Rennenkampff
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The Rennenkampff family is a Baltic-German noble family. It is of
Westphalia Westphalia (; ; ) is a region of northwestern Germany and one of the three historic parts of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It has an area of and 7.9 million inhabitants. The territory of the region is almost identical with the h ...
n origin and originated in
Osnabrück Osnabrück (; ; archaic English: ''Osnaburg'') is a city in Lower Saxony in western Germany. It is situated on the river Hase in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest. With a population of 168 ...
. They hold the title of ''
Edler Edler () was until 1919 the lowest rank of nobility in Austria-Hungary and Germany, just beneath a '' Ritter'' (hereditary knight), but above untitled nobles, who used only the nobiliary particle ''von'' before their surname. It was mostly given t ...
''.


History

The Rennenkampff family was originally called Remmenkamp, the family is of Imperial German nobility. It is of
Westphalia Westphalia (; ; ) is a region of northwestern Germany and one of the three historic parts of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It has an area of and 7.9 million inhabitants. The territory of the region is almost identical with the h ...
n origin and descended from
Osnabrück Osnabrück (; ; archaic English: ''Osnaburg'') is a city in Lower Saxony in western Germany. It is situated on the river Hase in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest. With a population of 168 ...
. The first known member is Johann Remmenkamp who lived in
Münster Münster (; ) is an independent city#Germany, independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a ...
in the 15th century. The first member of the family to appear in the
Baltics The Baltic states or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term encompassing Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone, and the OECD. The three sovereign states on the eastern co ...
was Andreas Remmenkamp, who immigrated to
Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...
in the mid-16th century. His son Jürgen (1575–1602/1612) was enrolled into Imperial nobility, granted untitled noble status with the ''von'' and the surname ''Rennenkampff'' by
Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans (disambiguation), Emperor of the Romans (; ) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period (; ), was the ruler and h ...
Rudolf II Rudolf II (18 July 1552 – 20 January 1612) was Holy Roman Emperor (1576–1612), King of Hungary and Croatia (as Rudolf I, 1572–1608), King of Bohemia (1575–1608/1611) and Archduke of Austria (1576–1608). He was a member of the H ...
in 1602. The Rennenkampffs were made famous by Jürgen's grandson Joachim (1618–1658), who was a jurist working in
Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...
during the 17th century in
Swedish Livonia Swedish Livonia () was a dominion of the Swedish Empire from 1629 until 1721. The territory, which constituted the southern part of modern Estonia (including the island of Ösel ceded by Denmark after the Treaty of Brömsebro) and the northe ...
. With the death of Georg von Rennenkampff (1652–1710) in 1710, the family split into two branches: the senior Palloper headed by Georg's older son Franz (1678–1727), and the junior Helmet headed by his younger son of the same name. In 1728, Georg II von Rennenkampff was a
Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...
district court assessor of Pernau and was granted the title of ''
Edler Edler () was until 1919 the lowest rank of nobility in Austria-Hungary and Germany, just beneath a '' Ritter'' (hereditary knight), but above untitled nobles, who used only the nobiliary particle ''von'' before their surname. It was mostly given t ...
'' by Emperor Charles VI. They were enrolled into the Livonian,
Estonian Estonian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Estonia, a country in the Baltic region in northern Europe * Estonians, people from Estonia, or of Estonian descent * Estonian language * Estonian cuisine * Estonian culture See also

...
and Couronian Knighthoods in 1745, 1752 and 1801. In 1909, Karl Otto Woldemar Magnus and his brother Eduard Ernst von Rennenkampff were enrolled into
Prussian nobility 01 or 01 may refer to: * The year 2001, or any year ending with 01 * The month of January * 1 (number) Music * ''01'' (Richard Müller album), 2001 * ''01'' (Urban Zakapa album), 2011 * ''01011001'', the seventh studio album from Arjen Anthony L ...
by
Emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...
Wilhelm II Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert; 27 January 18594 June 1941) was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia from 1888 until Abdication of Wilhelm II, his abdication in 1918, which marked the end of the German Empire as well as th ...
. During the
Russian Civil War The Russian Civil War () was a multi-party civil war in the former Russian Empire sparked by the 1917 overthrowing of the Russian Provisional Government in the October Revolution, as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. I ...
, almost all of the family members fled back to
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
. The Rennenkampff family had a long history of military service in the
Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
and
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
s, including Paul Andreas and
Karl Friedrich von Rennenkampff Karl may refer to: People * Karl (given name), including a list of people and characters with the name * Karl der Große, commonly known in English as Charlemagne * Karl of Austria, last Austrian Emperor * Karl (footballer) (born 1993), Karl Cac ...
, both served in the
Imperial Russian Army The Imperial Russian Army () was the army of the Russian Empire, active from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was organized into a standing army and a state militia. The standing army consisted of Regular army, regular troops and ...
and fought
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
during the early 19th century. Most famous was the
WWI World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting took place mainly in Europe and th ...
general
Paul von Rennenkampf Paul Georg Edler von Rennenkampf ( rus, Па́вел Ка́рлович Ренненка́мпф, r=Pavel Karlovich Rennenkampf, p=ˈpavʲɪl ˈkarləvʲɪtɕ ˌrʲenʲːɪnˈkampf; – 1 April 1918) was a Baltic German nobleman, statesman an ...
. Many from the family were high-ranking officers and many had received the German award
Pour le Mérite The (; , ), also informally known as the ''Blue Max'' () after German WWI flying ace Max Immelmann, is an order of merit established in 1740 by King Frederick II of Prussia. Separated into two classes, each with their own designs, the was ...
.


