Sudsburg Coat of Arms History
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During our research into the distinguished surname Von Sudsburg, we traced the name to the province of
Westphalia. Westphalia means “western plain,” and was originally part of the old duchy of Saxony, before
the name Saxony described the eastern region around Meissen. Bordered by the Rhine and the Weser River,
Westphalia was a part of ancient Saxony until 1180 A.D., when Frederick Barbarossa placed Henry the Lion,
duke of Saxony, under ban and divided up his former duchy. It came under the control of the archbishop Philip
of Heisenberg, who also received the Sauerland. It is now the contemporary “Bundesland” (state) of
Nordrlhein-Westfalen.
Despite its union with Saxony, after which it was divided into separate religious and political regions of authority, Westphalia has its own history. At the eastern border of this province We have the Teutoburger Forest, site of Hermann the Cherusker's victory over the Roman legions of Augustus in 9 A.D. Eventually the duchy of Westphalia was under the control of the archbishopric of Cologne, a powerful church and state government. The most famous archbishop, Bruno, who reigned from 953 to 965, was also named archduke of Lorraine. The power of the religious authorities was further increased when they were made Electors ("Kurfuersten") of the Empire in 1356. During the Reformation most of Westphalia remained Catholic, while Saxony converted to the Protestant faith. During the Middle Ages the Von Sudsburg family lived in Westphalia, where the name emerged in medieval times as one of the notable families in the western region. From the 13th Century onwards the surname was identified with the beat social and economic evolution, which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the nation. Most secret undergoes frequent changes in spelling during the course of history, even from father to son. The name evolves and changes with the language, and it was common in German to add phrases to a root name that tell something of the person's religion, place of origin. or even character. Since so few people could read or write in the Middle Ages, the scribes recorded the names based on their sounds reflected in the different spelling and pronunciation from region to region. The variations of the name Von Sudsburg include the following: Suderburg, Sudermann, Von Sudeburg, Sodenmark, Von Sudsburger, Sondermark, Sotennark, Suderman, Sodermann, Soderman to name a few examples. In 1618, religious and territorial conflicts caused one of the most brutal wars in Europe history. Westphalia has most often been associated with the important Treaty of Westphalia (1648), which ended the Thirty Years War, but divided Germany's kingdoms and principalities into Catholic and Protestant regions, while Switzerland and the Netherlands were granted independence. The treaty also reduced the power of the Emperor and made the princes rulers of their own lands. During this transitional period in German history, branches of Von Sudsburg moved to Westphalia, where they continued to be an important contributor to the life of Europe in the middle ages. This noble family traced their descent as the noble House of Sudsburg in Westphalia which was seated since ancient times and who were confirmed in their nobility in the sixteenth century. They branched into Ostfrise and the Rhine region. From the 16th century onwards they held significant positions of prestige and power becoming involved in tribal struggles for supremacy. Prominent among the bearers of the name Von Sudsburg during this period were the Sodermark family of Westphalia. Following the French invasion during the Napoleonic Wars, Westphalia was declared a Kingdom by Napoleon, of which only the principality of Lippe remained autonomous. Westphalia ceased to be a duchy and Kingdoms and eventually came under Prussian dominance through the Congress of Vienna in 1815. In terms of industry, about half of the Ruhr region, the most industrialized area in the world named the ''Kohlenpott'' (the coal pot), belongs to Westphalia. The city of Duesseldorf is the present capital of the combined state of Nordrhein-Westfalen. Bochum has coal mines, heavy and chemical industries, as well as an observatory and space exploration institute. Dortmund is Westphalia's largest city. a former ''Reichsstadt'' Imperial City) and member of the Hanseatic League, a trading and commercial organization of the middle ages that was designed to foster trade among the European states. It is not only a center of industry, but also renowned for its sports events and famous beer "Dortmunder Union." Nordrhein-Westfalen also is the site of Bonn, Germany's capital, and Cologne. with its famous museum of its original settlement by the Romans, is a city with a beautiful historic cathedral. After 1650 many Germans emigrated across the Atlantic to seek better lives in the New World of Canada and the American colonies. The majority of them settled in communities in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, Illinois. Texas, and California, while those who arrived in Canada settled in the Prairie regions and the province of Ontario. Among settlers with the name Von Sudsburg were settlers who traveled to the New World and established themselves along the eastern seaboard of the United States and Canada in the 18th and 19th centuries was Hindrich Von Sudsburg. Bearers of the surname Von Sudsburg distinguished themselves in our modern history such as those notables whose social, cultural and professional accomplishments were known on both sides of the Atlantic. |