The House of Fugger () is a German upper

bourgeois The bourgeoisie ( , ) is a social class, equivalent to the middle or upper middle class. They are distinguished from, and traditionally contrasted with, the proletariat by their affluence, and their great cultural and financial capital. They ...

family that was historically a prominent group of European

bank A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets. Because ...

ers, members of the fifteenth- and sixteenth-century mercantile patriciate of

Augsburg Augsburg (; bar , Augschburg , links=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swabian_German , label=Swabian German, , ) is a city in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, around west of Bavarian capital Munich. It is a university town and regional seat of the ' ...

, international mercantile bankers, and venture capitalists. Alongside the

Welser family Welser was a German banking and merchant family, originally a patrician family based in Augsburg and Nuremberg, that rose to great prominence in international high finance in the 16th century as bankers to the Habsburgs and financiers of Ch ...

, the Fugger family controlled much of the

European economy The economy of Europe comprises about 748 million people in 50 countries. The formation of the European Union (EU) and in 1999 the introduction of a unified currency, the Euro, brought participating European countries closer through the ...

in the sixteenth century and accumulated enormous wealth. The Fuggers held a near

monopoly A monopoly (from Greek language, Greek el, μόνος, mónos, single, alone, label=none and el, πωλεῖν, pōleîn, to sell, label=none), as described by Irving Fisher, is a market with the "absence of competition", creating a situati ...

on the European

copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...

market. This banking family replaced the

Medici family The House of Medici ( , ) was an Italian banking family and political dynasty that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici, in the Republic of Florence during the first half of the 15th century. The family originated in the Muge ...

, who influenced all of Europe during the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

. The Fuggers took over many of the Medicis' assets and their political power and influence. They were closely affiliated with the

House of 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 ...

whose rise to world power they financed. Unlike the citizenry of their hometown and most other trading patricians of German

free imperial cities In the Holy Roman Empire, the collective term free and imperial cities (german: Freie und Reichsstädte), briefly worded free imperial city (', la, urbs imperialis libera), was used from the fifteenth century to denote a self-ruling city that ...

, such as the Tuchers, they never converted to

Lutheranism Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

, as presented in the

Augsburg Confession The Augsburg Confession, also known as the Augustan Confession or the Augustana from its Latin name, ''Confessio Augustana'', is the primary confession of faith of the Lutheran Church and one of the most important documents of the Protestant Re ...

, but rather remained with the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

and thus close to the Habsburg emperors. Jakob Fugger ''"the Rich"'' was elevated to the nobility of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...

in May 1511 and assumed the title

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 ...

of Kirchberg and Weissenhorn in 1514. Today, he is considered to be one of the wealthiest people ever to have lived, with an GDP-adjusted net worth of over $400 billion, and approximately 2% of the entire GDP of Europe at the time. While the company was dissolved in 1657, the Fuggers remained wealthy landowners and ruled the County of Kirchberg and Weissenhorn. The Babenhausen branch became

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 o ...

in 1803, while the

Glött Glött is a municipality in the district of Dillingen in Bavaria in Germany. History Glött castle and estates were purchased by Anton Fugger in 1537. The Lordship of Glött became part of the Kingdom of Bavaria in 1806. The current municipa ...

branch of the family became

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

s in

Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...

in 1914.

History

Founding

The founder of the family was Hans Fugger, a weaver at

Graben In geology, a graben () is a depressed block of the crust of a planet or moon, bordered by parallel normal faults. Etymology ''Graben'' is a loan word from German, meaning 'ditch' or 'trench'. The word was first used in the geologic contex ...

, near the

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 ...

Free City Free city may refer to: Historical places * Free city (antiquity) a self-governed city during the Hellenistic and Roman Imperial eras * Free imperial city, self-governed city in the Holy Roman Empire subordinate only to the emperor ** Free City of ...

