Mieszczanie, rycerze, burgrabiowie. Kariera śląskiej rodziny von Reussendorf w czasach przedhusyckich
Burghers, knights, burggraves. The career of the Silesian family von Reussendorf in pre-Hussite times

Summary/Abstract: The Reussendorfs were a burgher family from Lwówek (Löwenberg), appearing in sources from the end of the 13th century, whose history forms a good example of social advance of Sielsian middle class in medieval times. They rose in importance thanks to their service at the courts of Bolko I the Strict and Henry of Jawor (Jauer), and in the 14th century belonged to the most influential and the richest families in the Duchy of Świdnica-Jawor (Schweidnitz-Jauer).As a consequence of purchasing land estates as fiefs and the duty of military horse service connected to it, the Reussendorfs entered the ranks of knighthood, accepting the basic attributes of that class – the knight’s belt and coat-of-arms. Their high position is confirmed by numerous offices held by them, various castle fiefs possessed, as well as excellent marital colligations with the most powerful knightly families of the period. The peak of the Reussendorfs’ career occurred in the second half of the 14th century. Their importance diminished from the end of that century because of the extinction of one branch of the family and a large number of descendants (which caused fragmentation of the estate) in the other branch. Members of the family, earlier connected mainly to the region of Lwówek, became active also in the nearby regions of Lusatia and in Bolesławiec (Bunzlau).

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