Coat of Arms of the Principality of Fürstenberg

The House of Fürstenberg is the name of an old and influential

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 ...

n noble house 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 the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

, based primarily in what is today southern

Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...

near the source of the

Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...

river. Numerous members of the family have risen to prominence over the centuries as soldiers, churchmen, diplomats, and academics. Sometimes the name is gallicized as de Furstenberg or

anglicized Anglicisation is the process by which a place or person becomes influenced by English culture or British culture, or a process of cultural and/or linguistic change in which something non-English becomes English. It can also refer to the influenc ...

as Furstenberg.

History

Fürstenberg was a county of 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 unt ...

, present-day southern

. The county emerged when count Egino IV of Urach by marriage inherited large parts of the Duchy of Zähringen upon the death of Duke

Berthold V Berthold or Berchtold is a Germanic given name and surname. It is derived from two elements, ''berht'' meaning "bright" and ''wald'' meaning "(to) rule". It may refer to: *Bertholdt Hoover, a fictional character in the anime/manga series ''Attack o ...

in 1218, and was originally called the county of

Freiburg Freiburg im Breisgau (; abbreviated as Freiburg i. Br. or Freiburg i. B.; Low Alemannic: ''Friburg im Brisgau''), commonly referred to as Freiburg, is an independent city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With a population of about 230,000 (as o ...

. Egino's grandson Count Henry started naming himself after his residence at Fürstenberg Castle around 1250. File:Burg Hohenurach gesehen vom Eppenzillfelsen.jpg, Urach Castle File:01, Burg Fürstenberg (Hüfingen).JPG, Land works of the former Fürstenberg Castle The county was partitioned in 1284 between itself and the lower county of Dillingen, and then again in 1408 between

Fürstenberg-Fürstenberg Fürstenberg-Fürstenberg was a territory in Swabia, which was located in present-day southern Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It was ruled by the House of Fürstenberg in the Circle of Swabia during the Holy Roman Empire. History The territory co ...

and

Fürstenberg-Wolfach Fürstenberg-Wolfach was a county in western Baden-Württemberg, Germany 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 t ...

. Over the centuries, the various counts and Princes expanded their territories to include the Landgraviate of Baar, the Lordships of Gundelfingen, Hausen,

Heiligenberg Heiligenberg is a municipality and a village in the Bodensee district in Baden-Württemberg, about seven kilometres north of Salem, in Germany. Location and climate Heiligenberg (literally: the Holy Mountain or the Mountain of Saints) is loca ...

, Höwen, and

Meßkirch Meßkirch (; Swabian: ''Mässkirch'') is a town in the district of Sigmaringen in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. The town was the residence of the counts of Zimmern, widely known through Count Froben Christoph's ''Zimmern Chronicle'' (1559– ...

, and the Landgraviate of Stühlingen in Germany; as well as estates around

Křivoklát Castle Křivoklát Castle is located in Central Bohemia, Czech Republic. History Křivoklát was founded in the 12th century, belonging to the kings of Bohemia. During the reign of Přemysl Otakar II a large, monumental royal castle was built, later ...

(german: Pürglitz),

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...

Tavíkovice Tavíkovice (german: Taikowitz) is a municipality and village in Znojmo District in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 600 inhabitants. Tavíkovice lies approximately north of Znojmo, south-west of Brno, and south-ea ...

Castle (German: ''Taikowitz'') in

Moravia Moravia ( , also , ; cs, Morava ; german: link=yes, Mähren ; pl, Morawy ; szl, Morawa; la, Moravia) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia. The ...

, and from 1733 Lány Palace in Bohemia. In 1607, Count Frederick IV of Fürstenberg-Heiligenberg acquired the fief of Weitra in Lower Austria by marriage. The House of Fürstenberg held Weitra until the

Revolutions of 1848 The Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Springtime of the Peoples or the Springtime of Nations, were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe starting in 1848. It remains the most widespread revolutionary wave in Europ ...

