (), officially the Hanseatic City of Stade (german: Hansestadt Stade, nds, Hansestadt Stood) is a city in Lower Saxony in northern Germany. First mentioned in records in 934, it is the seat of the district () which bears its name. It is l ...

and had eight children. Five of his sons started the different lines of the family (see ).

The von der Deckens in South Africa

''Adolphus (1834–1886)'' is a son of Adolph Melchior (1806–1862). They are descendants of the Oerichsheil line. 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 Qonce, formerly known as King William's Town, is a city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa along the banks of the Buffalo River. The city is about northwest of the Indian Ocean port of East London. Qonce, with a population of around ...

. Adolphus married in 1855 Emma Louisa Eustace, when he was 21 and she was 19 years old. There are many descendants of Adolphus and Emma living in South Africa. Some of them with the name von der Decken live in

King William's Town Qonce, formerly known as King William's Town, is a city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa along the banks of the Buffalo River (Eastern Cape), Buffalo River. The city is about northwest of the Indian Ocean port of East London, South ...

, in

Fort Beaufort Fort Beaufort ( Xhosa: iBhofolo) is a town in the Amatole District of South Africa's Eastern Cape Province, and had a population of 25,668 in 2011. The town was established in 1837 and became a municipality in 1883. The town lies at the conflu ...

and near to

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

Coat of arms

The

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

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

file:Siegel Friedrich v. der Decken 1394.JPG, Seal of Friedrich von der Decken noted as Zackewolde in a document dated 1394. This is the oldest seal of the family. (copied). file:Siegel Heinrich v. der Decken 1585.JPG, 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

. He had farms in north of

and near Drochtersen. He belonged to the extinct line in the town of Stade. (copied) file:Siegel Peter v. der Decken 1591.JPG, Seal of Peter von der Decken from the year 1591. Peter lived from 1539 to 1619. He is the son of Hermann. Hermann was a mayor of

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. file:Wappen v. der Decken-Offen.JPG, 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 (; male, abbreviated as ), (; his wife, abbreviated as , literally "free lord" or "free lady") and (, his unmarried daughters and maiden aunts) are designations used as titles of nobility in the German-speaking areas of the Holy Roman Empir ...

in the third line stayed for two generations from 1885 to 1969. file:Wappen v. der Decken-Ringelheim.JPG,

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 ...

Johann Friedrich von der Decken Johann Friedrich or Joh(an)n Frederick may refer to: * Johann Friedrich (theologian) * Johann Friedrich, Duke of Pomerania * Johann Frederick, Duke of Württemberg *John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony John Frederick I (30 June 1503 in Torgau – ...

bought Ringelheim in 1817. In 1833 he was honored with the title

Graf (feminine: ) is a historical title of the German nobility, usually translated as " count". Considered to be intermediate among noble ranks, the title is often treated as equivalent to the British title of "earl" (whose female version is " ...

. The title continues with

agnatic primogeniture Primogeniture ( ) is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn legitimate child to inherit the parent's entire or main estate in preference to shared inheritance among all or some children, any illegitimate child or any collateral relativ ...

and

Salic law The Salic law ( or ; la, Lex salica), also called the was the ancient Frankish civil law code compiled around AD 500 by the first Frankish King, Clovis. The written text is in Latin and contains some of the earliest known instances of Old D ...

like the

order of succession An order of succession or right of succession is the line of individuals necessitated to hold a high office when it becomes vacated such as head of state or an honour such as a title of nobility.House of Hanover The House of Hanover (german: Haus Hannover), whose members are known as Hanoverians, is a European royal house of German origin that ruled Hanover, Great Britain, and Ireland at various times during the 17th to 20th centuries. The house or ...

and in the

House of Liechtenstein The House of Liechtenstein, from which the principality takes its name, is the family which reigns by hereditary right over the principality of Liechtenstein. Only dynastic members of the family are eligible to inherit the throne. The dynasty' ...

. file:Wappen v. der Decken-Oerichsheil.JPG, The General of the Cavalry Count chose as blazon holders two soldiers of the 1. Hussar-Regiment of the

King's German Legion The King's German Legion (KGL; german: Des Königs Deutsche Legion, semantically erroneous obsolete German variations are , , ) was a British Army unit of mostly expatriated German personnel during the period 1803–16. The legion achieved t ...

