The House of Finck von Finckenstein is a

noble family Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy (class), aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below Royal family, royalty. Nobility has often been an Estates of the realm, estate of the realm with many e ...

classified as ''

Uradel (, German: "ancient nobility"; adjective or ) is a genealogical term introduced in late 18th-century Germany to distinguish those families whose noble rank can be traced to the 14th century or earlier. The word stands opposed to ''Briefadel'', ...

'' (

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

for 'ancient nobility'). It is one of the oldest

Prussian Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an e ...

aristocratic families extant, dating back to the 12th century in the

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 ...

Origins

Finkenstein am Faaker See Altfinkenstein 14 Burgruine 17022015 9915

According to the

Prussian State Archive Königsberg Prussian State Archive in Mittelhufen The Prussian State Archive Königsberg (german: Preußisches Staatsarchiv Königsberg) was an archive in Königsberg, Germany. It consisted of documents from the state of the Teutonic Order, the Duchy of Prussi ...

, the first representative of the family appeared authentically with one 'Niche of Roghusen' in 1388 in Roggenhausen in the

State of the Teutonic Order The State of the Teutonic Order (german: Staat des Deutschen Ordens, ; la, Civitas Ordinis Theutonici; lt, Vokiečių ordino valstybė; pl, Państwo zakonu krzyżackiego), also called () or (), was a medieval Crusader state, located in Centr ...

. However, his allocation is uncertain; under its current name, the house appears authentically in 1451 with 'Michael Fincke' who calls himself 'Finck von Roggenhausen' in 1474. The family was raised to

Imperial Count Imperial Count (german: Reichsgraf) was a title in the Holy Roman Empire. In the medieval era, it was used exclusively to designate the holder of an imperial county, that is, a fief held directly ( immediately) from the emperor, rather than from ...

s (''Reichsgrafen'') and

Counts 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.L. G. Pine, Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty'' ...

(''

Graf (feminine: ) is a historical title of the German nobility, usually translated as "count". Considered to be intermediate among noble ranks, the title is often treated as equivalent to the British title of "earl" (whose female version is "coun ...

en'') in Prussia as 'Finck von Finckenstein' in 1710. The Finck von Finckenstein's Imperial Count Diploma of 1710 determines as the cradle of the house of Finck von Finckenstein the today dilapidated Finkenstein Castle ruin in

Carinthia Carinthia (german: Kärnten ; sl, Koroška ) is the southernmost States of Austria, Austrian state, in the Eastern Alps, and is noted for its mountains and lakes. The main language is German language, German. Its regional dialects belong to t ...

. Hereafter the house appears for the first time 1143 with Gotwold von Finkenstein,

Master Master or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles * Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans *Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...

of Finkenstein in Carinthia. The Carinthian branch of the Finckensteins died in the 14th century, a junior branch, however, joined the Order of St John and after possibly participating in the

Third Crusade The Third Crusade (1189–1192) was an attempt by three European monarchs of Western Christianity (Philip II of France, Richard I of England and Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor) to reconquer the Holy Land following the capture of Jerusalem by ...

conquered

Old Prussia Prussia (Old Prussian: ''Prūsa''; german: Preußen; lt, Prūsija; pl, Prusy; russian: Пруссия, tr=Prussiya, ''/Prussia/Borussia'') is a historical region in Europe on the south-eastern coast of the Baltic Sea, that ranges from the Vis ...

and

Christianised Christianization ( or Christianisation) is to make Christian; to imbue with Christian principles; to become Christian. It can apply to the conversion of an individual, a practice, a place or a whole society. It began in the Roman Empire, conti ...

the

Old Prussians Old Prussians, Baltic Prussians or simply Prussians (Old Prussian: ''prūsai''; german: Pruzzen or ''Prußen''; la, Pruteni; lv, prūši; lt, prūsai; pl, Prusowie; csb, Prësowié) were an indigenous tribe among the Baltic peoples that in ...

. According to the Imperial Count Diploma Konrad Finck von Finckenstein came during the

Prussian Crusade The Prussian Crusade was a series of 13th-century campaigns of Roman Catholic crusaders, primarily led by the Teutonic Knights, to Christianize under duress the pagan Old Prussians. Invited after earlier unsuccessful expeditions against the Pruss ...

in the 13th century with his 100 knights of the Order of St John in its drive to conquer

alongside the

Teutonic Knights The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...

People

* Count Ernst Finck von Finckenstein, Electoral Prussian chamberlain, named "The Rich Shepherd", (1633–1717) ** Count Ernst Friedrich Finck von Finckenstein, companion of King

George I George I or 1 may refer to: People * Patriarch George I of Alexandria ( fl. 621–631) * George I of Constantinople (d. 686) * George I of Antioch (d. 790) * George I of Abkhazia (ruled 872/3–878/9) * George I of Georgia (d. 1027) * Yuri Dolgoruk ...

on his first passage to Great Britain in 1714 and later Royal Prussian war- and budget minister (1698–1753) **

Countess Katharina Dorothea Finck von Finckenstein , spouse = Count Georg Adam III von Schlieben , issue = Countess Marie Charlotte Luise von SchliebenCount Karl Leopold von SchliebenCount Georg Adam IV von Schlieben , image = , birth_date = 6 or 7 June 1700 , birth_place = Schönberg, East P ...

, great-great-grandmother of

Christian IX of Denmark Christian IX (8 April 181829 January 1906) was King of Denmark from 1863 until his death in 1906. From 1863 to 1864, he was concurrently Duke of Schleswig, Holstein and Lauenburg. A younger son of Frederick William, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein- ...

and ancestress of the monarchs of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

Kingdom of Greece The Kingdom of Greece ( grc, label=Greek, Βασίλειον τῆς Ἑλλάδος ) was established in 1832 and was the successor state to the First Hellenic Republic. It was internationally recognised by the Treaty of Constantinople, where ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

and

Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...

