History

This German/Polish family had its earliest known origins in Westphalia, Germany, when Humpertus appeared in 1160, bearing the name "von dem Broel genannt Plater (of the Broel named Plater). In the 14th and 15th centuries, members of the family went with the Teutonic Knights to the Baltic Countries as Knights of the Sword and settled in Livonia (present day Estonia and Latvia) and Lithuania and became one of the well known families of Polish Counts.

Humpertus was the forefather of all members of the family living today who have been known at various times by the full name, "von dem Broel genannt Plater" or "Broel Plater", "Plater Broel", Plater Zyberk (Syberg in German), and "de Plater", the name used by the family in Australia. The family was mostly referred to as "Plater" and in any index of names, references to Broel Plater and other forms were usually endorsed "see Plater". Various spellings have been applied to "Broel" which need not concern us here. The present senior line was founded in 1803 when Michael Broel Plater married Isabella, the daughter of the last male of the Sybergs and changed his name to Plater-Zyberk (see later).

Szymon Konarski, the noted Polish heraldist, genealogist and biographer, in his monograph about the family records that -

An analysis of this study shows a high percentage of outstanding personalities and right from the start of the history of this family we find some extremely interesting persons. Starting with the war which they waged in the Middle Ages against the Bishops of Cologne, we continue with John, member of of the Order of the Knights of the Sword and his part in the struggle against Moscow, and finally we arrive at the civilising work of the Plater family in Livonia (present day Latvia and parts of Estonia and Lithuania) and their merit in founding a Polish Museum at Rapperswil (in Switzerland).

Among all the Polonised Baltic families, the Platers are the only ones to have had eight Senators.

Being of foreign origin, the Platers were only admitted into the ranks of the great Polish families in the XVIIth century, but as their titles of nobility go back to the XIIth century, in Poland, where the seniority of the nobility is highly esteemed, it was natural for them to hold very high rank, both economically and politically.

They were outstanding in their patriotic feelings thus showing their gratitude for the welcome they had received from the Poland of King Sigismund Augustus together with other Baltic families in 1561 and it is actually from that date that the Platers considered themselves a Polish family. The glorious death of Emily Plater in 1831, of Leon Plater in 1863, the sacrifices and suffering that the members of this family endured during the last war are an outstanding example of this.

Various sections of the family have blood relationships to Prince Rurik, the legendary founder of the Russian State in 862 a.d. - to Louis IV. of France, to James I of England (VIth of Scotland), Kosciuszko, and to the Duffus and Hardy families of England.

Some illustrious persons

Johan v.d. Broel g. Plater (1460 ? - 1529 ?) was Marshal of the Teutonic Knights in Livonia and substitute to the Grand Master, Walter Plettenberg. He was an outstanding warrior and fought against the Russians.

Henry v.d.Broel g. Plater was one of the Livonian plenipotentiaries charged with negotiating the union of Livonia with Poland in 1561.

Wilhelm (William) ( ? - 1599) captured the Dynaburg fortress from Ivan the Terrible, Tsar of Russia. The fortress was manned by a garrison of over 1,000 soldiers and carried with it the office of Palatine of Livonia and this office, after being first granted to John Andrew Broel Plater, was held by the family for over 150 years until the fall of the Polish Republic.

Gotard (1633-1664) made himself famous in 1654 by the bravery with which he rushed at the head of a feeble Cavalry Corps to the help of Smolensk which was besieged by a powerful Russian army. On several occasions he was obliged the Russians to raise their siege but not receiving any reinforcements himself, his marvellous bravery was not sufficient to save the town.

Count John Andrew (1626 ? - 1696) was the first member of the family to be made Palatine of Livonia. He was a distinguished warrior who served three Polish Kings and fought with King John Sobieski of Poland in the Battle for the relief of Vienna in 1583. The victory achieved, saved Europe from being overrun by the Ottoman Empire and succumbing to Islamism.

Count Constantine-Louis (1722-1778) was the master of an immense fortune. He established an important trade centre at Kraslaw (Kraslavas) in Livonia, now Latvia. He minted his own money and because of this was called "the little King of Livonia".

