The House of Schwarzenberg is a German (

Franconia Franconia (german: Franken, ; Franconian dialect: ''Franggn'' ; bar, Frankn) is a region of Germany, characterised by its culture and Franconian dialect (German: ''Fränkisch''). The three administrative regions of Lower, Middle and Upper F ...

n) and Czech ( Bohemian) aristocratic family, and it was one of the most prominent European noble houses. The Schwarzenbergs are members of the

German nobility The German nobility (german: deutscher Adel) and royalty were status groups of the medieval society in Central Europe, which enjoyed certain privileges relative to other people under the laws and customs in the German-speaking area, until the be ...

and Czech nobility and they held the rank of

Princes of the Holy Roman Empire Prince of the Holy Roman Empire ( la, princeps imperii, german: Reichsfürst, cf. '' Fürst'') was a title attributed to a hereditary ruler, nobleman or prelate recognised as such by the Holy Roman Emperor. Definition Originally, possessors ...

. The family belongs to the

high nobility Traditional rank amongst European royalty, peers, and nobility is rooted in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Although they vary over time and among geographic regions (for example, one region's prince might be equal to another's grand duk ...

and traces its roots to the Lords of

Seinsheim Seinsheim is a municipality in the district of Kitzingen in Bavaria in Germany. It is best known for its connection with the comital Seinsheim family, which died out in 1958 with the exception of the princely House of Schwarzenberg The House of ...

during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

. The current head of the family is Karel, the 12th Prince of Schwarzenberg, a Czech politician who served as

Minister of Foreign Affairs A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between coun ...

of the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. Th ...

. The family owns properties and lands across

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...

and Switzerland. The family is traditionally based in Bohemia (

), where its ancestral seat is.

History

Origin

The family stems from the Lords of

, who had established themselves in

during the

. A branch of the

family (the non-Schwarzenberg portion died out in 1958) was created when Erkinger of Seinsheim acquired the

n territory of Schwarzenberg and the castle of Schwarzenberg in

Scheinfeld Scheinfeld is a town in the Neustadt (Aisch)-Bad Windsheim district, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated 14 km northwest of Neustadt (Aisch), and 40 km east of Würzburg. Schloss Schwarzenberg is adjacent to the town. The town is hom ...

during the early part of the 15th century. He was then granted the title of ''

Freiherr (; male, abbreviated as ), (; his wife, abbreviated as , literally "free lord" or "free lady") and (, his unmarried daughters and maiden aunts) are designations used as titles of nobility in the German-speaking areas of the Holy Roman Empire ...

'' (Baron) of Schwarzenberg in 1429. At that time, the family also possessed some fiefdoms in Bohemia.

Ascent and expansion

In 1599, the Schwarzenbergs were elevated 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, and the family was later raised to princely status in 1670. In 1623 came the

Styria Styria (german: Steiermark ; Serbo-Croatian and sl, ; hu, Stájerország) is a state (''Bundesland'') in the southeast of Austria. With an area of , Styria is the second largest state of Austria, after Lower Austria. Styria is bordered to ...

Dominion of Murau The term ''Dominion'' is used to refer to one of several self-governing nations of the British Empire. "Dominion status" was first accorded to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland, South Africa, and the Irish Free State at the 19 ...

into the Schwarzenberg family due to the marriage of Count Georg Ludwig of Schwarzenberg (1586–1646) with

Anna Neumann von Wasserleonburg Anna may refer to: People Surname and given name * Anna (name) Mononym * Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke * Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773) * Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century) * Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 12 ...

(1535–1623). Furthermore, the House of Schwarzenberg acquired extensive land holdings in Bohemia in 1661 through a marriage alliance with the House of Eggenberg. In the 1670s, the Schwarzenbergs established their primary seat in Bohemia and, until 1918, their main residence was in

Český Krumlov Český Krumlov (; german: Krumau, , or ''Böhmisch Krumau'') is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. The historic centre with the Český Krumlov Castle complex is protected by law as an urban monument reservation, and s ...

