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House of Liechtenstein

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House of Liechtenstein
Coat of arms of Liechtenstein
Banner of the House of Liechtenstein
CountryPrincipality of Liechtenstein
Place of originLiechtenstein Castle,Maria Enzersdorf,Austria
Founded1608 (as aprincelyhouse)
FounderKarl I(first prince)
Current headHans-Adam II
TitlesPrince of Liechtenstein
Duke of Troppau
Duke of Jägerndorf
Count of Rietberg
Style(s)Serene Highness
Websitewww.fuerstenhaus.li

TheHouse of Liechtenstein(German:Haus Liechtenstein), from which theprincipalitytakes its name, is the family whichreignsby hereditary right over the principality ofLiechtenstein.Onlydynasticmembers of the family are eligible to inherit the throne. The dynasty's membership, rights and responsibilities are defined by a law of the family, which is enforced by thereigning princeand may be altered by vote among the family's dynasts, but which may not be altered by theGovernmentorParliament of Liechtenstein.[1]

History[edit]

The family originates fromLiechtenstein CastleinLower Austria(nearVienna), which the family possessed from at least 1136 to the 13th century, and from 1807 onwards.

The progenitor Hugo von Liechtenstein (d. 1156) built Liechtenstein Castle around 1122-36 on afiefthat he received from theBabenbergmargraves of Austria. He also receivedPetronellon the Danube andRohrau Castle,near the then border with theKingdom of Hungary,at first as a fief, from 1142 as a free property (allod).

Heinrich I (d. 1265), lord of Liechtenstein and Petronell, was given the lordship ofNikolsburgin southern Moravia as free property fromOttokar II of Bohemia,whom he supported politically, in 1249. It remained one of the most important seats until it was sold in 1560. In 1394, John I of Liechtenstein, lord of Nikolsburg (d. 1397), acquired the Feldsberg estate (then Lower Austria, todayValtice,Czech Republic). When he fell out of favor withAlbert III, Duke of Austria,for whom he had long conducted government business, he lost his lands south of the Danube, but could keep Nikolsburg because Bohemia and Moravia did not come to the Habsburgs until 1526.

Through the centuries, the dynasty acquired vast swathes of land, predominantly inMoravia,Lower Austria,SilesiaandStyria,though in all cases, these territories were parts of countries that were ruled by other dynasties, particularly theHouse of Habsburg,to whom several Liechtenstein princes served as close advisers.

At the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries, the three brothersKarl,MaximilianandGundakarinitiated a new period in the family history. They reconverted from Protestantism to Catholicism and supported the Habsburg Emperors in crushing theBohemian Revolt.Maximilian, as Field Marshal, won theBattle of White Mountainfor EmperorFerdinand II.On diplomatic missions, Gundaker prepared theCatholic League,which fought for the Habsburgs in theThirty Years' War.Karl restored order as Viceroy of Bohemia and oversaw the arrests and executions of the 27 leaders of the uprising. For this they were all three made princes. In addition, they were able to cheaply acquire huge lands from expelled and dispossessed Protestant nobles in Bohemia and Moravia, especially since Karl himself, as the Emperor's representative, carried out these confiscations. He also received theDuchy of Troppauand theDuchy of Krnov(Jägerndorf) in Silesia from the Emperor. The respectiveFürststill holds these two ducal titles to this day.

The Moravian and Bohemian possessions acquired at the time included:Bučovice,Moravská Třebová,Moravský Krumlov,Uherský Ostroh(withKunoviceandHluk),Šternberkand a palace in Prague (onMalostranské náměstí). In 1802Velké Losinywas added. Most of these estates remained in the possession of the princely house untilCzechoslovakiaexpropriated them in 1945. In 1622, Maximilian founded a monastery inVranov,in whose family crypt almost all Liechtenstein princes were buried, until a new crypt was built inVaduzin 1960.

Without any territory held directly under the Imperial throne, the Liechtenstein dynasty was unable to meet a primary requirement to qualify for a seat in theImperial Diet(Reichstag). A seat would add power, and would be afforded by lands which would beimmediate,or held without any feudal personage other than theHoly Roman Emperorhimself having rights on the land. The head of the family was able to arrange the purchase from theHohenemsfamily of the minusculeLordship of Schellenbergin 1699, and theCounty of Vaduzin 1712. Schellenberg and Vaduz indeed had no feudal lord other than theircomitalsovereign and thesuzerainEmperor.

On 23 January 1719, after the purchase had been made,Charles VIasHoly Roman Emperordecreed Vaduz and Schellenberg to be united and raised to the dignity of a Principality by the name of "Liechtenstein", in honour of "[his] true servant,Anton Florian of Liechtenstein".On this date, Liechtenstein became a member state of the Holy Roman Empire. The Princes of Liechtenstein did not set foot in their new principality for several decades, a testament to the pure political expediency of the purchases. Since the distant little country consisted only of small farming villages, the administration was installed in the nearest town,Feldkirchin Austria, where the prince had an office building built for this purpose.Vaduz Castle,the center of the medieval county of that name, remained unused and was rented out as a restaurant for hikers until the late 19th century.

