Translation help - MUB440 from 1235

New member, first post. My father-in-law says it's time for him to retire and leave the family research to the younger generation, so he hands me this entry from the Mecklenburg. Urkundenbuch and tells me to figure it out. Since I don't know a word of German without Google Translate, I decided to take one step at a time and try to get the 1235 German into 2013 German shape. So I took one word at a time and checked it to see if it had a translation or a suggestion and searched the net for the rest. I hope someone will check my work and see if the new German makes sense before I try to get it to English. Here's the old and the new:

Old:

Brunwardus, bischoff zu Zwerin, legt zu seinem gestiffteten Closter zu Rune den Zehenden von zehen Hufen zu Holtzendorff (in uilla Holtzatorum), die sein Oheim (consanguineus) Thetleuus, ein ritter von Godebuz, von Jhm zu lehne gehabt, vnd das seine gedechtnuss oder memoria alda in der Kirchen mochte gehalten werden, wider vffgetragen hat; item den Zehenden von eilff Hufen vnd den dritten teil des Zehenden, so fallen wirt vom orte dess holtzes, so noch aussgeradet werden soll zu Grantzin, welchen Nicolaus von Bruseuitz, ritter, abgetretten; noch funfftehalbe Hufe zu Boytin, die Conradus von Sywan Jhm vffgetragen hat, wie er sein Schwester Elisabeth inss Closter gegeben. Actum 1235, indict. 9. Datum in Buzyow, 3. nonas Nouembris.

New:

Brunwardus, Bischof zu Schwerin, legt zu seinem gestifteten Closter zu Rune den Zehnten von zehn Hufen zu Holtzendorf (in villa Holtzatorum), die sein Onkel (blutsverwandt) Thetleuus, ein Ritter von Gadebusch, von Ihm zu lehne gehabt, und das seine Gedächtnis oder memoria alda in der Kirchen mochte gehalten werden, wider aufgetragen hat; ebenfalls den Zehnten von elf Hufen und den dritten Teil des Zehnten, so fallen wirt vom Orte des Hölzer, so noch aus geradet werden soll zu Grantzin, welchen Nicolaus von Bruseuitz, Ritter, abgetreten; noch viereinhalbHufe zu Boitin, die Konrad von Schwan Ihm aufgetragen hat, wie er sein Schwester Elisabeth ins Closter gegeben. Akt 1235, indict. 9. Datum in Bützow, 3. November.

Thanks so much if you can help,

(Mrs.) Chris Swan

Hello all,

Thank you for your quick and very helpful responses. It is said that you can know a man by the company he keeps. I researched the knight von Gadebusch, who was very close to Lord Henry Borwin I., and very important in Mecklenburg history; and the knight von Brusewitz, who was known to be the locator for many Mecklenburg towns. But who is Conradus von Sywan? He is not called a knight, but he is called a “von” and has land to donate. There is no mention of him in Stadt Schwaan, but he is later (1259) mentioned in Rostock, and he had a (possible) son named Henry who was with Lord Nicolaus Werle as a witness and Vogt in Güstrow and was later a property owner in Rostock. From there the next generation is landed in Pomerania.

I read that from the time of Duke Henry the Lion of Saxony, the land of Mecklenburg was given to knights of the rulers for their service, for example, Count Gunzelin of Schwerin. How is it possible that Conradus von Sywan is so wealthy but he is not a knight? I would appreciate any opinions or discussion.

Best wishes,

(Mrs.) Chris Swan

Hi Detlef,
You post was really interesting and informative. Maybe you are a knight and we should call you Sir Detlef. I never heard the word donzel before, and in English a knave is a scoundrel. I think the donzel is like a page, and the knave is like a squire. Could a man remain a squire all his life? And yet, a Baron von Schwaan in the late 1700s wrote a memoir that described the coat of arms (Wappen) of the von Schwaan family from Schwaan (a swimming swan on blue). Is it possible that Conradus von Sywan (Schwan, Schwaan) was a foreigner? Maybe he was already wealthy, from, say, Flanders. I read that many settlers who came to coastal areas or rivers were from Flanders, invited because of their skills in flood prevention and making poor land productive. Or maybe Conradus von Sywan was just not athletic, since he seemed to be intellectual enough to become a land owner when it was not allowed for ordinary people. I guess we will never know for sure.
Thanks for your great post,
Chris