The House of Fugger () is a German upper
bourgeois
The bourgeoisie ( , ) is a social class, equivalent to the middle or upper middle class. They are distinguished from, and traditionally contrasted with, the proletariat by their affluence, and their great cultural and financial capital. Th ...
family that was historically a prominent group of European
bank
A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets.
Becau ...
ers, members of the fifteenth- and sixteenth-century mercantile
patriciate of
Augsburg
Augsburg (; bar , Augschburg , links=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swabian_German , label=Swabian German, , ) is a city in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, around west of Bavarian capital Munich. It is a university town and regional seat of the '' ...
, international mercantile bankers, and venture capitalists. Alongside the
Welser family
Welser was a German banking and merchant family, originally a patrician family based in Augsburg and Nuremberg, that rose to great prominence in international high finance in the 16th century as bankers to the Habsburgs and financiers of ...
, the Fugger family controlled much of the
European economy
The economy of Europe comprises about 748 million people in 50 countries. The formation of the European Union (EU) and in 1999 the introduction of a unified currency, the Euro, brought participating European countries closer through the ...
in the sixteenth century and accumulated enormous wealth. The Fuggers held a near
monopoly
A monopoly (from Greek el, μόνος, mónos, single, alone, label=none and el, πωλεῖν, pōleîn, to sell, label=none), as described by Irving Fisher, is a market with the "absence of competition", creating a situation where a speci ...
on the European
copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish ...
market.
This banking family replaced the
Medici family
The House of Medici ( , ) was an Italian banking family and political dynasty that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici, in the Republic of Florence during the first half of the 15th century. The family originated in the Mu ...
, who influenced all of Europe during the
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass id ...
. The Fuggers took over many of the Medicis' assets and their political power and influence. They were closely affiliated with the
House of Habsburg
The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...
whose rise to world power they financed. Unlike the citizenry of their hometown and most other trading patricians of German
free imperial cities
In the Holy Roman Empire, the collective term free and imperial cities (german: Freie und Reichsstädte), briefly worded free imperial city (', la, urbs imperialis libera), was used from the fifteenth century to denote a self-ruling city that ...
, such as the
Tuchers, they never converted to
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...
, as presented in the
Augsburg Confession, but rather remained with the
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
and thus close to the Habsburg emperors.
Jakob Fugger ''"the Rich"'' was elevated to the nobility of the
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 ...
in May 1511 and assumed the title
Imperial Count
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 ...
of
Kirchberg and
Weissenhorn in 1514. Today, he is considered to be
one of the wealthiest people ever to have lived, with an GDP-adjusted net worth of over $400 billion, and approximately 2% of the entire GDP of Europe at the time. While the company was dissolved in 1657, the Fuggers remained wealthy landowners and ruled the County of Kirchberg and Weissenhorn. The
Babenhausen branch became
Princes of the Holy Roman Empire
Prince of the Holy Roman Empire ( la, princeps imperii, german: Reichsfürst, cf. '' Fürst'') was a title attributed to a hereditary ruler, nobleman or prelate recognised as such by the Holy Roman Emperor.
Definition
Originally, possessors ...
in 1803, while the
Glött
Glött is a municipality in the district of Dillingen in Bavaria in Germany.
History
Glött castle and estates were purchased by Anton Fugger in 1537. The Lordship of Glött became part of the Kingdom of Bavaria in 1806. The current municipa ...
branch of the family became
Prince
A prince is a Monarch, male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary title, hereditary, in s ...
s in
Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total l ...
in 1914.
History
Founding
The founder of the family was Hans Fugger, a weaver at
Graben
In geology, a graben () is a depressed block of the crust of a planet or moon, bordered by parallel normal faults.
Etymology
''Graben'' is a loan word from German, meaning 'ditch' or 'trench'. The word was first used in the geologic contex ...
, near the
Swabian
Free City of
Augsburg
Augsburg (; bar , Augschburg , links=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swabian_German , label=Swabian German, , ) is a city in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, around west of Bavarian capital Munich. It is a university town and regional seat of the '' ...
.
The last name was originally spelled "Fucker" – the first recorded reference to the family comes when Johann's son, also named Johann (or Hans), moves to Augsburg in 1367, with the local
tax
A tax is a compulsory financial charge or some other type of levy imposed on a taxpayer (an individual or legal entity) by a governmental organization in order to fund government spending and various public expenditures (regional, local, or n ...
register laconically noting ''Fucker advenit'', "Fugger has arrived". He married Klara Widolf and became an Augsburg citizen. After Klara's death, he married Elizabeth Gattermann. He joined the weaver's guild, and by 1396 he was ranked high in the list of taxpayers. He added the business of a merchant to that of a weaver.
