![Ortenburg-Wappen ZW](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Ortenburg-Wappen_ZW.png)
The Counts of Ortenburg (german: Grafen von Ortenburg) were a
comital
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
family in the mediaeval
Duchy of Carinthia
The Duchy of Carinthia (german: Herzogtum Kärnten; sl, Vojvodina Koroška) was a duchy located in southern Austria and parts of northern Slovenia. It was separated from the Duchy of Bavaria in 976, and was the first newly created Imperial Sta ...
. Though they had roots in
Bavarian nobility, an affiliation with the
Imperial Counts of Ortenburg, a branch line of the
Rhenish Franconia
Rhenish Franconia (german: Rheinfranken) or Western Franconia () denotes the western half of the central German stem duchy of Franconia in the 10th and 11th century, with its residence at the city of Worms. The territory located on the banks of Rh ...
n
House of Sponheim
The House of Sponheim or Spanheim was a medieval German noble family, which originated in Rhenish Franconia. They were immediate Counts of Sponheim until 1437 and Dukes of Carinthia from 1122 until 1269. Its cadet branches ruled in the Imperial C ...
, is not established.
[Hausmann, Friedrich (1994). "Die Grafen zu Ortenburg und ihre Vorfahren im Mannesstamm, die Spanheimer in Kärnten, Sachsen und Bayern, sowie deren Nebenlinien" in ''Ostbairische Grenzmarken - Passauer Jahrbuch für Geschichte Kunst und Volkskunde''. Nr. 36, Passau 1994.]
History
Little is known about the reasons the Ortenburgs settled in the Carinthian
Lurngau. No charters are available on the creation of the
Ortenburg Castle on the northern slope of Mt. Goldeck above the village of
Baldramsdorf, nor about the manner in which the Ortenburgs obtained their property.
![Badramsdorf Ortenburg 02](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/Badramsdorf_Ortenburg_02.jpg)
In 1072, one Adalbert of Ortenburg, probably a younger son of Count Hartwig II of
Grögling-Hirschberg (d. 1068/69), served as a ''
Vogt
During the Middle Ages, an (sometimes given as modern English: advocate; German: ; French: ) was an office-holder who was legally delegated to perform some of the secular responsibilities of a major feudal lord, or for an institution such as ...
'' stattholder in the Carinthian possessions of the
Bishops of Freising
The following people were bishops, prince-bishops or archbishops of Freising or Munich and Freising in Bavaria:
Bishops of Freising
* St. Corbinian (724–730); founded the Benedictine abbey in Freising, although the diocese was not orga ...
. His castle ''Hortenburc'' was first mentioned in a 1091 deed, and was situated south of the
river within the
Archdiocese of Aquileia
The Patriarchate of Aquileia was an episcopal see in northeastern Italy, centred on the ancient city of Aquileia situated at the head of the Adriatic, on what is now the Italian seacoast. For many centuries it played an important part in histor ...
— across from
Hohenburg Castle held by the rivaling Counts of Lurn, liensmen of the
Salzburg archbishops.
When the Lurn dynasty became extinct in 1135, the Counts of Ortenburg received large estates stretching from
Möllbrücke
Lurnfeld is a market town in the district of Spittal an der Drau in the Austrian state of Carinthia. The municipality consists of the two Katastralgemeinden: Möllbrücke and Pusarnitz, comprising several small villages.
It is located within t ...
down the Drava Valley to Rennstein near
Villach
Villach (; sl, Beljak; it, Villaco; fur, Vilac) is the seventh-largest city in Austria and the second-largest in the federal state of Carinthia. It is an important traffic junction for southern Austria and the whole Alpe-Adria region. , the po ...
. They also held possessions in the Gegend Valley around
Afritz. In 1191 they founded a hospital (''Spittl'') at the bridge across the Lieser river—site of the later town of
Spittal an der Drau
Spittal an der Drau is a town in the western part of the Austrian federal state of Carinthia. It is the administrative centre of Spittal an der Drau District, Austria's second largest district (''Bezirk'') by area.
Geography
The town is located o ...
. In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, Herman and Ulrich of Ortenburg served as
Bishops of Gurk
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or offic ...
