The Plotho family or von Plotho () is an ancient
German noble family traditionally believed to be of
Wendish origin, particularly associated with the
Prignitz
Prignitz () is a ''Kreis'' (district) in northwestern Brandenburg, in northeastern Germany. Neighboring districts, clockwise from the north, are Ludwigslust-Parchim (in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania), Ostprignitz-Ruppin (Brandenburg), Stendal (dist ...
region in
Brandenburg
Brandenburg, officially the State of Brandenburg, is a States of Germany, state in northeastern Germany. Brandenburg borders Poland and the states of Berlin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony. It is the List of Ger ...
.
History
The family is documented as early as 946 in a writ of
Otto the Great
Otto I (23 November 912 – 7 May 973), known as Otto the Great ( ) or Otto of Saxony ( ), was East Frankish ( German) king from 936 and Holy Roman Emperor from 962 until his death in 973. He was the eldest son of Henry the Fowler and Matilda ...
as already in possession of their ancient seat at Burg Plote in
Altenplathow, Elb-
Havelland in Brandenburg. Its line of recorded continuous descent dates from the 12th century, with Hermann I von Plotho.
The family's extensive possessions, from the 11th and 12th centuries, centred on the old Prignitz region and included
Kyritz,
Wusterhausen and
Genthin, the territory of Schollene, the castle at Plote (Altenplathow), the ''Gaue'' of Lietzici, Zemzizi and Drenzile, and the lordship of . It was also closely associated with the
Bishops of Magdeburg: Hermann I, whose
Romanesque monumental effigy is still to be seen in the
church of Altenplathow was a vassal of the bishops and other members of the family were
canons of
Magdeburg Cathedral
Magdeburg Cathedral (), officially called the Cathedral of Saints Maurice and Catherine (), is a Protestant Church in Germany, Lutheran cathedral in Germany and the oldest Gothic architecture, Gothic cathedral in the country. It is the proto-cat ...
. Its vassals included the
von Blumenthal family, whom it brought from Blumenthal in the diocese of Magdeburg to Blumenthal in the Prignitz.
In the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
, the family ramified throughout Northern Germany and numerous different branches descend from them—among others, the lines of von Plotho zu
Grabow,
Räckendorf,
Codlewe and
Zerben, and of particular note the
Flanders
Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...
branch of von Plotho zu
Ingelmunster—many of which survive today. In 1643, Wolfgang Edler von Plotho was made a
Baron
Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often Hereditary title, hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than ...
of the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
by
Emperor Ferdinand III
Ferdinand III (Ferdinand Ernest; 13 July 1608 – 2 April 1657) was Archduke of Austria, King of Hungary and Croatia from 1625, King of Bohemia from 1627 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1637 to his death.
Ferdinand ascended the throne at the begi ...
for his military services.
In modern times, the family is best known for the fact that Elisabeth von Plotho (1853–1952) was the model for
Effi Briest in Theodore Fontane's novel of that name.
Notable von Plothos
*
Wedigo von Plotho( DE)
*
Carl von Plotho( DE)
*
Ludwig von Plotho( DE)
*
Elisabeth von Plotho( DE)
*
Wilfried von Plotho( DE)
Note: (DE) links point to the German Wikipedia
See also
*
Manfred von Ardenne
Manfred baron von Ardenne (; 20 January 190726 May 1997) was a German researcher, autodidact in applied physics, and an inventor. He took out approximately 600 patents in fields including electron microscopy, medical technology, nuclear techn ...
*
Effi Briest
References
Von Plotho pedigree 12th-16th centuries
Sources
Plotho, Erich-Christoph Freiherr von, 2007. ''Ritter, Domherren und Obristen: Familienchronik der Edlen Herren und Freiherrn von Plotho''. G.A. Starke Verlag: Limburg an der Lahn.
German noble families
History of Brandenburg
{{Germany-noble-stub