. The last name was originally spelled "Fucker" – the first recorded reference to the family comes when Johann's son, also named Johann (or Hans), moves to Augsburg in 1367, with the local

tax A tax is a compulsory financial charge or some other type of levy imposed on a taxpayer (an individual or legal entity) by a governmental organization in order to fund government spending and various public expenditures (regional, local, or n ...

register laconically noting ''Fucker advenit'', "Fugger has arrived". He married Klara Widolf and became an Augsburg citizen. After Klara's death, he married Elizabeth Gattermann. He joined the weaver's guild, and by 1396 he was ranked high in the list of taxpayers. He added the business of a merchant to that of a weaver. His eldest son,

Andreas Fugger Andreas Fugger (1394, Augsburg – 1457, Augsburg), known as "der Reiche", was a German businessman. He was the oldest son of Hans Fugger and Elisabeth Gfattermann, making him the elder brother of Jakob Fugger the Elder. He was the founder of th ...

, was a merchant in the weaving trade, and was nicknamed "Fugger the Rich" after buying land and other properties. The Fugger family itemized and inventoried a large number of Asian rugs, an unusual undertaking at the time. Andreas's son,

Lukas Fugger Lukas I. Fugger vom Reh (1439 - after 1512) was a German businessman and member of the Fugger family. He was the second eldest son of Andreas Fugger Andreas Fugger (1394, Augsburg – 1457, Augsburg), known as "der Reiche", was a German bus ...

, was granted arms by the Emperor Frederick III, a golden deer on a blue background, and he was soon nicknamed "the Fugger of the Deer". He was too ambitious, however, and went bankrupt. His descendants served their cousins of the famous younger branch and later went to Silesia. Contemporary members of the Fugger of the Deer (''German:'' Fugger vom Reh) are descendants of Matthäus Fugger (1442–1489/92). The current head of the family is Markus Fugger von dem Rech (born 1970). Giovanni_Bellini_-_Portrait_of_Joerg_Fugger_(1474)

Giovanni_Bellini_-_Portrait_of_Joerg_Fugger_(1474)

Hans Fugger's younger son, Jakob the Elder, founded another branch of the family. This branch progressed more steadily and they became known as the "Fuggers of the Lily" after their chosen arms of a flowering

lily ''Lilium'' () is a genus of Herbaceous plant, herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large prominent flowers. They are the true lilies. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in mu ...

on a gold and blue background. Jakob was a master weaver, a merchant, and an

alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many Jurisdiction, jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council membe ...

. He married

Barbara Basinger Barbara Fugger (1419 – 23 July 1497) was a German businessperson and banker. Biography Barbara Baesinger was born to a wealthy family in Augsburg, Germany. While still a teenager, she was married to textile merchant Jakob Fugger the Elder. S ...

, the daughter of a goldsmith. His fortune progressed, and by 1461, he was the twelfth richest man in Augsburg. He died in 1469. Jakob's eldest son, Ulrich, took over the business on his father's death, and in 1473 he provided new suits of clothes to Frederick, his son

Maximilian I Maximilian I may refer to: *Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, reigned 1486/93–1519 *Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria, reigned 1597–1651 *Maximilian I, Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (1636-1689) *Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, reigned 1795� ...

, and his suite on their journey to

Trier Trier ( , ; lb, Tréier ), formerly known in English as Trèves ( ;) and Triers (see also names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle in Germany. It lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of red sandstone in the ...

to meet

Charles the Bold Charles I (Charles Martin; german: Karl Martin; nl, Karel Maarten; 10 November 1433 – 5 January 1477), nicknamed the Bold (German: ''der Kühne''; Dutch: ''de Stoute''; french: le Téméraire), was Duke of Burgundy from 1467 to 1477. ...

Burgundy Burgundy (; french: link=no, Bourgogne ) is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. The c ...

and the

betrothal An engagement or betrothal is the period of time between the declaration of acceptance of a marriage proposal and the marriage itself (which is typically but not always commenced with a wedding). During this period, a couple is said to be ''fi ...

of the young prince to Charles's daughter Maria. Thus began a very profitable relationship between the Fugger family and 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 ...

s. With the help of their brother in Rome, Marx, Ulrich and his brother George handled remittances to the

papal court The papal household or pontifical household (usually not capitalized in the media and other nonofficial use, ), called until 1968 the Papal Court (''Aula Pontificia''), consists of dignitaries who assist the pope in carrying out particular ceremoni ...

of monies for the sale of

indulgences In the teaching of the Catholic Church, an indulgence (, from , 'permit') is "a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for sins". The '' Catechism of the Catholic Church'' describes an indulgence as "a remission before God o ...

and the procuring of church benefices. From 1508 to 1515 they leased the Roman mint. Ulrich died in 1510. When the Fuggers made their first loan to the Archduke

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 1487, they took as security an interest in silver and copper mines in the

Tirol Tyrol (; historically the Tyrole; de-AT, Tirol ; it, Tirolo) is a historical region in the Alps - in Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Emp ...

