Genealogical trees for the families

Plessmann / Plesman / Plessman / Plesmann

It appears that there are several ways of spelling the Ples(s)man(n) name and research has shown that the spelling has been used inconsistently in the 1700's and prior. The Plessman family lost the second 'n' of their name after the Plessmann family members they originate from moved to the USA, the Plesman family (all of Dutch origin) lost both the second 's' and 'n' after a family member moved to the Netherlands around 1775.

The family crest shown on the left was presented to a Peter Plessmann in 1622. The information in the next paragraph, which was copied from the family archives of the crest collector, landscape and crest painter Josef Stein from Vienna, refers to this. The description was copied from the original in Munich on October 5th, 1921.

This family crest was conferred upon Peter Plessmann in the year 1622, in Oberlausitz, located in the Littauer and Görlitzer district. His forefathers owned several forges in Vogtland and on the Bohemian border. In 1644 however, the family bartered their properties in Ober-Loittersdorf in Oberlausitz and the farmsteads of Ober- and Untersachsen bei Saul-kammer, as well as Lemnitz.

The significance of the various parts of the family crest, also copied from the original manuscript, is as follows:

The gryphon: signifies wisdom and bravery.
The sun: represents the golden daylight that is only conferred upon illustrious individuals for use in their crest, who then would have cause to pass such sign of mercy and virtue to their offspring to benefit, like the sun, the land and the people.
The shield: means protection and health.
The helmet: indicates manliness and bravery.
The 'Tecken': is in memory of the time when the Germans covered themselves with animal skins.
The color red: signifies courage, bravery and loyalty to their lords.
The color white: is for justice, wisdom and innocence.
The gold color: signifies intellect, magnanimity and happiness.

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