| House of Schwarzenberg | |
| Coat Of Arms: | |
| Caption: | Coat of Arms---- |
| Titles: |
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| Country: |
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| Estates: |
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| Final Ruler: | Joseph II, 6th Prince of Schwarzenberg |
| Styles: | Serene Highness---- |
| Origin: | Duchy of Franconia---- |
| Founded: |
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| Founder: | Erkinger VI of Seinsheim aka Erkinger I of Schwarzenberg---- |
| Parent House: | Seinsheim---- |
| Cadet Branches: |
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| Current Head: | HSH Prince Johannes Nepomuk of Schwarzenberg |
| Motto: | NIL NISI RECTUM |
| Motto Trans: | NOTHING BUT THE RIGHT |
| Deposition: | 1806: Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire---- |
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.[1] The secundogeniture branch of the Schwarzenbergs was among the foremost Czech patriotic houses.
The current head of the family is (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.
The family stems from the Lords of Seinsheim, who had established themselves in Franconia during the Middle Ages.[1] 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.
In 1599, the Schwarzenbergs were elevated to Imperial Counts, and the family was later raised to princely status in 1670.[1] 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).
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.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the House of Schwarzenberg was divided into two princely-titled lines (majorats).[1] 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.
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.
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.
The Schwarzenberg family held three Imperial Immediate Estates in the Holy Roman Empire.
| width=20% | Name | width=20% | Timespan | width=20% | Map | width=20% | Coat of Arms | width=20% | Historic Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princely County of Schwarzenberg Gefürstete Grafschaft Schwarzenberg | 1429 - 1806 - Acquired by the Lords of Seinsheim 1405 – 1421 - Imperial immediacy 1429 - Raised to Imperial County 1599 - Raised to Princely County 14 July 1670 - German Mediatisation 1806 | ||||||||
| Princely Landgraviate of Klettgau Gefürstete Landgrafschaft Klettgau | 1410 – 1806 - Transition of the Landgraviate of Klettgau from the Habsburg family to the Sulz family 1410 - Schwarzenberg / Sulz family unification 1687 - Raised to Princely Landgraviate 1687 - German Mediatisation 1806 | ||||||||
| County of Gimborn Grafschaft Gimborn | 1550 – 1782 - Imperial immediacy 1631 |
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.
The House of Schwarzenberg produced many military commanders, politicians, church dignitaries (including a Cardinal), innovators and patrons of the arts.[1] They were related to a number of European aristocratic families, notably the Lobkowicz (cs|Lobkovicové) family. Some of the most noteworthy members of the Schwarzenberg family are:
| width=15% | Name | width=105 | Portrait | width=20% | Arms | width=20% | Office(s) | width=20% | Marriage(s) Issue | width=19% | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erkinger VI of Seinsheim, 1st Baron of Schwarzenberg 1362 – 11 December 1437 | Grand Master of the Hunt at the Court of the Bishopric of Würzburg | I. Anna von Bibra 1348 – 1408 Six children II. Barbara von Abensberg 1383 – 2 November 1448 Eleven children | Founder of the Schwarzenberg family Member of the Imperial Council Military commander in the Hussite Wars | ||||||||
| Johann, Baron of Schwarzenberg Johann the Strong 25 December 1463 – 21 October 1528 | Judge of the episcopal court at Bamberg | Kunigunde, Countess of Rieneck 28 September 1469 – 18 October 1502 twelve children | Friend of Martin Luther, and author of the Constitutio Criminalis Bambergensis, which was the basis for the Constitutio Criminalis Carolina | ||||||||