. This was the beginning of an extensive family involvement in mining and precious metals. The Fuggers also participated in mining operations in

Silesia Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is split ...

, and owned copper mines in

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...

. Their trade in spices, wool, and silk extended to almost all parts of Europe.

Jakob Fugger "the Rich"

Ulrich's youngest brother

Jakob Fugger Jakob Fugger ''of the Lily'' (german: Jakob Fugger von der Lilie; 6 March 1459 – 30 December 1525), also known as Jakob Fugger ''the Rich'' or sometimes Jakob II, was a major German merchant, mining entrepreneur, and banker. He was a descendan ...

, born in 1459, was to become the most famous member of the dynasty. In 1498 he married Sibylla Artzt, Grand Burgheress to Augsburg, the daughter of an eminent

Grand Burgher Grand Burgher aleor Grand Burgheress emale(from German: Großbürger ale Großbürgerin emale is a specific conferred or inherited title of medieval German origin and legally defined preeminent status granting exclusive constitutional privile ...

of Augsburg (German ''Großbürger zu Augsburg''). They had no children, but this marriage gave Jakob the opportunity to elevate to Grand Burgher of Augsburg and later allowed him to pursue a seat on the city council () of Augsburg. He was elevated to the nobility of the

in May 1511, made

in 1514, and in 1519 led a consortium of German and Italian businessmen that loaned

Charles V Charles V may refer to: * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise * Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690) * Infan ...

850,000

florins The Florentine florin was a gold coin struck from 1252 to 1533 with no significant change in its design or metal content standard during that time. It had 54 grains (3.499 grams, 0.113 troy ounce) of nominally pure or 'fine' gold with a purcha ...

(about 95,625 oz(t) or 2974 kg of gold) to procure his election as

Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans ( la, Imperator Romanorum, german: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period ( la, Imperat ...

over

Francis I of France Francis I (french: François Ier; frm, Francoys; 12 September 1494 – 31 March 1547) was King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. He was the son of Charles, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin once ...

. The Fuggers' contribution was 543,000 florins. In 1494, the Fuggers established their first public company. Jakob's aim was to establish a copper

by opening foundries in

Hohenkirchen Hohenkirchen is a municipality in the north of district Nordwestmecklenburg in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Germany). It is administered by the Klützer Winkel (Amt) located in the city Klütz Klütz () is a town in the Nordwestmecklenburg distri ...

and

Fuggerau The Fuggerau was a mining and ore-smelting facility near Arnoldstein in Carinthia, Austria. It was probably set up by the Fugger family, though the name 'Fugger' was already in evidence in the area before 1495 without any links to that family. ...

(named for the family, 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 ...

) and by expanding the sales organization in Europe, especially the

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

agency. Jakob leased the copper mines in Besztercebánya in the

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...

(today

Banská Bystrica Banská Bystrica (, also known by other alternative names) is a middle-sized town in central Slovakia, located on the Hron River in a long and wide valley encircled by the mountain chains of the Low Tatras, the Veľká Fatra, and the Kremnica Mo ...

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...

) in 1495, eventually making them the greatest mining centre of the time. At the height of his power Jakob Fugger was sharply criticized by his contemporaries, especially by

Ulrich von Hutten Ulrich von Hutten (21 April 1488 – 29 August 1523) was a German knight, scholar, poet and satirist, who later became a follower of Martin Luther and a Protestant reformer. By 1519, he was an outspoken critic of the Roman Catholic Church. Hutte ...

and

Martin Luther Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Reformation, Protestant Refo ...