With the end of theHoly Roman Empirein 1806, thePrincipality of Liechtensteinbecame sovereign and was recognized in this status by theCongress of Viennain 1814/1815.Johann Ibecame the first sovereign ruler. He acquired a number of castles and estates in Austria for his numerous sons, which are still mostly inhabited by their descendants today. The reigning princes continued to live in their magnificentViennaresidences,Liechtenstein City PalaceandLiechtenstein Garden Palace,and on their Moravian and Bohemian estates, withLednice and Valtice(German names: Eisgrub and Feldsberg) as their main residence. The border between Austria and Bohemia-Moravia, both member states of theAustro-Hungarian Empireunder theHabsburgrule, ran through the park between the two castles. The local administration of the Principality of Liechtenstein was overseen by a governor, and the government office was located at the prince's seat.

It was not until theOccupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–1945)byNazi Germanyat the beginning ofWorld War IIthat the residence was moved from Valtice toVaduz.The prince had opposed the annexation of Czech territory, including Valtice and Lednice, intoSudetenland,and as a consequence his properties were confiscated by the Nazis, and the family then relocated to Vaduz in 1939.[citation needed]Austria had also been annexed by Germany through theAnschlussin 1938.

After the Second World War, not only were the family's Czechoslovak properties expropriated, but inAllied-occupied Austriamost of their properties were also located in the Soviet occupation zone and were therefore inaccessible until the end of the occupation in 1955. Due to the expropriations in Czechoslovakia as a result of theBeneš decreesin 1945, the family lost a large part of their land holdings, with about 1,200 square kilometers (463 square miles), 7.5 times the total area of the Principality itself.[2]It was only able to restore its prosperity, including the upkeep of numerous castles in Austria and of the world-famous art collections, in the last quarter of the 20th century by expanding its small Liechtenstein bank into the internationally operating financial companyLGT Group.

According to theConstitution of the Princely House of Liechtensteinof 26 October 1993, all members other than the reigning prince shall bear the titles of Prince or Princess of Liechtenstein and Count or Countess ofRietberg.

21st-century princely family[edit]

Styles of
Princes(ses) of Liechtenstein
Reference styleHis/Her Serene Highness
Spoken styleYour Serene Highness
Ducal hat of Liechtenstein
Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein(born 1945), current head of the house and sovereign ruler of the principality
  • The Prince(the monarch)
    • The Hereditary PrinceandHereditary Princess(the Prince's son and daughter-in-law)
      • Prince Joseph Wenzel(the Prince's grandson)
      • Princess Marie Caroline (the Prince's granddaughter)
      • Prince Georg (the Prince's grandson)
      • Prince Nikolaus (the Prince's grandson)
    • Prince MaximilianandPrincess Angela(the Prince's son and daughter-in-law)
      • Prince Alfons (the Prince's grandson)
    • Princess Marie (the Prince's daughter-in-law)
      • Prince Moritz (the Prince's grandson)
      • Princess Georgina (the Prince's granddaughter)
      • Prince Benedikt (the Prince's grandson)
    • Princess Tatjana and Baron Philipp von Lattorff (the Prince's daughter and son-in-law)
      • Baron Lukas von Lattorff (the Prince's grandson)
      • Elisabeth von Latorff (the Prince's granddaughter)
      • Marie von Latorff (the Prince's granddaughter)
      • Camilla von Latorff (the Prince's granddaughter)
      • Anna von Latorff (the Prince's granddaughter)
      • Sophie von Latorff (the Prince's granddaughter)
      • Maximilian von Lattorff (the Prince's grandson)
  • Prince Philippand Princess Isabelle (the Prince's brother and sister-in-law)
    • Prince Alexander andPrincess Astrid(the Prince's nephew and niece-in-law)
      • Princess Theodora(the Prince's great-niece)
      • Prince Lexander (the Prince's great-nephew)
    • Prince Wenzeslaus (the Prince's nephew)
    • Prince Rudolf and Princess Tılsım (the Prince's nephew and niece-in-law)
      • Princess Laetitia (the Prince's great-niece)
      • Prince Karl Ludwig (the Prince's great-nephew)
  • Prince NikolausandPrincess Margaretha(the Prince's brother and sister-in-law)
    • Princess Maria-Anunciataand Emanuele Musini (the Prince's niece and nephew-in-law)
    • Princess Marie-Astridand Ralph Worthington V (the Prince's niece and nephew-in-law)
      • Althaea Worthington (the Prince's great-niece).
    • Prince Josef-Emanuel and Princess Maria Claudia (the Prince's nephew and niece-in-law)
      • Prince Leopold (the Prince's great-nephew)
  • The Dowager Marchioness of Mariño(the Prince's sister)
    • María Teresa Sartorius y Liechtenstein (the Prince's niece)
  • Prince GundakarandPrincess Marie(the Prince's third cousin and third cousin-in-law)
    • Princess Leopoldine (the Prince's third cousin once-removed)
    • Princess Marie Immaculée (the Prince's third cousin once-removed)
    • Prince Johann (the Prince's third cousin once-removed)
    • Princess Margarete (the Prince's third cousin once-removed)
    • Prince Gabriel (the Prince's third cousin once-removed)
  • Prince Stefanand Princess Florentine (the Prince's fifth cousin once-removed and fifth cousin-in-law once-removed)
    • Prince Lukas
    • Prince Konrad
    • Princess Anna
    • Princess Rita

