Thurn and Taxis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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For the board game, see Thurn and Taxis (board game)
The Princely House of Thurn and Taxis (German: Das Fürstenhaus Thurn und Taxis) is a German family that was a key player in the postal (mail) services in Europe in the 16th century and is well known as owners of breweries and builders of countless castles.
In the 13th century the originally Lombardic aristocratic family de la Torre (torre in Italian means tower) was resident in Bergamo. The Tower (in German Turm) in the family coat of arms eventually became Thurn, the Badger (tasso in Italian, Dachs in German) became Taxis.
Ruggiano de Tassis (Franz von Taxis) founded the postal service in Italy. And later in Innsbruck, on 11 December 1489, Jeannetto de Tassis was appointed Chief Master of Postal Services. The family held its exclusive position for centuries. On 12 November 1516 the Thurn und Taxis family had a postal service based in Brussels reaching to Rome, Naples, Spain, Germany and France by courier.
The Thurn und Taxis company would last until the 18th century, when the postal service was finally bought by the heir to the Spanish throne.
Rainer Maria Rilke wrote his Duino Elegies while visiting Princess Marie of Thurn and Taxis (née princess of Hohenlohe) at the family's Duino castle. Rilke later dedicated his famous novel The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge to the princess, who was one of his major patrons.
Several members of the family have been Knights of Malta.
The current head of the house of Thurn and Taxis is HSH Albert II, 12th Prince of Thurn and Taxis, son of Johannes, Prince of Thurn and Taxis and his wife, Gloria. The family is one of the wealthiest in Germany. The family has resided in St. Emmeram Castle in Regensburg since 1748. The family's brewery was sold to the Paulaner Group (Munich) in 1996, but still produces beer under the brand of Thurn und Taxis.
[edit] Princes (Fürsten) of Thurn and Taxis, 1695-present
- Eugen Alexander Franz 1695-1714
- Anselm Franz 1714-1739
- Alexander Ferdinand 1739-1773
- Karl Anselm 1773-1805
- Karl Alexander 1805-1827
- Maximilian Karl 1827-1871
- Maximilian Maria 1871-1885
- Albert I 1885-1952
- Franz Josef 1952-1971
- Karl August 1971-1982
- Johannes 1982-1990
- Albert II 1990-present
The Thurn und Taxis family came to massive media attention during the late 1970's through mid-1980's when late Prince Johannes married Countess Maria Gloria of Schönburg-Glauchau, a member of an impoverished noble family. The couple's wild, "jet set" lifestyle and Princess Gloria's over-the-top appearance (characterized by bright haircolor and flashy clothes) earned her the nickname "Princess TNT."
[edit] Cultural references to Thurn and Taxis
- The mail monopoly of Thurn and Taxis was central to the plot of The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon, which deals with a secret rival mail system W. A. S. T. E., developed by the fictional Trystero family.
- The board game Thurn and Taxis, by Andreas Seyfarth and Karen Seyfarth is inspired by the family.