| Wilhelm I, Baron of Schwarzenberg 1486 – KIA 1526 | Field marshal | Katharina Wilhelmina von Nesselrode ? – 6 December 1567 two sons | Field marshal of the Holy Roman Empire under Emperor Charles V in: German Peasants' War Guelders Wars | ||||||||
| Otto Heinrich, Count of Schwarzenberg Known among his contemporaries as inter viros sui temporis illustres illustrissimus 1535 – 11 August 1590 | President of the Aulic Council Hofmarschall of the HRR by his Imp. Maj. decreed Guardian and Governor in Baden | Elisa Margareta von Wolff Metternich ? – 6 February 1624 one son | Guardian and Governor in Baden for Margrave Philip II of Baden President of the Aulic Council and Hofmarschall of the HRR under Maximilian II and Rudolf II | ||||||||
| Melchior, Baron of Schwarzenberg ca. 1536 – KIA 29 June 1579 | Military Commander Military Governor | Anne de Merode-Houffalize ca. 1530 – 1580 | Commander of the Dutch States Party military forces in the Siege of Maastricht and Military Governor of Maastricht | ||||||||
| Adolf, Count of Schwarzenberg ca. 1547 – 29 July 1600 | Field marshal | Elisa Margareta von Wolff Metternich ? – 6 February 1624 one son | Field marshal of the Holy Roman Empire and liberator of Raab, Hungary | ||||||||
| Adam, Count of Schwarzenberg 1583 – 14 March 1641 | Herrenmeister (Grand Master) Political advisor | Margareta, Freiin von Palant von Larochette und Moestroff ? – 29 September 1615 two sons | Advisor of George William, Elector of Brandenburg, Herrenmeister (Grand Master) of the Order of Saint John Son of Adolf, Count of Schwarzenberg | ||||||||
| Georg Ludwig, Count of Schwarzenberg 24 December 1586 – 22 July 1646 | Statesman | I. Anna Neumann von Wasserleonburg 25 November 1536 – 18 December 1623 no issue II. Maria Elisabeth Countess of Sulz 1587 – 12 December 1651 two sons | Austrian statesman during the Thirty Years War Through his marriage with Anna Neumann came the Dominion of Murau into the Schwarzenberg family | ||||||||
| Ferdinand, 2nd Prince of Schwarzenberg The Plague King 23 May 1652 – 22 October 1703 | Oberhofmarschall Oberhofmeister | Maria Anna Countess of Sulz ca. 1660 – 18 July 1698 eleven children | Oberhofmarschall and Oberhofmeister, known as the Plague King (Pestkönig) | ||||||||
| Adam Franz, 3rd Prince of Schwarzenberg Duke of Krumlov 25 September 1680 – 11 Juni 1732 | Obersthofmarschall (1711–1722) Oberstallmeister (1722–1732) | Eleonore Princess of Lobkowicz 20 June 1682 – 5 May 1741 two children | First Duke of Krumlov, Count of Sulz and Princely Landgrave of Klettgau in the Schwarzenberg family Initiator of the Schwarzenberg Navigational Canal Killed accidentally by Emperor Charles VI during a driven shoot | ||||||||
| Joseph I, 4th Prince of Schwarzenberg Duke of Krumlov 15 December 1722 – 17 February 1782 | Obersthofmeister | Maria Theresia Princess von und zu Liechtenstein 28 December 1721 – 19 January 1753 nine children | Obersthofmeister of Empress Maria Theresia, Minister of State, receives the Order of the Golden Fleece at the age of ten | ||||||||
| Joseph II, 6th Prince of Schwarzenberg Duke of Krumlov 27 June 1769 – 19 December 1833 | Ambassador | Pauline Princess of Arenberg-Aarschot 2 September 1774 – burned to death in the night of 1–2 July 1810 nine children | Ambassador of the Austrian Empire in Paris Last Prince of Schwarzenberg, who possessed the imperial immediacy Founder of the Schwarzenberg Primogeniture | ||||||||
| Karl Philipp Prince of Schwarzenberg 15 April 1771 – 15 October 1820 | Field marshal Ambassador | Maria Anna Countess von Hohenfeld widowed Princess Esterházy 20 May 1768 – 2 April 1848 three sons | Austrian field marshal during the Napoleonic Wars and ambassador in St.Petersburg and Paris, Generalissimo of the Sixth Coalition in the Battle of the Nations at Leipzig Founder of the Schwarzenberg Secundogeniture | ||||||||
| Ernst Prince of Schwarzenberg 29 May 1773 – 14 March 1821 | Bishop | - | Canon of Cologne, Liège, Salzburg, Passau, Esztergom and Bishop of Győr | ||||||||