Count Casimir Constantine (1746-1807) - a son of Constantine Louis, Commander of Malta, Vice Chancellor of Lithuania, Commander of Malta, Castellan of Trock, statesman, historian, author and traveller.

Count Ludwik (Louis) (1775-1846), eldest son of Casimir Constantine, Senator Castellan of Poland. Grand Secretary and Grand Governor of the Masonic Order for the Great East of National Poland. The right-hand man of Prince Lubecki, the Polish Minister of Finance. He, with General Kniaziewicz, were "chiefs of the Polish Legation in Paris" in 1831 and offered the Crown of Poland to Napoleon III on behalf of the National Committee of Poland but this could not be accepted because of the failure of the Insurrection against Russia. Frederic Chopin was much indebted to Louis at the start of his career and Chopin dedicated his Four Mazurkas to Countess Pauline, the daughter of Louis.

Count Michael, Gen. XII. (1777-1862), a son of Casimir Constantine, Civilian Vice-Governor of Vilna, inherited from his father the extensive Great Indryca estates in the Dynaburg District. In 1803 he was married to Isabella Helen, daughter of John Thaddeus Syberg zu Wischling and Baroness von Kleist from the house of Susten and received the consent of the Emperor, Alexander I. to join to his name the name of his father-in-law and to be called thenceforward Count Plater-Syberg (Zyberk in Polish) and therefore founder of the Plater-Zyberk line of the family. Isabella was the only daughter and heiress of the name and property of the Livonian branch of her family and was the last person in the whole of Livonia carrying the family name from immemorial times and carried as a dowry to her husband, estates in Courland, Livonia and Lithuania having a combined area of about 1,700 square kilometres with 15,000 souls.

Wladyslaw Ewaryst (1808-1877), cousin of Emilia, was also a participant in the 1830 Insurrection. After failure of the insurrection he established a Polish newspaper in Paris and was an outstanding figure in Polish affairs abroad and travelled extensively in England and on the continent, promoting the Polish cause. He acquired the Rapperswil Castle on Lake Zurich in Switzerland in which he established a Polish Museum, which is still being used for that purpose at the present time.

Count Cezary Augustus (1808-1877), a brother of Wladyslaw, has already been mentioned in association with Emilia. At the time of Emilia's illness he proceeded to Warsaw where he signed "the access to the insurrection by the the citizen's of the province of Vilna and two days later was elected as a Member of Parliament. In Paris he established the Lithuanian Society and was a great help to Poles who had emigrated to France, making representations to the French Government on their behalf. After returning to Poland he became active in Poznan politics for 25 years.

Count Lucien Stanislas (1808-1857), also a cousin of Emilia, after being forced to leave Poland went to Paris and then London. He was married in London to Charlotte Price Duffus from an old Scottish family and in 1839 he with his wife, first child and accompanied by his brother Ferdinand went by sailing ship to Australia, arriving there in January of 1840. He and his brother are believed to have been the first Poles to actually settle in Australia - others came before them but did not settle. Their mother was Rachel Kosciuszko and closely related to Poland's greatest hero. The Polish explorer in Australia, Edmund Strzelecki, discovered Australia's highest mountain and named it after his countrymen. It is interesting to note that the family of Plater is now more numerous in Australia than in any other country of the world.

Count Leon Joachim (1836-1863) was involved in a further uprising in Poland which took place in January of 1863. Being under orders from Zygmunt Bujnicki, he with a band of followers, numbering about 50, captured a Russian weapons transport in the vicinity of the Dynaburg Fortress. The detachment, while making its way to the Lithuanian border was overpowered by a superior Russian force and Leon with about twenty others were captured. An inquest followed and Leon, wanting to protect Bujnicki who had a young family, took upon himself the responsibility for the assault and as a result was condemned to death and executed by a firing squad at the Dynaburg Fortress. It was said of him "He sacrificed his life for the enemies of the Church and his Fatherland."

Mervyn B. de Plater
Brisbane, October 1998