[
His eldest son, ]Andreas Fugger
Andreas Fugger (1394, Augsburg – 1457, Augsburg), known as "der Reiche", was a German businessman. He was the oldest son of Hans Fugger and Elisabeth Gfattermann, making him the elder brother of Jakob Fugger the Elder. He was the founder of the ...
, was a merchant in the weaving trade, and was nicknamed "Fugger the Rich" after buying land and other properties. The Fugger family itemized and inventoried a large number of Asian rugs, an unusual undertaking at the time. Andreas's son, Lukas Fugger, was granted arms by the Emperor Frederick III, a golden deer on a blue background, and he was soon nicknamed "the Fugger of the Deer".[ He was too ambitious, however, and went bankrupt. His descendants served their cousins of the famous younger branch and later went to Silesia. Contemporary members of the Fugger of the Deer (''German:'' Fugger vom Reh) are descendants of Matthäus Fugger (1442–1489/92). The current head of the family is Markus Fugger von dem Rech (born 1970).
]
Hans Fugger's younger son, Jakob the Elder, founded another branch of the family. This branch progressed more steadily and they became known as the "Fuggers of the Lily" after their chosen arms of a flowering lily
''Lilium'' () is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large prominent flowers. They are the true lilies. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in much of the world. M ...
on a gold and blue background. Jakob was a master weaver, a merchant, and an alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members them ...
. He married Barbara Basinger
Barbara Fugger (1419 – 23 July 1497) was a German businessperson and banker.
Biography
Barbara Baesinger was born to a wealthy family in Augsburg, Germany. While still a teenager, she was married to textile merchant Jakob Fugger the Elder. S ...
, the daughter of a goldsmith. His fortune progressed, and by 1461, he was the twelfth richest man in Augsburg. He died in 1469.
Jakob's eldest son, Ulrich, took over the business on his father's death, and in 1473 he provided new suits of clothes to Frederick, his son Maximilian I, and his suite on their journey to Trier
Trier ( , ; lb, Tréier ), formerly known in English as Trèves ( ;) and Triers (see also names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle in Germany. It lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of red sandstone in the ...
to meet Charles the Bold
Charles I (Charles Martin; german: Karl Martin; nl, Karel Maarten; 10 November 1433 – 5 January 1477), nicknamed the Bold (German: ''der Kühne''; Dutch: ''de Stoute''; french: le Téméraire), was Duke of Burgundy from 1467 to 1477.
...
of Burgundy
Burgundy (; french: link=no, Bourgogne ) is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. The ...
and the betrothal
An engagement or betrothal is the period of time between the declaration of acceptance of a marriage proposal and the marriage itself (which is typically but not always commenced with a wedding). During this period, a couple is said to be ''fi ...
of the young prince to Charles's daughter Maria. Thus began a very profitable relationship between the Fugger family and the Habsburgs.
With the help of their brother in Rome, Marx, Ulrich and his brother George handled remittances to the papal court
The papal household or pontifical household (usually not capitalized in the media and other nonofficial use, ), called until 1968 the Papal Court (''Aula Pontificia''), consists of dignitaries who assist the pope in carrying out particular ceremoni ...
of monies for the sale of indulgences
In the teaching of the Catholic Church, an indulgence (, from , 'permit') is "a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for sins". The ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'' describes an indulgence as "a remission before God of ...
and the procuring of church benefices. From 1508 to 1515 they leased the Roman mint. Ulrich died in 1510.
When the Fuggers made their first loan to the Archduke Sigismund Sigismund (variants: Sigmund, Siegmund) is a German proper name, meaning "protection through victory", from Old High German ''sigu'' "victory" + ''munt'' "hand, protection". Tacitus latinises it '' Segimundus''. There appears to be an older form o ...
in 1487, they took as security an interest in silver and copper mines in the Tirol
Tyrol (; historically the Tyrole; de-AT, Tirol ; it, Tirolo) is a historical region in the Alps - in Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Emp ...
. This was the beginning of an extensive family involvement in mining and precious metals. The Fuggers also participated in mining operations in Silesia
Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is spli ...
, and owned copper mines in Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croa ...
