Vincke family

Vincke is the name of a Westphalian noble family. First recorded in 1223 in Osnabrück, their name derives from the zoonym finch (Middle High German vinke). They acquired estates in Melle and Rödinghausen in the 14th century, and in the 18th to 19th centuries further possessions in Rödinghausen and Welver. In the 19th century, Prussia granted the habitual right to the title Freiherr (baron); the predicate von was used only by parts of the family (Freiherren Vincke vs. Freiherren von Vincke). Notable members of the Olbendorf line of the family are the Prussian politicians Carl von Vincke and his cousin Georg von Vincke, the latter known for fighting a pistol duel with Otto von Bismarck in 1852. Ludwig von Vincke, of the Ostenwalde line (1774–1844), served as president of the Prussian province of Westphalia. Gisbert von Vincke (1813–1892) was a Prussian official and poet.