House of Plettenberg

The House of Plettenberg is a Westphalian noble family of the Uradel. It dates back at least to 1187, when Heidolphus de Plettenbrath was mentioned in a document by Philip I (Archbishop of Cologne).

The family's first estate was located at Plettenberg. Hunold I. was Marshal of the Duchy of Westphalia which was ruled by the Archbishop of Cologne. His son Heydenricus de Plettenberg was cited as bailiff of the Counts of Arnsberg in 1258 and became himself marshal of Westphalia in 1266. His son John I. was marshal between 1294 and 1312. Heydenricus' brother Gerhard became Drost (Lord High Steward) of Engelbert III of the Mark. He fortified Schwarzenberg Castle at Plettenberg for the House of La Marck's feuds with the archbishops. In 1513 the castle passed into the ownership of the Plettenberg family which still owns the ruin today.

The two branches of the family still extant today are the Schwarzenberg branch (Count von Plettenberg-Heeren, Barons von Plettenberg and Barons von Bodelschwingh-Plettenberg) who are all Lutherans (Evangelical Church in Germany) and the Counts von Plettenberg-Lenhausen (Roman Catholics).

The Schwarzenberg branch was elevated to the rank of Barons of the Holy Roman Empire in 1689. Since 1433 they lived on their estate at Bamenohl. In 1726 they acquired Hilbeck estate near Werl and in 1767 Heeren Castle near Kamen. In 1861 they also inherited Sandfort Castle near Olfen. All of these estates are still today owned and inhabited by the family. In 1913, Wilhelm II, German Emperor, elevated the respective owners of Heeren to the primogenital rank of counts while all other family members remain barons.

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