Origins of the family[]
The origins of the Austrian and Hungarian family of von Brunswick or de Brunswik are uncertain, though they point to the city of Braunschweig in Germany, Brunsvic being the old-german name of this city. There seems to be a link with the Brunsvic family which is documented in the city of Kolberg in Pommerania towards the end of the 13th. century. In the newly founded city, a certain Johannes de Brunsvic is mentioned as citizen in 1292 and as member of the city council from 1294 to 1324.
Johannes de Brunvic and his wife Gheza had two sons: Pardam de Brunsvic who was a priest and Henning de Brunsvic (c1280-b1337). Henning de Brunsvic had eight children: 1. Henning de Brunsvic (c1306-c1355), 2. Thidemann de Brunsvic (1308-1338), 3. Tideko de Brunsvic, 4. Borchard de Brunsvic, 5. Hinrik de Brunsvic 6. Hermann de Brunsvic (c1315-1368) - priest, 7. Elisabeth de Brunsvic, married to Hermann Holk and 8. Margarete de Brunsvic.
It is probably the grandson of one of the first five sons mentioned above, Barnim von Brunswik from whom the present family seems to descend. His son, David, who married a certain lady Puttkammer and died in 1451, had a son, also called Barnim von Brunswik. This Barnim married twice, first Sofie Horn and after her death Judith Heidenreich. His first son Siegfried von Brunswik is the ancester of the branch which stayed in Pommerania. His younger son, Davin von Brunswik went to Rome and thereafter settled in Stettin where he became member of the city council in 1537 and city mayor in 1540. He died in 1542.
- His eldest son, David von Brunswik (1538-1596) was born in Stettin but in 1560 moved to Lüneburg, where he died on May 5, 1596. While he did have descendents, there is no proof of any relationship with the Braunschweig-Lüneburg princely family.
- His second son, Hermann von Brunswik (c1540-1596 became member of the Stettin city council in 1584, city mayor in 1586 and died without descendents in 1596.
- His third son, Stefan von Brunswik (c1542-1576 died in Stettin not being married and having no children.
- His fourth son Johann von Brunswik (1544-) was born in Stettin and there are no further information about him. However, in 1579, documents mention the a certain Johannes Brunczvik in the city of Galgóc of Nyitra county (now Hlohovec, Trnava Region, Slovakia). This is the first time the name appears in Hungary and he is mentioned as being a nobleman (nobilis). On May 3, 1598 the general assembly of Nyitra county published the coat of arms of nobleman Johannes Brunczvik and his two sons George and Tobias ("Nobilium Jonannis Brunczvik ac per eum Gerogii et Tobiae filiorum eius"). Thus the family entered the into the Hungarian nobility.
On June 7, 1631 the court of Nyitra county published the revised coat of arms of the Brunczvik family.
Michael von Brunczvik, the only son of Tobias who had offspring, purchased the estate of Korompa (Dolná Krupá) following which he and his descendents used the title of Brunswik von Korompa.
After World War I, the members of the family have dropped the "von Korompa" particle from their name and are using only the Brunswik surname.