, for selling

and

benefices A benefice () or living is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The Roman Empire used the Latin term as a benefit to an individual from the Empire for services rendered. Its use was adopted by ...

and urging the Pope to rescind or amend the prohibition on the levying of interest. The imperial fiscal and governmental authorities in

Nuremberg Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...

brought action against him and other merchants in an attempt to halt their

monopolistic A monopoly (from Greek el, μόνος, mónos, single, alone, label=none and el, πωλεῖν, pōleîn, to sell, label=none), as described by Irving Fisher, is a market with the "absence of competition", creating a situation where a spec ...

practices. In 1511, Jakob deposited 15,000 florins as an endowment for some

almshouse An almshouse (also known as a bede-house, poorhouse, or hospital) was charitable housing provided to people in a particular community, especially during the medieval era. They were often targeted at the poor of a locality, at those from certain ...

s. In 1514, he bought up part of Augsburg and in 1516 came to an agreement with the city that he would build and provide a number of almshouses for needy citizens. By 1523, 52 houses had been built, and the

Fuggerei The Fuggerei is the world's oldest public housing complex still in use. It is a walled enclave within the city of Augsburg, Bavaria. It takes its name from the Fugger family and was founded in 1516 by Jakob Fugger the Younger (known as "Jakob Fug ...

had come into existence. It is still used today. Jakob died in 1525. He is considered to be one of the richest persons of all time, and today he is well known as Jakob Fugger "the rich". At its peak his wealth is estimated to be 2% of Europe's GDP

Later years

Jakob's successor was his nephew

Anton Fugger Anton Fugger (10 June 1493 – 14 September 1560) was a German merchant and member of the Fugger family. He was a nephew of Jakob Fugger. Biography Anton was the third and youngest son of George Fugger and Regina Imhof. He was born in Augsburg o ...

, son of his elder brother Georg. Anton was born in 1493, married Anna Rehlinger, and died in 1560. In 1525, the Fuggers were granted the revenues from the Spanish orders of knighthood together with the profits from mercury and silver mines. The formerly rich yield of the Tirolean and Hungarian mines decreased, but Anton established new trade ties with

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

and

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

and started mining ventures in

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

and

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 ...

. He was involved in the slave trade from Africa to America, but was more successful in the spice trade and the importation of Hungarian cattle. Eventually, he was forced to renounce the

Maestrazgo The Maestrazgo () or Maestrat () is a natural and historical mountainous region, located at the eastern end of the Sistema Ibérico mountain range, in Spain. It encompasses the north of the Autonomous Community of Valencia, in Castellón provinc ...

lease after 1542 and to give up the silver mines of

Guadalcanal Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the south-western Pacific, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomon Islands by area, and the seco ...

. After hard times under Anton's nephew and successor Johann Jakob, Anton's oldest son,

Markus Marcus, Markus, Márkus or Mărcuș may refer to: * Marcus (name), a masculine given name * Marcus (praenomen), a Roman personal name Places * Marcus, a main belt asteroid, also known as (369088) Marcus 2008 GG44 * Mărcuş, a village in Dobârl� ...

, carried on the business successfully, earning some 50,000,000

ducat The ducat () coin was used as a trade coin in Europe from the later Middle Ages from the 13th to 19th centuries. Its most familiar version, the gold ducat or sequin containing around of 98.6% fine gold, originated in Venice in 1284 and gained wi ...

s between 1563 and 1641 from the production of mercury at

Almadén Almadén () is a town and municipality in the Spanish province of Ciudad Real, within the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. The town is located at 4° 49' W and 38° 46' N and is 589 meters above sea level. Almadén is approximately 300 ...

alone, but the Fugger company was completely dissolved after the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (80 ...

when Leopold Fugger returned the mines in Tyrol to the Habsburgs in 1657. Goldschmiedekapelle (St

The burial chapel of the Fuggers in

St. Anne's Church, Augsburg St. Anne's Church (german: St. Anna-Kirche) in Augsburg, Germany, is a medieval church building that was originally part of a monastery built in 1321. It is notable for its elaborate interior decoration. History St. Anne's was built in 1321 by ...

of 1509 is the earliest example of

Renaissance architecture Renaissance architecture is the European architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 16th centuries in different regions, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of Ancient Greece, ancient Greek and ...

in Germany.

