family chronicle

Family Chronicle

Our family’s cradle in the Altmark

In the Altmark, the Arnim family has its first occurrence in history.

Ernst Devrient elaborates on this in his chapter “The beginnings” * 1) of the Arnim family history:

“Not far from Stendal in the city’s forest which stretches east towards the Elbe, lies the village Arnim. Its romanesque church dates from the same period in which Stendal and its Dome had been built. The church of the Arnim village was of certain significance to surrounding villages in the Middle Ages, such as Neuwinkel, which had been allocated to the Arnim parish, just until it became part of Stendal in the year 1319. Until the reformation, an annual procession took place, leading to the location in Neuwinkel where once the church stood but had been replaced by a cross. The procession carried the image of the holy Notburga, which had found a refuge in Arnim.

Stendal in the Altmark,

Town square with mayor’s hall, with the Marien church in the back

Village church in Arnim near Stendal

The villages Arnim and Neuwinkel belonged to the bailiwick (Vogtei) Arneburg. The castle Arneburg, situated in the north eastern part of Stendal forest and guarding the Elbe crossing point, was - in Askanian times - one of the most important border points. After this castle the youngest son of Albrecht the Bear named himself “Count of Arneburg” (...).” *2)

The first Arnim to be verified by official documents is Alardus de Arnem. He was castleman (person of relatively lower noble status appointed to defend and protect the castle) of castle Arneburg and his name is mentioned in the year 1204 when he, besides others, testified that Albrecht Count of Arneburg abstains from all his rights he originally had on the village Polkritz, for the benefit of the Abbey Ilsenburg. *3)

Arneburg, view from the former castle hill onto the city and the river Elbe

It is regarded not without doubt whether the dynasty’s family house actually stood in the village Arnim, as any freehold rights of the Arnim family could not be verified for that particular village. But, as the subsequent mention in official documents was also referring to the Arneburg’s castleman Alardus de Arnem 25 years later, it can be concluded that the knightly family von Arnim had been residing in the area around Stendal for a certain period of time and the family’s name possibly had its seeds in the village Arnim. A family von Arnym is known to have lived in Stendal in the second half of the 15th century, yet they were probably not of knightly status.

*1) Werner Konstantin von Arnswaldt: The dynasty von Arnim, Part II., 1. Book, Foreword, published by the family, 1923.

*2) Dr. Ernst Devrient: The dynasty von Arnim, Part II., 1. Book, page 2, published by the family 1923.

*3) Certificate from 1204, taken from: Family chronicle “Das Geschlecht von Arnim, IV. Teil, Chronik der Familie im neunzehnten und zwanzigsten Jahrhundert”, published by the Board of the von Arnim family association, Publishing house Degener & Co., Neustadt/Aisch, 2002, page 42.

*4) Dr. Ernst Devrient: The dynasty von Arnim, Part II., 1. Book, page 4, published by the family 1923.

*5) Excerpt from: Family chronicle “Das Geschlecht von Arnim, IV. Teil, Chronik der Familie im neunzehnten und zwanzigsten Jahrhundert”, published by the Board of the von Arnim family association, Publishing house Degener & Co., Neustadt/Aisch, 2002.

Text: Jasper von Arnim. May 2003

Translated by Henning von Arnim a. d. H. Lützlow

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