| Prince Felix of Schwarzenberg The Austrian Bismarck 2 October 1800 – 5 April 1852 | Minister-President Minister of Foreign Affairs Field Marshal Lieutenant | Two children with Jane Digby, Lady Ellenborough | Minister-President of the Austrian Empire between 1848 and 1852 | ||||||||
| Friedrich Prince of Schwarzenberg The Lansquenet 30 September 1800 – 6 March 1870 | Major General Writer | - | Major general of the Austrian Empire, Colonel of the General Staff in the Spanish First Carlist War, officer in the Swiss Sonderbund War and author, known as der Landsknecht (the Lansquenet) | ||||||||
| Karl II Prince of Schwarzenberg The Governor 21 January 1802 – 25 June 1858 | General of the branch (Military) Governor | Josephine Countess Wratislaw of Mitrovic 16 April 1802 – 17 April 1881 one son | General of the branch of the Austrian Empire, Military Governor of Milan and Governor of the Principality of Transylvania (today Romania), known as der Gouverneur (the governor) | ||||||||
| Edmund Prince of Schwarzenberg 18 November 1803 – 17 November 1873 | Field marshal | - | Last Austrian field marshal in the 19th century | ||||||||
| Friedrich Prince of Schwarzenberg 6 April 1809 – 27 March 1885 | Cardinal Archbishop Primas Germaniae Prince of the Church | - | Cardinal and Archbishop of Salzburg, then Archbishop of Prague | ||||||||
| Felix Prince of Schwarzenberg 8 June 1867 – 18 November 1946 | Major general | Anna Princess zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg 28 September 1873 – 27 June 1936 five children | Major general in World War I, one of only two recipients of the Golden Medal of Bravery for Officers by Emperor Charles I | ||||||||
| Heinrich Prince of Schwarzenberg Duke of Krumlov 29 January 1903 – 18 June 1965 | Public servant | Eleonore Countess zu Stolberg-Stolberg 8 August 1920 – 27 Dezember 1994 one daughter | Austrian public servant and survivor of the Buchenwald concentration camp | ||||||||
| Johannes Prince of Schwarzenberg 31 January 1903 – 26 May 1978 | Public servant | Kathleen Vicomtesse de Spoelberch 19 May 1905 – 26 May 1978 two children | Austrian ambassador in Italy (1947–1955), to the Holy See (1955–1966) and Ambassador to the Court of St James's (1966–1969), Director and Delegate of the Red Cross and member of the Governing Board | ||||||||
| Karel VI. Schwarzenberg 5 July 1911 – 9 April 1986 | Officer Regent Author | Antonia Princess zu Fürstenberg 12 January 1905 – 24 December 1988 four children | Czech resistance fighter in World War II, Regent of the Grand Priory of Bohemia of the Order of Malta, historian and author | ||||||||
| Karl, 12th Prince of Schwarzenberg 10 December 1937 - 12 November 2023 | President of the Council of the European Union Minister of Foreign Affairs Vice prime minister Senator | Therese Countess zu Hardegg auf Glatz und im Machlande 17 February 1940 two children | Czech politician, former Minister of Foreign Affairs (Czech Republic) and head of the House of Schwarzenberg |
The Schwarzenberg family holding included the following residences in Germany:
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 (cs|Rožmberkové). On their lands, the Schwarzenbergs created ponds, planted forests and introduced new technologies in agriculture.[1]
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.[1]
The Schwarzenberg family holding included the following residences in Bohemia:
The Schwarzenberg family holdings included the following residences in Austria:
The Schwarzenberg family holding included the following residence in Slovakia, which was part of the Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen:
| width=20% | Name | width=20% | Image | width=15% | Location | width=25% | Map | width=20% | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marianka Castle | Marianka, Bratislava Region | Purchased by Friedrich "The Landsknecht" in 1839 |
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.