, Bohemia (now in

Schwarzenberg/Sulz family unification

Due to the absence of a male heir and his only daughter

Maria Anna Maria Anna may refer to: * Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria (1738–1789), the second but eldest surviving daughter of Maria Theresa, Queen of Hungary and Bohemia, and Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor. * Maria Anna Adamberger (1752–1804), Vie ...

married to Prince Ferdinand of Schwarzenberg, Johann Ludwig II Count of Sulz proposed a family unification between the Counts of Sulz and Princes of Schwarzenberg at the Imperial Court. His request was granted, which not only transferred all legal and property rights upon his death in 1687 from the Sulz family to the Schwarzenberg family, but assured that the Sulz family continues in the Schwarzenberg family. The visible affirmation of this bond was the merging of the coat of arms. Zámek Jinonice, erb nad vjezdem.jpg, Alliance crest on Jinonice castle Schwarzenberg1696.jpg, Ferdinand & Maria Anna Schwarzenberg1696rs.jpg, Alliance crest on Schwarzenberg Ducat, which was the own currency issued by the House of Schwarzenberg

Two princely lines

At the beginning of the 19th century, the House of Schwarzenberg was divided into two princely-titled lines ('' majorats''). This division was already foreseen in the will of Prince Ferdinand (1652-1703). However, the absence of two male heirs until Joseph II and Karl I Philipp inhibited the execution. The senior branch, which held not only the Palais Schwarzenberg in Vienna, but also the Dominions of Scheinfeld, Krumlov, Frauenberg and Murau, died out in the male line in 1979 upon the death of Joseph III of Schwarzenberg, who was the 11th Prince of Schwarzenberg. The cadet branch, which was established by

Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg Karl Philipp, Fürst zu Schwarzenberg (or Charles Philip, Prince of Schwarzenberg; 18/19 April 1771 – 15 October 1820) was an Austrian Generalissimo. He fought in the Battle of Wagram (1809) but the Austrians lost decisively against Napol ...

at Orlík Castle, continues to the present day. The two branches have now been re-united under the current head of the family, Karl VII of Schwarzenberg, who is the 12th Prince of Schwarzenberg. He is a Czech politician and served as

of the

. Adolf, Jan Nepomuk, Josef Schwarzenberg.jpg, The three last Princes of the primogeniture: Adolf (l.), Johann II (m.) and Josef III (r.) Msc 2007-Sunday, 09.00 - 11.00 Uhr -Moerk084 Schwarzenberg.jpg, The heir of both lines: Karl VII/I Schwarzenberští zaměstnanci, Orlík.jpg, The last Prince of the secundogeniture: Karl VI (m.)

Present time

Due to the unification of the family-headship under Karl VII Schwarzenberg, the fidei commissa of both the primogeniture / Hluboka line and the

secundogeniture A secundogeniture (from la, secundus "following, second," and "born") was a dependent territory given to a younger son of a princely house and his descendants, creating a cadet branch. This was a special form of inheritance in which the second ...

/ Orlik line came under the single ownership of the last-mentioned prince. Karl VII created in the 1980s the current structure of the family belongings. The German and Austrian properties from the primogeniture were embedded (with some exceptions) into the ''Fürstlich Schwarzenberg'sche Familienstiftung'' (Princely Schwarzenberg Family-Foundation) based in

Vaduz Vaduz ( or , High Alemannic pronunciation: [])Hans Stricker, Toni Banzer, Herbert Hilbe: ''Liechtensteiner Namenbuch. Die Orts- und Flurnamen des Fürstentums Liechtenstein.'' Band 2: ''Die Namen der Gemeinden Triesenberg, Vaduz, Schaan.'' Hrsg. ...

. The art collection, which includes the painting ''The Abduction of Ganymede'' by

Peter Paul Rubens Sir Peter Paul Rubens (; ; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish artist and diplomat from the Duchy of Brabant in the Southern Netherlands (modern-day Belgium). He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque tradit ...

or an important collection of works by

Johann Georg de Hamilton Johann Georg de Hamilton (1672 – 1737), was an 18th-century painter from the Southern Netherlands active in Austria. Biography He was born in Munich as the son of the Scottish painter James de Hamilton, who taught him to paint.