. The members of the

Fürstenberg-Weitra Fürstenberg-Weitra was a cadet branch of the princely House of Fürstenberg, originally from Donaueschingen in Swabia, in present-day southwestern Baden-Württemberg, Germany. From 1744 onwards the landgravial line resided at Weitra Castle in ...

cadet branch built a

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 ide ...

castle on medieval foundations. Adel im Wandel319s

In 1664, Count Hermann Egon of Fürstenberg-Heiligenberg and his brothers, the bishops Franz Egon of Strasbourg and Cardinal

Wilhelm Egon von Fürstenberg Wilhelm Egon von Fürstenberg-Heiligenberg (2 December 162910 April 1704) was a German count and later prince of Fürstenberg-Heiligenberg in the Holy Roman Empire. He was a clergyman who became bishop of Strasbourg, and was heavily involved in ...

, became Princes of the

. In 1667, the county of

Fürstenberg-Heiligenberg Fürstenberg-Heiligenberg was a county and later a principality in southern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, located in the historical territory of Heiligenberg. It was created as a partition of Fürstenberg-Baar in 1559, and it suffered one partit ...

was formally raised to a principality and received a vote in the Imperial Diet. After the Fürstenberg-Heiligenberg branch of the family became extinct in 1716, the counts Froben Ferdinand of Fürstenberg-Messkirch and Joseph Wilhelm Ernst of Fürstenberg-Stühlingen became princes of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1744, various Fürstenberg territories were reunified to the Principality of

, as all lines except one had become extinct. Between 1664 and 1716 the residence had been

. The residences of the two partial principalities between 1716 and 1723 were Stühlingen and

. In 1723 Prince Joseph of Fürstenberg-Stühlingen built his new residence at

Donaueschingen Donaueschingen (; Low Alemannic: ''Eschinge'') is a German town in the Black Forest in the southwest of the federal state of Baden-Württemberg in the Schwarzwald-Baar '' Kreis''. It stands near the confluence of the two sources of the river D ...

, being more centrally located, which remained the residence of the united principality after the Meßkirch branch of the family had become extinct. The Rheinbundakte of 1806 dissolved Fürstenberg. Most of its territory was given to the

Grand Duchy of Baden The Grand Duchy of Baden (german: Großherzogtum Baden) was a state in the southwest German Empire on the east bank of the Rhine. It existed between 1806 and 1918. It came into existence in the 12th century as the Margraviate of Baden and subs ...

; smaller parts were given to the

Kingdom of Württemberg The Kingdom of Württemberg (german: Königreich Württemberg ) was a German state that existed from 1805 to 1918, located within the area that is now Baden-Württemberg. The kingdom was a continuation of the Duchy of Württemberg, which existe ...

, the principality of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen and the

Kingdom of Bavaria The Kingdom of Bavaria (german: Königreich Bayern; ; spelled ''Baiern'' until 1825) was a German state that succeeded the former Electorate of Bavaria in 1805 and continued to exist until 1918. With the unification of Germany into the German ...

. The princely family is still today residing at Donaueschingen, Heiligenberg and Weitra. File:Donaueschingen Schloss.jpg, The Princely Palace at

File:Heiligenberg 039.JPG,

Castle, Germany File:Schloss weitra 01.jpg, Weitra Castle, Lower Austria File:Schloss Messkirch 2012.JPG, Meßkirch Castle, Germany File:Krivoklat castle 01.jpg,

, Bohemia File:Peter Stehlik 2011.07.30 007.JPG, Lány Palace, Bohemia File:Praha, Malá Strana, Fürstenberský palác 01.JPG, Fürstenberg Palace,

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 ...

File:Palais Fürstenberg -Grünangerg -Domgasse.JPG, Fürstenberg Palace,

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

File:Tavíkovice_castle_in_Tavíkovice,_Znojmo_District.jpg, Taikowitz Castle,

Princes of the Stühlingen branch

First prince

The first ''Fürst zu Fürstenberg'' of the Fürstenberg-Stühlingen branch, which was mainly residing in Bohemia, Joseph Wilhelm Ernst, was born 12 January 1699. He was the second son of Prosper Ferdinand, Count of Fürstenberg-Stühlingen, killed at the

Landau Landau ( pfl, Landach), officially Landau in der Pfalz, is an autonomous (''kreisfrei'') town surrounded by the Südliche Weinstraße ("Southern Wine Route") district of southern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a university town (since 1990 ...

on 21 November 1704 during the

War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict that took place from 1701 to 1714. The death of childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700 led to a struggle for control of the Spanish Empire between his heirs, Phil ...