Anselm Maria Fugger von Babenhausen Anselm Maria Fürst Fugger von Babenhausen (1 July 1766 – 20 November 1821) was a German nobleman of the Fugger family. He was the first reigning Count (and later Imperial Prince) of the Principality of Babenhausen, in what is now the Landkre ...

(1766–1821) was created

Prince 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 o ...

in 1803. The present head of this branch is Prince Hubertus ''Fugger von Babenhausen'' who owns Jakob the Rich's former business seat, the

Fuggerhäuser The Fuggerhäuser (''Fugger houses'') is a complex of houses on the Maximilianstraße in Augsburg, built for the Fugger family of businessmen. It is now owned by the Fugger-Babenhausen branch of the Fugger family who resides at Wellenburg castle ...

in Augsburg, as well as nearby Wellenburg Castle and the castle at

Babenhausen, Bavaria Babenhausen is a municipality in the district of Unterallgäu in Bavaria, Germany. It is seat of a municipal association with Egg an der Günz, Kettershausen, Kirchhaslach, Oberschönegg and Winterrieden. The view of Babenhausen is dominated by ...

(purchased by Anton Fugger in 1539 and today housing a museum on the family history); he is also co-owner of a small private bank, the

Fürst Fugger Privatbank Fürst Fugger Privatbank is a small German regional bank in Augsburg, founded in 1954 and mainly serving the Swabia region of Bavaria, with 141 employees. Its name references the historical Fugger banking house that ceased to exist in the 17th c ...

, in Augsburg. The branch ''Fugger von

'', descendants of Johann Ernst, a great-grandson of

Anton Anton may refer to: People *Anton (given name), including a list of people with the given name *Anton (surname) Places *Anton Municipality, Bulgaria **Anton, Sofia Province, a village *Antón District, Panama **Antón, a town and capital of th ...

, was elevated to the rank of a Bavarian prince in 1914 with

Carl Ernst Fürst Fugger von Glött Graf Carl Ernst Maria Fidel Alfred Anton Fugger von Glött, since 1914: Fürst Fugger von Glött (2 July 1859, Oberndorf am Lech – 25 April 1940, Kirchheim in Schwaben) was a member of the noble family of the Fugger. He was a jurist, pres ...

; the branch ended in the male line with his son Joseph-Ernst Fürst Fugger von Glött (1895–1981),husband of Princess Stephanie of Hohenzollern (1895-1975), his estate including the castle at

Kirchheim in Schwaben Kirchheim or Kirchheim in Schwaben ( engl. ''Kirchheim in Swabia'') is a municipality and a market town in the district of Unterallgäu in the region of Swabia (Schwaben) in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. The town was greatly influenc ...

(acquired in 1551 by Anton Fugger) being inherited by his sister Maria's (1894–1935) son, Albert Count von Arco-Zinneberg (b. 1932), whom he adopted, and who took on the name Fugger von Glött. The comital branch ''Fugger von Kirchberg und zu Weissenhorn'' is today represented by countess Maria-Elisabeth von

Thun und Hohenstein The House of Thun und Hohenstein, also known as Thun-Hohenstein, belonged to the historical Austrian and Bohemian nobility. There is one princely and several comital branches of the family. The princely branch of the family lived at Děčín (Te ...

, née countess Fugger, heiress of Kirchberg Castle at

Illerkirchberg Illerkirchberg is a town in the district of Alb-Donau in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. Unterkirchberg (Lower Kirchberg) had a Roman castrum built around 40 AD as part of the Upper Germanic-Rhaetian Limes to secure the street along the south s ...

(bought in 1507 by Jakob Fugger). She also heads the charitable family foundations including the

in Augsburg and

Welden Welden is a community in the Augsburg district of Bavaria, Germany, and is the seat of the commune of Welden. Since the local government reform in 1978 it comprises Welden, Reutern and Ehgatten. Geography Welden lies at the centre of the ''Holz ...

monastery. In Augsburg, a museum of Fugger and

Welser Welser was a Germans, German banking and merchant family, originally a patrician (post-Roman Europe), patrician family based in Augsburg and Nuremberg, that rose to great prominence in international high finance in the 16th century as bankers t ...

history (Fugger und Welser Erlebnismuseum) was opened.

