The Czernin family (; ) is a European noble family that was one of the oldest and most prominent noble families in the

Kingdom of Bohemia The Kingdom of Bohemia (), sometimes referenced in English literature as the Czech Kingdom, was a History of the Czech lands in the High Middle Ages, medieval and History of the Czech lands, early modern monarchy in Central Europe. It was the pr ...

. The family can claim descent from many important European noble families, including the distant one from the

House of Habsburg The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful Dynasty, dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout ...

Legend

It is said that about 1000 years ago, the king had a conflict with a Bohemian nobleman. He was so angry with him that he sent his troops into the nobleman's castle. The soldiers murdered the whole family except a baby boy, whose nurse had hidden him in a kettle in the kitchen. When the soldiers withdrew, people found the little child in the kettle, and they praised God for this miracle. They called the boy Czernin, which means "The Black" in Czech, because he was black all over his face after having lain in the kettle. The king was so impressed by the people's loyalty that he pardoned the little Czernin.

History

The family is descended from the clan of "Drslavici", like several other Bohemian families. The first known bearer of the family name was ''Comes'' and ''Camerarius regis'' (1199–1212) Cernin de Chudenic (11??–12??). The name of the family refers to the town of Chudenice (German: ''Chudenitz'') in western Bohemia, which was in their possession from the 13th century until 1945. On 18 May 1607, the Czernin family was elevated to the '' Reichsfreiherrenstand'' with the title of ''Freiherr von Chudenitz'' (Baron of Chudenitz; ''svobodný pán z Chudenic'') and, on 15 March 1623, to the ''

Reichsgraf Imperial Count (, ) was a title in the Holy Roman Empire. During the medieval era, it was used exclusively to designate the holder of an imperial county, that is, a fief held directly (Imperial immediacy, immediately) from the emperor, rather th ...

enstand'' with the title of ''Reichsgraf von Chudenitz'' (Count of Chudenitz; ''hrabě z Chudenic''). In 1716, Franz Josef, Count Czernin von und zu Chudenitz, received permission from the Emperor to the hereditary title of ''Regierer des Hauses Neuhaus'' (Ruler of the House of Hradec). Today, most members of the Czernin family live in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

and the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Notable family members

* Humprecht Jan, Count Czernin of Chudenicz (1628–1682), Habsburg imperial ambassador to Venice and Rome * Johann Rudolf Czernin von und zu Chudenitz (1757–1845), Austrian civil servant and theatre director * Count Ottokar Czernin von und zu Chudenitz (1872–1932), Austro-Hungarian politician and diplomat * Count Otto Czernin von und zu Chudenitz (1875–1962), Austro-Hungarian diplomat and brother of Ottokar *

Count Manfred Beckett Czernin Count Manfred Beckett Czernin, (18 January 1913 – 6 October 1962) was a Royal Air Force pilot and later an operative with the Special Operations Executive in the Second World War. Early life Czernin was the fourth son of Count Otto von Cz ...

(1913–1962), Otto's son; British World War II pilot and spy * Vera Fugger von Babenhausen, ''née'' Countess Czernin, married Austrian chancellor

Kurt Schuschnigg Kurt Alois Josef Johann von Schuschnigg (; 14 December 1897 – 18 November 1977) was an Austrian politician who was the Chancellor of Austria, Chancellor of the Federal State of Austria from the 1934 assassination of his predecessor Engelbert D ...

shortly after he was deposed in 1938. * Franz Josef Czernin (born 1952), Austrian poet * Hubertus Czernin (1956–2006), Austrian journalist * Tomáš Czernin (born 1962), Czech politician * Monika Czernin (born 1965), Austrian writer, screenwriter and film director * Thomas Czernin-Morzin (born 1966), Austrian investor and businessman * Peter Czernin (born 1966), British film producer and the 11th Baron Howard de Walden * Countess Michelle Czernin von und zu Chudenitz Morzin (born 1969), award-winning motion picture producer

Legend

History

Notable family members

Sources

References

External links