The House of Knabenau or von Knabenau (also known as Barons von Knabenau) is an ancient Baltic-German noble family of German origin, originally from Silesia, and later it spreads in the 16th century in Courland.
The family of Barons von Knabenau belong to the sideline of the Swabian Counts von Kyburg whose ancestor was Gotfried from the Agilolfing dynasty and to the highest class of ancient Silesian and Courland nobility (German:Uradel). First time the family von Knabenau was mentioned on May 2, 1147 with knight a Gotthard de Knabenau. The following mention refers to August 5, 1234, where Bishop of Wrocław, Thomas I, calls Johann Ludwig von Knabenau the knight of Duke Henry II the Pious, Duke of Silesia. In addition to Johann Ludwig, many other family members were already known as landowners in the 13th century. From 1271 to 1278 for the Imperial Vogt Johann von Knabenau was granted temporary possession of the land and Bolków Castle, which became the headquarters of the Barons von Knabenau from the Duke of Bolesław II the Bald. The unbroken family line begins with knight a Hartvig von Knabenau, who is named in documents between 1454 and 1456. He was at the castle in Brandenburg during the siege. In 1620, Johann, Friedrich and Otto von Knabenau, signed an agreement and sealed the document about land ownership with the Archbishop of the county Piltene and with the Teutonic Order. Captain of the Knights of von Knabenau, distinguished himself in the rescue of Vienna from the Turks in 1683. The Diploma of Polish King John III Sobieski of 1685, Captain von Knabenau with his descending offspring's, in the Kingdom of Poland set to in baronial dignity. In the decree on the resignation of December 31, 1822, Colonel Friedrich Johann von Knabenau was named as Baron. Judgment of 05/16/1841, at approved the introduction in which noble family von Knabenau, natives of the county Piltene (Courland), allowed to be officially was matriculated in Courland knighthood. Baron dignity approved for name von Knabenau, government decrees Senate Courland noble Committee of 10 June 1853 and 28 February 1862 in pursuance of the Supreme Decree of 10 June 1853 and 28 February 1862 years (see the statement of the Senate 1853,1862).