Findings

In April 2019, Dutch maritime investigators unearthed a 16th-century

shipwreck A shipwreck is the wreckage of a ship that is located either beached on land or sunken to the bottom of a body of water. Shipwrecking may be intentional or unintentional. Angela Croome reported in January 1999 that there were approximately ...

during an exploration for container ship

MSC Zoe ''MSC Zoe'' was one of the largest container ships in the world when built in 2015. It is the third of a series of ships built by Mediterranean Shipping Company, MSC, after ''MSC Oscar'' and ''MSC Oliver''. Name ''MSC Zoe'' takes her name from ...

which lost containers overboard in January 2019. Copper plates with emblem of the Fugger family were found in the ship built around 1540 in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

during the reign of

Family members

* Hans (I.) Fugger (in Augsburg from 1367, died 1408) ** Fugger Ehrenbuch 006

(1394–1457), founder of the branch "Fugger of the Deer" *** Jakob Fugger (b. 1430) ***

(b. 1439-ca 1512) *** Matthäus Fugger (b. 1442) **** Sebastian Fugger (b. 1470/72) ***** Andreas Wilhelm Hieronimus Fugger (1507–1573) ****** Georg Wilhelm Sebastian Raymund Fugger (1547–ca 1600) **** Ulrich Fugger (1524–1586) *** Hans Fugger (b. 1443) **** Gastel Fugger (1475–1539), ennobled in 1529 ***** Wolfgang Fugger (1519/20–1568) ******

Johann Christoph Fugger Johann Christoph Fugger (1561-1612) was a German businessman and the last famous survivor of the Fugger vom Reh branch of the Fugger family. He was employed at the royal court in Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) ...

(1561–1612) ** Fugger Ehrenbuch 011

Jakob Fugger the Elder Jakob Fugger (1398 in Augsburg – 1469 in Augsburg) was a German master weaver, town councillor and merchant, as well as the founder of the Fugger dynasty. He was later known as Jakob Fugger the Elder to distinguish him from his son Jakob F ...

(1398–1469), founder of the branch "Fugger of the Lily" ***

Ulrich Fugger the Elder Ulrich Fugger ''von der Lilie'' (1441–1510) was a German businessman of the Fugger family. He formally headed the family firm from his father's death in 1469 until his own death in 1510 after an operation to remove a bladder stone, though h ...

(1441–1510), head of the Augsburg company ****

Ulrich Fugger the Younger Ulrich Fugger the Younger (1490 - 1525; ''von der Lilie'') was a German merchant and businessman from the Fugger family. Active in Augsburg, he was the second-eldest son of Ulrich Fugger the Elder and Veronika Lauginger. In 1516 he married Veroni ...

(1490–1525) ***

Georg Fugger Georg Fugger ''von der Lilie'' (1453–1506) was a German merchant of the Fugger dynasty. Life A son of Jakob Fugger the Elder and his wife Barbara Bäsinger (whose sons also included Ulrich and Jakob the Younger), Georg was born and died i ...

(1453–1506), head of the Nuremberg company ****

Raymund Fugger Raymund or Raimund Fugger (24 October 1489 in Augsburg – 3 December 1535 in Mickhausen) was a German businessman, Imperial Count and art collector of the 'of the Lily' (''von der Lilie'') branch of the Fugger family. Life He was the seco ...

(1489–1535), cr.

of Kirchberg, Weissenhorn and Marstetten in 1535 *****

Johann Jakob Fugger Johann Jakob Fugger or Hans Jakob Fugger (23 December 1516, Augsburg - 14 July 1575, Munich) was a German banker and patron of the arts and sciences from the ''von der Lilie'' (''of the Lily'') line of the noted Fugger banking family. Life He was ...

(Hans II. Jakob) (1516–1575) ****** Sigmund Friedrich Fugger (1542–1600), bishop ***** Georg Fugger (1518–1569) ****** Philipp Eduard Fugger (1546–1618) ****** Octavian Secundus Fugger (1549–1600) ***** Ulrich (III.) Fugger (1526–1584) ****

(1493–1560), cr.

in 1530 ***** Markus (III.) Fugger (1529–1597), founder of the company ''Marx Fugger and brothers'' ***** Hans (III.) Fugger of Kirchheim and Glött (1531–1598) ****** Markus (IV.) Fugger (1564–1614) ****** Jakob (IV.) Fugger (1567–1626) ****** Christoph Fugger (1566–1615) ******* Carl Ernst Fugger (1559–1640) *******

Otto Heinrich Fugger, Count of Kirchberg Otto is a masculine German given name and a surname. It originates as an Old High German short form (variants ''Audo'', ''Odo'', ''Udo'') of Germanic names beginning in ''aud-'', an element meaning "wealth, prosperity". The name is recorded fro ...