Notables

File:Rennenkampfpya.jpeg, Paul Andreas von Rennenkampff File:Andreas von Rennenkampff (15028965348).jpg, Adam Andreas von Rennenkampff File:Woldemar von Rennenkampff (15215170842).jpg, Woldemar Konstantin von Rennenkampff File:Paul Rennenkampff.jpg, Paul Georg von Rennenkampff


Baltic line

The Baltic lines mainly consists of the
Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...
branches of the family: * ''Joachim Rennenkampff'' (1616–1658), jurist, teacher of law in the Riga Academic Gymnasium, since 1645, professor at juris and politic. Later from 1657, a councilor and superintendent in
Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...
responsible for the city's council office and educations. * ''Jakob Gustav von Rennenkampff'' (1716–1791), land counselor to the local Estonian Government and landowner. * ''Johann Dietrich von Rennenkampff'' (1719–1781),
lieutenant-general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank 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 the battlefield, who was normall ...
, participant of the Russo-Turkish War of 1768-1774. * ''Christer Johann von Rennenkampff'' (1777–1864), deputy governor-general of the
Pskov Governorate Pskov Governorate () was an administrative-territorial unit (''guberniya'') of the Russian Empire and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR, which existed in 1772–1777 and 1796–1927. Its seat was located in Opochka b ...
. * ''Gustav Reinhold Georg von Rennenkampff'' (1784–1869), officer in the army of
Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld () was one of the Ernestine duchies, Saxon Duchies held by the Ernestine line of the House of Wettin. Established in 1699, the Saxe-Coburg-Saalfield line lasted until the reshuffle of the Ernestine territories that occurred f ...
, politician and economist, responsible for the abolishment of serfdom in the
Livonian Governorate The Governorate of Livonia, also known as the Livonia Governorate, was a province ('' guberniya'') and one of the Baltic governorates of the Russian Empire, Baltic Governorate-General until 1876. Governorate of Livonia bordered Governorate of ...
. * ''Karl Jakob Alexander von Rennenkampff'' (1783–1854), writer and cavalryman, chamberlain in the Holstein-Oldenburg and adjutant to Augustus of Oldenburg, first director of the State Museum for Nature and Man in
Oldenburg Oldenburg may also refer to: Places * Mount Oldenburg, Ellsworth Land, Antarctica *Oldenburg (city), an independent city in Lower Saxony, Germany **Oldenburg (district), a district historically in Oldenburg Free State and now in Lower Saxony * Ol ...
. * ''
Paul Andreas von Rennenkampff Paul may refer to: People * Paul (given name), a given name, including a list of people * Paul (surname), a list of people * Paul the Apostle, an apostle who wrote many of the books of the New Testament * Ray Hildebrand, half of the singing duo ...
'' (1790–1857), Russian baron,
Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank 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 the battlefield, who was norma ...
, participant of the
Napoleonic Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led a series of mi ...
and
Crimean War The Crimean War was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the Second French Empire, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861), Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont fro ...
s. * ''
Karl Friedrich von Rennenkampff Karl may refer to: People * Karl (given name), including a list of people and characters with the name * Karl der Große, commonly known in English as Charlemagne * Karl of Austria, last Austrian Emperor * Karl (footballer) (born 1993), Karl Cac ...
'' (1788–1848),
Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank 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 the battlefield, who was norma ...
, participant of the
Napoleonic Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led a series of mi ...
and
Crimean War The Crimean War was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the Second French Empire, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861), Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont fro ...
s, vice-director of the Imperial Military Academy from 1843 to 1848. * ''Otto Magnus von Rennenkampff'' (1798/1801-1874), major general, participant of the
Hungarian Revolution of 1848 The Hungarian Revolution of 1848, also known in Hungary as Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence of 1848–1849 () was one of many Revolutions of 1848, European Revolutions of 1848 and was closely linked to other revolutions of 1848 in ...
. * ''Paul Woldemar von Rennenkampff'' (1817–1891),
rear-admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...
. * ''Adam Andreas von Rennenkampff'' (1819–1885),
captain lieutenant Captain lieutenant or captain-lieutenant is a military rank, used in a number of navies worldwide and formerly in the British Army. Northern Europe Denmark, Norway and Finland The same rank is used in the navies of Denmark (), Norway () and Fin ...
. * '' Paul Georg von Rennenkampff'' (1854–1918),
General of the Cavalry General of the Cavalry () was a General officer rank in the cavalry in various states of which the modern states of German and Austria are successors or in other armies which used the German model. Artillery officers of equivalent rank were called ...
, participant of the Russo-Japanese and First World Wars. * ''Gert Gustav August von Rennenkampff'' (1905–1969), clergyman.


