The House of Betha or Bethe is an Austro-German noble family constituting a part of the Uradel. Noted in Prussian history since the early 14th century, the lineage has constituted various ecclesiastical and political roles, such as Crusader knights, clergy, and later minor political figures in the Herrenhaus.
| Betha Bethe, Betha della Beta | |
|---|---|
| Noble family | |
 | |
| Country |  Germany United StatesFormer countries |
| Place of origin | Pomerania, and the Crusader States |
| Founded | 14th century |
| Titles |
|
| Connected families | House of Nostitz Zaccaria dynasty House of Croÿ-Havré House of Dyhrn Livingston family House of McInnis-Stuart |
| Estate(s) | Château de Krobnitz Markendorf Conitz |
History
editThe first notable person to hold the name was Caspar von Bethe, a knight of the Teutonic Order who led the Polish-Teutonic wars.[1] After the conquest, he was granted lordship of Conitz for his service. In later centuries, his descendants in Austria and Brandenburg-Prussia went on to establish a noble lineage, entitled as Freiherr and Ritter von Bethe in the Prussian and Austrian nobility.[2] The Catholic branch of the family was confirmed as ancient nobility, and elevated to the title of Reichsfreiherr, or imperial barons in 1790.[3]
Another cadet branch of the family remained in Austria-Hungary,[4] losing their title and legal status after the First World War. Most remaining members in Central Europe descend from the Prussian and Hungarian cadet branches respectively, along with the senior branch residing in the United States.
-
Markendorf, estate of the Prussian branch after the Renaissance.
Notable people with the surname Betha or Bethe
edit- Albrecht Bethe (1872–1954), German physiologist and father of Hans Bethe
- Erich Bethe (1863–1940), German philologist
- Hans Bethe (1906–2005), German-American nuclear physicist
- Mason Durell Betha (born 1975), better known as Mase, American rapper
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels Adelige Häuser B (in German) (57th Volume ed.). Limburg: Starke Verlag. 1974.
- ^ Kneschke, Ernst Heinrich (1859). Neues allgemeines Deutsches Adels-Lexicon (New general German Aristocracy Lexicon) (in German). Leipzig: Friedrich Voigt.
- ^ S., F. A.; von Wurzbach, C. (1856–1891). "Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich enthaltend die Lebensskizzen der denkwurdigen Personen die seit 1750 in den Osterreichischen Kronlandern geboren wurden oder darin gelebt und gewerkt haben" [Biographical Lexicon of the Austrian Empire from 1750]. Taxon (in German). 35 (2): 456. doi:10.2307/1221338. ISSN 0040-0262. JSTOR 1221338.
- ^ Tötösy de Zepetnek, Steven (2010). "List of Historical Surnames of the Hungarian Nobility". Clcweb Library. Purdue University Press.
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