. Their trade in spices, wool, and silk extended to almost all parts of Europe.[
]
Jakob Fugger "the Rich"
Ulrich's youngest brother Jakob Fugger
Jakob Fugger ''of the Lily'' (german: Jakob Fugger von der Lilie; 6 March 1459 – 30 December 1525), also known as Jakob Fugger ''the Rich'' or sometimes Jakob II, was a major German merchant, mining entrepreneur, and banker. He was a descendan ...
, born in 1459, was to become the most famous member of the dynasty. In 1498 he married Sibylla Artzt, Grand Burgheress to Augsburg, the daughter of an eminent Grand Burgher
Grand Burgher aleor Grand Burgheress emale(from German: Großbürger ale Großbürgerin emale is a specific conferred or inherited title of medieval German origin and legally defined preeminent status granting exclusive constitutional privileges ...
of Augsburg (German ''Großbürger zu Augsburg''). They had no children, but this marriage gave Jakob the opportunity to elevate to Grand Burgher of Augsburg and later allowed him to pursue a seat on the city council () of Augsburg. He was elevated to the nobility of the 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 ...
in May 1511, made Imperial Count
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 ...
in 1514, and in 1519 led a consortium of German and Italian businessmen that loaned Charles V Charles V may refer to:
* Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558)
* Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain
* Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise
* Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690)
* Infant ...
850,000 florins
The Florentine florin was a gold coin struck from 1252 to 1533 with no significant change in its design or metal content standard during that time. It had 54 grains (3.499 grams, 0.113 troy ounce) of nominally pure or 'fine' gold with a purch ...
(about 95,625 oz(t) or 2974 kg of gold) to procure his election as Holy Roman Emperor over Francis I of France
Francis I (french: François Ier; frm, Francoys; 12 September 1494 – 31 March 1547) was King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. He was the son of Charles, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin onc ...
. The Fuggers' contribution was 543,000 florins.
In 1494, the Fuggers established their first public company. Jakob's aim was to establish a copper monopoly
A monopoly (from Greek el, μόνος, mónos, single, alone, label=none and el, πωλεῖν, pōleîn, to sell, label=none), as described by Irving Fisher, is a market with the "absence of competition", creating a situation where a speci ...
by opening foundries in Hohenkirchen and Fuggerau (named for the family, in Carinthia) and by expanding the sales organization in Europe, especially the Antwerp agency. Jakob leased the copper mines in Besztercebánya in the Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephe ...
(today Banská Bystrica
Banská Bystrica (, also known by other alternative names) is a middle-sized town in central Slovakia, located on the Hron River in a long and wide valley encircled by the mountain chains of the Low Tatras, the Veľká Fatra, and the Kremnica M ...
, Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the ...
) in 1495, eventually making them the greatest mining centre of the time.
At the height of his power Jakob Fugger was sharply criticized by his contemporaries, especially by Ulrich von Hutten
Ulrich von Hutten (21 April 1488 – 29 August 1523) was a German knight, scholar, poet and satirist, who later became a follower of Martin Luther and a Protestant reformer.
By 1519, he was an outspoken critic of the Roman Catholic Church. Hut ...
and Martin Luther
Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation and the namesake of Luther ...
, for selling indulgences
In the teaching of the Catholic Church, an indulgence (, from , 'permit') is "a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for sins". The ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'' describes an indulgence as "a remission before God of ...
and benefices
A benefice () or living is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The Roman Empire used the Latin term as a benefit to an individual from the Empire for services rendered. Its use was adopted by ...
and urging the Pope to rescind or amend the prohibition on the levying of interest. The imperial fiscal and governmental authorities in Nuremberg
Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...
brought action against him and other merchants in an attempt to halt their monopolistic
A monopoly (from Greek el, μόνος, mónos, single, alone, label=none and el, πωλεῖν, pōleîn, to sell, label=none), as described by Irving Fisher, is a market with the "absence of competition", creating a situation where a speci ...
practices.
In 1511, Jakob deposited 15,000 florins as an endowment for some almshouse
An almshouse (also known as a bede-house, poorhouse, or hospital) was charitable housing provided to people in a particular community, especially during the medieval era. They were often targeted at the poor of a locality, at those from certain ...
s. In 1514, he bought up part of Augsburg and in 1516 came to an agreement with the city that he would build and provide a number of almshouses for needy citizens. By 1523, 52 houses had been built, and the Fuggerei
The Fuggerei is the world's oldest public housing complex still in use. It is a walled enclave within the city of Augsburg, Bavaria. It takes its name from the Fugger family and was founded in 1516 by Jakob Fugger the Younger (known as "Jakob F ...
had come into existence. It is still used today.
