The founding father of the Wassenaer family was Philip, who lived in the early 13th century and owned lands in
Wassenaar (current-day spelling). He was a vassal of
William I, Count of Holland who took part in the
Third Crusade and the
Fifth Crusade.
Wassenaer branch Philip's son Dirk I founded the branches
van Wassenaer,
van Cranenburch and
van Groenevelt. A seal of Dirk I of 1226 shows a different coat of arms than his later coat of arms, but the crescent may have served as
crest at the time. The
van Wassenaer branch was made
Burgraves of
Leiden by the
Counts of Holland in 1340. In 1544 this branch extinguished.
Duvenvoorde branch Dirk's younger brother Filips received
Duivenvoorde Castle in 1226 and founded the branch
van Duvenvoirde. His son Arend I van Duvenvoorde (†1268) continued the main Van Duvenvoorde branch which in the 17th century resumed the name
van Wassenaer.
Polanen Branch The Polanen branch descended from a younger brother of the Van Duvenvoorde branch. Arend I van Duvenvoorde had a younger brother Jan van Duvenvoirde (noted 1226–1248). He is the founding father of the Van Polanen branch. His son Philips III van Duivenvoorde ( 1248 – after 1301) received the fief of Polanen (near
Monster, South Holland) in 1295. His son Jan I van Polanen ( 1285 – 1342) then named himself
van Polanen. In the early phases of the
Hook and Cod wars, the Van Polanen family, as well as their bastard
Willem van Duvenvoorde led the
Hook faction. The Van Polanen branch played an important role later on. It was through the marriage of
Johanna van Polanen with
Engelbert I of Nassau, that the
House of Nassau first gained territories in the Netherlands, namely
Breda. Much later this fact, among others, led to the
House of Orange-Nassau's rise to the ruling dynasty of the country.
Other branches The Duvenvoirde branch ended with Jacoba Maria van Wassenaar, baroness of Torck (1709–1771) whose descendants in the female line, the barons
Schimmelpenninck van der Oye, still today own Kasteel Duivenvoorde. De burcht leiden 2003.jpg|
Leiden Castle Kasteel Duivenvoorde 015.jpg|
Duivenvoorde Castle File:2010-04-25-breda-by-RalfR-12.jpg|
Breda Castle File:Kasteel Twickel.JPG|Twickel Castle Jacob II van Wassenaer Obdam (1645–1714) married Adriana Sophia von
Raesfeld in 1676, who inherited Twickel Castle near
Delden. The branch
van Wassenaer Opdam was elevated to the rank of (non-ruling)
imperial counts in 1711. This branch extinguished in 1850 with Marie Cornélie van Wassenaer Obdam (1799–1850) who left the castle to her children, barons
van Heeckeren van Kell, who took on the name
van Heeckeren van Wassenaer. Baroness Marie Amélie van Heeckeren van Wassenaer, née countess van Aldenburg
Bentinck (1879–1975), gave the castle to her family foundation in 1953. It is now administrated by the heirs of her grand nephew, count Christian zu
Castell-Rüdenhausen (1952–2010). Jacob van Wassenaer, Lord of Voorschoten, Duivenvoorde and Veur (1649–1707), married Jacoba van Lyere, heiress of
Katwijk, thus founding the branch
van Wassenaer tot Catwijck which is still existing. Furthermore, the castles of Hoekelum and Nederhemert were owned by Wassenaer family members until the late 20th century. At the beginning of the 19th century, all family members were granted the title of baron in the
Kingdom of the Netherlands. ==Famous scions of the House of Wassenaer==