In 1338 the family became vassals of Margrave Louis I of Brandenburg, in exchange for providing ten men in armour and forty armed with spears.

In 1374 Werner von dem Knesebeck was awarded the position of chamberlain of the Principality of Lüneburg, which his grandfather hat first held, as a hereditary office.

Ludolf von dem Knesebeck joined Vasco da Gama as a captain on his exploration of the sea route to India in 1497.

The most famous member of the family is Karl Friedrich von dem Knesebeck, who was chief military advisor to Frederick William III of Prussia during the Napoleonic Wars and rose to the rank of field marshal.

He is best known for his diplomatic role maintaining a Russo-Prussian alliance and for designing the campaign plan of the Battle of Leipzig and the subsequent invasion of France.

Bernhard von dem Knesebeck rose to prominence as a senior field commander during the Austro-Prussian War (1866) and the Franco-Prussian War (1871) and later as Commandant of Erfurt; his brother Ernst Julius Georg von dem Knesebeck served on the general staff and as ambassador to the Bavarian and Württemberg courts.

[7] His son Bodo von dem Knesebeck (1851–1911), rose to Imperial Chamberlain and Master of Ceremonies, Secretary of the Order of the Black Eagle and founder and first President of the German Red Cross.

His other son Lionel von dem Knesebeck (1849–1916), served as Hofmarschall to Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse, the last King of Finland.

At various times the family has held the properties of Knesebeck, Tylsen, Karwe, Myllendonk, Huysburg, Röderhof, Osseg, Wall, Frohnenbruch, Hoerstgen, Dömnitz, Badekow, Gresse, Dambeck, Löwenbruch, Jühnsdorf, Langenapel, Döre, Fürstenau, Butow, Brome, Wittingen, Corvin, Woltersdorf and Colborn.

According to family tradition, the three banners in the coat of arms stem from an ancestor, the knight Iwan, who was awarded them by Rudolf I of Germany for having taken them from the enemy in battle against Ottokar II of Bohemia.