Schwarzenberg family
| House of Schwarzenberg | |
|---|---|
Arms of the Princes of Schwarzenberg
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| Country | |
| Estates |
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| Parent house | Seinsheim |
| Titles | |
| Style(s) | Serene Highness |
| Founded |
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| Founder | Erkinger VI of Seinsheim aka Erkinger I of Schwarzenberg |
| Final ruler | Joseph II, 6th Prince of Schwarzenberg |
| Current head | HSH Prince Karl of Schwarzenberg |
| Motto | NIL NISI RECTUM (NOTHING BUT THE RIGHT) |
| Deposition | 1806: Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire |
| Ethnicity | Swiss, Czech, German, Austrian |
| Cadet branches |
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Styles of Princes(ses) of Schwarzenberg |
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| Reference style | His/Her Serene Highness |
| Spoken style | Your Serene Highness |
| Alternative style | Sir/Ma'am |
The House of Schwarzenberg is a Czech (Bohemian) and German (Franconian) aristocratic family, and it was one of the most prominent European noble houses. The Schwarzenbergs are members of the Bohemian nobility and German nobility and achieved the rank of Princes of the Holy Roman Empire. The family traces its roots to the Lords of Seinsheim during the Middle Ages.
The current head of the family is Karel, the 12th Prince of Schwarzenberg, a Czech politician who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. The family owns properties and lands across Austria, Czech Republic and Germany.
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.
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 the Czech Republic).
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Wikipedia