Kretchmer

The family "Kretzschmar," "Kretschmar" or Kretchmer" originated in Bohemia around 890 A.D. In the court of Prince Zwentopalt was Joanko, the Kretzschmar. The name came from Mount Kretzschmar in Bohemia at Eger. The family owned this land from time immemorial. In the latter part of the 14th Century, King Ottockar II of Bohemia built the city of Breslau* in Silesia, and sent to govern the city, the nobleman, Hugo Pancratius, the Kretzschmar. He became lord of many feudal states near Breslau and married Joanna von Borskoffen. She brought the estates of Elzlelshagen, Pramnitz and others. In 1596, one of the Kretzschmars was a Silesian Knight and Sheriff of Leighnitz, Silesia. This information comes from the Royal Imperial Archives at Vienna, Austria. Spellings are questionable due to the difficulty of deciphering the original handwriting.

All Kretzschmars are supposed to be descended from the Bohemian family, above. In 1615, Johann Kretzschmar was Mayor of Breslau. His sons married into the houses of Flamischdorff, Borthendorff, von Seyslitz, von Veratt and others. The family was famous and renowned between 890 A.D. and 1700 A.D. Later, a few members went to Hagen, Westphalia. Some became admistrators of noblemen's estates, doctors, priests, iron smiths or woolen weavers.

The Kretchmer Coat of Arms is as follows:
"Blue: a gold heart, from which are leaving three gold thistles without leaves." There was no battle cry (motto) associated with the Kretchmer Coat of Arms.

(My dad has a small framed copy of the coat of arms).


*Breslau is now called Wroclaw