Jakob died in 1525. He is considered to be one of the richest persons of all time, and today he is well known as Jakob Fugger "the rich". At its peak his wealth is estimated to be 2% of Europe's GDP
Later years
Jakob's successor was his nephew Anton Fugger
Anton Fugger (10 June 1493 – 14 September 1560) was a German merchant and member of the Fugger family. He was a nephew of Jakob Fugger.
Biography
Anton was the third and youngest son of George Fugger and Regina Imhof. He was born in Augsburg ...
, son of his elder brother Georg. Anton was born in 1493, married Anna Rehlinger, and died in 1560.
In 1525, the Fuggers were granted the revenues from the Spanish orders of knighthood together with the profits from mercury and silver mines. The formerly rich yield of the Tirolean and Hungarian mines decreased, but Anton established new trade ties with Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
and Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...
and started mining ventures in Sweden and Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
. He was involved in the slave trade from Africa to America, but was more successful in the spice trade and the importation of Hungarian cattle. Eventually, he was forced to renounce the Maestrazgo
The Maestrazgo () or Maestrat () is a natural and historical mountainous region, located at the eastern end of the Sistema Ibérico mountain range, in Spain. It encompasses the north of the Autonomous Community of Valencia, in Castellón provinc ...
lease after 1542 and to give up the silver mines of Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the south-western Pacific, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomon Islands by area, and the se ...
.
After hard times under Anton's nephew and successor Johann Jakob, Anton's oldest son, Markus, carried on the business successfully, earning some 50,000,000 ducat
The ducat () coin was used as a trade coin in Europe from the later Middle Ages from the 13th to 19th centuries. Its most familiar version, the gold ducat or sequin containing around of 98.6% fine gold, originated in Venice in 1284 and gained ...
s between 1563 and 1641 from the production of mercury at Almadén
Almadén () is a town and municipality in the Spanish province of Ciudad Real, within the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. The town is located at 4° 49' W and 38° 46' N and is 589 meters above sea level. Almadén is approximately 300& ...
alone, but the Fugger company was completely dissolved after the Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of battl ...
when Leopold Fugger returned the mines in Tyrol to the Habsburgs in 1657.
The burial chapel of the Fuggers in St. Anne's Church, Augsburg
St. Anne's Church (german: St. Anna-Kirche) in Augsburg, Germany, is a medieval church building that was originally part of a monastery built in 1321. It is notable for its elaborate interior decoration.
History
St. Anne's was built in 1321 by ...
of 1509 is the earliest example of Renaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture is the European architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 16th centuries in different regions, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought ...
in Germany.
Anselm Maria Fugger von Babenhausen (1766–1821) was created Prince of the Holy Roman Empire
Prince of the Holy Roman Empire ( la, princeps imperii, german: Reichsfürst, cf. '' Fürst'') was a title attributed to a hereditary ruler, nobleman or prelate recognised as such by the Holy Roman Emperor.
Definition
Originally, possessors ...
in 1803.[ The present head of this branch is Prince Hubertus ''Fugger von Babenhausen'' who owns Jakob the Rich's former business seat, the ]Fuggerhäuser
The Fuggerhäuser (''Fugger houses'') is a complex of houses on the Maximilianstraße in Augsburg, built for the Fugger family of businessmen. It is now owned by the Fugger-Babenhausen branch of the Fugger family who resides at Wellenburg castle ...
in Augsburg, as well as nearby Wellenburg Castle and the castle at Babenhausen, Bavaria
Babenhausen is a municipality in the district of Unterallgäu in Bavaria, Germany. It is seat of a municipal association with Egg an der Günz, Kettershausen, Kirchhaslach, Oberschönegg and Winterrieden. The view of Babenhausen is dominated b ...
(purchased by Anton Fugger in 1539 and today housing a museum on the family history); he is also co-owner of a small private bank, the Fürst Fugger Privatbank, in Augsburg.
The branch ''Fugger von Glött
Glött is a municipality in the district of Dillingen in Bavaria in Germany.
History
Glött castle and estates were purchased by Anton Fugger in 1537. The Lordship of Glött became part of the Kingdom of Bavaria in 1806. The current municipa ...