, and his wife Sophia, Countess of Königsegg-Rothenfels (1674–1727). On 2 February 1716, Joseph Wilhelm Ernst was raised to princely status, after the princely Heiligenberg branch had become extinct. He married in 1723 countess Maria Anna of Waldstein-Wartenberg (22 February 1707–12 November 1756). After her death in 1756, he married in 1761 to Maria Anna countess von der Wahl (born 22 September 173621 March 1808). He died in Vienna, 29 April 1762. There was no issue from his second marriage. From his first marriage, he had eight children: # Marie Eleonore, 15 December 1726 16 December 1726 # Joseph Wenzel Johann Nepomuk, Prague 21 March 1728 Donaueschingen 2 June 1783 # Karl Borromäus Egon, Prague, 7 May 1729 Prague 11 July 1787. He married on 25 June 1753 to the Countess (''Gräfin'') Maria Josepha von Sternberg (24 June 1735 16 January 1803). # Marie Henriette Josepha, born in Prague 31 March 1732 and died in Regensburg 4 June 1772. Married in Regensburg to Prince Alexander Ferdinand von Thurn und Taxis #Maria Emanuela Sophie (nun), Prague, 25 December 173328 March 1776 #Maria Theresia Josepha (nun), Prague, 4 September 17368 May 1774 # Maria Augusta Josepha, an abbess in

Hradčany Hradčany (; german: Hradschin), the Castle District, is the district of the city of Prague, Czech Republic surrounding Prague Castle. The castle is one of the biggest in the world at about in length and an average of about wide. Its histo ...

(1731 1770)

Second prince

Joseph Wenzel Johann Nepomuk was the first son of the first prince. He was born in Prague, Prague 2 March 1728, and died at Donaueschingen 2 June 1783; he married 21 July 1748 to the Countess (Gräfin) Maria Josepha von

Waldburg Waldburg is a town in the district of Ravensburg in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. It is the home of Waldburg Castle, a medieval castle that sits atop the large hill in the town. The castle dates from the twelfth century, when Waldburg was a ...

und Trauchburg (30 March 1731 7 May 1782). Ernst Hermann Joseph Münch; Carl Borromäus Alois Fickler. ''Geschichte des Hauses und Landes Fürstenberg: aus Urkunden und den besten Quellen.'' Aachen: Mayer, 1847. They had seven children: # Johann Nepomuck Joseph, 7 July 1755 6 October 1755 # Joseph Maria Benedikt Karl, third Fürst zu Fürstenberg, 9 January 1758, died at Donaueschingen 24 June 1796; married in Hechingen 1778 to Maria Antonia von

Hohenzollern-Hechingen Hohenzollern-Hechingen was a small principality in southwestern Germany. Its rulers belonged to the Swabian branch of the Hohenzollern dynasty. History The County of Hohenzollern-Hechingen was created in 1576, upon the partition of the Co ...

(10 November 1760 25 July 1797) # Karl Alexander, 11 September 1760, 19 February 1761 # Karl Egon Maria, 5 June 1762, 20 February 1771 # Karl Joachim Aloys Franz de Paula, fourth Fürst zu Furstenberg, 31 March 1771 17 May 1804. # Josepha Johanna Benedikta, 14 November 1756 2 October 1809; married at Donaueschingen 1779 to landgrave Philipp Nerius Maria zu Fürstenberg, oldest surviving son of her uncle, Karl Borromäus Egon # Maria Anna Josepha, 5 April 175926 June 1759

Third prince

The death in infancy of the eldest son of the second prince placed Joseph Maria Benedikt Karl in the line of direct inheritance as the second son of Joseph Wenzel Johann Nepomuk. He married in

Hechingen Hechingen ( Swabian: ''Hächenga'') is a town in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated about south of the state capital of Stuttgart and north of Lake Constance and the Swiss border. Geography The town lies at the foot of t ...

1778 to the Princess Maria Antonia von

(10 November 1760 25 July 1797). He died at Donaueschingen on 24 June 1796 without issue. The title passed to the next eldest sons of the second prince. Both of those boys, Karl Alexander and Karl Egon Marie had died in infancy and childhood, respectively (1761 and 1771).