Russian line

The Russian lines mainly consisted of the
Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pag ...
converted branches, mainly because many worked in mainland Russia and many converted to Orthodoxy due to marriages with Russian women as there were very few German women in mainland Russia: * ''Konstantin Karlovich Rennenkampf'' (1826–1896), lawyer, senator, member of the
State Council State Council may refer to: Government * State Council of the People's Republic of China, the national cabinet and chief administrative authority of China, headed by the Premier * State Council of the Republic of Korea, the national cabinet of S ...
and
Active Privy Councillor Active Privy Councillor (, deystvitelnyi taynyi sovetnik) was the civil rank (ru: чин / chin) in the Russian Empire, according to the Table of Ranks introduced by Peter the Great in 1722. That was a civil rank of the 2nd class and equal to those ...
. * ''Dmitri Konstantinovich Rennenkampf'' (1864–1917), son of the latter, councilor and chamberlain * ''Nikolai Karlovich Rennenkampf'' (1832–1899), jurist, scientist, professor and rector of the St. Vladimir Royal University of Kiev from 1883 to 1887, mayor of
Kiev Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...
from 1875 to 1879. * ''Vladimir Nikolayevich Rennenkampf'' (1862–1926), son of the latter, professor of law in the
Imperial Novorossiya University The Odesa I.I.Mechnykov National University (), often referred to as Odesa National University ( ONU, ), located in Odesa, Ukraine, is one of that country's major state-sponsored universities, named after the scientist Élie Metchnikoff (1845- ...
and professor in the
Sofia University Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" () is a public university, public research university in Sofia, Bulgaria. It is the oldest institution of higher education in Bulgaria. Founded on 1 October 1888, the edifice of the university was constr ...
after immigrated to
Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
after the
Russian Civil War The Russian Civil War () was a multi-party civil war in the former Russian Empire sparked by the 1917 overthrowing of the Russian Provisional Government in the October Revolution, as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. I ...
.


Properties

File:Porkuni mõisa peahoone2.jpg, The Borckholm Manor, 2012. File:Tuudi mõisa peahoone*.jpg, The Tuttomäggi Manor, 2015. File:Helme mõisahoone.jpg, The Helmet Manor, c. late-19th to early-20th century. The Rennenkampffs were huge landowners. In the 18th century, they possessed about 20 estates with a total 94,000 hectares, the largest being the Alt-Kalzenau Manor, which covered a total of 15,000 hectares. In the 19th century at their peak, the Rennenkampffs possessed 33 estates with the total of 97,000 hectares, the Borckholm Manor being the largest covered about 12,000 hectares. In the early 20th century, the Rennenkampffs’ possessions and amount of land dramatically dropped. By the time of the Estonian Land Reform in 1919, they only possessed 44,000 hectares of land prior to being confiscated.