| width=20% | Name | width=20% | Image | width=15% | Location | width=25% | Map | width=20% | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fischbach Castle | Fischbach Castle, Fischbach | Fischbach, Canton of Mersch | Inherited through the marriage of Johann Gerhard (1571 - 1635) with Dorothea de Naves (1629), heiress of Chiveri and Fischbach. | ||||||
| Hassonville Castle | Hassonville Castle, Marche-en-Famenne | Marche-en-Famenne, Luxembourg (Belgium) | 1603 Johann Gerhard acquired Humain and Hassonville. 1678: Sold to Etienne de Rossius de Liboy. | ||||||
| Raeren Castle | Raeren Castle, Raeren | Raeren, Liège Province | Mathias de Flamige, married with Wilhelmina de Notomb, sold the castle to Jean-Henri de Schwarzenberg bought the castle on 27 January 1790. However Baron Charles-Henri de Broich who was an in-law of the seller, bought back the estate and later sold it again to Baron Philippe de Witte de Limminghe. |
The following religious places are linked to the Schwarzenberg family either as burial or memorial places:
| width=20% | Name | width=20% | Image | width=15% | Location | width=25% | Map | width=20% | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astheim Charterhouse | Volkach, Franconia | Founded by Erkinger, 1st Baron of Schwarzenberg in 1409 First burial site of the Schwarzenberg family | |||||||
| Schwarzenberg Monastery | Scheinfeld, Franconia | Founded in 1702 | |||||||
| St. Vitus Cathedral Schwarzenberg Chapel | Prague, Czech Republic | Located in the St. Vitus Cathedral. | |||||||
| Schwarzenberg Crypt (Domanín) | Domanín (Jindřichův Hradec District), Czech Republic | Constructed from 1874 – 1877. Burial site of the Schwarzenberg Primogeniture.In family possessionPartially accessible to the public. | |||||||
| Schwarzenberg Crypt (Orlík nad Vltavou) | Orlík nad Vltavou, Czech Republic | Burial site of the Schwarzenberg Secundogeniture. In family possession Active in use and not open to the public. | |||||||
| Sedlec Ossuary | Kutná Hora, Czech Republic | Part of the World Heritage Site Sedlec Abbey Large Schwarzenberg Secundogeniture coat of arms made out of human bones. | |||||||
| Zlatá Koruna Monastery Goldenkorn Monastery | Zlatá Koruna, Czech Republic | Founded by King Ottokar II of Bohemia in 1263. The Schwarzenberg family inherited in 1719 the Jus patronatus of the Eggenberg family. In 1785, the family acquired the monastery after its closure due to the Josephinist Reform. It was used as a manufacture until 1909. It was confiscated under the Lex Schwarzenberg in 1948. | |||||||
| Vyšší Brod Monastery Goldenkorn Monastery | Vyšší Brod, Czech Republic | Founded by Wok I von Rosenberg in 1259. The Schwarzenberg family inherited in 1719 the Jus patronatus of the Eggenberg family and kept it for more than a century until 1822. | |||||||
| St. Laurentius Church | Weinheim, Germany | Tomb of Rittmeister Friedrich Prinz zu Schwarzenberg. | |||||||
| All Saints' Church, Wittenberg | Wittenberg, Germany | World Heritage Site Site where the Ninety-five Theses were likely posted by Martin Luther in 1517. Schwarzenberg coat of arms on the balustrade of the organ to commemorate Johann of Schwarzenberg as one of Luther's first followers. | |||||||
| San Gian Church Sankt Johannes | Celerina/Schlarigna, Switzerland | The wooden ceiling from 1478, displaying the Brandis coat of arms, today embedded in the Schwarzenberg arms through the unification with Sulz, is considered one of the best preserved wooden church ceilings in Graubünden.It shows the Coat of Arms of Bishop Ortlieb von Brandis (1458-1491), Lord of Brandis in Maienfeld. |
The following monuments are erected for the Schwarzenberg family and its members:
| width=25% | Name | width=25% | Picture | width=25% | Map | width=25% | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schwarzenbergplatz | Inaugurated in 1867 Commemorating the victory of Karl Philipp Schwarzenberg at the Battle of the Nations in 1813 | ||||||
| Monument to the Battle of the Nations | Inaugurated in 1913 Commemorating the victory (of Karl Philipp Schwarzenberg) at the Battle of the Nations in 1813 Length: 80 metres (260 ft) Width: 70 metres (230 ft) Height: 91 metres (299 ft) | ||||||