'', descendants of Johann Ernst, a great-grandson of Anton, was elevated to the rank of a Bavarian prince in 1914 with Carl Ernst Fürst Fugger von Glött; the branch ended in the male line with his son Joseph-Ernst Fürst Fugger von Glött (1895–1981),husband of Princess Stephanie of Hohenzollern (1895-1975), his estate including the castle at Kirchheim in Schwaben
Kirchheim or Kirchheim in Schwaben (engl. ''Kirchheim in Swabia'') is a municipality and a market town in the district of Unterallgäu in the region of Swabia (Schwaben) in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany.
The town was greatly influenc ...
(acquired in 1551 by Anton Fugger) being inherited by his sister Maria's (1894–1935) son, Albert Count von Arco-Zinneberg (b. 1932), whom he adopted, and who took on the name Fugger von Glött.
The comital branch ''Fugger von Kirchberg und zu Weissenhorn'' is today represented by countess Maria-Elisabeth von Thun und Hohenstein
The House of Thun und Hohenstein, also known as Thun-Hohenstein, belonged to the historical Austrian and Bohemian nobility. There is one princely and several comital branches of the family. The princely branch of the family lived at Děčín (T ...
, née countess Fugger, heiress of Kirchberg Castle at Illerkirchberg
Illerkirchberg is a town in the district of Alb-Donau in Baden-Württemberg in Germany.
Unterkirchberg (Lower Kirchberg) had a Roman castrum built around 40 AD as part of the Upper Germanic-Rhaetian Limes to secure the street along the south ...
(bought in 1507 by Jakob Fugger). She also heads the charitable family foundations including the Fuggerei
The Fuggerei is the world's oldest public housing complex still in use. It is a walled enclave within the city of Augsburg, Bavaria. It takes its name from the Fugger family and was founded in 1516 by Jakob Fugger the Younger (known as "Jakob F ...
in Augsburg and Welden
Welden is a community in the Augsburg district of Bavaria, Germany, and is the seat of the commune of Welden. Since the local government reform in 1978 it comprises Welden, Reutern and Ehgatten.
Geography
Welden lies at the centre of the ''Ho ...
monastery.
In Augsburg, a museum of Fugger and Welser
Welser was a German banking and merchant family, originally a patrician family based in Augsburg and Nuremberg, that rose to great prominence in international high finance in the 16th century as bankers to the Habsburgs and financiers of Charle ...
history (Fugger und Welser Erlebnismuseum) was opened.
Findings
In April 2019, Dutch maritime investigators unearthed a 16th-century shipwreck
A shipwreck is the wreckage of a ship that is located either beached on land or sunken to the bottom of a body of water. Shipwrecking may be intentional or unintentional. Angela Croome reported in January 1999 that there were approximately ...
during an exploration for container ship MSC Zoe which lost containers overboard in January 2019. Copper plates with emblem of the Fugger family were found in the ship built around 1540 in the Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
during the reign of Charles V Charles V may refer to:
* Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558)
* Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain
* Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise
* Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690)
* Infant ...
.
Family members
* Hans (I.) Fugger (in Augsburg from 1367, died 1408)
**
Andreas Fugger
Andreas Fugger (1394, Augsburg – 1457, Augsburg), known as "der Reiche", was a German businessman. He was the oldest son of Hans Fugger and Elisabeth Gfattermann, making him the elder brother of Jakob Fugger the Elder. He was the founder of the ...
(1394–1457), founder of the branch "Fugger of the Deer"
*** Jakob Fugger (b. 1430)
*** Lukas Fugger (b. 1439-ca 1512)
*** Matthäus Fugger (b. 1442)
**** Sebastian Fugger (b. 1470/72)
***** Andreas Wilhelm Hieronimus Fugger (1507–1573)
****** Georg Wilhelm Sebastian Raymund Fugger (1547–ca 1600)
**** Ulrich Fugger (1524–1586)
*** Hans Fugger (b. 1443)
**** Gastel Fugger (1475–1539), ennobled in 1529
***** Wolfgang Fugger (1519/20–1568)
****** Johann Christoph Fugger
Johann Christoph Fugger (1561-1612) was a German businessman and the last famous survivor of the Fugger vom Reh branch of the Fugger
The House of Fugger () is a German upper bourgeois family that was historically a prominent group of Europe ...
(1561–1612)
**
Jakob Fugger the Elder
Jakob Fugger (1398 in Augsburg – 1469 in Augsburg) was a German master weaver, town councillor and merchant, as well as the founder of the Fugger dynasty. He was later known as Jakob Fugger the Elder to distinguish him from his son Jakob ...