In Estonia

* Kono Manor ( Koonu) * Kosch Manor ( Päärdu) * Finn Manor (
Vinni Øyvind Sauvik (born 3 February 1976), better known by his stage name Vinni, is a Norwegian rapper and singer. Biography Born in Arendal, Norway, Sauvik moved with his parents to Tanzania when he was three years old, as they worked with develo ...
) * Selgs Manor ( Selja) * Konofer Manor ( Konuvere) * Pantifer Manor ( Pandivere) * Borckholm Manor (
Porkuni Porkuni () is a village in Tapa Parish, Lääne-Viru County, in northern Estonia. The settlement is located around the Lake Porkuni, which is the source of the Valgejõgi River. In 1944, the Battle of Porkuni was fought in the area. Porkuni cas ...
) * Tammik Manor ( Tammiku) * Wack Manor ( Vao) * Wesenberg Manor (
Rakvere Rakvere is the administrative center, or county seat, of Lääne-Viru County in northern Estonia, about 100 km southeast of Tallinn and 20 km south of the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea. Rakvere boasts a distinctive architectural feature: th ...
) * Jerwajöggi Manor (
Järvajõe Järvajõe is a village in Tapa Parish, Lääne-Viru County, in northeastern Estonia. It lies on the left bank of the Valgejõgi Valgejõgi (lit. ''White River'') is a river in Northern Estonia. Its source is in Lake Porkuni in Pandivere (Lä ...
) * Tuttomäggi Manor ( Tuudi) * Sastama Manor ( Saastna) * Layküll Manor (
Laiküla Laiküla () is a village in Lääne-Nigula Parish, Lääne County, in western Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the ...
) * Fersenau Manor ( Mõraste) * Paenküll Manor (
Paeküla Paeküla is a village in Märjamaa Parish, Rapla County in western Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the ...
) * Raeküll Manor ( Raeküla) * Moisama Manor ( Mõisamaa) * Groß-Ruhde Manor ( Suure-Rõude)


In Livonia

* Helmet Manor (
Helme Helme may refer to: * G.W. Helme Snuff Mill Historic District, historic district in Helmetta, New Jersey * Helme (river), a river in central Germany * Helme Parish, a rural municipality in Valga County, Estonia * Helme, Estonia, a small borough ( ...
) * Palloper Manor ( Palupera) * Duckershof Manor ( Kammeri) * Fölck Manor ( Laatre) * Loeweküll Manor ( Leevi) * Neu- and Alt-Pigast Manors (
Soodla Soodla is a village in Anija Parish, Harju County, Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea acr ...
and Piigaste) * Karstemois Manor with side manor Bellevue (
Karst Karst () is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble carbonate rocks such as limestone and Dolomite (rock), dolomite. It is characterized by features like poljes above and drainage systems with sinkholes and caves underground. Ther ...
and Mügra) * Kokenberg Manor ( et: Brenti and lv: Brentu) * Neu-Kasthof Manor ( Vastse-Kuuste) * Warbus Manor ( Varbuse) * Jexi Manor with side manor Pallawa ( Jõksi) * Heiligensee Manor (
Pühajärve Pühajärve () is a village in Otepää Parish, Valga County in southern Estonia. It has a population of 182 (as of 7 February 2008). File:Pühajärve mõisa peahoone 2013.jpg, Main building of Pühajärve Manor File:Pühajärv lake 2008.jpg, L ...
) * Kiddijerw Manor ( Kiidjärve) * Walguta Manor (
Valguta Valguta is a village in Elva Parish, Tartu County in southern Estonia. It has a population of 170 (as of 2006). Poet and writer Ernst Enno Ernst Enno ( – 7 March 1934) was an Estonian poet and writer.Aleksis Rubulis, ''Baltic Literature: a S ...
) * Alt- and Neu-Kalzenau Manors ( et and lv: ) * Groß- and Neu-Kamby Manors with side manor Maydellshof (
Kambja Kambja () is a small borough () in Tartu County, Estonia. It is the administrative centre of Kambja Parish. Earlier there was located Vastse-Kambja manor (''Neu-Kamby''). St. Martin's Church Kambja Church burned down several times, but was a ...
and Maidla) * Uelzen Manor ( Vaabina) * Felix Manor ( Veelikse) * Waimastfer Manor with side manor Tirmast ( Vaimastvere and Tirma) * Moisaküll Manor (
Mõisaküla Mõisaküla (; ) is a town in southern Estonia, part of Mulgi Parish of Viljandi County, just next to the border of Latvia. The town has 32 streets, with the total length of 15,5 km. There are 401 dwellings in Mõisaküla, consisting mainly ...
) * Kürbelshof Manor ( et: Kürble and et: )


Ösel

* Laimjall Manor ( Laimjala) * Jöör Manor (
Jööri Jööri () is a village in Saaremaa Parish, Saare County, Estonia, on the island of Saaremaa Saaremaa (; ) is the largest and most populous island in Estonia. Measuring , its population is 31,435 (as of January 2020). The main island of the ...
)


Coat of arms

The coat of arms of the Edle Rennenkampff family of 1728 according to the ''Genealogical Handbook of the Baltic Knighthoods, Part Estonia'' by Baron Otto Magnus von Stackelberg:


Notes


References


Sources

* * * * * *


External links


Estonian Manors Portal

Estonian Historical Archives Fund: Manors

{{Authority control Baltic-German noble families