Rozenkwit

Very old germanic family name whose origins refers to the XI century , more precisely in the Lower Lorraine, western area of the German Kingdom, in the border of the Netherlands(county of Flanders). Its principal meaning is "rozen" (roses) and "kwit" (planter) the name obviously refers to the main labor activity of first Rozenkwit´s - rose farmers, noble activity barely found in the dark [middle-aged Europe]. The flower trading was a very noble activity in Duchy of Low Lorraine, as well as in the Netherlands, just as nowadays. In that time, Godfrey of Bouillon was the Duke of Low Lorraine. He has inherited this title through his famous mother, Saint Ida, of who won the castle and the lands of Bouillon - properties that he had mortgaged with the bishop of Liege, so that this financed his campaign in the Holyland. However there was a last obstacle to be overcome: the traditional Jewish lineage of Godfrey of Bouillon didn't pass unharmed to the Church´s eyes. In order to get the Pope´s blessing, Bouillon promoted a true Christianization wave for every territory under his domain, he himself being baptized over again by the Pope Urban II. As well as it already happened for pressure of a Church more and more intolerant, the patronimial hebrew names went "germanized", and the families started to adopt, their occupational names, places, colors, preciously stones or metals, or plants. And so, an old established jewish family of prosperous rose farmers was registered as the "Rozenkwit", not by obligation but in order to help their mighty friend´s aspirations. The Rozenkwit family coud now count on Bouillon´s eternal gratefulness, grace and everlasting friendship. No longer existing any hindrance, Bouillon could rush in his warlord role - and so the first crusade officially has begun. In elapsing of the First Crusade, Godfrey was the commander-general and, with the final success, in 1099, he was proclaim King of Jerusalem. In the event, he preferred not to use king's dobt, taking the alternative distinction of Defender of the Holy Sepulchre. In the middle of the XV century, Rozenkwit´s were established in the city of Cologne. Its location in the intersection of the river Rhine with one of the largest commercial routes among western and eastern europe and it dennoted the commercial importance of the city. Köln was also a larger ecclesiastical center and an important center of arts and learning. In that cosmopolitan atmosphere the family Rozenkwit succeed. The roses commerce was a sweet good memory- they were prosperous merchants, with diversified business.They counted on an apparent tolerance of the clergy, wich allowed them to preserve their jewish roots. Of the lineage of "Rozenkwit of Bouillon", countless generations were proceeded, prosperous intellectual and financially.In the XVIII century producing and trading agriculture tools, distributed by all the northern europe, until Finland. Very close to the mighty german freemasonry [1], they were engaged on politics, which brought troubles to the family business. During a business trip to Moscow in the earlier 1900´s, a Rozenkwit was charged on "conspiracy against the czar", having been forced to runaway and so he established in eastern Prussia[2], Olyka, under protection of the Radziwill´s. He was reached and shot in 1916 by a czar patrol in a german - polish border trench. World war II didn't bring better luck to Rozenkwit´s than to their German-jewish fellows - a few family members succeed to escape from Nazi Germany and has emigrated to America Link 1[3][4][5] [6]counting again on german and polish nobility support.