(1700–1728) *

Count Albrecht Konrad Finck von Finckenstein Count Albrecht Konrad Reinhold Finck von Finckenstein (30 October 1660 – 16 December 1735) was a Prussian nobleman, field marshal and statesman. Finck von Finckenstein came from ancient Prussian nobility or according to the Imperial Count Dip ...

, Prussian

field marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered as ...

and governor of the Crown Prince, the future King

Frederick the Great Frederick II (german: Friedrich II.; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was King in Prussia from 1740 until 1772, and King of Prussia from 1772 until his death in 1786. His most significant accomplishments include his military successes in the Sil ...

(1660–1735) ** Count Friedrich Ludwig Finck von Finckenstein, Royal Prussian

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

(1709–1785) *** Count Karl Friedrich Ludwig Albrecht Finck von Finckenstein, Royal Prussian budget- and justice minister, chief minister of the East Prussian Government (1743–1803) **

Count Karl-Wilhelm Finck von Finckenstein Karl Wilhelm Reichsgraf Finck von Finckenstein (11 February 1714 – 3 January 1800) was a Count of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, a Prussian diplomat, and later Prime Minister of Prussia. Family He was the son of Count Albrec ...

, Prussian

prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

(1714–1800) *** Count Friedrich Ludwig Karl Finck von Finckenstein, chief minister of the East-Brandenburg ("Neumark") Government (1745–1818) **** Count Wilhelm Karl Leopold Finck von Finckenstein, Royal Prussian

[(1792–1877) *****

, German banker (1923–2011) *****Count Hans-Werner Finck von Finckenstein, German diplomat (1926–2012) * Count Karl Bonaventura Finck von Finckenstein, Prussian Chamberlain (office), chamberlain, member of the Prussian House of Lords ("Preußisches Herrenhaus") and

Schönberg Schönberg (german: beautiful hill) may refer to: Places Austria *Schönberg im Stubaital, a municipality in the district of Innsbruck-Land, Tyrol * Schönberg am Kamp, a town in the district of Krems-Land, Lower Austria Belgium * Schönber ...

(1794–1865) ** Count Bonaventura Finck von Finckenstein,

of Jäskendorf (1872–1950) *** Count Theodor Finck von Finckenstein, author of "Protokollarischer Ratgeber" (1923–2001) **** Count Hans-Konrad (Hako) Finck von Finckenstein, capital sourcing director for alternative investments (born 1961) ** Count Ottfried Finck von Finckenstein, German author (1901–1987) ** Countess Eva Finck von Finckenstein, German politician (1903–1994) *** Count Konrad Finck von Finckenstein, chairman of the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications, (born 1945) ** Count Björn Finck von Finckenstein, Namibian politician (born 1958) * Countess Amalie Ludowika Finck von Finckenstein, mother of Russian field marshal Prince Peter zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg * Count Karl August Finck von Finckenstein, general of the Prussian Infantry (1835–1915) * Count Wilhelm Heinrich Karl Finck von Finckenstein, chamberlain of German Emperor Wilhelms II and member of the Prussian House of Lords ("Preußisches Herrenhaus") (1850–1899) * Count Albrecht Alexander Otto Finck von Finckenstein,

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

(1859–1936) * Count Konrad Wilhelm Gustav Finck von Finckenstein,

(born 1862) * Count Bernhard Gustav Wilhelm Finck von Finckenstein,

(1863–1945) German musician

Tommy Finke Tommy Finke (born Thomas David Finke on 4 February 1981 in Bochum, Germany), also known as T.D. Finck von Finckenstein, is a singer-songwriter as well as composer of electronic computer music, theatre music and for modern dance. Bio Tommy ...

also uses the pseudonym T.D. Finck von Finckenstein

References

* Familiengeschichte des Gräflich Finck von Finckensteinschen Geschlechts. Gyldendal’scher Verlag, Berlin 1920. * Gräfliche Häuser Band III. In:

Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels The ''Almanach de Gotha'' (german: Gothaischer Hofkalender) is a directory of Europe's royalty and higher nobility, also including the major governmental, military and diplomatic corps, as well as statistical data by country. First published ...

. Band 61, C. A. Starke Verlag, Limburg (Lahn) 1975, ISSN 0435-2408 * Gräfliche Häuser Band XIV. In:

. Band 105, C. A. Starke Verlag, Limburg (Lahn) 1993, ISSN 0435-2408. * Gräfliche Häuser Band XIV. In:

. Band 146, C. A. Starke Verlag, Limburg (Lahn) 2009, . *

Günter de Bruyn Günter de Bruyn (; 1 November 1926 – 4 October 2020) was a German author. Life Günter de Bruyn was born in Berlin in November 1926; his father Carl was a Catholic from Bavaria. Günter served as a Luftwaffenhelfer and soldier in World War II ...

: Die Finckensteins. Eine Familie im Dienste Preußens. Siedler Verlag, Berlin 1999, . * Preußisches Urkundenbuch, Regesten und Texte zur Geschichte Preußens und des Deutschen Ordens * Untersuchungen über das Stammland der Grafen Finck von Finckenstein, von G.A.v.Mülverstedt, S183ff, in Preussische Provinzialblätter 1834 * Die Sippe Rockhausen, Ernst Rieger, Artur Rockhausen, Johannes Webers, Eigenverlag, 1995

External links

Schloss Finckenstein

Website des Familienverbandes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Finck von Finckenstein German noble families Prussian nobility Austrian noble families