, is held in the separate ''Fürstlich Schwarzenberg'sche Kunststiftung'' (Princely Schwarzenberg Art-Foundation). The Czech property of the secundogeniture is held privately. The members of the family follow careers in the private or military sector. Peter Paul Rubens - The Abduction of Ganymede - WGA20282.jpg, RUBENS: The Abduction of Ganymede (between 1611 and 1612) Hunting scene in Hluboka 1865.jpg, Hunting scene with the Princely family in front of

Hluboká Castle Hluboká Castle (german: Schloss Frauenberg) is a historic château situated in Hluboká nad Vltavou. It is considered one of the most beautiful castles in the Czech Republic. Tourism Hluboká is one of the most famous and most frequently visi ...

in 1865 Hamilton Hirschhetze.jpg, HAMILTON: Hirschhetze (1710)

Frisian and Prussian line

Michael II Baron zu Schwarzenberg (†1469), oldest son of Erkinger I (1362–1437), was married twice. First with Gertrud (Bätze) von Cronberg (†1438), from whom the princely line descends. His second marriage was with Ursula (''Frankengrüner'') Grüner (†~1484), from whom the Frisian and later the Prussian line originates. The children of Michael's and Ursula's alliance were never recognized by their half-siblings, as their first born son was born out of wedlock and the legitimisation only took place with the subsequent wedding. Johann Onuphrius (1513–1584), a great-grandson of Michael II and Ursula, is considered to be the progenitor of the Frisian Line. His marriage with Maria von Grumbach (†1564) ensured ''Groot Terhorne Castle'' until 1879 as the family seat in the Netherlands. The Frisian line was made a member of the

Dutch nobility The Dutch nobility is a small elite social class constisting of individuals or families recognized as noble, and with or without a title of nobility in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The existence of nobility was established in the Constituti ...

by a Royal decree of King William I of the Netherlands on August 28, 1814. Henceforth, the Dutch version thoe Schwartzenberg en Hohenlansberg was applied for this branch of the family. The Prussian Line was established as a cadet branch of the Frisian line with Georg Baron thoe Schwartzenberg en Hohenlansberg (1842–1918), who served as a

Rittmeister __NOTOC__ (German and Scandinavian for "riding master" or "cavalry master") is or was a military rank of a commissioned cavalry officer in the armies of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Scandinavia, and some other countries. A ''Rittmeister'' is typi ...

in the

Imperial German Army The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army (german: Deutsches Heer), was the unified ground and air force of the German Empire. It was established in 1871 with the political unification of Germany under the ...

. He and his descendants were made members of the Prussian nobility by an Imperial decree, issued by Emperor Wilhelm II, and are entitled to carry the German title ''

''.

Imperial immediate estates

The Schwarzenberg family held three Imperial Immediate Estates in the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...

. By coincidence the coat of arms of the ''Princely Landgraviate of Klettgau'' and the ''

Earldom of Buchan The Mormaer () or Earl of Buchan () was originally the provincial ruler of the medieval province of Buchan. Buchan was the first Mormaerdom in the High Medieval Kingdom of the Scots to pass into the hands of a non-Scottish family in the male li ...

'' in Scotland are the same. The Klettgau coat of arms can be found in the left heart shield of the Schwarzenberg coat of arms.

Notable family members

The House of Schwarzenberg produced many military commanders, politicians, church dignitaries (including a Cardinal), innovators and patrons of the arts. They were related to a number of European aristocratic families, notably the Lobkowicz ( cz, Lobkovicové) family. Some of the most noteworthy members of the Schwarzenberg family are:

Property and residences

Germany

The Schwarzenberg family holding included the following residences in Germany:

Bohemia

The Schwarzenberg land holdings in Bohemia included the Duchy of Krumlov, the town of Prachatice and Orlík Castle. The family also acquired the property of the House of Rosenberg ( cz, Rožmberkové). On their lands, the Schwarzenbergs created ponds, planted forests and introduced new technologies in agriculture. Upon the establishment of the

Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia The Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia; cs, Protektorát Čechy a Morava; its territory was called by the Nazis ("the rest of Czechia"). was a partially annexed territory of Nazi Germany established on 16 March 1939 following the German oc ...

in 1939, the possessions of Prince Adolph of Schwarzenberg were seized by the Nazi authorities. He managed to flee, but his cousin Heinrich, Duke of Krumlov, was arrested and deported. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, the

Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...

n government stated, by law No. 143/1947 from August 13, 1947 ''(Lex Schwarzenberg)'', that the assets of the Schwarzenberg-Hluboká primogeniture passed to the Land of Bohemia. The Schwarzenberg family holding included the following residences in Bohemia:

Austria

The Schwarzenberg family holdings included the following residences in Austria:

