The von Krusenstierna family association
Member pages
About the family
Family history
The von Krusenstierna family, originated in Saxony-Anhalt in Germany. The ancestor of the family is pastor Johannes Krause, who died in 1558. His grandson, Philippus Crusius, entered Swedish service in Reval (now Tallinn) in Estonia in 1644. There he was first appointed assessor at the city court and then governor. He was ennobled in 1649 by Queen Christina with the name von Kruus. This was changed to von Krusenstiern and von Krusenstjerna at his introduction to the House of Nobility on 6 November 1650. However the name “von Krusenstierna” is written on the family coat of arms hanging in the House of Nobility in Stockholm. The family lived on through Philippus Crusius' youngest son, and in turn through his sons, Evert Philip (1676-1748) and Adolf Fredrik (1679-1713).
The Estonian branch of the family
Evert Philip’s descendants form the Estonian branch of the family, also called the main or elder branch.
This branch was introduced to the Estonian House of Nobility in 1746. Members of this branch lived in Russia until 1918 and in Estonia until 1939. Members now live in Poland, Germany, Canada and the USA. One line moved to Sweden in 1929 and regained representation in the Swedish House of Nobility in 1945.
The Swedish family branch
Adolf Fredrik's descendants form the Swedish branch of the family.
Adolf Fredrik was killed in the Great Northern War between Russia and Sweden in 1713 and his wife died soon after. Adolf Fredrik's mother then fled to Sweden via Swedish Finland with his children, where his son Mauritz Adolf continued the family line in Sweden. Members of this branch now live in Sweden, the USA and Australia.
The two adopted branches
The adopted branches of the family originated with the Grameen family in Blekinge County. Nils Grameen was married to Johanna Maria, born von Krusenstierna, the daughter of the above-mentioned Mauritz Adolf. Their two sons, Mauritz Peter Grameen and Fredrik Vilhelm Grameen, were both ennobled with the name von Krusenstjerna:
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1st adopted branch: Lieutenant Colonel, later Rear Admiral Mauritz
Peter Grameen, ennobled by king Gustaf IV Adolf in 1801 and introduced in to the House of Nobility in 1803 under the same number and name as the betrothed noble family A460 von Krusenstierna. This branch has no living members. -
2nd adopted branch: Major Fredrik Vilhelm Grameen, ennobled by King Gustaf IV Adolf in 1805 and introduced to the House of Nobility under the same number and name as the betrothed noble family A460 von Krusenstierna. Most members of this branch live in the USA.
Spelling of the name
There are different spellings of the family name. Members of the younger Swedish branch and the adopted branches, who live mainly in Sweden, the USA and Australia, use the spellings von Krusenstierna and von Krusenstjerna, but also Krusenstjerna and Krusensterna, without the prefix von. In the USA, Krusen and Cruse also occur.
Members of the main Estonian branch, now living mainly in Germany, Poland, Russia, the USA and Canada, use the spellings von Krusenstiern, von Krusenstjern and von Krusenstern.
Head of the family
Since 2010, the Swedish Peerage Book published by the House of Nobility in Stockholm also includes members of the family who live outside Sweden and/or have foreign citizenship.
Until 2016 Aleksej von Krusenstern (1935-2016) living in Moscow, was the head of the von Krusenstierna family. He was succeeded by Otto A Th Pancratius von Krusenstierna, who due to his Swedish citizenship already had represented the family at several Swedish House of Nobility general meetings every third year. Otto Pancratius passed away on 4 January 2022 and the current head of the family is now Friedrich (Fred) von Krusenstiern (born 1958) who lives in the USA.