, a Regiment, in which he had distinguished himself so much. He was honored with the title

in 1835. He had no legitimate children, therefore the title did not continue after his death in 1859.

Notable family members

* (died 1541)

councillor A councillor is an elected representative for a local government council in some countries. Canada Due to the control that the provinces have over their municipal governments, terms that councillors serve vary from province to province. Unl ...

and mayor of the town of

. He was a principal supporter of Bremen's Prince-Archbishop John III. * (born 1742 in Ritterhausen near Balje, died 1826 in

), Hanoverian minister. * Count

(born 1769 in

Langwedel Langwedel 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. Langwedel belonged to the Prince-Bisho ...

, died 1840 in Ringelheim), Hanoverian Generalfeldzeugmeister. *

Karl Klaus von der Decken Baron Karl Klaus (Carl Claus) von der Decken (born 8 August 1833 in Kotzen, Brandenburg, Germany; died 2 October 1865 near Bardera, Somalia) was a German explorer of eastern Africa and the first European to attempt to climb Mount Kiliman ...

(born 1833 in Kotzen, died 1865 in Bardera in Somalia), Explorer in East Africa, especially at the

Kilimanjaro Mount Kilimanjaro () is a dormant volcano in Tanzania. It has three volcanic cones: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira. It is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain above sea level in the world: above sea level and a ...

and at the

Jubba River The Jubba River or Juba River ( so, Wabiga Jubba) is a river in southern Somalia which flows through the autonomous region of Jubaland. It begins at the border with Ethiopia, where the Dawa and Ganale Dorya rivers meet, and flows directly south ...

. * Count Georg von der Decken from Ringelheim (born 1836 in Brunswick, died 1898 in Ringelheim), Member of Reichstag of the Deutsch-Hannoversche Partei. Grandson of Johann Friedrich von der Decken. * John Decker (born 1895 in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...

, died 1947 in Los Angeles), was born with the name Leopold von der Decken or Leopold Avenarius. He was a painter, sculptor and

caricaturist A caricaturist is an artist who specializes in drawing caricatures. List of caricaturists * Abed Abdi (born 1942) * Al Hirschfeld (1903–2003) * Alex Gard (1900–1948) * Alexander Saroukhan (1898–1977) * Alfred Grévin (1827–1892) * Al ...

in London, New York City and Los Angeles. Grandson of Count Georg von der Decken. file:Minister Claus von der Decken 1742-1826 Druck.jpg, (1742–1826), . file:Graf_Johann_Friedrich_von_der_Decken_1769-1840.jpg,

(1769–1840), King's Hanoverian Generalfeldzeugmeister file:Georg Julius Wilhelm Ludwig Graf von der Decken (1787–1859).jpg, Count (1787–1859), King's Hanoverian General of the Cavalry (Germany). file:Claus von der Decken 1782-1839.jpg, Claus von der Decken (1782–1839), Oberhauptmann of Harburg (lawyer) file:Friedrich von der Decken (1802-1881).jpg, (1802–1881), King's Hanoverian state minister. file:Graf Adolphus von der Decken.jpg, Count (1807–1886), Hanoverian diplomat. file:Karl Klaus von der Decken (1833-1865)AfrikaForscher.jpg,

(1833–1865), Explorer of East Africa file:Graf Georg von der Decken 1836-1898.jpg, Count Georg von der Decken (1836–1898), Member of Reichstag. file:Otto von der Decken 1839-1916.jpg, (1839–1916), Member of Reichstag. file:Bundesarchiv Bild 102-12245, August von Mackensen.jpg, On the right-hand side

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on th ...

(1858-1937) with

field marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered as ...

August von Mackensen Anton Ludwig Friedrich August von Mackensen (born Mackensen; 6 December 1849 – 8 November 1945), ennobled as "von Mackensen" in 1899, was a German field marshal. He commanded successfully during World War I of 1914–1918 and became one of ...