Ecclesiastical buildings and places

The following religious places are linked to the Schwarzenberg family either as burial or memorial places:

Monuments and memorials

The following monuments are erected for the Schwarzenberg family and its members:

The Family

Heads of the family and title progression

Dynasty

The names hereby presented are those of all the direct successors of the Prince John I of Schwarzenberg (1742–1789). They have been respectively divided into the two branches of Krumlov and Orlik, including the contemporary generations. For the genealogy to be easier to consult, the male successors alone are listed, and they are accompanied with noteworthy information where necessary. In bold the names of the members of the eldest part of the family. * Jan I Nepomuk (1742–1789), 5th Prince of Schwarzenberg, 10th (3rd of his line) Duke of Krumlov ** A1. Josef II Jan (1769–1833), 6th Prince of Schwarzenberg, 11th (4th of his line) Duke of Krumlov (1789–1833), founder of the main branch of the family (that of Frauenberg-Krummau) *** B1. Jan Adolf II (1799–1888), 7th Prince of Schwarzenberg, 12th (5th of his line) Duke of Krumlov (1833–1888) **** C1. Adolf Josef (1832–1914), 8th Prince of Schwarzenberg, 13th (6th of his line) Duke of Krumlov (1888–1914) ***** D1. Jan II Nepomuk (1860–1938), 9th Prince of Schwarzenberg, 14th (7th of his line) Duke of Krumlov (1914–1938) ****** E1. Adolph Jan (1890–1950), 10th Prince of Schwarzenberg, 15th (8th of his line) Duke of Krumlov (1938–1950) ****** E2. Karl (1892–1919) ****** E3. Edmund Černov (1897–1932), Called "Black Sheep" as a consequence of the refusal of his surname ***** D2. Alois (1863–1937) ***** D3. Felix (1867–1946),

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 ...

Austro-Hungarian Army The Austro-Hungarian Army (, literally "Ground Forces of the Austro-Hungarians"; , literally "Imperial and Royal Army") was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy from 1867 to 1918. It was composed of three parts: the joint arm ...

****** E1. Josef III (1900–1979), 11th Prince of Schwarzenberg (1950–1979), last member of the eldest side of the dynasty ****** E2. Heinrich (1903–1965), 16th (9th of his line) Duke of Krumlov (1950–1965) (adopted G1. Karel (VII/I)) ***** D4. Georg (1867–1952) ***** D5. Karel (1871–1902) **** C2. Cajus (1839–1841) *** B2. Felix (1800–1852), Prime Minister of the Austrian Empire *** B3. Friedrich (1809–1885), Archbishop of Prague ** A2. Karel I Philipp (1771–1820), Prince of Schwarzenberg, founder and chief of the second line of the family (Orlík) *** B1. Friedrich (1800–1870), who renounced his right of majorat in favour of his brother *** B2. Karel II (1802–1858) **** C1. Karel III (1824–1904) ***** D1. Karel IV (1859–1913) ****** E1. Karl V (1886–1914), Major

in WWI ******* F1. Karel VI (1911–1989), Lieutenant

Czechoslovak Army The Czechoslovak Army ( Czech and Slovak: Československá armáda) was the name of the armed forces of Czechoslovakia. It was established in 1918 following Czechoslovakia's declaration of independence from Austria-Hungary. History In the f ...

, Dr.phil. ******** G1. Karel (VII / I) Schwarzenberg (born 1937), 12th Prince of Schwarzenberg (from 1979), 17th (10th considering his original line) Duke of Krumlov (from 1965), Former Minister of the Foreign Affairs and candidate to the head of state for the Czech Republic in 2013. He unified the two lines of the family. ********* H1. Johannes Nepomucenus (born 1967), current CEO of the family companies ******** G2. Friedrich (1940–2014), Dr.rer.oec. ********* H1. Ferdinand (born 1989), Forbes 30 under 30 (Czech edition, 2019),

First Lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a ...

Swiss Armed Forces The Swiss Armed Forces (german: Schweizer Armee, french: Armée suisse, it, Esercito svizzero, rm, Armada svizra; ) operates on land and in the air, serving as the primary armed forces of Switzerland. Under the country's militia system, r ...

******* F2. Franz (1913–1992), Professor at

Loyola University Chicago Loyola University Chicago (Loyola or LUC) is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit research university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1870 by the Society of Jesus, Loyola is one of the largest Catholic Church, Catholic univers ...

