
The House of Chotek was an old and influential Czech
noble family
Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characteris ...
in the
Kingdom of Bohemia
The Kingdom of Bohemia ( cs, České království),; la, link=no, Regnum Bohemiae sometimes in English literature referred to as the Czech Kingdom, was a medieval and early modern monarchy in Central Europe, the predecessor of the modern Czec ...
, whose members occupied many important positions within
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars.
From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...
and later in the
Austro-Hungarian Empire
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with t ...
.
History
The family is first documented in the 14th century when Miloslav, his wife Wele and their son Wenlynus are mentioned as masters of the
Chockov estate near
Radnice
Radnice () is a town in Rokycany District in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,800 inhabitants.
Administrative parts
The village of Svatá Barbora is an administrative part of Radnice.
Geography
Radnice is located about n ...
in the
Plzeň Region
Plzeň Region ( cs, Plzeňský kraj; german: Pilsner Region) is an administrative unit (''kraj'') in the western part of Bohemia in the Czech Republic. It is named after its capital Plzeň ( English, german: Pilsen). In terms of area, Plzeň ...
. The uninterrupted
lineage
Lineage may refer to:
Science
* Lineage (anthropology), a group that can demonstrate its common descent from an apical ancestor or a direct line of descent from an ancestor
* Lineage (evolution), a temporal sequence of individuals, populatio ...
of the family starts with Otto Chotek of Chockov and
Liblín
Liblín is a market town in Rokycany District in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 300 inhabitants.
Liblín lies approximately north of Rokycany, north-east of Plzeň, and west of Prague.
Notable people
*Charles Pergler
...
.
In the late 16th century, Václav Chotek took the name of Chotkov and
Wognin, while his older brother Adam Chotek retained the name of Chockov and Liblín.
In 1685, the
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in it ...
of the Chotek family was joined with the coat of arms of the extinct ''
Charwat von Bärnstein'' family.
On 6 February 1702,
Václav Antonín Chotek of Chotkov and Vojnín was elevated to the rank of Bohemian
lord
Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or ...
( cs, páni). On 13 May 1743 in
Laxenburg __NOTOC__
Laxenburg ( Central Bavarian: ''Laxnbuag'') is a market town in the district of Mödling, in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. Located about south of the Austrian capital Vienna, it is chiefly known for the Laxenburg castles, which ...
, he was awarded the title of
Count
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New Yor ...
(''Graf'', ''hrabě'') in Bohemia. On 4 October 1745 in
Frankfurt am Main
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian dialects, Hessian: , "Franks, Frank ford (crossing), ford on the Main (river), Main"), is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as o ...
, he was elevated to the rank of ''
Reichsgraf
Imperial Count (german: Reichsgraf) was a title in the Holy Roman Empire. In the medieval era, it was used exclusively to designate the holder of an imperial county, that is, a fief held directly ( immediately) from the emperor, rather than from ...
''.
Branches
After the death of
Johann Nepomuk Rudolf Chotek von Chotkov und Vojnín in 1824, the family split into four main branches created by his surviving sons:
* Branch of the descendants of Johann Nepomuk Josef Chotek von Chotkow und Wognin (1773 – 1824)
* Branch of the descendants of Josef Chotek von Chotkow und Wognin (1776 – 1809)
* Branch of the descendants of
Karl, Count Chotek von Chotkow und Wognin
* Branch of the descendants of Hermann Chotek von Chotkow und Wognin (1786-1822)
The best known member of the family was
Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg
Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg (; cs, Žofie Marie Josefína Albína hraběnka Chotková z Chotkova a Vojnína 1 March 1868 – 28 June 1914) was the wife of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. Their assa ...
, the
morganatic
Morganatic marriage, sometimes called a left-handed marriage, is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which in the context of royalty or other inherited title prevents the principal's position or privileges being passed to the spouse ...
wife of
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
Archduke Franz Ferdinand Carl Ludwig Joseph Maria of Austria, (18 December 1863 – 28 June 1914) was the heir presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary. His assassination in Sarajevo was the most immediate cause of World War I.
...
, as his and her
assassination
Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have a ...
sparked
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
.
Branch Chotek von Chockov und Liblín
Branch Chotek von Chotkov und Vojnín
Descendants of Jan Nepomuk Josef Chotek
Descendants of Josef Chotek
Descendants of Karel Chotek
Descendants of Heřman Chotek
References
;Notes
When this and other
Bohemian noble families
Bohemian or Bohemians may refer to:
*Anything of or relating to Bohemia
Beer
* National Bohemian, a brand brewed by Pabst
* Bohemian, a brand of beer brewed by Molson Coors
Culture and arts
* Bohemianism, an unconventional lifestyle, origin ...
' surnames and/or territorial suffixes are translated from the
Czech language
Czech (; Czech ), historically also Bohemian (; ''lingua Bohemica'' in Latin), is a West Slavic language of the Czech–Slovak group, written in Latin script. Spoken by over 10 million people, it serves as the official language of the Czech ...
, particules and conjunctions are usually translated into German, rather than into English.
[Montgomery-Massingberd, Hugh (editor). ''Burke's Guide to the Royal Family'', Burke's Peerage, London, 1973, p. 238. ][Willis, Daniel A., ''The Descendants of King George I of Great Britain'', Clearfield Company, 2002, pp. 153, 613][Enache, Nicolas. ''La Descendance de Marie-Therese de Habsburg''. ICC, Paris, 1996. pp. 54, 58. French.][''Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Fürstliche Häuser'' XV. "Hohenberg". C.A. Starke Verlag, 1997, pp.600-601.]
;Citations
Sources
* Ivo Cerman: ''Chotkové. Příběh úřednické šlechty''. Praha Lidové noviny 2008. 757p .
* Adam Wolf - Chotek - In ''Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie'' vol.4, Leipzig 1876
The History of the Chotek Family* ''Ancestors of Karl Chotek von Chotkow († 1638)'
* ''Ancestors of Otto Chotek von Chotkow auf Liblin († nach 1400)'
* ''Ancestor List
* Roman Freiherr von Procházka: ''Genealogisches Handbuch erloschener böhmischer Herrenstandsfamilien'', p. 54 f., Verlag Degener & Co, Neustadt (Aisch) 1973
Bowie, Costello, Cox, Engels, Gundlach, Herr, Meyer, Rick, Ryan, Schumacher, Wagner
{{Authority control
Chotek family,