. Count Otto II joined the
Crusade of 1197
The Crusade of 1197, also known as the Crusade of Henry VI (german: Kreuzzug Heinrichs VI.) or the German Crusade (''Deutscher Kreuzzug''), was a crusade launched by the Hohenstaufen emperor Henry VI in response to the aborted attempt of his fa ...
of Emperor
Henry VI. About 1330, Count Meinhard of Ortenburg acquired the estates of the extinct Counts of
Sternberg between
Lake Ossiach
Lake Ossiach (german: Ossiacher See, sl, Osojsko jezero) is a lake in the Austrian state of Carinthia. It is the state's third largest lake, superseded only by Lake Wörth and Lake Millstatt.
Geography
It is situated in the southern Nock Moun ...
and
Wörthersee
Wörthersee (; Slovene: ''Vrbsko jezero'', en, Lake WörthTesch, F. W. 1977. ''The Eel: Biology and Management of Anguillid Eels''. Transl. Jennifer Greenwood. London: Chapman and Hall, p. 195.) is a lake in the southern Austrian state of Carin ...
. In the fourteenth century, the dynasty also owned the lands of
Gottschee
Gottschee (, sl, Kočevsko) refers to a former German-speaking region in Carniola, a crownland of the Habsburg monarchy, Habsburg Empire, part of the historical and traditional region of Lower Carniola, now in Slovenia. The region has been a coun ...
in
Lower Carniola
Lower Carniola ( sl, Dolenjska; german: Unterkrain) is a traditional region in Slovenia, the southeastern part of the historical Carniola region.
Geography
Lower Carniola is delineated by the Ljubljana Basin with the city of Ljubljana to the no ...
, where they founded the town of Gottschee (
Kočevje
Kočevje (; german: Gottschee; ''Göttscheab'' or ''Gətscheab'' in the local Gottscheerish dialect; it, Cocevie) is a city in the Municipality of Kočevje in southern Slovenia. It is the seat of the municipality.
Geography
The town is loc ...
) with German colonists from their Upper Carinthian lands.
![Baldramsdorf Ortenburg mit Gmeineck 01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/Baldramsdorf_Ortenburg_mit_Gmeineck_01.jpg)
Struggling for autonomy against the Carinthian dukes from the House of Sponheim and their
Meinhardiner
The Counts of Gorizia (german: Grafen von Görz; it, Conti di Gorizia; sl, Goriški grofje), also known as the Meinhardiner, were a Graf, comital, Fürst, princely and Herzog, ducal dynasty in the Holy Roman Empire. Named after Gorizia Castle i ...
successors, the Ortenburgs avoided open conflict. In 1306, when the Meinhardiner duke
Henry of Carinthia
Henry of Gorizia (german: Heinrich, cs, Jindřich; – 2 April 1335), a member of the House of Gorizia, was Duke of Carinthia and Landgrave of Carniola (as Henry VI) and Count of Tyrol from 1295 until his death, as well as King of Bohemia, Marg ...
reached for the
Bohemian crown, the Ortenburgs supported his rival
Rudolf I of Habsburg
Rudolf I (1 May 1218 – 15 July 1291) was the first King of Germany from the House of Habsburg. The first of the count-kings of Germany, he reigned from 1273 until his death.
Rudolf's election marked the end of the Great Interregnum which h ...
. Soon after, their
immediate rights were acknowledged by the
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...
king
Albert I of Germany
Albert I of Habsburg (german: Albrecht I.) (July 12551 May 1308) was a Duke of Austria and Styria from 1282 and King of Germany from 1298 until his assassination. He was the eldest son of King Rudolf I of Germany and his first wife Gertrude o ...
, and later confirmed by Emperor
Sigismund Sigismund (variants: Sigmund, Siegmund) is a German proper name, meaning "protection through victory", from Old High German ''sigu'' "victory" + ''munt'' "hand, protection". Tacitus latinises it ''Segimundus''. There appears to be an older form of ...
in a 1420 deed. Two years before however, the last Count Frederick III of Ortenburg had died without heirs and his estates were inherited by Count
Hermann II of Celje (''Cilli'').
When the
Counts of Celje
The Counts of Celje ( sl, Celjski grofje) or the Counts of Cilli (german: Grafen von Cilli; hu, cillei grófok) were the most influential late medieval noble dynasty on the territory of present-day Slovenia. Risen as vassals of the Habsburg dukes ...
themselves became extinct with the killing of Hermann's grandson
Ulrich II in 1456, the Counts of Ortenburg-Neuortenburg claimed their ostensible rights, but failed to prove their
kinship
In anthropology, kinship is the web of social relationships that form an important part of the lives of all humans in all societies, although its exact meanings even within this discipline are often debated. Anthropologist Robin Fox says that ...
to the Carinthian Ortenburgs.