Fourth prince

Karl Joachim Aloys Franz de Paula, became the fourth Fürst zu Fürstenberg, He married in 1796 the Landgravina Karoline Sophie zu Fürstenberg (20 August 1777, 25 February 1846). Their shared ancestor was Prosper Ferdinand, Count Fürstenberg, who had been killed at Landau in 1704. Karl Joachim Aloys died in 1803 without issue. There were no more surviving males of the first prince's eldest son. The title passed to the line of the second son.

Title moves to cadet (junior) branch

Karl Borromäus Egon, the second son of the first prince, died in 1788. He had married in 1750 countess Maria Josepha von Sternberg (1735 1803). They had three sons: # Joseph Maria Wenzel (17541759) died in childhood. # Philipp Nerius Maria 21 October 1755 5 June 1790; married in 1779 at Donaueschingen to Josepha Johanna Benedikta von Fürstenberg (14 November 1756 2 October 1809). They had one son and two daughters. The son, Karl Gabriel Maria Joseph, born on 2 February 1785, died in Prague on 13 December 1799. # Karl Aloys zu Fürstenberg, born 26 June 1760. Karl Aloys zu Fürstenberg married his cousin Princess Elisabetha Alexandrina von Thurn und Taxis (30 November 1767 21 July 1822) in Prague. They had five children: Karl Egon II zu Fuerstenberg 1831

# Karl Egon, succeeded his cousin as fifth Fürst zu Fürstenberg 17.5.1804, died on 22 October 1854. Married in

Karlsruhe Karlsruhe ( , , ; South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the third-largest city of the German state (''Land'') of Baden-Württemberg after its capital of Stuttgart and Mannheim, and the 22nd-largest city in the nation, with 308,436 inhabitants. ...

19 April 1818 Amalie of Baden (1795 1869) # Marie Leopoldine, born in Prague, 4 September 1791. Married Karl Albrecht of Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst. Died in Kupferzell 10 January 1844. # Maria Joseph, born and died 9 September 1792 # Antonie (28 October 17941 October 1799) # Maria Anna (1798–1799) On 25 March 1799, Karl Aloys was killed at the Battle of Stockach. His nephew died in December 1799. Consequently, when his cousin, Karl Joachim Aloys Franz de Paula, died, his own son, Karl Egon, became the fifth Prince (''Fürst'').

Heads of the House after Mediatization

* 1804–1854 Karl Egon II (1796–1854) ∞ Princess Amalie of Baden * 1854–1892 Karl Egon III (1820–1892) ∞ Princess Elisabeth Henrietta of

Reuss Reuss may refer to: * Reuss (surname) *Reuss (river) in Switzerland *Reuss (state) or Reuß, several former states or countries in present-day Germany, and the Republic of Reuss * Reuss Elder Line and Reuss Younger Line The Principality of Reus ...

(Elder Line) * 1892–1896 Karl Egon IV (1852–1896) ∞ Countess Dorothea of Talleyrand-Périgord * 1896–1941 Maximilian Egon II (1863–1941) ∞ Countess Irma of Schönborn-Buchheim * 1941–1973 Karl Egon V (1891–1973) ∞ Countess Ida von Nostitz-Rieneck * 1973–2002 Joachim Egon (1923–2002) ∞ Countess Paula von

Königsegg-Aulendorf Königsegg-Aulendorf was a county of southeastern Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It was created in 1622 as a baronial partition of the Barony of Königsegg, and it was raised to a county in 1629. By 1806, the territories of Königsegg-Aulendorf ...

; nephew of the former * 2002–present Heinrich (born 1950) ∞ Princess Massimiliana of

Windisch-Graetz The House of Windisch-Graetz, also spelled Windisch-Grätz, is an Austrian-Slovenian aristocratic family, descending from Windischgraz in Lower Styria (present-day Slovenj Gradec, Slovenia). The noble dynasty serving the House of Habsburg achieved ...

; ** Elder son and

heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...

