| Keyserlingk | |
|---|---|
| Noble family | |
 The Keyserlingk coat of arms | |
| Current region | Northern Europe (Baltic countries) |
| Place of origin | Germany |
The House of Keyserlingk (Keyserling) is the name of an old and influential German noble family from Westphalia, whose members held significant positions in Prussia, Saxony, Baltic and Russia.
It was first mentioned with Hermann Keselinch on 16 November 1300. The direct line began with Albert Keserlink (mentioned 1443–1467), mayor at Herford. In 1492 his son Hermann von Keyserlingk fought in Livland for the Teutonic Order. For this Wolter von Plettenberg gave him fiefs in Courland. In Prussia, the Russian Empire and the Electorate of Saxony his descendants worked for the state and in the 18th century four of them gained the title of Graf. From this 4 Graf-lines 2 still exist. It was Count Carl Keyserlingk who was responsible for inviting Rudolf Steiner to his estate in Koberwitz (Kobierzyce) in 1924 to present the Agriculture Course which led to the founding of the biodynamic agriculture. [1] There is also a Freiherr-line. There are a number of interesting articles on Keyserling(k) as well as an extensive bibliography on the family website.
Count Hermann Carl von Keyserlingk (1696–1764), a Russian ambassador to Saxony, helped Johann Sebastian Bach get the title Court composer to the King of Poland and the Elector of Saxony, received from Elector Frederick Augustus II in 1736. [2]
After 1945 all property in the Baltics and East Prussia had to be abandoned. Since then around 1700 descendants scattered all over the world, mainly in Germany, the United States, Canada and Australia.
The House of Hohenzollern is a formerly royal German dynasty whose members were variously princes, electors, kings and emperors of Hohenzollern, Brandenburg, Prussia, the German Empire, and Romania. The family came from the area around the town of Hechingen in Swabia during the late 11th century and took their name from Hohenzollern Castle. The first ancestors of the Hohenzollerns were mentioned in 1061.
Karl August Fürst von Hardenberg was a Prussian statesman and Chief Minister of Prussia. While during his late career he acquiesced to reactionary policies, earlier in his career he implemented a variety of Liberal reforms. To him and Baron vom Stein, Prussia was indebted for improvements in its army system, the abolition of serfdom and feudal burdens, the throwing open of the civil service to all classes, and the complete reform of the educational system.
The Junkers were members of the landed nobility in Prussia. They owned great estates that were maintained and worked by peasants with few rights. These estates often lay in the countryside outside of major cities or towns. They were an important factor in Prussia and, after 1871, in German military, political and diplomatic leadership. The most famous Junker was Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. Bismarck held power in Germany from 1871 to 1890 as Chancellor of the German Empire. He was removed from power by Kaiser Wilhelm II.
Freiherr, Freifrau and Freiin are designations used as titles of nobility in the German-speaking areas of the Holy Roman Empire and in its various successor states, including Austria, Prussia, Bavaria, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, etc. Traditionally, it denotes the titled rank within the nobility above Ritter (knight) and Edler and below Graf. The title superseded the earlier medieval form, Edelherr.
Alexander Friedrich Michael Lebrecht Nikolaus Arthur Graf von Keyserling was a Baltic German geologist and paleontologist from the Keyserlingk family of Baltic German nobility.
Johann Heinrich Eduard Nicolaus Graf von Keyserling was a Baltic German fiction writer and dramatist, an exponent of literary impressionism and associated with the historic region of Courland.
The German nobility 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 beginning of the 20th century. Historically, German entities that recognized or conferred nobility included the Holy Roman Empire (962–1806), the German Confederation (1814–1866) and the German Empire (1871–1918). Chancellor Otto von Bismarck in the German Empire had a policy of expanding his political base by ennobling rich businessmen who had no noble ancestors. The nobility flourished during the dramatic industrialization and urbanization of Germany after 1850. Landowners modernized their estates, and oriented their business to an international market. Many younger sons were positioned in the rapidly growing national and regional bureaucracies, as well as in the military. They acquired not only the technical skills but the necessary education in high prestige German universities that facilitated their success. Many became political leaders of new reform organizations such as agrarian leagues, and pressure groups. Catholic nobility played a major role in the new Centre party, while Protestant nobles were especially active in the Conservative party.