, (1849-1945) 1931 in Dresden at a military review of German cavalry file:Friedrich von Hohenau (1857-1914).jpg, Charlotte von der Decken (1863–1933) and her husband Count

Frederick of Hohenau Count Albrecht Friedrich Wilhelm Bernhard of Hohenau (21 May 1857, in the Schloss Albrechtsberg (Dresden), Albrechtsberg Castle, in Dresden – 15 April 1914, in Ochla, Lubusz Voivodeship, Ochelhermsdorf) was a German nobleman. Frederick, also kn ...

, son of Prince Albert of Prussia file:Leopold von der Decken.JPG, Leopold von der Decken (1895–1947) changed his name to John Decker when he left Europe in 1921. He was a notable painter,

set designer Scenic design (also known as scenography, stage design, or set design) is the creation of theatrical, as well as film or television scenery. Scenic designers come from a variety of artistic backgrounds, but in recent years, are mostly train ...

, statuary and

in Hollywood file:George von der Decken.jpg, (1898–1945), German officer.

Bibliography in German language

* Luneberg Mushard, ''Monumenta Nobilitatis Antiqvæ Familiarum Illustrium, Inprimis Ordinis Equestris in Ducatibus Bremensi & Verdensi'', i. e. ''Denckmahl Der Uhralten/ berühmten Hochadelichen Geschlechter/ Insonderheit Der Hochlöblichen Ritterschafft Im Hertzogthum Bremen und Verden'' (Monuments of the ancient and famous noble families, especially of the Knighthood in the Duchy of

Bremen-Verden ), which is a public-law corporation established in 1865 succeeding the estates of the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen (established in 1397), now providing the local fire insurance in the shown area and supporting with its surplusses cultural effor ...

), Bremen: Brauer, 1708, pp. 192–201. * Elias Friedrich Schmersahl
„Nachricht von dem alten ritterbürtigen Geschlechte der Herren von der Decken im Lande Kehdingen“
(a report on the von der Decken family), in: ''Hamburgisches Magazin'', vol. 9 (1752), pp. 619–629. * Wilhelm von der Decken (1807–1866) Secretary of the

Kingdom of Hanover The Kingdom of Hanover (german: Königreich Hannover) was established in October 1814 by the Congress of Vienna, with the restoration of George III to his Hanoverian territories after the Napoleonic era. It succeeded the former Electorate of Ha ...

, ''Die Familie von der Decken in ihren verschiedenen Verhältnissen dargestellt'' (history of the family von der Decken),

: Klindworth's Hof-Druckerei, 1865. * ''Blätter der Familie von der Decken'' (i.e. annual family news), 1919–.... * * '' Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels'', ''Adelslexikon'' volume 56, 1974 and endorsements in volume 144, 2008 * Ernst Heinrich Kneschke, '' Neues allgemeines deutsches Adels-Lexicon'' (encyclopedia on nobility), 1860, p. 433
Article on Decken and Decken-Offen
* Johann Siebmacher, ''

Siebmachers Wappenbuch ''Siebmachers Wappenbuch'' () is a roll of arms first published in 1605 as two heraldic multivolume book series of armorial bearings or coats of arms of the nobility of the Holy Roman Empire, as well as coats of arms of city-states and some ...

'' (Book on coat of arms in Germany, Austria and Switzerland), 1605 in WIKIMEDIA COMMONS: Ritterschaft und Adel in Brauschweig there o
p. 181 "V. DER TECKE" is the misspelled writing of "V. DER DECKEN"
* Brümmel, v. Gruben, v. Marschalck: ''Die Güter der Ritterschaft im Herzogtum Bremen'' (

estates Estate or The Estate may refer to: Law * Estate (law), a term in common law for a person's property, entitlements and obligations * Estates of the realm, a broad social category in the histories of certain countries. ** The Estates, representati ...

in the

Duchy of Bremen ), which is a public-law corporation established in 1865 succeeding the estates of the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen (established in 1397), now providing the local fire insurance in the shown area and supporting with its surplusses cultural effor ...

: Ritterschaft der Herzogtümer Bremen und Verden, 2001

References

Hoyer Urkundenbuch Heft 4 Hoyer Lehne S 9 oben

]

External links

List of Lower Saxonies noble families
* ttp://www.gwlb.de/nis/niedersaechsische_personen Database ''Persons of Lower Saxony''There are 33 members of the family. Search in the database with the Name: Decken.