Von der Leyen (family from Krefeld)

Coat of Arms

Von der Leyen is the name of a German noble family which made its fortune as silk merchants and silk weaving industrialists. They established a major textile business in Krefeld in the 18th century. In its heyday, the business delivered silk to most European courts and aristocratic dynasties. The family was ennobled in 1786 and one branch raised to Baronial rank by Napoleon in 1813 and by the King of Prussia in 1816.

The family is not related to the princely House of Leyen which also bore the name von der Leyen.

History

The first known family member was Peter von der Leyen, mentioned 1579 in Radevormwald where the family produced passementerie; the family name derives from an incorporated village named Leye. In 1656 their catholic ruler, Philip William, Elector Palatine, introduced high penalty taxes for Anabaptists and Mennonites which made the Mennonite Adolf von der Leyen (c. 1624-1698) seek refuge in the city of Krefeld, at the time ruled by the more tolerant House of Orange-Nassau. He there continued the family's silk business.

In 1720, Peter von der Leyen founded a factory producing sewing silk, and in 1724, brothers Johann, Friedrich and Heinrich (Adolf's grand sons) founded a silk dyeing factory. The family enterprises expanded rapidly and competed with Cologne companies. Krefeld had come under the rule of the King of Prussia in 1702 and kings Frederick William I and Frederick the Great sought to protect and develop domestic silk production and helped the von der Leyen business to expand further. The latter stayed in the family's Krefeld house after winning the Battle of Krefeld in 1758. By 1763, half of Krefeld's population of 6082 worked for the von der Leyen factories. In 1760, the family founded the Von der Leyen foundation to support local Mennonites and in 1768 gave money for an organ in the Krefeld Mennonite Church.

The family built many factory and residential buildings in Krefeld some of which survived World War II bombardments.

Conrad von der Leyen's house at Krefeld (now town hall)

In Frederick the Great's death year, 1786, brothers Conrad, Friedrich and Johann von der Leyen were ennobled. At the same time when George Washington had the White House built, Conrad von der Leyen commissioned a similar but larger house for himself at Krefeld, between 1791 and 1794, with architect Martin Leydel. In 1860 it was sold to the city of Krefeld and serves as its town hall since. When the French Revolutionary Army occupied Krefeld in 1792, General La Marlière took Conrad von der Leyen, some of his relatives and a few other leading citizen as hostages and forced the town to contribute him 300.000 guilders. Conrad and his companions in misfortune however are said to have it won back for the most part by playing cards with the general.

Friedrich Heinrich, Baron von der Leyen (1769–1825)

Friedrich Heinrich von der Leyen (1769-1825), a son of Conrad's brother Friedrich, became mayor of Krefeld in 1800 and founded the local chamber of commerce. In 1803 he purchased Bloemersheim Castle near Neukirchen-Vluyn and the following year Meer Estate in Meerbusch which are both still today owned by the family. In 1804, Napoleon visited Krefeld and stayed in the von der Leyen residence. The following year Friedrich Heinrich became a member of the French Constituent assembly and in 1813 he was appointed a Baron by Napoleon, in 1816 also by the king of Prussia (with the name Baron von der Leyen zu Bloemersheim). The silk baron was granted many French and Prussian recognitions.

In 1828, the workers at the von der Leyen factories rebelled against their employers and the 11th Hussar Regiment put down the rebellion. Karl Marx described it as the "first workers' uprising in German history."[1]

Gustav Heinrich Baron von der Leyen zu Bloemersheim died in 1857 as the family's last silk producer. He had however not succeeded in reestablishing the business to its old success after the Napoleonic Wars. His widow sold the factories and moved to her agricultural estates which the baronial Bloemersheim branch of the family operates to this day.

Heiko von der Leyen, husband of politician Ursula von der Leyen (German Federal Minister for Defence), belongs to an ennobled (but not the Bloemersheim) branch of the family.

References

  1. ↑ Krefeld - Der Aufstand der Seidenweber, rp-online.de vom 13. Mai 2011
  • Friedrich and Heinrich von der Leyen on a website on the History of the Rhineland (German)
  • 400 Jahre Mennoniten in Krefeld (400 Years of Mennonites in Krefeld, six lectures), Mennonitische Geschichtsblätter, 65. annual compendium, 2008, 360 p., ISBN 978-3-921881-26-2
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