(1398–1469), founder of the branch "Fugger of the Lily"
*** Ulrich Fugger the Elder
Ulrich Fugger ''von der Lilie'' (1441–1510) was a German businessman of the Fugger family. He formally headed the family firm from his father's death in 1469 until his own death in 1510 after an operation to remove a bladder stone, though ...
(1441–1510), head of the Augsburg company
**** Ulrich Fugger the Younger
Ulrich Fugger the Younger (1490 - 1525; ''von der Lilie'') was a German merchant and businessman from the Fugger family. Active in Augsburg, he was the second-eldest son of Ulrich Fugger the Elder and Veronika Lauginger. In 1516 he married Veronik ...
(1490–1525)
*** Georg Fugger
Georg Fugger ''von der Lilie'' (1453–1506) was a German merchant of the Fugger dynasty.
Life
A son of Jakob Fugger the Elder and his wife Barbara Bäsinger (whose sons also included Ulrich and Jakob the Younger), Georg was born and died i ...
(1453–1506), head of the Nuremberg company
**** Raymund Fugger
Raymund or Raimund Fugger (24 October 1489 in Augsburg – 3 December 1535 in Mickhausen) was a German businessman, Imperial Count and art collector of the 'of the Lily' (''von der Lilie'') branch of the Fugger family.
Life
He was the se ...
(1489–1535), cr. Imperial Count
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 ...
of Kirchberg, Weissenhorn and Marstetten in 1535
***** Johann Jakob Fugger (Hans II. Jakob) (1516–1575)
****** Sigmund Friedrich Fugger (1542–1600), bishop
***** Georg Fugger (1518–1569)
****** Philipp Eduard Fugger (1546–1618)
****** Octavian Secundus Fugger (1549–1600)
***** Ulrich (III.) Fugger (1526–1584)
**** Anton Fugger
Anton Fugger (10 June 1493 – 14 September 1560) was a German merchant and member of the Fugger family. He was a nephew of Jakob Fugger.
Biography
Anton was the third and youngest son of George Fugger and Regina Imhof. He was born in Augsburg ...
(1493–1560), cr. Imperial Count
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 ...
in 1530
***** Markus (III.) Fugger (1529–1597), founder of the company ''Marx Fugger and brothers''
***** Hans (III.) Fugger of Kirchheim and Glött (1531–1598)
****** Markus (IV.) Fugger (1564–1614)
****** Jakob (IV.) Fugger (1567–1626)
****** Christoph Fugger (1566–1615)
******* Carl Ernst Fugger (1559–1640)
******* Otto Heinrich Fugger, Count of Kirchberg
Otto is a masculine German given name and a surname. It originates as an Old High German short form (variants ''Audo'', ''Odo'', ''Udo'') of Germanic names beginning in ''aud-'', an element meaning "wealth, prosperity".
The name is recorded fro ...
("Ottheinrich") (1592–1644), general
***** Jakob (III.) Fugger (1542–1598), Lord of Babenhausen, Wellenburg and Boos
****** Johann Fugger the Elder
Johann Fugger the Elder or Hans Fugger (1 June 1583 - 28 April 1633, Telfs) was a German businessman, landowner and noble of the Fugger family. He was Lord of Schloss Babenhausen and Boos.
He was one of the sons of Jakob III. Fugger and his w ...
(1583–1633)
******* ... Anselm Maria Fugger von Babenhausen (1766–1821), cr. Prince of the Holy Roman Empire
Prince of the Holy Roman Empire ( la, princeps imperii, german: Reichsfürst, cf. '' Fürst'') was a title attributed to a hereditary ruler, nobleman or prelate recognised as such by the Holy Roman Emperor.
Definition
Originally, possessors ...
in 1803
*** Jakob Fugger
Jakob Fugger ''of the Lily'' (german: Jakob Fugger von der Lilie; 6 March 1459 – 30 December 1525), also known as Jakob Fugger ''the Rich'' or sometimes Jakob II, was a major German merchant, mining entrepreneur, and banker. He was a descendan ...
"the Rich" (1459–1525), head of international activities, cr. Baron in 1511, cr. Imperial Count
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 ...
in 1514
(Mediatized) Princes of Fugger-Babenhausen (1803)
* Anselm, 1st Prince 1803–1821 (1766–1821), m. Countess Maria Antonia of Waldburg zu Zeil-Wurzach
** Anton, 2nd Prince 1821–1836 (1800–1836), m. Princess Franziska of Hohenlohe-Bartenstein und Jagstberg
*** Leopold, 3rd Prince 1836–1885 (1827–1885), m. Countess Anna von Gatterburg
*** Karl, 4th Prince 1885–1906 (1829–1906), m. Countess Friederike von Christalnigg von und zu Gillitzstein
**** Karl, 5th Prince 1906–1925 (1861–1925), m. Princess Eleonore of Hohenlohe-Bartenstein
Hohenlohe-Bartenstein was a German principality of the House of Hohenlohe, located in northeastern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, around Bartenstein.
