Karl I (30 July 1569 – 12 February 1627) was the first member of the Liechtenstein family to become a monarch of Liechtenstein; thus, he was the founder of the

Princely Family of Liechtenstein The House of Liechtenstein (), from which the principality takes its name, is the family which reigns by hereditary right over the principality of Liechtenstein. Only dynastic members of the family are eligible to inherit the throne. The dynasty ...

Early life and ancestry

Born into the

House of Liechtenstein The House of Liechtenstein (), from which the principality takes its name, is the family which reigns by hereditary right over the principality of Liechtenstein. Only Dynasty#Dynast, dynastic members of the family are eligible to inherit the thro ...

, one of the most prominent Austrian noble families, Karl was the elder son of Hartmann II, Baron of

Liechtenstein Liechtenstein (, ; ; ), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein ( ), is a Landlocked country#Doubly landlocked, doubly landlocked Swiss Standard German, German-speaking microstate in the Central European Alps, between Austria in the east ...

(1544–1585) and his wife, Countess Anna Maria of Ortenburg (1547–1601).

Biography

Emperor Rudolf II Rudolf II (18 July 1552 – 20 January 1612) was Holy Roman Emperor (1576–1612), King of Hungary and Kingdom of Croatia (Habsburg), Croatia (as Rudolf I, 1572–1608), King of Bohemia (1575–1608/1611) and Archduke of Austria (1576–16 ...

of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

appointed Karl as chief intendant ('' Obersthofmeister''), an important position at his court. Karl held this position until 1607. In a dispute over land between Rudolf II and the heir presumptive to the throne, Archduke

Matthias Matthias is a name derived from the Greek Ματθαίος, in origin similar to Matthew. Notable people Notable people named Matthias include the following: Religion * Saint Matthias, chosen as an apostle in Acts 1:21–26 to replace Judas Isca ...

, Karl sided with Matthias. Liechtenstein played a leading role as adviser and supporter of Matthias in the coup against Emperor Rudolf II. Now-Hungarian King Matthias made him a hereditary prince in 1608, in thanks for Karl's aid. In his politics and assertiveness as advisor to Matthias, he rivaled Melchior Khlesl, Bishop of Vienna, who ultimately prevailed over Liechtenstein and became the new minister-favourite of King and later Emperor Matthias. In 1614, Karl added the

Duchy of Troppau The Principality of Opava (; ) or Duchy of Troppau () was a historic territory split off from the Margraviate of Moravia before 1269 by King Ottokar II of Bohemia to provide for his natural son, Nicholas I. The Opava territory thus had not b ...

to his possessions. In thanks for further aid at the

Battle of White Mountain The Battle of White Mountain (; ) was an important battle in the early stages of the Thirty Years' War. It led to the defeat of the Bohemian Revolt and ensured Habsburg control for the next three hundred years. It was fought on 8 November 16 ...

, Karl was appointed to the positions of proconsul and vice-regent of

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...

in 1622, and he was bestowed with the

Order of the Golden Fleece The Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece (, ) is a Catholic order of chivalry founded in 1430 in Brugge by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, to celebrate his marriage to Isabella of Portugal, Duchess of Burgundy, Isabella of Portugal. T ...

. He gained the Duchy of Troppau on 28 December 1613 and the Silesian Duchy of Jägerndorf on 15 March 1622, along with much confiscated "rebel property", and he commissioned the ducal hat of Liechtenstein. He became a

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

in 1599. In 1605, Karl established the first branch north of the Alps of the Hospitaller Order of Saint John of God, at Feldsberg in

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 ...

(now

Valtice Valtice (; ) is a town in Břeclav District in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 3,600 inhabitants. It is known as part of Lednice–Valtice Cultural Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The historic town centre is ...

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

). He was the 352nd

Knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

of the

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

. He died in

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

, aged 57.

Marriage and issue

In 1600, Karl married Anna Maria Šemberová, Baroness of and Černá Hora and Lady of Aussee (1575–1625). They had at least four children: * Princess Anna Maria Franziska (7 December 1601 – 26 April 1640), married Maximilian, Prince of Dietrichstein (1596 – 1655). * Princess Franziska Barbara (1604–1655), married Wenzel Werner of T'Serclaes, Count of Tilly (1599 – 1653). * Prince Heinrich (died young). * Karl Eusebius, Prince of Liechtenstein (11 April 1611 – 5 April 1684).Princely House of Liechtenstein
/ref>

Ancestry

References

*
Article in the ABD

1569 births 1627 deaths 17th-century princes of Liechtenstein Knights of the Golden Fleece Converts to Roman Catholicism from Lutheranism Liechtenstein princes Princes of Liechtenstein {{europe-royal-stub