, Dr.jur. ******** G1. Jan (born 1957), Officer of the United States, U.S. Navy

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

, former US Navy Special Operations Officer, Deputy Dir. of US Pacific Command's Joint Interagency Coordination Group for Counter-terrorism and Commander of the Combined Joint Task Force Paladin in Afghanistan ********* H1. Alexander (born 1984),

United States Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is ...

****** E2. Ernst (1892–1979), Major

****** E3. Josef (1894–1894) ****** E4. Johann von Nepomuk (1903–1978), Austrian Ambassador, Dr.jur.utr. ******* F1. Erkinger (born 1933), Dr. phil., archaeologist ******** G1. Johannes (born 1963), Dr.rer.nat., Dr.med.univ. ******** G2. Alexander (born 1971), ********* H1. Karl Philipp (born 2003) ***** D2. Friedrich (1862–1936) *** B2. Leopold (1803–1873), Austrian Marshal

Family tree: secundogeniture

Titles

Titles of the members of the family

The title of the head of the princely family is: * HSH The Prince of Schwarzenberg, Duke of Krumlov, Count of Sulz, Princely

Landgrave Landgrave (german: Landgraf, nl, landgraaf, sv, lantgreve, french: landgrave; la, comes magnus, ', ', ', ', ') was a noble title used in the Holy Roman Empire, and later on in its former territories. The German titles of ', ' (" margrave"), ...

of Klettgau **(german: S.D. der Fürst zu Schwarzenberg, Herzog von Krummau, Graf von Sulz, gefürsteter Landgraf im Klettgau) The title of the wife of the head of the family would be: * HSH The Princess of Schwarzenberg, Duchess of Krumlov, Countess of Sulz, Princely Landgravine of Klettgau **(german: I.D. die Fürstin zu Schwarzenberg, Herzogin von Krummau, Gräfin von Sulz, gefürstete Landgräfin im Klettgau) The title of the first born son and heir of the family is: * HSH The Hereditary Prince of Schwarzenberg, Duke of Krumlov, Count of Sulz,

of Klettgau **(german: S.D. der Erbprinz zu Schwarzenberg, Herzog von Krummau, Graf von Sulz, Landgraf im Kledage) The title of the wife of the first born son and heir of the family would be: * HSH The Hereditary Princess of Schwarzenberg, Duchess of Krumlov, Countess of Sulz, Landgravine of Klettgau **(german: I.D. die Erbprinzessin zu Schwarzenberg, Herzogin von Krummau, Gräfin von Sulz, Landgräfin im Klettgau) The title of all other female members of the family is: * HSH Princess ''Name'' of Schwarzenberg, Countess of Sulz,

Landgravine Landgrave (german: Landgraf, nl, landgraaf, sv, lantgreve, french: landgrave; la, comes magnus, ', ', ', ', ') was a noble title used in the Holy Roman Empire, and later on in its former territories. The German titles of ', ' ("margrave"), a ...

of Klettgau **(german: ''I.D. Prinzessin ''Name'' zu Schwarzenberg, Gräfin von Sulz, Landgräfin im Klettgau'', italic=unset) The title of all other male members of the family is: * HSH Prince ''Name'' of Schwarzenberg, Count of Sulz,

of Klettgau **(german: ''S.D. Prinz ''Name'' zu Schwarzenberg, Graf von Sulz, Landgraf im Klettgau'', italic=unset) Although the family is entitled to use the ''von und zu'', only the ''zu'' is applied. Moreover, all members of the family are allowed to use the title ''Fürst'' / ''Fürstin''. However, this is not anymore practiced since the late 19th century and the cognates refer to themselves as ''Prinz'' / ''Prinzessin''.

Title progression

* Baron of the Holy Roman Empire
''

Preßburg Bratislava (, also ; ; german: Preßburg/Pressburg ; hu, Pozsony) is the capital and largest city of Slovakia. Officially, the population of the city is about 475,000; however, it is estimated to be more than 660,000 — approximately 140% of ...

10.8.1429'' * Crown of a Count of France (variant)

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

5.6.1599'' * ''Landsmannschaft in Steiermark''
''6.4.1647'' * Bohemian Inkolat
'' Regensburg 25.4.1654'' * Hungarian Indigenat
''1659'' * Princely Hat