Their attempts to gain the Ortenburg estates lasted until the 18th century, but were all rejected. Instead, the Habsburg emperor
Frederick III took possession of the Ortenburg estates, which his great-grandson Archduke
Ferdinand I of Austria
en, Ferdinand Charles Leopold Joseph Francis Marcelin
, image = Kaiser Ferdinand I.jpg
, caption = Portrait by Eduard Edlinger (1843)
, succession = Emperor of AustriaKing of Hungary
, moretext = ( more...)
, cor-type = ...
granted to his treasurer
Gabriel von Salamanca
In Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Gabriel (); Greek language, Greek: grc, Γαβριήλ, translit=Gabriḗl, label=none; Latin language, Latin: ''Gabriel''; Coptic language, Coptic: cop, Ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ, transli ...
in 1524.
Today, the ruins of the Ortenburg Castle can still be seen on Goldeck mountain above the village of Baldramsdorf, west of
Spittal an der Drau
Spittal an der Drau is a town in the western part of the Austrian federal state of Carinthia. It is the administrative centre of Spittal an der Drau District, Austria's second largest district (''Bezirk'') by area.
Geography
The town is located o ...
in Carinthia, Austria.
Genealogy
*Adalbert I (10381096), married Bertha of Dießen-
Andechs
Andechs is a municipality in the district of Starnberg in Bavaria in Germany. It is renowned in Germany and beyond for Andechs Abbey, a Benedictine monastery that has brewed beer since 1455. The monastery brewery offers tours to visitors.
The 2 ...
**Otto I (10881157), married Agnes of
Auersperg
***Henry I (11381192)
***Otto II (11401197), married Brigida of
Haimburg (Heunburg)
****Ulrich (11881253),
Bishop of Gurk
The Bishop of Gurk is the head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gurk, which was established in 1072 as the first suffragan bishop by Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Salzburg, Archbishop Gebhard of Salzburg in the Duchy of Carinthia.
Initially perfo ...
12211253
****Herman I (11961256), married Elizabeth of Heunburg, secondly Euphemia of Plain-
Hardegg
Hardegg () is a town in the district of Hollabrunn in Lower Austria, Austria. It is situated in the Waldviertel region on the river Thaya, directly on the border with the Czech Republic. The Thaya valley is protected as the Thayatal National Park, ...
*****Frederick I (12471304), regent of
Carniola
Carniola ( sl, Kranjska; , german: Krain; it, Carniola; hu, Krajna) is a historical region that comprised parts of present-day Slovenia. Although as a whole it does not exist anymore, Slovenes living within the former borders of the region sti ...
under King
Rudolph I of Germany
Rudolf I (1 May 1218 – 15 July 1291) was the first King of Germany from the House of Habsburg. The first of the count-kings of Germany, he reigned from 1273 until his death.
Rudolf's election marked the end of the Great Interregnum which h ...
, married Adelheid, daughter of Count
Meinhard I of Gorizia-Tyrol
Meinhard I ( – 22 July 1258), a member of the House of Gorizia (''Meinhardiner''), was Count of Gorizia (as Meinhard III) from 1231 and Count of Tyrol from 1253 until his death.
Life
He was the son of Count Engelbert III of Gorizia and hi ...
******Euphemia (12781316), married Count Hugo II of
Werdenberg
******Catharine (b. 1279), married
Rizzardo IV da Camino Rizzardo IV da Camino (1274 – April 12, 1312) was an Italian nobleman and military leader, a member of the da Camino family and lord of Treviso.
He was the son of Gherardo III da Camino, first lord of Treviso from the family, and Alice da Vivaro. ...
******Meinhard I (12801332), regent of Carniola, founder of
Gottschee County
Gottschee (, sl, Kočevsko) refers to a former German-speaking region in Carniola, a crownland of the Habsburg Empire, part of the historical and traditional region of Lower Carniola, now in Slovenia. The region has been a county, duchy, distric ...
, married Elizabeth of Sternberg-
Peggau
Peggau is a municipality in the district of Graz-Umgebung in the Austrian state of Styria
Styria (german: Steiermark ; Serbo-Croatian and sl, ; hu, Stájerország) is a state (''Bundesland'') in the southeast of Austria. With an area of ...
