The Reventlow family is a Holstein and MecklenburgDano-German noble family, which belongs to the Equites Originarii Schleswig-Holstein.[1] Alternate spellings include Revetlo, Reventlo, Reventlau, Reventlou, Reventlow, Refendtlof and Reffentloff.
One of the Reventlow coat of armsOne of the Reventlow coat of arms
In 1223, Godescalcus de Revetlo of Holstein was first mentioned in writing. He was vassal of Count Albrecht of Orlamünde and Holstein. In 1236 and 1258, Thitlevus de Revetlow was in Mecklenburg in the wake of the Prince Johann I. In both countries, members of the family were able to gain significant professional and economic positions over time.
The old Holstein line, also found from the 14th to the 16th century in Funen, ended in 1752. With the extinction of the Gallentiner branch in 1772, the Mecklenburg branch also ended. Relatives from this branch, however, had previously settled in the Duchy of Schleswig. From Ziesendorf (in Mecklenburg) came Detlef Reventlow, who was appointed chancellor of Christian IV of Denmark in 1632. He was progenitor of two new branches, both of which came to great influence.
The younger daughter of Conrad von Reventlow, Anna Sophie von Reventlow (1693–1743), became in 1712 consort of King Frederick IV of Denmark and Duchess of Schleswig. In 1721 she was crowned Queen of Denmark. Other Reventlows were related by marriage to the Dukes of Holstein. The Reventlow family counts important personalities of the European aristocracy, including the last German empress Auguste Victoria.
The Counts of Reventlow-Criminil with a Danish diploma of 1815 belonged in the male line to the French Marquis Le Merchier de Criminil. Joseph and Heinrich were the sons of a niece of Julia von Reventlow who she and her husband Friedrich Karl Reventlow adopted. Joseph inherited the Emkendorf in 1828; his descendants sold it in 1929.
In Denmark, Gram Castle was taken over or built by the Reventlow around 1470 and remained in the family until 1664. In 1673, Prime Minister Conrad Reventlow acquired the Sandbjerg Castle (1673–1930 owned by the family) with Gut Ballegård and built Clausholm Castle (owned 1690–1743). His son Christian Detlev of Reventlow acquired Brahetrolleborg on Funen (1722–1960), Pederstrup on Lolland (1725–1935) and Christianssæde on Laaland (1728–1934). His son Conrad Detlev Reventlow (1704–1750) married Wilhelmine Auguste, the sister of the Duke Friedrich Karl of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön in 1731. In 1739 he acquired the Krenkerup Castle at Radsted Sogn with Nørregård and Rosenlund (1739–1793). In 1900, the estate Agerupgård in Våbensted Sogn came to the Counts Reventlow, who are still there.
Commoner descendants in the female line with the name Reventlow (no title of nobility) are the families Reventlow-Mourier on Brahetrolleborg and Reventlow Grinling on Krenkerup, as well as some descendants in the cognitive line in Sweden.
The family crest of the family is divided in the Zinnenschnitt of silver over red. On the helmet with red-silver blankets stands a gold ring (feather play) set all around with silver feathers on a short red pole.
This page lists people with the surnameReventlow. If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name(s) to the link.
Coat of arms in Denmark's nobility Aarbog 1893
Coat of arms of the counts to Reventlow
Coat of arms for Conrad von Reventlow (1644–1708) 1673
Ortswappen Altenhof (bei Eckernförde)
Ortswappen Martensrade
Ortswappen Windbergen
