Van Wassenaer
Van Wassenaer | |
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Noble family | |
The Van Wassenaer family is the name of an old Dutch noble family. It was first mentioned in the County of Holland on 3 November 1200. They are one of the few original noble families from Holland that has survived to this day. Members of the family carry the title of count or baron.
Origin of the name
The family was already noble from earliest times ("
History of the family
The founding father of the Wassenaer family was Philip, who lived in the early 13th century and owned lands in Wassenaar (current-day spelling). He was a vassal of William I, Count of Holland who took part in the Third Crusade and the Fifth Crusade.
Wassenaer branch
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/Zegel_met_wapen_Dirk_I_van_Wassenaer_1226.jpg/170px-Zegel_met_wapen_Dirk_I_van_Wassenaer_1226.jpg)
Philip's son Dirk I founded the branches van Wassenaer, van Cranenburch and van Groenevelt. A seal of Dirk I of 1226 shows a different coat of arms than his later coat of arms, but the crescent may have served as
Duvenvoorde branch
Dirk's younger brother Filips received Duivenvoorde Castle in 1226 and founded the branch van Duvenvoirde. His son Arend I van Duvenvoorde (†1268) continued the main Van Duvenvoorde branch which in the 17th century resumed the name van Wassenaer.
Polanen Branch
The Polanen branch descended from a younger brother of the Van Duvenvoorde branch. Arend I van Duvenvoorde had a younger brother Jan van Duvenvoirde (noted 1226–1248). He is the founding father of the Van Polanen branch. His son Philips III van Duivenvoorde (c. 1248 – after 1301) received the fief of Polanen (near Monster, South Holland) in 1295. His son Jan I van Polanen (c. 1285 – 1342) then named himself van Polanen. In the early phases of the Hook and Cod wars, the Van Polanen family, as well as their bastard Willem van Duvenvoorde led the Hook faction.
The Van Polanen branch played an important role later on. It was through the marriage of Johanna van Polanen with Engelbert I of Nassau, that the House of Nassau first gained territories in the Netherlands, namely Breda. Much later this fact, among others, led to the House of Orange-Nassau's rise to the ruling dynasty of the country.
Other branches
The Duvenvoirde branch ended with Jacoba Maria van Wassenaar, baroness of Torck (1709–1771) whose descendants in the female line, the barons
Jacob II van Wassenaer Obdam (1645–1714) married Adriana Sophia von
Jacob van Wassenaer, Lord of Voorschoten, Duivenvoorde and Veur (1649–1707), married Jacoba van Lyere, heiress of Katwijk, thus founding the branch van Wassenaer tot Catwijck which is still existing. Furthermore, the castles of Hoekelum and Nederhemert were owned by Wassenaer family members until the late 20th century.
At the beginning of the 19th century, all family members were granted the title of baron in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Famous scions of the House of Wassenaer
- Filips IV van Wassenaer , the 15th century Hook-favouring mayor of Leiden and viscount of Leiden.
- Jan II van Wassenaer (1483-1523), in the service of the Habsburgs, Order of the Golden Fleece and last viscount of Leiden.
- Jacob van Wassenaer Obdam, the 17th century admiral.
- Unico Wilhelm van Wassenaer, the 18th century diplomat and composer.
Gallery
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Unico Wilhelm van Wassenaer-Obdam as painted by George de Marees
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Wassenaer coat of arms
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Coat of arms of the van Duvenvoorde family (or van Duvoorde)
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Coat of arms of Willem van Duvenvoorde (or van Duvoorde)
See also
Literature
- J.C. Kort and R.C. Hol: Wassenaer, de oudste: Het archief van de familie Van Wassenaer van Duvenvoorde in Hollands archiefperspectief. Inventaris van het archief van de familie Van Wassenaer van Duvenvoorde, 1266–1996, Verloren b.v., Hilversum, 2002.
- Nederland's Adelsboek 97 (2012), p. 131-188.