Schlieffen

Schlieffen (or Schliefen) is the name of an old German noble family from Pomerania. The family, branches of which still exist today, originates in Kolberg.

The family is first mentioned in records in 1365 with Henning Sleff, who died around 1376, a citizen of Kolberg. He is also the originator of the familial line.

Petrus Schleve also belonged to the family, who appears around 1200 as a Burgmann (or castellan). Another member, Gerhard, appears in 1248 as a witness. Furthermore, one Petrus Schleve was a city councillor in 1303 and 1321 in Kolberg.

The family divided early into two branches. The founders were Hans and Nicolas, the sons of Hans Schleve the Elder. Hans Schlief the Younger was the father of the senior, Dresow branch, as well as the Dresow offshoots and the Sulechowo branch. Nicolas was the ancestor of the younger branch, and the Danzig branch.

The Dresow offshoot died out in 1686 with the death of Anton Wilhelm von Schlieffen. The Danzig branch died out in the early 18th century. The elder Dresow branch had in 1784 only one male descendant, Johann Friedrich Wilhelm von Schlieffen (b. 1753), a Prussian lieutenant. From the Soldekow branch, at the end of the 18th century only Johann Adolf Heinrich von Schlieffen (b. 1769) was alive.

Hans von Schlieffen the Younger left his post as councillor to King Christopher III of Denmark, Norway and Sweden and on 11 July 1444 received a Danish grant of arms at Kalmar, after he had taken the office of mayor of Kolberg. Limbrecht (or Lambertus) of the Soldekow branch, abbot of the monastery of Oliva near Danzig, and his brothers Wickbold, George and Jacob received from King Sigismund II Augustus of Poland on 19 July 1555 the Polish noble indygenat and additions to their coat of arms, at the Imperial Diet in Petrikau.

Martin Ernst von Schlieffen (born 1732) became Minister of State, commander of an infantry regiment, governor of Wesel, Knight of the Order of the Black Eagle, and Commander of the Order of the Golden Lion. He died on 15 September 1825 as a Prussian Lieutenant General.

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