House of Hohenberg

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Arms of the Ducal House of Hohenberg

The Ducal House of Hohenberg is an Austrian noble family, directly descended from Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, Heir Presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian Empire and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg.

The House of Hohenberg was created by imperial decree of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria when upon the couple's marriage in 1900, he created Sophie Princess of Hohenberg (Fürstin von Hohenberg) with the style Her Serene Highness (Ihre Durchlaucht). In 1909 the Emperor raised Sophie to the more senior title Duchess of Hohenberg (Herzogin von Hohenberg) with the style Her Highness (Ihre Hoheit). As their marriage was a morganatic one, none of their four children where in the Line of Succession to the Throne. Today the House of Hohenberg is made up of the descendants of three of those children.

The title Duke of Hohenberg was created for Prince Maximilian of Hohenberg in 1917 by Emperor Karl I of Austria, (Beatified 2004), three years after his parents assassination in Sarajevo in 1914 which resulted in the outbreak of World War One.

The Head of the Family is titled Duke with male members titled Prince and female members titled Princess. All members hold the rank of Serene Highness.

The House of Hohenberg as well as being directly descended from, and since married into, the Imperial and Royal House of Habsburg-Lorraine of Austria and Hungary, are also through marriage related to other European dynasties including the Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg and the Princely House of Liechtenstein.

In 1938 several members of the family who were opposed to Adolf Hilter were arrested by the Nazis and sent to Dachau concentration camp but were released on liberation in 1945. The current Head of the House, Georg, Duke of Hohenberg, was Ambassador of the Republic of Austria to the Holy See under part of the pontificate of Pope John Paul II.