*******Meinhard II (d. 1337), married Belingeria
della Torre The House of Della Torre (Torriani or Thurn) were an Italian noble family who rose to prominence in Lombardy during the 12th–14th centuries, until they held the lordship of Milan before being ousted by the Visconti.
History
The family originall ...
*******Herman II (d. 1338), married Adelheid of
Hohenlohe
The House of Hohenlohe () is a German princely dynasty. It ruled an immediate territory within the Holy Roman Empire which was divided between several branches. The Hohenlohes became imperial counts in 1450. The county was divided numerous time ...
*******Elizabeth, married
Stephen II, Ban of Bosnia
Stephen II ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, separator=" / ", Стефан II, Stjepan II) was the Bosnian Ban from 1314, but in reality from 1322 to 1353 together with his brother, Vladislav Kotromanić in 1326–1353. He was the son of Bosnian Ban Stephen I Kot ...
******Otto III (12821343), married Sophia of Hardegg, daughter of
Burgrave
Burgrave, also rendered as burggrave (from german: Burggraf, la, burgravius, burggravius, burcgravius, burgicomes, also praefectus), was since the medieval period in Europe (mainly Germany) the official title for the ruler of a castle, especial ...
Berthold of
Magdeburg
Magdeburg (; nds, label=Low Saxon, Meideborg ) is the capital and second-largest city of the German state Saxony-Anhalt. The city is situated at the Elbe river.
Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archdiocese of Magdebur ...
******Adelheid (12841304), Count Ulrich IV of Berg-
Schelklingen
Schelklingen is a town in the district of Alb-Donau in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. It is situated 10 km north of Ehingen, and 20 km west of Ulm. Schelklingen and 82% of its territory form part of the Swabian Jura Biosphere Reserve.
...
******Albert I (12861335)
*******Rudolph, married Margaret, daughter Count Albert II of
Gorizia
Gorizia (; sl, Gorica , colloquially 'old Gorizia' to distinguish it from Nova Gorica; fur, label= Standard Friulian, Gurize, fur, label= Southeastern Friulian, Guriza; vec, label= Bisiacco, Gorisia; german: Görz ; obsolete English ''Gorit ...
(''Görz'')
*******Adelheid (d. 1391), married Count Ulrich I of
Celje
)
, pushpin_map = Slovenia
, pushpin_label_position = left
, pushpin_map_caption = Location of the city of Celje in Slovenia
, coordinates =
, subdivision_type = Cou ...
(''Cilli'')
*******Frederick II (d. 1355), married Margaret of
Pfannberg
*******Albert (d. 1390), Prince-Bishop of
Trent
Trent may refer to:
Places Italy
* Trento in northern Italy, site of the Council of Trent United Kingdom
* Trent, Dorset, England, United Kingdom Germany
* Trent, Germany, a municipality on the island of Rügen United States
* Trent, California, ...
13631390
*******Otto IV (d. 1374/76), regent of Carniola, married Anna of Babonić-Krupp
********Frederick III (d. 1418), regent of Carniola, married Margaret of
Teck Teck may refer to:
* Teck Castle (Burg Teck) in Württemberg, Germany
* Teckberg, mountain on which it is located
* Duke of Teck, a title of nobility, associated with Teck Castle
* Teck Railway, Germany
* Teck Resources, a Canadian mining company ...
*****Euphemia (12561292), married Count
Albert I of Gorizia
Albert I ( – 1 April 1304), a member of the House of Gorizia (''Meinhardiner'' dynasty), ruled the counties of Gorizia (''Görz'') and Tyrol from 1258, jointly with his elder brother Meinhard IV. In 1271, the brothers divided their heritage ...
***Hermann (11471200),
Bishop of Gurk
The Bishop of Gurk is the head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gurk, which was established in 1072 as the first suffragan bishop by Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Salzburg, Archbishop Gebhard of Salzburg in the Duchy of Carinthia.
Initially perfo ...
11791180
***Agnes (11491207), married Berthold I,
Count of Tyrol
The (Princely) County of Tyrol was an estate of the Holy Roman Empire established about 1140. After 1253, it was ruled by the House of Gorizia and from 1363 by the House of Habsburg. In 1804, the County of Tyrol, unified with the secularised pr ...
References
External links
Genealogie
Jahrhundertbuch E. Petschauer über Gottschee und Ortenburger(pdf 1,7 MB)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ortenburg
Counts of Austria
Bavarian noble families
Austrian people of German descent
Slovenian people of German descent
Duchy of Carinthia