The House of Althann (also spelled Althan, Altham or Altheim) is the name of an ancient German noble family that originated from
Lower Bavaria
Lower Bavaria (, ; ) is one of the seven administrative regions of Bavaria, Germany, located in the east of the state. It consists of nine districts and 258 municipalities (including three cities).
Geography
Lower Bavaria is subdivided into two ...
, whose members occupied many important political and clerical positions during the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
. From 1714, they held the position of
hereditary
Heredity, also called inheritance or biological inheritance, is the passing on of traits from parents to their offspring; either through asexual reproduction or sexual reproduction, the offspring cells or organisms acquire the genetic inform ...
Cup-bearers
A cup-bearer was historically an officer of high rank in royal courts, whose duty was to pour and serve the drinks at the royal table. On account of the constant fear of plots and intrigues (such as poisoning), a person had to be regarded as thor ...
for the
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans (disambiguation), Emperor of the Romans (; ) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period (; ), was the ruler and h ...
.
History
They are one of the oldest extant German noble families, going back to at least 1129. By 1400, they had moved to Austria, where they were created
barons Barons may refer to:
*Baron (plural), a rank of nobility
*Barons (surname), a Latvian surname
*Barons, Alberta, Canada
* ''Barons'' (TV series), a 2022 Australian drama series
* ''The Barons'', a 2009 Belgian film
Sports
* Birmingham Barons, a Min ...
, in 1574, and
Imperial Counts, in 1610. After
Brandenberg-Prussia annexed
Silesia
Silesia (see names #Etymology, below) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at 8, ...
in the
First Silesian War
The First Silesian War () was a war between Kingdom of Prussia, Prussia and Habsburg monarchy, Austria that lasted from 1740 to 1742 and resulted in Prussia's seizing most of the region of Silesia (now in south-western Poland) from Austria. The ...
, a branch of the family joined the Prussian nobility. In the nineteenth century, they had seats in both the
Austrian
Austrian may refer to:
* Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent
** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen
* Austrian German dialect
* Something associated with the country Austria, for example:
** Austria-Hungary
** Austria ...
and
Prussian
Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, the House of Hohenzoll ...
''Herrenhauser'', or House of Lords.
A list of notable members and possessions of the family may be found in the corresponding
German Wikipedia article.
References
Bibliography
* Wilhelm Hauser, ''Das Geschlecht derer von Althann''. Dissertation: Vienna, 1949.
* Joseph Kögler, ''Die Chroniken der Grafschaft Glatz''. ''Neu bearbeitet von Dieter Pohl'', (Köln, 1992ff): Volume 2: 257–259; Volume 4: 220–225.
{{Authority control
Austrian noble families
German noble families
Prussian nobility