Hermann Alexander Graf von Keyserling was a Baltic German philosopher from the Keyserlingk family. His grandfather, Alexander von Keyserling, was a notable geologist of Imperial Russia.
Baltic German nobility was a privileged social class in the territories of today's Estonia and Latvia. It existed continuously since the Northern Crusades and the medieval foundation of Terra Mariana. Most of the nobility were Baltic Germans, but with the changing political landscape over the centuries, Polish, Swedish and Russian families also became part of the nobility, just as Baltic German families re-settled in locations such as the Swedish and Russian Empires. The nobility of Lithuania is for historical, social and ethnic reasons separated from the German-dominated nobility of Estonia and Latvia.
Prince of Bismarck is a title of the German nobility. The German word Fürst historically denotes a sovereign ruler, and is a higher title than Prinz; however both titles are conventionally rendered as Prince in English. The Prince of Bismarck holds the style of Serene Highness.
The House of Bismarck is a German noble family that rose to prominence in the 19th century, largely through the achievements of the statesman Otto von Bismarck. He was granted a hereditary comital title in 1865, the hereditary title of Prince of Bismarck in 1871, and the non-hereditary title of Duke of Lauenburg in 1890. Several of Otto von Bismarck's descendants, notably his elder son Herbert, Prince of Bismarck, have also been politicians.
Keyserling is the surname of several members of the noble House of Keyserlingk:
Kobierzyce is a village in Wrocław County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district (gmina) called Gmina Kobierzyce. It lies approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) south-west of the regional capital Wrocław.
Gaussig House is a manor house in Palladian style located in the district Bautzen in the German state of Saxony approximately 6 km southwest from the Upper Lusatian central city Bautzen. Extending over some 75 acres (300,000 m2), nestled in beautiful natural surroundings and bordered by the Grosse Picho hill to the south, lies one of Upper Lusatia’s largest landscape parks. Gaussig House, the orangery, the church and vicarage, and the estate form the centre of Gaussig village.
The House of Henckel von Donnersmarck is an old Austro-German noble family that originated in the former region of Spiš in Upper Hungary, now in Slovakia. The founder of the family was Henckel de Quintoforo in the 14/15th century. The original seat of the family was in Donnersmarck.
Count Hermann Karl von Keyserling (1697–1764) was a Russian diplomat from the Keyserlingk family of Baltic German nobility based in the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia.
The Military Karl-Friedrich Merit Order was a military order of merit of the Grand Duchy of Baden. Established 5 October 1805 by Charles Frederick, Elector and later Grand Duke of Baden, the order recognized outstanding military merit amongst military officers. In 1807, medals associated with the order were added as the highest awards for bravery for non-commissioned and enlisted soldiers.
Brühl is the name of an old German noble family from Saxony-Thuringia, with their ancestral seat in Gangloffsömmern in Thuringia. Branches of the family still exist today.
H.H. Keyserling (1866–1944), also known as Count Henry Hugo Keyserling or The Whaler, was part of the noble Baltic German Keyserlingk family dating back to the 12th century. His complete name was Heinrich Jeannot Otto Hugo Eugen von Keyserlingk.
Pontus Alexander Ludwig Graf Brevern-de la Gardie was a Swedish count, Baltic German nobleman, military officer and statesman of German, French and Swedish descent, in the service of the Imperial Russian Army who commanded the Kharkov and Moscow Military District form 1865 to 1869 and 1879 to 1888 simultaneously. He was also the chief of staff of the Petersburg Military District from 1862 to 1865.
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