Origins at Wolfenbüttel, Peine and Asseburg The family was originally named
von Wolfenbüttel, and its first member,
Widekind of Wolfenbüttel, is recorded between 1089 and 1118. As
ministerialis to
Egbert II, Margrave of Meissen, count of Brunswick, he held an influential position and was able to support the margrave in the
Saxon rebellion against Emperor
Henry IV. Widekind had a
water castle erected,
Schloss Wolfenbüttel, first recorded in 1074 as a fort on the river
Oker. In the Oker marshes there was already a small settlement known as
Wulferisbuttle, sited on the important trade route between the
Rhine and
Elbe, from Brunswick to
Halberstadt and
Leipzig, also connecting the bishoprics of
Halberstadt and
Hildesheim, and used by both merchants and pilgrim monks. In 1191 however, the castle was destroyed by duke
Henry the Lion of Saxony, the head of the
House of Welf and brother-in-law of King
Richard Lionheart. It was then rebuilt by the Wolfenbüttel lords.
Gunzelin of Wolfenbüttel (1187–1255), a great-grandson of Widekind, was an imperial
seneschal and army commander to two successive German emperors,
Otto IV of the House of Welf, son of Henry the Lion, and
Frederick II of the House of
Hohenstaufen. In 1202, he conquered and seized
Peine Castle from the
bishops of Hildesheim and founded the city of Peine, styling himself
count of Peine. As his inherited estates around
Wolfenbüttel were located near the Welf territories around
Brunswick, he built
Asseburg Castle, south of Wolfenbüttel, in 1218, in order to gain security. When he refused to swear allegiance to Duke
Albert I of Brunswick-Lüneburg in 1255, the latter destroyed Wolfenbüttel Castle once again. The
House of Welf then took over Wolfenbüttel. Wolfenbüttel Castle was only reconstructed from 1283 onwards, by
Henry I of Brunswick, to become one of the favorite residences of the Brunswick dukes. Gunzelin's eldest son,
Burchardus de Asseburc (
Burchard or
Busso of Asseburg), first mentioned in 1219, was the first family member to name himself after the new seat. But as early as 1258, Asseburg Castle also had to be relinquished to Duke Albert I, however only after Burchard had been able to withstand a
siege during three years. Burchard was then allowed to retreat himself to Westphalia with his knights and received a compensation of 400 gold mark for the castle. After Gunzelin's death in 1260, his sons lost the county of Peine to the bishop of Hildesheim. Other noble families who all carry similar coats of arms (with a wolf) and spread in the same wider area, are also believed to descend from the lords of Wolfenbüttel, counts of Peine, such as the von
Bartensleben, von Berwinkel, von
Apenburg and von
Winterfeld.
Later history From the mid 13th century on, two branches of the Asseburg family emerged: an elder
Eastphalian-
Thuringian branch and a younger
Westphalian branch. The former had its initial seat at
Moringen Castle, later also at Ampfurth near
Oschersleben. In 1437,
Falkenstein Castle in the
Lower Harz was acquired as an
enfeoffment of the
bishops of Halberstadt. In 1509,
Wallhausen was also acquired, initially as an enfeoffment of the
County of Mansfeld, later of the
Electorate of Saxony.
Meisdorf House near Falkenstein later became the permanent residence of the branch, while Falkenstein Castle was used for hunting parties. The Westphalian branch inherited Hinnenburg Castle near
Brakel from the lords of Brakel in the late 13th century. They bore the title
Baron (
Freiherr) under
customary law. The medieval castle was reconstructed around 1600 in the
Weser Renaissance style. This younger (catholic) branch died out in the 16th century with its property inherited by the elder (Protestant) branch. During the 17th century, a new Westphalian line emerged from it, becoming catholic again, of which
William Anton of Asseburg (1707–1782) was the most notable member. Between 1763 and 1782 he ruled as
Prince-Bishop of Paderborn. Shortly later, this new Westphalian line died out, too. The name was perpetuated, however, by the marriage in 1793 of its heiress to a Lord of Bocholtz (originally from Bocholt near
Lobberich) who, in 1803, was created
count of Bocholtz-Asseburg. The Eastphalian-Thuringian (Lutheran) branch of Ampfurth-Falkenstein was granted the
primogeniture title
count of Asseburg-Falkenstein in 1840. Its last male offspring, Friedrich (1861–1940), left his estate to his eldest daughter, Oda (1888–1928), who married count Leonhard von Rothkirch-Trach of an old Silesian family. Their son Lothar (1914–1984) took on the name
count von der Asseburg-Falkenstein-Rothkirch. In 1945 Falkenstein Castle, Wallhausen Castle and Meisdorf House were seized and expropriated in the
Soviet occupation zone. Lothar's son Friedrich (1952–2013) however was adopted in 1959 by the last count of Bocholtz-Asseburg, Busso (1909–1985). He became catholic and inherited Hinnenburg Castle (among others) and the vast forest property of the Westphalian line. He was succeeded by his only son Louis, count von der Asseburg-Rothkirch (b. 2003). Schloss Wallhausen5.jpg|
Wallhausen Castle Meisdorf-Sammlung Duncker (5366056).jpg|
Meisdorf House == Coat of arms ==