Van der Bellen family
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| Van der Bellen | |
|---|---|
| Country | Russian Empire |
| Current region | Germany, Austria |
| Earlier spellings | van der Bellen von der Bellen von-der-Bellen |
| Place of origin | Dutch Republic |
| Founder | Johann Abraham van der Bellen |
| Connected members | Aleksander von der Bellen Alexander Van der Bellen |
Imperial Russia
The Van der Bellen family (also spelled von der Bellen or van der Bellen,
Imperial Russia and the family was recognised as noble by Russian authorities in the early 19th century. After the Russian Revolution, family members fled to Estonia and, following the 1940 Soviet invasion and occupation of Estonia, to Germany, The Netherlands and Austria
.
History
The family is descended from Johann Abraham van der Bellen, who moved to the Russian Empire around 1763. According to Russian official records, he was born in the Netherlands. In 1787, he volunteered for service with the Military Hospital in
Russian-German noblewoman Elisabeth von Römer in Pskov. In the early 19th century the family was recognised as noble in the Russian Empire via Johann Abraham being made a knight of the Order of Saint Vladimir.[citation needed
]
Aleksander von der Bellen, a liberal politician, became head of the Pskov government before the Russian Revolution. After the revolution, he and his sons fled to Estonia. He was the grandfather of the Austrian President and former Green Party leader Alexander Van der Bellen.
During the 19th and early 20th century, the family name was spelled von der Bellen or von-der-Bellen.