arms of the Dukes of Hohenberg as designed in 1917 |
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| Titles | Duke of Hohenberg Prince of Hohenberg |
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| Founder | Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg |
| Current head | Georg, Duke of Hohenberg |
| Founding | 1900 |
| Ducal Family of Hohenberg |
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HH The Duke
Extended family
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The Ducal House of Hohenberg is an Austrian noble family, descended from Countess Sophie Chotek (1868-1914) who in 1900 married Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria-Este (1863-1914), the heir presumptive to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. As their marriage was a morganatic one, none of their four children were in the line of succession to the Austro-Hungarian throne.
The House of Hohenberg was established by imperial decree of Emperor Francis Joseph of Austria when upon the couple's marriage in 1900, he created Francis Ferdinand's wife Princess of Hohenberg (in German: Fürstin von Hohenberg) in her own right with the style of Serene Highness (in German: Durchlaucht), and the specifiation that this name and title should also be borne by her descendants.
In 1909, the Emperor raised Sophie to the more senior title of Duchess of Hohenberg (in German: Herzogin von Hohenberg) with the style Highness (in German: Hoheit) for her life. This title expired upon Sophie's assassination in 1914.
In 1917, Emperor Charles of Austria regulated the titles within the Hohenberg family and awarded them a coat of arms (shown above). The Head of the House would be titled Duke with the style Highness, the other male members would be titled Prince and female members titled Princess with the style of Serene Highness. Thus, Sophie's eldest son, Prince Maximilian of Hohenberg, became the first Duke of Hohenberg. This title was created to be hereditary among Sophie's and Francis Ferdinand's male agnatic descendants according to the rule of agnatic primogeniture. Following the collapse of the Monarchy, all Austrian titles of nobility were abolished by law in 1919 and since then their names consist only of a forename and surname, without the "von" or any title.
In 1938, several members of the family who were opposed to Adolf Hitler were arrested by the Nazis and sent to Dachau concentration camp, most notably Duke Maximilian and his brother Ernst. They were only released on liberation in 1945. The current Head of the House, Georg Hohenberg, was Ambassador of the Republic of Austria to the Holy See under part of the pontificate of Pope John Paul II. He is also a Knight of the Golden Fleece.
Members of the House of Hohenberg are not only descended from, and married into, the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, but are also through marriage related to many other European dynasties including the Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg and the Princely House of Liechtenstein.
The Hohenberg family has left such a legacy behind that their Castle of Artstetten was selected as a main motive for a very recent commemorative coin: the 10 euro The Castle of Artstetten commemorative coin minted on October 13, 2004. The reverse shows the entrance to the crypt of the Hohenberg family. There are two portraits to the left, showing Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg.
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