Ketteler

Origin

Ketteler, also Kettler, is the name of a German noble family of Westphalia. Goswin Ketteler zu Assen (c. 1400 – c. 1471) divided the property with his younger brother Röttger around 1440. He built a new house on his part of the ground and called himself since then Kettler Neu Assen. He changed the background of his coats from silver to gold - the so-called golden line. The silver line still spells Ketteler and is called the silver line Ketteler Alt Assen.

Contents

• Origin
• History
• Notable members
• References

History

The Polish branch of the family rose to prominence during the Livonian War when Gotthard Kettler the master of the Teutonic Order created and inherited the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia from the Treaty of Vilnius (1561) as a vassal of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from 1561 to 1569 which later became a vassal of the the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1569 to 1726, incorporated into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth by Sejm in 1726. His family ruled the duchy up to 1737. His family became Polanized and married other members of the Szlachta. The family became increasingly powerful and had a chance of becoming one of the biggest Magnates when Frederick William, Duke of Courland married Empress Anna of Russia. The family hoped that all their descendants would become emperors and that the duchy would become more powerful. Unfortunately, Frederick died soon after the wedding and his dream was crushed. Empress Anna never married again. After Fredrick died his uncle inherited the duchy, and when he died childless the family became extinct. However, some people believe that the German branch still has descendants. When the family became extinct in Poland, Anna's lover Ernst Johann von Biron became the new, Duke. He was succeeded by his son Peter von Biron, but he abdicated under pressurre.During the Partitions of Poland, Catherine the Great succeeded the Biron family and merged the duchy with Russia. The duchy is now part of present day Latvia.

Notable members