The relevant genealogical Institutes and works set the official beginning of our family history on the year 1195.

Dr. Leopold Frhr v. Ledebur, Historiker and Genealoge, when member of the royally Prussian Heroldsamtes in Berlin also official Genealoge has, in its research to the family history to this date found, although it refers at the same time to or two lying in front of it generations, for which however the surname is not yet proven. It has however as well known each humans its parents, and therefore there is an advance to each family history also. In our family history the document of 1195 is assigned to the Wigbert of the third generation. It marks the beginning of one now 800 years old history of our surname.

The document of 1195 is kept in public records of Lower Saxony in Osnabrueck. It is put on in Latin language and regulates the annual deliveries of the property bar thing living to the monastery Oesede. Contents of the document are not for us from large importance, but it is significant by the fact that Wigbert Lethebur testifies as a highest-ranking signing layman the validity of their statements. I by the way accept that Wigbert understood the text of the document, thus latin could. Unfortunately Wigberts signature is not delivered, since the document - like court letters usually also today - does not carry signatures, but the correctness of the execution only by a locking seal is confirmed.

In the second half 12. Century prevailed emperor Friedrich Barbarossa (from the house Swabia) over the holy Roman realm (of 15. Century to holy Roman realm of German nation was called). This realm understood itself as a successor of antiken Rome and extended over Italy, Switzerland, Austria and the largest part of today's Germany. Westphalia and Lower Saxony were because of its northern edge, which was separate in the northeast by dense forests from Denmark and the slawischen areas. It was not a uniform state and had no common language (except latin church language). The community existed particularly in the uniform Christian faith of Roman-catholic coinage, when its lay Beschuetzer understood itself the emperor.

From this understanding the crusades, third came took place from 1189 - 1192, thus at the time, when our family occurred history. Today as motive for the crusades alone the intention is usually called for the vermehrung of own power. It was however probably nevertheless like that that the existence and the spreading of the Christianity should become secured after the mission requirement of the new will and in addition the lay safety device of the territory was the most reliable means. Beside that to well-known crusades to Palestine found before 800 years by the way also sucked. Turning crusades instead of, in which the north Germans of dukes at the Baltic Sea penetrated, christianisierten and conquered to the east.