The House of Schwarzenberg is a German (Franconian) and Czech (Bohemian) aristocratic family, formerly one of the most prominent European noble houses. The Schwarzenbergs are members of the German and Czech nobility, and they once held the rank of Princes of the Holy Roman Empire. The family belongs to the high nobility and traces its roots to the Lords of Seinsheim during the Middle Ages. The secundogeniture branch of the Schwarzenbergs was among the foremost Czech patriotic houses. The current head of the family is Prince Johannes (born 1967), son and heir of the late Karel, 12th Prince of Schwarzenberg (1937–2023), a Czech politician who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. The family owns properties and lands across Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, and Switzerland.

History

Origin

The family stems from the Lords of Seinsheim, who had established themselves in Franconia during the Middle Ages. A branch of the Seinsheim family (the non-Schwarzenberg portion died out in 1958) was created when Erkinger of Seinsheim acquired the Franconian territory of Schwarzenberg and the castle of Schwarzenberg in Scheinfeld during the early part of the 15th century. He was then granted the title of Freiherr (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 Counts, and the family was later raised to princely status in 1670. In 1623 came the Styrian Dominion of Murau into the Schwarzenberg family due to the marriage of Count Georg Ludwig of Schwarzenberg (1586–1646) with Anna Neumann von Wasserleonburg (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, Bohemia (now in Czech Republic).

Schwarzenberg/Sulz family unification

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

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

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 / 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. The art collection, which includes the painting The Abduction of Ganymede by Peter Paul Rubens or an important collection of works by Johann Georg de Hamilton, is held in the separate Fürstlich Schwarzenberg'sche Kunststiftung (Princely Schwarzenberg Art-Foundation). The Czech property of the secundogeniture was held until 2023 privately. These properties were in their vast majority also transferred into the Fürstlich Schwarzenberg'sche Familienstiftung. The members of the family follow careers in the private or military sector.

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 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 in the Imperial German Army. 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 Freiherr.

Imperial immediate estates

The Schwarzenberg family held three Imperial Immediate Estates in the Holy Roman Empire. By coincidence the coat of arms of the Princely Landgraviate of Klettgau and the Earldom of Buchan 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 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. 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 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, the Czechoslovakian 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:

Slovakia

The Schwarzenberg family holding included the following residence in Slovakia, which was part of the Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen:

Belgium and Luxembourg

The Schwarzenberg family holding included the following residence in today's Belgium and Luxembourg, while their main residence and burial place was in the city of Liège. Back then, the Spanish Netherlands, Prince-Bishopric of Liège and Duchy of Luxemburg were states within the Holy Roman Empire. The Schwarzenberg family held in this region the titles of Seigneur de Bierset et de Champlon.

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

Lines (including Sulz offspring)

Source:

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.

Family tree: secundogeniture

Titles

Titles of the members of the family

The title of the head of the princely family is: The title of the wife of the head of the family would be: The title of the first born son and heir of the family is: The title of the wife of the first born son and heir of the family would be: The title of all other female members of the family is: The title of all other male members of the family is: 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

Preßburg 10.8.1429 Prague 5.6.1599 6.4.1647 Regensburg 25.4.1654 1659 Vienna 14.7.1670 Vienna 20.10.1671 Vienna 22.8.1671 13.4.1674 Vienna 11.2.1694 30.11.1696 20.10.1703 1719 Prague 25.9.1723 Vienna 5.12.1746 Vienna 8.12.1746

Coat of arms

Family coat of arms

The ancestral arms of the Lords of Seinsheim consisted of six vertical stripes in silver and blue. However, the Schwarzenberg family's original coat of arms has four silver and four blue vertical stripes. Moreover, it starts with silver on the heraldic right (mirror-inverted perspective). The family became Freiherren (Barons) of Schwarzenberg in 1429, and a silver tower on a black hill was added to their coat of arms to represent the city Scheinfeld and Schwarzenberg Castle. In 1599, Adolf von Schwarzenberg became an Imperial Count, and was given by the emperor a quarter with a canting arms showing the head of a Turk being pecked by a raven. This was to commemorate Adolf's conquest on 19 March 1598 of the Turkish-held fortress and city Győr. The German name of the Hungarian town is Raab, which means raven. In 1670, the Schwarzenbergs were raised to princely status. However, only the marriage of Ferdinand, The 2nd Prince of Schwarzenberg (1652–1703) with Marie Anna Countess of Sulz (1653–1698), the daughter of Johann Ludwig II Count of Sulz (1626–1687), led to the augmenting of their coat of arms, with quarters added for the domains of Sulz, Brandis (canting arms: a brand) and the Landgraviate of Klettgau. Due to the absence of a male heir, Count Rudolf requested at the imperial court that the two families should be consolidated. This was granted, which meant for the Schwarzenberg family not only to assume all titles, rights and duties of the Counts of Sulz, but also to inherit all of Rudolf's properties. The last augmentation of the family coat of arms was granted by the Austrian Emperor Franz II/I, he rewarded Field Marshal Karl I Philipp Prince of Schwarzenberg with the right to bear the three-part arms of the Habsburg family with the addition of an upright standing sword. This unique distinction was granted to commemorate the field marshal's victory in the Battle of the Nations, where he was the Generalissimo of the Sixth Coalition. The family motto is NIL NISI RECTUM (Nothing but the right thing).

Evolution

Fields

Variations

Flags

Derivative arms

Traces of the Schwarzenberg family's coat of arms can be found in various district and municipal coats of arms, which can be linked to the family.

Germany

Czech Republic

Switzerland

Netherlands

Order of the Golden Fleece

The Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece is a Catholic order of chivalry founded in 1430 in Bruges by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, to celebrate his marriage to Isabella of Portugal. Throughout the order's history, eighteen members of the Schwarzenberg family were knights of the highest order and distinction of the Habsburg empire. Their first member Georg Ludwig was admitted in 1627, while their youngest knight Joseph I. was admitted with only ten years of age, after the tragic death of his father. Twice were the Schwarzenbergs Doyen, the title of the oldest ranking member of the order: Joseph I. and Johann Adolph II.. A very rare honour was given to Field Marshal Edmund, by making a lesser born, ergo not a chief of a line, knight of the order. Six Schwarzenbergs were knighted by Emperor Franz Joseph.