Tree list[edit]

Below are all male and male-line dynastic descendants ofJohann I Joseph, Prince of Liechtenstein.The numbers represent the positions in the line of succession.

  • Prince Johann I Josef(1760–1836)
    • Prince Alois II(1796–1858)
    • Prince Franz de Paula(1802–1887)
      • Prince Alfred(1842–1907)
        • Prince Franz de Paula(1868–1929)
        • Prince Alois(1869–1955)
        • Prince Johannes(1873–1959)
          • Prince Alfred (1907–1991)
            • (21)Prince Franz (b. 1935)
              • (22)Prince Alfred (b. 1972)
                • (23)Prince Franz (b. 2009)
              • (24)Prince Lukas (b. 1974)
            • Prince Friedrich (1937–2010)
              • (25)Prince Emanuel (b. 1978)
                • (26)Prince Leopold (b. 2010)
                • (27)Prince Heinrich (b. 2012)
              • (28)Prince Ulrich (b. 1983)
            • (29)Prince Anton (b. 1940)
              • (30)Prince Georg (b. 1977)
          • Prince Emanuel(1908–1987)
          • Prince Johannes (1910–1975)
            • (31)Prince Eugen (b. 1939)
              • (32)Prince Johannes (b. 1969)
            • Prince Albrecht(b. 1940) (took the title of Baron vonLanškroun)
          • Prince Constantin(1911–2001)
        • Prince Alfred Roman(1875–1930)
          • Prince Hans-Moritz (1914–2004)
            • (33)Prince Gundakar(b. 1949)
              • (34)Prince Johann (b. 1993)
              • (35)Prince Gabriel (b. 1998)
            • (36)Prince Alfred (b. 1951)
            • (37)Prince Karl (b. 1955)
            • (38)Prince Hugo (b. 1964)
          • Prince Heinrich (1916–1991)
            • Prince Vincenz(1950–2008)
            • (39)Prince Michael (b. 1951)
            • (40)Prince Christof (b. 1956)
            • (41)Prince Karl (b. 1957)
        • Prince Heinrich (1877–1915)
        • Prince Karl Aloys(1878–1955)
          • Prince Wilhelm(1922–2006)(took the title of Graf vonHohenau)
          • (42)Prince Wolfgang (b. 1934)
            • (43)Prince Leopold (b. 1978)
              • (44)Prince Lorenz (b. 2012)
        • Prince Georg (Pater Ildefons,O.S.B.) (1880–1931)
      • Prince Aloys(1846–1920)
      • Prince Heinrich (1853–1914)
    • Prince Karl Johann(1803–1871)
      • Prince Rudolf (1833–1888)
      • Prince Philipp (1837–1901)
        • Prince Karl (1862–1893)
        • Prince Joseph (1863)
    • Prince Friedrich(1807–1885)
    • Prince Eduard Franz(1809–1864)
      • Prince Aloys (1840–1885)
        • Prince Friedrich (1871–1959)
          • Prince Aloys (1898–1943)
            • Prince Luitpold (1940–2016)
              • Prince Friedrich (1970)
              • (45)Prince Carl (b. 1978)
          • Prince Alfred (1900–1972)
            • Prince Alexander(1929–2012)
              • (46)Prince Christian (b. 1961)
                • (47)Prince Augustinus (b. 1992)
                • (48)Prince Johannes (b. 1995)
                • (49)Prince Archer (b. 2004)
              • (50)Prince Stefan(b. 1961)
                • (51)Prince Lukas (b. 1990)
                • (52)Prince Konrad (b. 1992)
              • (53)Prince Emanuel (b. 1964)
                • (54)Prince Josef (b. 1998)
            • Prince Franz de Paula (1935–1987)
          • Prince Alexander (1901–1926)
        • Prince Eduard (1872–1951)
    • Prince August (1810–1824)
    • Prince Rudolf (1816–1848)

Palaces and residences[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^Princely House of Liechtenstein.House LawsArchived2012-06-15 at theWayback Machine
  2. ^Fürst kämpft um Schlösser und Ländereien in Tschechien(Prince fights for castles and estates in the Czech Republic), 22 Dec 2018

External links[edit]

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