Ripperda
Encyclopedia
Origins
The origins of the name are not completely clear but the family seems to originate from East FrisiaEast Frisia
East Frisia or Eastern Friesland is a coastal region in the northwest of the German federal state of Lower Saxony....
, settling in the north-eastern part of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
(de Ommelanden), the current province of Groningen
Groningen (province)
Groningen [] is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea...
, in the 14th century. The name Ripperda is probably derived from the man’s name Rippert (Rupert). This was not uncommon among Frisian families.
Barons
In 1474, Frederick III, Holy Roman EmperorFrederick III, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick the Peaceful KG was Duke of Austria as Frederick V from 1424, the successor of Albert II as German King as Frederick IV from 1440, and Holy Roman Emperor as Frederick III from 1452...
conferred upon Unico II Ripperda and all his descendants the title of baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
with Imperial immediacy (“Reichsunmittelbarer Häuptling und Freiherr”) and the right to issue coins ("muntrecht"). On 3 September 1676, Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
| style="float:right;" | Leopold I was a Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary and King of Bohemia. A member of the Habsburg family, he was the second son of Emperor Ferdinand III and his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain. His maternal grandparents were Philip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria...
recognised this nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
diploma and confirmed the title of baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
("Reichsfreiherr") for all members of the house of Ripperda.
From the 11th century, members of this family had ruled as local chiefs in the provinces of Groningen and East Frisia
East Frisia
East Frisia or Eastern Friesland is a coastal region in the northwest of the German federal state of Lower Saxony....
. Later, they also belonged to the local nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
of Drenthe
Drenthe
Drenthe is a province of the Netherlands, located in the north-east of the country. The capital city is Assen. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and Germany to the east.-History:Drenthe, unlike many other parts of the Netherlands, has been a...
, Overijssel
Overijssel
Overijssel is a province of the Netherlands in the central eastern part of the country. The region has a NUTS classification of NL21. The province's name means "Lands across river IJssel". The capital city of Overijssel is Zwolle and the largest city is Enschede...
, Zutphen, Münster
Münster
Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
and Minden
Minden
Minden is a town of about 83,000 inhabitants in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The town extends along both sides of the river Weser. It is the capital of the Kreis of Minden-Lübbecke, which is part of the region of Detmold. Minden is the historic political centre of the...
, among others. Their influence and wealth continued to increase throughout The Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and Westphalia
Westphalia
Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...
with the help of advantageous marriages and alliances. At their zenith, in the 17th and 18th centuries, the Ripperdas were among the most powerful and wealthiest nobles in the region. As such, they are closely related to a number of other prominent noble families.
Ripperdas today
The Dutch branches of Ripperda-FarmsumFarmsum
Farmsum is a town in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is a part of the municipality of Delfzijl.The statistical area "Farmsum", which may include the surrounding countryside, has a population of around 2,510.-References:...
, -Oosterwijtwerd, -Winsum
Winsum
Winsum is a municipality and a town in the northeastern Netherlands.The town of Winsum was officially established in 1057 as the fusion of three historic villages: Obergum , Winsum and Bellingeweer...
, -Vorden
Vorden
Vorden is a former municipality and a town in the eastern Netherlands, about 10 kilometres south-east of Zutphen. On 1 January 2005 the municipality merged with Hummelo en Keppel, Steenderen, Hengelo en Zelhem, to form the new municipality Bronckhorst....
and -Weldam had all died out by the early 19th century. The Dutch-German branch of Ripperda-Petkum died out in 1739; the Dutch-Austrian branch of Ripperda-Boxbergen in 1920; and the German branch of Ripperda-Ellerburg shortly after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Today, only a handful of Danish Ripperda-Ellerburgs (a.k.a. "de Ripperda"), and the Dutch-German cadet branch
Cadet branch
Cadet branch is a term in genealogy to describe the lineage of the descendants of the younger sons of a monarch or patriarch. In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets – titles, realms, fiefs, property and income – have...
, Cosijn von Ripperda, survive.
In addition, numerous descendants of an illegitimate branch exist in Lingen
Lingen
Lingen is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. In 2008 the population was 52,353, and in addition there are about 5,000 people who have registered the city as their secondary residence...
(Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
) and the USA.
Famous scions
- John William, Baron RipperdaJohn William, Baron RipperdaJohn William, Baron Ripperda , and afterwards duke of Ripperda, lord of Jensema, Poelgeest and Koudekerk , was a political adventurer and Spanish Prime Minister.- Origins :...
. - Wigbolt RipperdaWigbolt RipperdaWigbolt, Baron Ripperda was the city governor of Haarlem when the city was under siege by the Spanish army in the Eighty Years' War.-Biography:...
. - Juan María Vicencio de RipperdáJuan María Vicencio de RipperdáJuan María Vicencio, Baron de Ripperdá was the Spanish governor of Texas and Honduras.-Early life:He was born ca 1724,the son of Dutch political adventurer John William, Baron Ripperda and Francisca de Xarava del Castillo. His father became Duke of Ripperda and Prime Minister of Spain but was...
. - Willem RipperdaWillem RipperdaWillem, Baron Ripperda, Lord of Hengelo, Boekelo, Boxbergen, Rijsenburg and Solmsburg , Ambassador at the peace conferences of Osnabrück and Münster which ended both the Thirty Years' War in Germany and the Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Netherlands.Willem was the son of Baron Unico...
.
Sources
- “Genealogie van het Geslacht Ripperda” by mr. C.P.L. Rutgers (1902).
- “Genealogie über 16 Generationen des Reichsfreiherrlichen Geschlechtes von Ripperda” by Udo Reichsfreiherr von Ripperda (Köningsberg, 1934).
- “Huisarchief van Farnsum” in the archives of the Hoge Raad van Adel (High Council for Nobility), The Hague.
- “Johan Willem Ripperda – De man die geen koning werd van Corsica”, by Sytze van der Veen (2007).
- Cosijn von Ripperda family-archive.
- "Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels - Freiherrliche Häuser".
- "Almanach de Gotha".