The Van de Sandt Family History

The Van de Sandt family in Europe originates from an old Hof (homestead) called Op den Sande, Op Sand or simply Sand near the town of Rees, Germany. Probably the homestead got its name because it was built on a sandy island in the river Rhine.

The history of the homestead dates back from the end of the first millennium. Originally it was one of the most important properties of countess Irmgardis of Aspel. About 1040 Irmgardis granted her properties to the archbishop of Cologne, to whom they belonged until 1392, when they passed to the duchy of Cleve. In a charter of 1358 Konrad vammeSande and his wife Greta are mentioned as possessors of the homestead. After them several generations of the family lived on it.

In 1614, during the Eighty Years' War, Rees and surroundings were occupied by the troops of the Dutch Republic. To protect the town the Dutch built a fortress called 'Reeser Schans' on the other side of the Rhine. In that time the homestead consisted of two farms called 'Grosse Sandt' (Big Sandt) and 'Kleine Sandt' (Little Sandt) respectively. On a land registry map of 1661 the two farms ('Grosse Sandt' with a fortified tower) as well as the Reeser Schans are indicated. On a topographic map from about the same time the homestead is indicated as 'Op Sand'.

On the 5th of June 1672, Whit Sunday, the French under king Louis XIV attacked Rees and the Reeser Schans. With the arrival of the first French troops both farms were set on fire by a Dutch officer in order to prevent giving a hiding-place to the French. Later on its ruins have been overflowed by the Rhine.

From that time on the Van de Sandt family has spread over such places as Obermörmter, Xanten, Brienen, Griethausen and Warbeyen in Germany, and from the 19th century also in the Netherlands. Originally they were farmers and landholders, often in combination with local administrative functions. Later on they also were engaged in trade, services and academic professions.

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