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The von Randow Family

The von Randow family belongs to the ancient nobility of the temporal government of the Archbishop of Magdeburg. It first appears in recorded history in the year 1236.

Wappen der Familie von Randow

Its ancestral seat is supposed to have been the castle in the village of Randau in the Elbe wetlands south of Magdeburg, which was destroyed at the end of the 13th century.  In succeeding centuries the line spread to Anhalt and within the Archbishopric of Magdeburg as well as to the Bishopric of Halberstadt.  Until about 1350 many Randows are mentioned in written documents as knights, manor owners, clerics, or nuns.  However, because of a lack of information about family relationships a definite genealogical line in these early times cannot be established.

From the second half of the 14th century three often mutually enfeoffed branches are evident.  The first and second branches first appear with Arnold von Randow (documented 1363 to 1397).  He was the magistrate of Plaue for the Archbishop of Magdeburg.  The third branch appears about the same time with Hermann von Randow, who in 1382 held the fief of Zollchow in Jerichow district.  The first two lines died out after the Thirty Years’ War.  In the late 16th century the third line divided into the two current branches, which go back to the brothers Albrecht (first branch) and Caspar (second branch).  Caspar’s son Hans Caspar von Randow (1584-1633) went to Silesia and became the progenitor of the current “Silesian line.”  A descendant of Albrecht, Christian Ernst, settled in Mecklenburg around the end of the 18th century and founded the “Mecklenburg line,” which later also spread to Pomerania.

One branch of the Pomeranian Randows emigrated to England in the 19th century, where it still exists.  The descendants have not used the predicate “von” since the First World War.  Other Pomeranian Randows went to the USA.  They have also put aside their title of nobility.  In the mid-nineteenth century a very large Brazilian branch arose and after the Second World War a branch also appeared in New Zealand.  Both are offshoots of the Silesian Randows.  

An extensive history of the von Randow family appeared in the series German Family Archives of the publishing house Degener and Company, 91413 Neustadt/Aisch.

Estates of the Pomeranian Randows:

 

  • Kloxin, Pyritz District, Eastern Pomerania.  Heinrich von Randow bought the Kloxin estate, consisting of about 5000 Morgen (about 7400 acres), along with the outlying property of Ernestinenhof on June 24,1835 from his mother-in-law Johanna Thorein, born Mechow, for 50,000 Taler.  Earlier owners were among others the von Schack, von Küssow, von Damm, Gaedke, and Thorein families.
  • Collin, Pyritz District, Eastern Pomerania.  In the possession of the von Randows since 1872.
  • Kumin, Kammin District, Eastern Pomerania.
  • Klein Voldekow, Kammin District, Eastern Pomerania.

 

Estates of the Mecklenburg Randows:

Weitere Informationen:  www.randow.info

Kontakt:  Olof@Randow.com und Hanno@Randow.com