User:Stephen de Ropp/Ropp (family)

Ropp, or von der Ropp, is the name of an aristocratic, Lower Saxon-Baltic noble family that goes back to the western crusade movement into today's Baltic states which was pontifically recognized in 1199. Originally it is a very old family of knights of the German and Johanniterorden orders who were often sworn in as barons and were recognized in this capacity as late as 1786 in Prussia.

The family is of the same tribe and coat of arms as that of Buxhoeveden and, like them, is one of the few crusader families still alive today.

History
The family members who are still living today are descended from Theodoricus de Raupena (de Ropa) and other Lower Saxony nobility. The name von der Ropp (also Raupena, Roop, Rope, de Ropp) comes from his first fiefdom in Livonia, which is located on the Roop (Latvian Straupe) river. Later family estates can be found mainly in Courland and, a rarity among the Baltic Germans, in the area of ​​today's Republic of Lithuania. The first historical documentation of the name was in 1203, and later Theodoricus de Raupena entered Riga under this name in 1221. He was the eldest brother of Bishop Albert von Buxhoeveden (Albert of Riga), founder of the city of Riga (1201) and builder of the Riga Cathedral (1211). His cousin Johannes is the progenitor of the Barons von Buxhoeveden who are living today.