| Monument to Karl Philipp SchwarzenbergKarlovy Vary | Installed in 1818, reconstructed in 1891 and 1991. | ||||||
| Schwarzenberg-Pálffy Monument | Inaugurated in 1998 Commemorating the victory at the Battle of Györ of Adolf Schwarzenberg in 1598 | ||||||
| Statue of Cardinal Friedrich Schwarzenberg | Located in the St. Vitus Cathedral in the Prague Castle Memorial to Cardinal Friedrich Schwarzenberg | ||||||
| Schwarzenberg Monument in Meusdorf (Leipzig) | Inaugurated in 1838 Commemorating the victory of Karl Philipp Schwarzenberg at the Battle of the Nations in 1813 Commissioned by Karl Philipp's wife and his three sons | ||||||
| Schwarzenberg Memorial on the peak of Plattenkogel Mountain | Commemorating the presence of Cardinal Friedrich Schwarzenberg | ||||||
| Walhalla Memorial Bust of Karl Philipp Schwarzenberg | Second from the right in the lowest row | Inaugurated in 1842 Commemorating the victory of Karl Philipp Schwarzenberg at the Battle of the Nations in 1813 The original bust was created by Johann Nepomuk Schaller in 1821 | |||||
| Ruhmeshalle (Munich) Bust of Karl Philipp Schwarzenberg | Inaugurated in 1853 | ||||||
| Heldenberg Memorial Bust of Karl Philipp Schwarzenberg | Inaugurated in 1849 One of four Schwarzenberg busts in the Heldenberg Memorial | ||||||
| Heldenberg Memorial Bust of Edmund Schwarzenberg | Inaugurated in 1849 One of four Schwarzenberg busts in the Heldenberg Memorial | ||||||
| Heldenberg Memorial Bust of Adolf Schwarzenberg | Inaugurated in 1849 One of four Schwarzenberg busts in the Heldenberg Memorial | ||||||
| Heldenberg Memorial Bust of Felix Schwarzenberg | Inaugurated in 1849 One of four Schwarzenberg busts in the Heldenberg Memorial | ||||||
| Thorvaldsen Museum Bust of Karl Philipp Schwarzenberg | Created by Bertel Thorvaldsen | ||||||
| Capuchin Church Bust of Schwarzenberg Uhlans Memorial | The same church is used as the Imperial Crypt of the Habsburg family | ||||||
| Commemorative Obelisk Monument for Prince Karl II Schwarzenberg | Inaugurated in 1858 Commemorating the decision of HSH Military-Governor Karl II to build a road between the districts Hermannstadt, Leschkirch, Agnetheln and Gross-Schenk. |
Source:[2]
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.
| Royal Name: | Princes(ses) of Schwarzenberg |
| Dipstyle: | His/Her Serene Highness |
| Offstyle: | Your Serene Highness |
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.
The ancestral arms of the Lords of Seinsheim consisted of six vertical stripes in silver and blue.[4] 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.[4]
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.[5] [6] [7]
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.[5] [8] 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).
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.
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.
| width=9% | No. | width=13% | Name Comment | width=13% | Portrait | width=13% | Born | width=13% | Age at Knighthood | width=13% | Fleece Knight No. | width=13% | Year of Knighthood | width=13% | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georg Ludwig | 1586 | 41 | 365 | 1627 | 1646 | |||||||||
| 2 | Johann Adolph I. | 1615 | 35 | 424 | 1650 | 1683 | |||||||||
| 3 | Ferdinand | 1652 | 36 | 546 | 1688 | 1703 | |||||||||
| 4 | Adam Franz | 1680 | 32 | 618 | 1712 | 1732 | |||||||||
| 5 | Joseph I. Youngest knight in the family; Doyen | 1722 | 10 | 680 | 1732 | 1782 | |||||||||
| 6 | Johann I. | 1742 | 40 | 803 | 1782 | 1789 | |||||||||
| 7 | Joseph II. | 1769 | 39 | 864 | 1808 | 1824 | |||||||||
| 8 | Karl I. | 1771 | 38 | 874 | 1809 | 1820 | |||||||||
| 9 | Johann Adolph II. Doyen | 1799 | 37 | 920 | 1836 | 1888 | |||||||||
| 10 | Karl II. | 1802 | 50 | 952 | 1852 | 1858 | |||||||||
| 11 | Edmund only agnate | 1803 | 59 | 977 | 1862 | 1873 | |||||||||
| 12 | Karl III. | 1824 | 57 | 1050 | 1881 | 1904 | |||||||||
| 13 | Adolph Joseph | 1832 | 57 | 1079 | 1889 | 1914 | |||||||||
| 14 | Karl IV. | 1859 | 48 | 1148 | 1907 | 1913 | |||||||||
| 15 | Johann II. | 1860 | 55 | 1180 | 1915 | 1938 | |||||||||
| 16 | Joseph III. | 1900 | 51 | 1239 | 1951 | 1979 | |||||||||
| 17 | Karl VI. | 1911 | 49 | 1265 | 1960 | 1986 | |||||||||
| 18 | Karl VII. Johannes | 1937 | 54 | 1309 | 1991 | 2023 |