("Ottheinrich") (1592–1644), general ***** Jakob (III.) Fugger (1542–1598), Lord of Babenhausen, Wellenburg and Boos ******

Johann Fugger the Elder Johann Fugger the Elder or Hans Fugger (1 June 1583 - 28 April 1633, Telfs) was a German businessman, landowner and noble of the Fugger family. He was Lord of Schloss Babenhausen and Boos. He was one of the sons of Jakob III. Fugger and his wif ...

(1583–1633) ******* ...

(1766–1821), cr.

in 1803 ***

"the Rich" (1459–1525), head of international activities, cr. Baron in 1511, cr.

in 1514

(Mediatized) Princes of Fugger-Babenhausen (1803)

* Anselm, 1st Prince 1803–1821 (1766–1821), m. Countess Maria Antonia of Waldburg zu Zeil-Wurzach ** Anton, 2nd Prince 1821–1836 (1800–1836), m. Princess Franziska of Hohenlohe-Bartenstein und Jagstberg *** Leopold, 3rd Prince 1836–1885 (1827–1885), m. Countess Anna von Gatterburg *** Karl, 4th Prince 1885–1906 (1829–1906), m. Countess Friederike von Christalnigg von und zu Gillitzstein **** Karl, 5th Prince 1906–1925 (1861–1925), m. Princess Eleonore of

Hohenlohe-Bartenstein Hohenlohe-Bartenstein was a German principality of the House of Hohenlohe, located in northeastern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, around Bartenstein. Hohenlohe-Bartenstein was a partition of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst and was raised from a cou ...

***** Georg, 6th Prince 1925–1934 (1889–1934), m. Countess Elisabeth von Plessen ****** Friedrich Carl, 7th Prince 1934–1979 (1914–1979), m. Countess Gunilla

Bielke Bielke is the name of an ancient and powerful Swedish noble family, originally from Småland. History The family was wirst mentioned in the 13th century. It is the second-oldest such family still in existence after Natt och Dag. The comital f ...

******* Prince Carl-Anton Maria, renounced his rights 1970 (b. 1944) ******* Hubertus, 8th Prince 1979–present (b. 1946), m. Princess Alexandra of Oettingen-Oettingen und Oettingen-Spielberg ******** Hereditary Prince Leopold (b. 1980); m. Annina Kammer ********* Prince Antonius (b. 2013) ********* Prince Ferdinand (b. 2016) ******** Prince Alexander (b. 1981) ******** Prince Nikolaus (b. 1993) ******* Prince Markus (b. 1950) ******* Count Johannes (b. 1957), m. 1983 Princess Miriam of

Lobkowicz The House of Lobkowicz (''Lobkovicové'' in modern Czech, sg. ''z Lobkovic''; ''Lobkowitz'' in German) is a Czech noble family that dates back to the 14th century and is one of the oldest Bohemian noble families. The family also belong to the Ge ...

(b. 1961) ******** Count Constantin (b. 1986),Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Fürstliche Häuser XIV. "Fugger". C.A. Starke Verlag, 1991, pp. 269–270, 303. (German). . m. 2017 Princess Sophie of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg (b. 1988) ******** Prince Philipp (b. 1988)

Gallery

File:Urh1441 fuggerorum.jpg,

(1441–1510) File:Fuggerorum et Fuggerarum imagines - 005r.jpg,

(1453–1506) File:Raymund fuggerorum portrait.jpg,

(1489–1535) File:Anton fugger by hans maler.jpg,

(1493–1560) File:HansFugger1531.jpg, Hans (III.) Fugger (1531–1598) File:ChristophFugger.jpg, Christoph Fugger, by

Christoph Amberger Christoph Amberger (c. 1505 – 1562) was a painter of Augsburg in the 16th century, a disciple of Hans Holbein, his principal work being the history of Joseph in twelve pictures. Life His father was a stonemason and his grandfather a wood ...

