House of Hohenberg

For the comital House of Hohenberg, see Count of Hohenberg.
House of Hohenberg

arms of the Dukes of Hohenberg as designed in 1917
Titles Duke of Hohenberg
Prince of Hohenberg
Founded 1900
Founder Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg
Current head Georg, Duke of Hohenberg
Ducal Family of Hohenberg

HH The Duke
HH The Duchess

  • HSH Prince Nikolaus
    HSH Princess Marie
    • HSH Prince Karl
    • HSH Princess Johanna
    • HSH Princess Teresa
    • HSH Princess Sophie
  • HSH Princess Henriette
  • HSH Prince Maximilian
    HSH Princess Emilia
    • HSH Prince Nikolaus
    • HSH Princess Luisa
    • HSH Prince Leopold
The Castle of Artstetten commemorative coin

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.

Establishment and history

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 specification 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 and Franz 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. 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's Artstetten Castle was selected as the main motif for an Austrian 10 euro 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.

Dukes and Princes of Hohenberg (1909–1914)

Dukes of Hohenberg (1917–present)

Line of succession to the title Duke of Hohenberg

Line of succession to the title Duke of Hohenberg:[1]

  1. Prince Nikolaus of Hohenberg (b. 1961), heir apparent, son of Duke Georg
  2. Prince Karl of Hohenberg (b. 1991), son of Prince Nikolaus
  3. Prince Maximilian of Hohenberg (b. 1970), son of Duke Georg
  4. Prince Nikolaus of Hohenberg (b. 2001), son of Prince Maximilian
  5. Prince Leopold of Hohenberg (b. 2006), son of Prince Maximilian
  6. Prince Albrecht of Hohenberg (b. 1931), son of Duke Maximilian
  7. Prince Leo Johannes of Hohenberg (b. 1964), son of Prince Albrecht
  8. Prince Adrien of Hohenberg (b. 2003), son of Prince Leo Johannes
  9. Prince Stephan of Hohenberg (b. 1972), son of Duke Maxmilian's late son Johannes
  10. Prince Nepomuk of Hohenberg (b. 2005), son of Prince Stephan
  11. Prince Georg of Hohenberg (b. 1975), son of Duke Maxmilian's late son Johannes
  12. Prince Peter of Hohenberg (b. 1936), son of Duke Maximilian
  13. Prince Gerhard of Hohenberg (b. 1941), son of Duke Maximilian
  14. Prince Franz Ferdinand of Hohenberg (b. 1969), a male-line grandson of Duchess Sophie's son Ernst
  15. Prince Maximilian of Hohenberg (b. 2001), son of Prince Franz Ferdinand
  16. Prince Ernst of Hohenberg (b. 1944), son of Duchess Sophie's son Ernst

References

  1. ↑ Marek, Miroslav. "Habsburg". Genealogy.EU.

External links