Hohenlohe-Bartenstein was a partition of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst and was raised from a cou ...
***** Georg, 6th Prince 1925–1934 (1889–1934), m. Countess Elisabeth von Plessen
****** Friedrich Carl, 7th Prince 1934–1979 (1914–1979), m. Countess Gunilla Bielke
Bielke is the name of an ancient and powerful Swedish noble family, originally from Småland.
History
The family was wirst mentioned in the 13th century. It is the second-oldest such family still in existence after Natt och Dag. The comital f ...
******* Prince Carl-Anton Maria, renounced his rights 1970 (b. 1944)
******* Hubertus, 8th Prince 1979–present (b. 1946), m. Princess Alexandra of Oettingen-Oettingen und Oettingen-Spielberg
******** Hereditary Prince Leopold (b. 1980); m. Annina Kammer
********* Prince Antonius (b. 2013)
********* Prince Ferdinand (b. 2016)
******** Prince Alexander (b. 1981)
******** Prince Nikolaus (b. 1993)
******* Prince Markus (b. 1950)
******* Count Johannes (b. 1957), m. 1983 Princess Miriam of Lobkowicz
The House of Lobkowicz (''Lobkovicové'' in modern Czech, sg. ''z Lobkovic''; ''Lobkowitz'' in German) is a Czech noble family that dates back to the 14th century and is one of the oldest Bohemian noble families. The family also belong to the G ...
(b. 1961)
******** Count Constantin (b. 1986),[Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Fürstliche Häuser XIV. "Fugger". C.A. Starke Verlag, 1991, pp. 269–270, 303. (German). .] m. 2017 Princess Sophie of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg (b. 1988)
******** Prince Philipp (b. 1988)
Gallery
File:Urh1441 fuggerorum.jpg, Ulrich Fugger the Elder
Ulrich Fugger ''von der Lilie'' (1441–1510) was a German businessman of the Fugger family. He formally headed the family firm from his father's death in 1469 until his own death in 1510 after an operation to remove a bladder stone, though ...
(1441–1510)
File:Fuggerorum et Fuggerarum imagines - 005r.jpg, Georg Fugger
Georg Fugger ''von der Lilie'' (1453–1506) was a German merchant of the Fugger dynasty.
Life
A son of Jakob Fugger the Elder and his wife Barbara Bäsinger (whose sons also included Ulrich and Jakob the Younger), Georg was born and died i ...
(1453–1506)
File:Raymund fuggerorum portrait.jpg, Raymund Fugger
Raymund or Raimund Fugger (24 October 1489 in Augsburg – 3 December 1535 in Mickhausen) was a German businessman, Imperial Count and art collector of the 'of the Lily' (''von der Lilie'') branch of the Fugger family.
Life
He was the se ...
(1489–1535)
File:Anton fugger by hans maler.jpg, Anton Fugger
Anton Fugger (10 June 1493 – 14 September 1560) was a German merchant and member of the Fugger family. He was a nephew of Jakob Fugger.
Biography
Anton was the third and youngest son of George Fugger and Regina Imhof. He was born in Augsburg ...
(1493–1560)
File:HansFugger1531.jpg, Hans (III.) Fugger (1531–1598)
File:ChristophFugger.jpg, Christoph Fugger, by Christoph Amberger
Christoph Amberger (c. 1505 – 1562) was a painter of Augsburg in the 16th century, a disciple of Hans Holbein, his principal work being the history of Joseph in twelve pictures.
Life
His father was a stonemason and his grandfather a wood ...
, 1541
Acquisitions
* Kirchberg and Weißenhorn
Weißenhorn is a town in the district of Neu-Ulm in Bavaria. Weißenhorn is located about 22 km southeast of Ulm.
History
Archaeologic finds prove that the area of Weißenhorn was once a settlement of the Alamanni. Also Roman artifacts ...
with Wullenstetten and Pfaffenhofen (Roth) (1507)
* Schmiechen (1508)
* Biberbach (1514)
* Gablingen
Gablingen is a municipality in the district of Augsburg in Bavaria in Germany. It lies on the river Schmutter.
