Charles Egon V, Prince of Fürstenberg (6 May 1891 – 23 September 1973) was a German landowner, investor and nobleman who was the head of the

House of Fürstenberg A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condit ...

from 1941 to 1973.

Early life

Fürstenberg was born on 6 May 1891 in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

. He was the eldest child of

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. Early life Born as Prince Maximilian Egon Christian Ka ...

and Countess Irma von Schönborn-Buchheim. From his parent's marriage, he had four younger siblings, Princess Leontina of Fürstenberg (who married

Hugo, 4th Prince of Windisch-Graetz Hugo Vinzenz Alexander Maria, 4th Prince of Windisch-Graetz (30 July 1887 – 26 May 1959) was an Austrian prince. Early life Hugo Vinzenz was born at Planina, Postojna, Haasberg Castle in Planina, Postojna, Planina in the Duchy of Carniola (toda ...

), Princess Anna of Fürstenberg (who married Franz, 8th Prince of Khevenhüller-Metsch), Prince Maximilian Egon of Fürstenberg (who married Countess Wilhelmine von Schönburg-Glauchau), and Prince Friedrich Eduard of Fürstenberg (who was killed in action during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

).John Kennedy, John E. James, eds., ''Almanach de Gotha 2004'', Vol. 1, p. 508 His paternal grandparents were

Prince Maximilian Egon I of Fürstenberg Prince Maximilian Egon I of Fürstenberg (29 March 1822 – 27 July 1873), was a German politician. Early life He was born at his family's Princely Palace in Donaueschingen, in the Grand Duchy of Baden, German Empire, on 29 March 1822. He was the ...

and Countess Leontina von Khevenhüller-Metsch (a daughter of

Richard, 5th Prince of Khevenhüller-Metsch Richard Emanuel Desiderius Johann, 5th Prince of Khevenhüller-Metsch (23 May 1813 – 29 November 1877), was an Austrian prince. Early life Richard was born on 23 May 1813 at Thalheim bei Wels, in the Wels-Land District of Upper Austria. He was ...

). His maternal grandparents were

Erwein, 4th Count of Schönborn-Buchheim Erwein Friedrich Karl, ''Graf'' von Schönborn-Buchheim (9 November 1842 – 20 January 1903) was an Austrian landowner and aristocrat. Early life Erwein Friedrich Karl was born at the Schönborn Palace in Göllersdorf, Lower Austria. He was the ...

, and Countess Franziska von Trauttmansdorff-Weinsberg.

Career

Upon the death of his father on 11 August 1941, he succeeded as the Head of the House of Fürstenberg. While he became the nominal head, he renounced his succession right to the Swabian properties of his father in favor of his brother's children. While his father chose to live at

Donaueschingen Palace Donaueschingen Palace (), also known as the Fürstenberg palace (), is a princely residence in French Baroque Revival architecture. It is situated in Donaueschingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is the seat of the princes of House of Fürs ...

, where he often entertained his close friend Emperor

Wilhelm II Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert; 27 January 18594 June 1941) was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia from 1888 until Abdication of Wilhelm II, his abdication in 1918, which marked the end of the German Empire as well as th ...

, Charles Egon V chose to live at Heiligenberg Castle on

Lake Constance Lake Constance (, ) refers to three bodies of water on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps: Upper Lake Constance (''Obersee''), Lower Lake Constance (''Untersee''), and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the Seerhein (). These ...

and at

Weitra Castle Weitra (; ) is a small town in the district of Gmünd in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. Geography The municipality is situated amidst the extended forests of the rural Waldviertel region, close to the border with the Czech Republic. It is ...

Lower Austria Lower Austria ( , , abbreviated LA or NÖ) is one of the nine states of Austria, located in the northeastern corner of the country. Major cities are Amstetten, Lower Austria, Amstetten, Krems an der Donau, Wiener Neustadt and Sankt Pölten, which ...

. Fürstenberg was made an honorary citizen of

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

and

Weitra Weitra (; ) is a small town in the district of Gmünd in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. Geography The municipality is situated amidst the extended forests of the rural Waldviertel region, close to the border with the Czech Republic. It is ...

. He was also Grand Commander of the

Order of St. George The Order of Saint George () is the highest military decoration of the Russian Federation. It was originally established on 26 November 1769 Julian (7 December 1769 Gregorian) as the highest military decoration of the Russian Empire for commiss ...

in Bavaria and holder of the Grand Cross of the

Order of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, and commonly known as the Order of Malta or the Knights of Malta, is a Catholic Church, Cathol ...

Military career

During

as a A former lieutenant of the Prussian

Garde du Corps A ''Garde du Corps'' (French for lifeguard (military), lifeguard) is a military unit formed of Royal Guard, guards. A ''Garde du corps du roi, Garde du Corps'' was first established in France in 1445. From the 17th century onwards, the term was us ...

(

Potsdam Potsdam () is the capital and largest city of the Germany, German States of Germany, state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the Havel, River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream of B ...

) and received the

Iron Cross The Iron Cross (, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire (1871–1918), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the in ...

, 2nd Class. On 11 September 1938 during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Prince Karl Egon V joined the '' SS'', the

paramilitary A paramilitary is a military that is not a part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the use of the term "paramilitary" as far back as 1934. Overview Though a paramilitary is, by definiti ...

organization of the

Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party ( or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported the ideology of Nazism. Its precursor ...

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

, and throughout

German-occupied Europe German-occupied Europe, or Nazi-occupied Europe, refers to the sovereign countries of Europe which were wholly or partly military occupation, militarily occupied and civil-occupied, including puppet states, by the (armed forces) and the governmen ...

. He was appointed SS-''

Obersturmführer __NOTOC__ (, ; short: ''Ostuf'') was a Nazi Germany paramilitary ranks, Nazi Germany paramilitary rank that was used in several Nazi organisations, such as the Sturmabteilung, SA, Schutzstaffel, SS, National Socialist Motor Corps, NSKK and the ...

'' in 1939. He applied for admission to the

NSDAP The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party ( or NSDAP), was a far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported the ideology of Nazism. Its precursor, the German Workers ...

on 20 June 1938 and was admitted on 1 January 1941. He became a

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

in the

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...

in 1943. After the war, he lived mainly in Vienna and at his castles in

and

Personal life

On 26 April 1921, Fürstenberg married Countess Franziska Ida "Mena" von Nostitz-Rieneck (1902–1961), a daughter of Count Erwin Felix Maria von Nostitz-Rieneck and Amalia Podstatzky-Liechtenstein (a daughter of Leopold Podstatzky-Liechtenstein). His wife died in Munich on 20 May 1961. The Price died, also in Munich, on 23 September 1973 and was buried in the Fürstenberg family crypt in Altweitra,

. As he had no children, he was succeeded by his nephew, Joachim Egon.

Honours and awards

: Grand Commander * : Grand Cross

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Furstenberg, Charles Egon V 1891 births 1973 deaths 20th-century German landowners Charles Egon V Pretenders Nazi Party politicians Royalty in the Nazi Party