: Hereditary Prince Christian (born 1977) ∞ Jeannette Griesel

Castellini Baldissera

A number of the title bearing members of the House of Fürstenberg are members of the Castellini Baldissera family, an Italian aristocratic family originating from

alpine foothills The Alpine foothills, or Prealps (german: Voralpen; french: Préalpes; it, Prealpi; ), may refer generally to any foothills at the base of the Alps in Europe. They are the transition zone between the High Alps and the Swiss Plateau and the Bavar ...

Lombardy (man), (woman) lmo, lumbard, links=no (man), (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , ...

Notable members of the House of Fürstenberg

Henry III of Fürstenberg Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) *Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...

(died 1366) *

Henry IV of Fürstenberg Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) *Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...

(died 1408?) *

Frederick IV of Fürstenberg Frederick IV of Fürstenberg-Heiligenberg (german: Friederich von Fürstenberg-Heiligenberg; 9 May 1563 – 8 August 1617), a member of the Swabian noble house of Fürstenberg, was Count (''Graf'') of Fürstenberg-Heiligenberg, today a part o ...

(1563–1617) * Ernst Egon VIII von Fürstenberg (1588–1635), Bavarian general *

Elisabeth of Fürstenburg Elisabeth of Furstenburg was the princess of Fürstenberg (princely family), Fürstenburg. In 1643 she married Ferdinand Egon Friedrich of Fürstenberg (1623–1662), who was the son of Egon VIII of Fürstenberg-Heiligenberg. References

ht ...

(1621–1662), princess * Franz Egon von Fürstenberg (1625–1682),

Bishop of Strasbourg {{Unreferenced, date=December 2009 These persons were bishop, archbishop or prince-bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Strasbourg (including historically Prince-Bishopric of Strasbourg): Bishops and prince-bishops * Amandus *Justinus ...

(1663–1682) *

(1629–1704), Bishop of Strasbourg (1682–1704) *

Princess Amelie of Fürstenberg Marie Amélie, Duchess of Ratibor, Princess of Corvey, Princess of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst (née Princess Amélie of Fürstenberg; 12 February 1821 – 17 January 1899), was the consort of Victor I, Duke of Ratibor. Biography Princess Ameli ...

(1821–1899), Duchess consort of Ratibor and Princess consort of Corvey

Recent notable members

Maximilian Egon II, Prince of Fürstenberg Maximilian Egon II, Prince of Fürstenberg (13 October 1863 – 11 August 1941) was a German landowner, investor and nobleman who was the head of the House of Fürstenberg from 1896 to 1941. Background Born as Prince Maximilian Egon Christian Ka ...

(1863–1941), politician * Maximilien de Fürstenberg (1904–1988), Belgian cardinal * Ira von Fürstenberg (born 1940), socialite and actress * Prince Egon von Fürstenberg (1946–2004), fashion designer * Catherine von Fürstenberg-Dussmann (born 1951), actress, designer and businesswoman * Prince Alexander von Fürstenberg (born 1970), businessman *

Princess Tatiana von Fürstenberg Princess is a regal rank and the feminine equivalent of prince (from Latin ''princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or for the daughter of a king or prince. Princess as a subst ...

(born 1971), rock singer and film maker * Princess Virginia von Fürstenberg (born 1974), fashion designer and artist * Princess Matilde zu Fürstenberg (''née'' Borromeo; born 1983), equestrian * Princess Alison von Fürstenberg, fashion designer and model * Princess Talita von Fürstenberg (born 1999), model and designer

Former members by marriage

* Clara von Fürstenberg (1920–2016), socialite *

Diane von Fürstenberg Diane von Fürstenberg (born Diane Simone Michele Halfin, 31 December 1946) is a Belgians, Belgian fashion designer best known for her wrap dress. She initially rose to prominence in 1969 when she married into the German princely House of Fürst ...

(born 1946), fashion designer *

Alexandra von Fürstenberg Alexandra von Fürstenberg (; born 3 October 1972) is a Hong Kong-born American heiress, socialite, entrepreneur and furniture designer based in Los Angeles. She is the youngest daughter of American billionaire and DFS Group co-founder Robert ...

(born 1972), furniture designer

References

External links

Official website of the princely family of Fürstenberg
* Marek, Miroslav

Version 2008. Accessed 20 January 2010.
European Heraldry page

(in French) {{DEFAULTSORT:Furstenberg (Princely Family) *