The von Plötzke, or von Plötzkau (earlier spelling Ploceke, Plocike) family is an old-line noble family from Saxony

Saxony

The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....

 and Masovia.

Conrad de Ploceke for example, married the daughter of a lienholder of the Holy Roman Empire

Holy Roman Empire

The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...

 Duke Boleslaw III of Poland and his wife Salome von Berg Schelklingen.

Płock in Masovia, an independent duchy straddling Polish and Saxon territories until the death of the last duke of Masovia in 1526, came under the full rule of the Kingdom of Poland

Kingdom of Poland (1385–1569)

The Kingdom of Poland of the Jagiellons was the Polish state created by the accession of Jogaila , Grand Duke of Lithuania, to the Polish throne in 1386. The Union of Krewo or Krėva Act, united Poland and Lithuania under the rule of a single monarch...

. The title of Duke of Masovia was retained but as a fief of Poland. The von Plötzke family were the hereditary Dukes of Masovia

Dukes of Masovia

The Dukes of Masovia were a line of the Piast dynasty who ruled in Masovia. The following is a list of all rulers of the Duchy of Masovia and its parts...

.

In the mid 13th century, after considerable disagreement with the reigning Piast dynasty in Poland, members of the family joined the knights of the Teutonic Order. Most notable was Heinrich von Plötzke

Heinrich von Plötzke

Heinrich von Plötzke was an officer of the Teutonic Order during the late 13th and early 14th centuries. Born in Płock in the independent Duchy of Masovia, , he was a descendant of the hereditary dukes of Plock but never took the formal title due to the conflict of his family with the ruling Piast...

, while born a Duke of Masovia, did not use the title and became a major officer (including Komtur

Komtur

Komtur was a rank within military orders, especially the Teutonic Knights. In the State of the Teutonic Order, the Komtur was the commander of a basic administrative division called Kommende . A Komtur was responsible for the alimentation of the Knights by the yield from the local estates, he...

) of the Knights.

Due to Plock and Masovia's location next to Poland and inter-marriage with Polish noble families, the family name is listed among both Polish and German noble families.

Notable members

• Thietmar of Plötzkau (also Dietmar, d. 23 September 1148), as Thietmar II Bishop of Verden (1116–1148)
• Heinrich von Plötzke
  Heinrich von Plötzke
  Heinrich von Plötzke was an officer of the Teutonic Order during the late 13th and early 14th centuries. Born in Płock in the independent Duchy of Masovia, , he was a descendant of the hereditary dukes of Plock but never took the formal title due to the conflict of his family with the ruling Piast...
  
   (also Henry of Płock, d. 1320), Land Master of Teutonic Prussia
  Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights
  The State of the Teutonic Order, , also Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights or Ordensstaat , was formed in 1224 during the Northern Crusades, the Teutonic Knights' conquest of the pagan West-Baltic Old Prussians in the 13th century....
  
   (1307–1309), Prussian Grand Commander
  Komtur
  Komtur was a rank within military orders, especially the Teutonic Knights. In the State of the Teutonic Order, the Komtur was the commander of a basic administrative division called Kommende . A Komtur was responsible for the alimentation of the Knights by the yield from the local estates, he...
  
  (1309-1312) and then till 1320 Marshall of the Order of the Teutonic Knights.