References
Augsburg (district)
{{Augsburgdistrict-geo-stub ...
(1527)
* Mickhausen (1528)
* Burgwalden (1529; , in ''Landkreis'' Augsburg
Augsburg (; bar , Augschburg , links=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swabian_German , label=Swabian German, , ) is a city in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, around west of Bavarian capital Munich. It is a university town and regional seat of the '' ...
, Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total l ...
)
* Oberndorf an der Donau (1533)
* Lands in Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croa ...
(1535)
* Pflege Donauwörth (1536)
* Glött
Glött is a municipality in the district of Dillingen in Bavaria in Germany.
History
Glött castle and estates were purchased by Anton Fugger in 1537. The Lordship of Glött became part of the Kingdom of Bavaria in 1806. The current municipa ...
(1537)
* Babenhausen und Brandenburg (1539)
* Pleß (1546)
* Rettenbach (1547)
* Lands in Alsace
Alsace (, ; ; Low Alemannic German/ gsw-FR, Elsàss ; german: Elsass ; la, Alsatia) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in eastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland. In 2020, it ha ...
(1551)
* Kirchheim (1551)
* Duttenstein Castle, near Dischingen
Dischingen is a municipality in the district of Heidenheim in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The municipality consists of several smaller villages that have been absorbed into Dischingen, Ballmertshofen, Demmingen, Dunstelkingen, Eglin ...
(1551; Schloss Duttenstein, in ''Landkreis'' Heidenheim, Baden-Württemberg)
* Eppishausen (1551)
* Niederalfingen (1551)
* Stettenfels Castle
Stettenfels Castle is a medieval castle above the town of Untergruppenbach in Heilbronn. It was once owned by Hans Fugger and is now used for cultural events.
History
The castle was built in the 11th century, probably at about the same time ...
(1551; Burg Stettenfels, in ''Landkreis'' Heilbronn
Heilbronn () is a city in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, surrounded by Heilbronn District. With over 126,000 residents, it is the sixth-largest city in the state.
From the late Middle Ages, it developed into an important trading centre. A ...
, Baden-Württemberg)
* Reichau, near Boos (1551)
* Kettershausen und Bebenhausen (1558)
The following historic buildings are still owned by the Fugger family:
File:Augsburg Fuggerhaeuser Stadtpalast.jpg, Fuggerhäuser
The Fuggerhäuser (''Fugger houses'') is a complex of houses on the Maximilianstraße in Augsburg, built for the Fugger family of businessmen. It is now owned by the Fugger-Babenhausen branch of the Fugger family who resides at Wellenburg castle ...
in Augsburg
Augsburg (; bar , Augschburg , links=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swabian_German , label=Swabian German, , ) is a city in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, around west of Bavarian capital Munich. It is a university town and regional seat of the '' ...
File:Fugger Fuggerei-Markuskirche+Herrengasse.jpg, Fuggerei
The Fuggerei is the world's oldest public housing complex still in use. It is a walled enclave within the city of Augsburg, Bavaria. It takes its name from the Fugger family and was founded in 1516 by Jakob Fugger the Younger (known as "Jakob F ...
in Augsburg
File:Fuggerschloß.jpg, The castle at Babenhausen, Bavaria
File:MHV Fugger Castle Wellenburg.jpg, Wellenburg Castle in Augsburg
File:Fuggerschloss Kirchheim11.jpg, The castle at Kirchheim in Schwaben
Kirchheim or Kirchheim in Schwaben (engl. ''Kirchheim in Swabia'') is a municipality and a market town in the district of Unterallgäu in the region of Swabia (Schwaben) in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany.
The town was greatly influenc ...
File:Schloss Oberkirchberg Illerkirchberg 101.jpg, Kirchberg Castle at Illerkirchberg
Illerkirchberg is a town in the district of Alb-Donau in Baden-Württemberg in Germany.
Unterkirchberg (Lower Kirchberg) had a Roman castrum built around 40 AD as part of the Upper Germanic-Rhaetian Limes to secure the street along the south ...
Further reading
*
*
Family tree
References
External links
Fugger family website
(multilingual)
Fugger family on History.com
The Fugger Newsletters
{{Authority control
States and territories established in 1507
Augsburg
German bankers
History of banking
Banking families
History of Augsburg
1507 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire
Counties of the Holy Roman Empire
States and territories disestablished in 1806
Roman Catholic families