, 1541

Acquisitions

* Kirchberg and

Weißenhorn Weißenhorn is a town in the district of Neu-Ulm in Bavaria. Weißenhorn is located about 22 km southeast of Ulm. History Archaeologic finds prove that the area of Weißenhorn was once a settlement of the Alamanni. Also Roman artifacts and ...

with Wullenstetten and Pfaffenhofen (Roth) (1507) *

Schmiechen Schmiechen is a municipality in the district of Aichach-Friedberg in Bavaria in Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after ...

(1508) * Biberbach (1514) *

Gablingen Gablingen is a municipality in the district of Augsburg in Bavaria in Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and ...

(1527) *

Mickhausen Mickhausen is a municipality in the district of Augsburg in Bavaria in Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and ...

(1528) * Burgwalden (1529; , in ''Landkreis''

) * Oberndorf an der Donau (1533) * Lands in

(1535) * Pflege Donauwörth (1536) *

(1537) * Babenhausen und Brandenburg (1539) *

Pleß Pleß is a municipality in the district of Unterallgäu in Bavaria, Germany. The town has a municipal association with Boos, Bavaria Boos is a municipality in the district of Unterallgäu in Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free St ...

(1546) * Rettenbach (1547) * Lands in

Alsace Alsace (, ; ; Low Alemannic German/ gsw-FR, Elsàss ; german: Elsass ; la, Alsatia) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in eastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland. In 2020, it had ...

(1551) * Kirchheim (1551) * Duttenstein Castle, near

Dischingen Dischingen is a municipality in the district of Heidenheim in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The municipality consists of several smaller villages that have been absorbed into Dischingen, Ballmertshofen, Demmingen, Dunstelkingen, Eglin ...

(1551;

Schloss Duttenstein Schloss Duttenstein is a Renaissance hunting castle (German: ''Jagdschloss'') located near the village of Demmingen, which is part of the town of Dischingen in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. The first castle on this site was built between 1200 an ...

, in ''Landkreis'' Heidenheim, Baden-Württemberg) *

Eppishausen Eppishausen is a municipality in the district of Unterallgäu in Swabia in Bavaria, Germany. It has a municipal association with Kirchheim in Schwaben Kirchheim or Kirchheim in Schwaben ( engl. ''Kirchheim in Swabia'') is a municipalit ...

(1551) * Niederalfingen (1551) *

Stettenfels Castle Stettenfels Castle is a medieval castle above the town of Untergruppenbach in Heilbronn. It was once owned by Hans Fugger and is now used for cultural events. History The castle was built in the 11th century, probably at about the same time ...

(1551;

Burg Stettenfels Stettenfels Castle is a medieval castle above the town of Untergruppenbach in Heilbronn. It was once owned by Hans Fugger and is now used for cultural events. History The castle was built in the 11th century, probably at about the same time as ...

, in ''Landkreis''

Heilbronn Heilbronn () is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, surrounded by Heilbronn (district), Heilbronn District. With over 126,000 residents, it is the sixth-largest city in the state. From the late Mid ...

, Baden-Württemberg) * Reichau, near Boos (1551) * Kettershausen und Bebenhausen (1558) The following historic buildings are still owned by the Fugger family: File:Augsburg Fuggerhaeuser Stadtpalast.jpg,

File:Fugger Fuggerei-Markuskirche+Herrengasse.jpg,

in Augsburg File:Fuggerschloß.jpg, The castle at Babenhausen, Bavaria File:MHV Fugger Castle Wellenburg.jpg, Wellenburg Castle in Augsburg File:Fuggerschloss Kirchheim11.jpg, The castle at

File:Schloss Oberkirchberg Illerkirchberg 101.jpg, Kirchberg Castle at

Family tree

References

External links

Fugger family website
(multilingual)
Fugger family on History.com

The Fugger Newsletters
{{Authority control States and territories established in 1507 Augsburg German bankers History of banking Banking families History of Augsburg 1507 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire Counties of the Holy Roman Empire States and territories disestablished in 1806 Roman Catholic families