House of Graben von Stein

House Von Graben von Stein
Country	Austria
Parent house	House of Meinhardin
Titles	Burggraf of Graz Burggraf of Marburg Burggraf of Lienz Burggraf of Hohenwang Burggraf of Heinfels Burggraf and Lord of Gleichenberg Burggraf and Lord of Sommeregg Lord of Kornberg Lord of Stein im Drautal Lord of the high Lordship of Straß in Steiermark Stadtholder of Lienz and East Tyrol etc.
Founded	early 12th century
Founder	Konrad and his brother Grimoald von Graben
Final ruler	Felix Jakob von Graben
Deposition	1776

Coat of arms of the Von Graben von Stein, Von Rain zu Sommeregg and Leubelfing and other East Tyrolien and Carinthian noble families

Virgil von Graben, Knight, Stadtholder and capitain of Lienz, Görz and East-Tyrol, Burggraf and Lord of Heinfels, Lengberg, Lienz and Sommeregg (etc.)

Castle Heinfels

Von Graben von (zum) Stein,^[1] also named, Ab dem Graben, Von (dem) Graben and Vom Graben,^[2] is the name of an old Austrian noble family. Originally from Carniola, an apparent (or illegitimate) branch of the House of Meinhardin^[3][4] went on to rule some Carinthian, Tyrolian, East Tyrols, Styrian, and Gorizian districts as Burggrafen (a sort of Viscounts) and Lords (Herren) from the early Middle Ages until the 16th-17th century.

History

Like the Princely Counts of Görz and the Princely Counts of Tyrol the Von Graben descended from the Meinhardins. The earliest known members of the Von Graben family, Konrad and his brother Grimoald von Graben, lived around 1170. Konrads father can be a son of Count palatine Engelbert I or his younger brother Count palatine Meinhard I of Gorizia.^[5][6] During the later 13th century the princely family Orsini-Rosenberg descended from a member of the Von Graben family lived at the Grazer Schloss Alt-Grabenhofen, between Reinerkogel and Rosenberg.^[7]

During the Middle Ages, the success of that family arose from the steady accumulation of land, and loyalty to the Counts of Görz and later to the Habsburg Emperor. The first prominent member of the family was Ulrich II von Graben (named between 1314–1361), who was elevated to the Styrian title of Burggraf of Hohenwang. After the death of Leonhard of Gorizia in 1500 they became his succeeder as stadtholders of Lienz and East Tyrol. The last member was Felix Jakob von Graben; the family died out in 1776. The Dutch family De Graeff said, that they descent from Wolfgang von Graben, member of the family Von Graben. Andries de Graeff and his son Cornelis became Free Imperial knights of the Holy Roman Empire. That diplome dadet from 19 July 1677.^[8]

The lines of the family

During the early 14th century the family split into two main lines, the Styrian Grabenhofen Line, the Kornberger Line and during the earlier 15th century in the Carynthian-Lienzer Sommeregger Line.^[9] In 1500 the family splitin a new line, the Stein Line at Castle Stein. Two other lines of the Von Graben cab be found in Tyrol.

Prominent members of the Styrian line

The styrian line residence between 1328 and 1556 at Schloss Kornberg. They were linked by marriage with the Lords of Windisch-Graetz,^[10] Auersperg,^[11] Stubenberg,^[12] and Guttenberg.^[13]

• Ulrich II von Graben (named between 1300 and 1361)
• Friedrich II von Graben († before 1463)
• Ulrich III von Graben († 1486)
• Wolfgang von Graben (1465-1521)
• Andrä von Graben († 1556)

Prominent member of the Tyrolian line

• Otto von Graben zum Stein, was named "Graf zum Stein" (1690–1756)

Prominent members of the Lienzer and West-Carynthian line

The Lienzer line became "the most prominent of the family", some family members held the noble titles as the Burggraf of Sommeregg, Heinfels and Lienz. They were linked by marriage with the Lords of Auersperg,^[11] Saurau^[14] and Breuner.^[15] The Lienzer line died out in the year 1534, and the zum Stein in 1664. Important family members are:

• Andreas von Graben (early 15th century-1463)
• Cosmas von Graben (15th century)
• Virgil von Graben (15th century-1507)
• Rosina von Graben von Rain (15th century-1534)
• Lukas von Graben zum Stein (15th-16th century)

Castles, residences and lordships

• Schloss Graben near Rudolfswerth (Novo mesto)
• Schloss Alt-Grabenhofen in the north of Graz
• Ansitz Graben at Lienz
• Burg Bruck at Lienz
• Burggraf ( a sort of Viscount) and Pfandherr of Lienz
• Burggraf, Herr (Lord) and Pfandherr from the Lordship and Castle of Heinfels
• Burggraf and Herr from the Lordship and Castle of Hohenwang
• Burggraf and Herr from the Lordship and Castle of Sommeregg
• Burggraf and Herr from the Lordship and Castle of Lengberg
• High Lordship and Castle of Straß
• Lordship and Castle of Stein
• Lordship and Castle of Herbstenburg
• Lordship and Castle of Kornberg

See also

• Schloss Stein

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Von Graben von Stein.

• Das Land Tirol: mit einem Anhange: Vorarlberg: ein Handbuch für Reisende. Von Beda Weber (de)
• Geschichte von Sankt Johann am Graben - Schloss Graben (de)
• De Graeff at the dutch DBNL
• Burg Hohenwang (de)
• Burg Sommeregg (de)
• Burg Heinfels (de)
• Schloss Kornberg (de)
• Schloss Straß in Steiermark (de)
• Ansitz Herbstenburg (de)
• Austro Archiv (Beiträge zur Familiengeschichte Tirols, Graben von Stein (de).
• Rudolf Granichstaedten-Czerva (1948): "Brixen - Reichsfürstentum und Hofstaat".

Notes