The House of Waldburg is a princely family of Upper

Swabia Swabia ; german: Schwaben , colloquially ''Schwabenland'' or ''Ländle''; archaic English also Suabia or Svebia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany. The name is ultimately derived from the medieval Duchy of ...

, founded some time previous to the 12th century; some cadet lineages are comital families. Eberhard von Tanne-Waldburg (? - 1234) was the

steward Steward may refer to: Positions or roles * Steward (office), a representative of a monarch * Steward (Methodism), a leader in a congregation and/or district * Steward, a person responsible for supplies of food to a college, club, or other ins ...

, or ''

seneschal The word ''seneschal'' () can have several different meanings, all of which reflect certain types of supervising or administering in a historic context. Most commonly, a seneschal was a senior position filled by a court appointment within a royal, ...

'', and adviser of the

Staufen Staufen refers to: *Hohenstaufen, a dynasty of German emperors *Staufen im Breisgau, a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany *Staufen, Aargau, in Switzerland *Staufen (protein), a protein found in the egg of ''Drosophila'' *Staufen, Austria The ...

dukes of Swabia, and later the adviser of the Emperor Friedrich II. During the anti-Staufen uprising, he and his brother Friedrich von Tanne took opposing sides. Friedrich was killed in 1197 in Montefiascone and Eberhard became the guardian of his nephew, Heinrich, until 1220. Subsequently, he and his nephew administered Swabia during the absence of the emperors. He was entrusted with the imperial regalia that was kept at Waldburg from 1220–1225, hence the name "seneshal," or ''steward''. Eberhard was the founding "father" of the Waldburg lines, and from him the medieval, early modern, and modern lines descend.

History

Alttrauchburg

In 1258 the fief of Alttrauchburg had been given to the stewards of Waldburg, who purchased it outright in 1306 from the count, who had run into debt. The tower-like core structure was now extended and built on. To the south, the large

outer bailey An outer bailey or outer ward is the defended outer enclosure of a castle.Friar, Stephen (2003). ''The Sutton Companion to Castles'', Sutton Publishing, Stroud, 2003, p. 22. It protects the inner bailey and usually contains those ancillary bui ...

was laid out together with its strong, rectangular, advanced tower. As a result, the Waldburgs mostly lived in the castle by themselves or let had it managed by vogts (1418 Hans von Mühlegg). In 1429, the Trauchburg went to the Jacobian line of the family. Some lords are referred to in the sources as "bad stewards", i.e. were in constant financial difficulties. As a result of suffering capture and damage in various conflicts, the castle of Alttrauchburg was expanded and strengthened in the 16th century and upgraded into a representative seat of territorial lordship and government. In 1628, the Waldburgs became imperial counts and moved in 1690 to their '' schloss'' at Kißlegg, abandoning their seat at Trauchburg and using it as a quarry for the new ''schloss'' at Kißlegg. In 1772 the Jacobian line of the Waldburgs died out with Count Francis Charles Eusebius. The estate went to the line of the counts of Waldburg-Zeil and the castle is still owned by this family today.

Notable members

* Conrad of Winterstetten (d. 1243), imperial butler, procurator of Swabia, guardian of Henry (VII) and Conrad IV * Georg Truchsess von Waldburg, (25 January 1488 – 29 May 1531), also known as Bauernjörg. He was born in Waldsee, the son of Johannes d. j. v. Waldburg and Helene Countess von Zollern. At

Böblingen Böblingen (; Swabian German, Swabian: ''Beblenga'') is a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, seat of Böblingen (district), Böblingen District. Sindelfingen and Böblingen are Geographic contiguity, contiguous. History Böblingen was found ...

12 May 1525 in one of the bloodiest battles of the

German Peasants' War The German Peasants' War, Great Peasants' War or Great Peasants' Revolt (german: Deutscher Bauernkrieg) was a widespread popular revolt in some German-speaking areas in Central Europe from 1524 to 1525. It failed because of intense oppositio ...

, Jörg Truchsess von Waldburg attacked a force of 15,000 armed peasants, of which 3,000 were killed. Married Appolonia von Waldburg-Sonnenberg in 1509; and, second, to Maria von Oettingen (11 April 1498 – 18 August 1555). Georg III ("Bauernjörg"), des H.R.R. Erbtruchseß (1519–1531), Field Captain of the Swabian League.. * Otto Truchsess von Waldburg * Christoph Truchsess von Waldburg (d. 1612) * Gebhard Truchsess von Waldburg (1546–1601). Archbishop and Prince-Elector of Cologne, 1577–1588. See also

Cologne War The Cologne War (german: Kölner Krieg, Kölnischer Krieg, Truchsessischer Krieg; 1583–88) was a conflict between Protestant and Catholic factions that devastated the Electorate of Cologne, a historical ecclesiastical principality of the Holy ...

* Karl, Truchsess von Waldburg (1547–1593) * Sigmund Christoph von Waldburg (1754-1814), the last

bishop of Chiemsee The Bishopric of Chiemsee was a Roman Catholic diocese. While based on the islands of the Chiemsee in Bavaria, Germany, most of its territory lay in the County of Tyrol, Austria. The bishopric ceased to be a residential see in 1808. and accordin ...

. * Alois Graf von Waldburg-Zeil (1933-2014), German politician, manager and landowner * Clemens Graf von Waldburg-Zeil (born 1960), German entrepreneur, manager and landowner

Comital families

* Waldburg-Waldburg * Waldburg-Capustigall * Waldburg-Wurzach *

Waldburg-Sonnenburg Sonnenberg was a county ruled by the comital Waldburg family of Upper Swabia, located around Nüziders-Sonnenberg in Vorarlberg, then part of Tyrol (Austria). Sonnenberg was a partition of Waldburg and was annexed by the Archduchy of Austria in ...

Waldburg-Friedburg-Scheer Waldburg-Friedburg-Scheer was a County ruled by the House of Waldburg, located in southeastern Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Waldburg-Friedburg-Scheer was a partition of Waldburg-Trauchburg Waldburg-Trauchburg was a County within Holy Roman Empir ...

* Waldburg-Wolfegg-Zeil * Waldburg-Waldsee * Waldburg-Scheer * Waldburg-Trauchburg * Waldburg-Wolfegg * Waldburg-Zeil

Notable castles

Waldburg Burg 2009.jpg, Waldburg Castle Aerial image of the Schloss Wolfegg (view from the south).jpg, Wolfegg Castle Bad Waldsee Schloss.jpg, Waldsee Castle File:Schloss Zeil (Der Fürst).JPG, Zeil Castle near Leutkirch Bad Wurzach Schloss Hauptfassade.jpg, Wurzach Castle Kißlegg - Neues Schloss 1721-27 erbaut.JPG, New Castle at Kißlegg Schloss Neutrauchburg bei Isny, von S 2.JPG, Neutrauchburg Castle File:PalastHohenems2.jpg, Hohenems Palace, Austria

Sources

;Citations and notes ;Bibliography * Gollwitzer, Heinz, ''Die Standesherren. Die politische und gesellschaftliche Stellung der Mediatisierten 1815-1918'', Stuttgart 1957, Göttingen 1964. {{Authority control Waldburg, House of