The County of Schaunberg (; also ''Schaumberg'') was a state of 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 ...

, located in present-day

Upper Austria Upper Austria ( ; ; ) is one of the nine States of Austria, states of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, and Salzburg (state), Salzbur ...

. It roughly corresponded to the modern ''

Hausruckviertel The Hausruckviertel is one of the four traditional "quarters" () of the Austrian province of Upper Austria Upper Austria ( ; ; ) is one of the nine States of Austria, states of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders Germany and th ...

''. Its seat was the , Hartkirchen. The Schaunbergers, who are descended from lords of Julbach (am Inn), were granted the lucrative imperial fief of

Aschach an der Donau Aschach an der Donau is a municipality in the district Eferding in the Austrian state of Upper Austria. Geography Aschach lies in the Danube Valley, on the edge of the Eferding Basin in the Hausruckviertel. About 2 percent of the area is ...

by Kaiser Friedrich Barbarossa in the middle of the 12th century. A few years later (documentary evidence suggests 1160) ''Heinricus de Scovenberch'' erected a castle not far from Aschach, which became the eponymous centre of the territory. Over the course of the 13th century the Schaunbergers built up a ''

Vogt An , sometimes simply advocate, (German, ), or (French, ), was a type of medieval office holder, particularly important in the Holy Roman Empire, who was delegated some of the powers and functions of a major feudal lord, or for an institutio ...

ei'' (bailiwick), particularly by means of high jurisdiction, (over the

Cistercian The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...

Wilhering Abbey) and church patronage, mainly between Kürnberg, Sauwald, the Danube and Hausruck. Documents from 1316 already refer to the Schaunbergers as ''

Graf (; feminine: ) is a historical title of the German nobility and later also of the Russian nobility, usually translated as "count". Considered to be intermediate among noble ranks, the title is often treated as equivalent to the British title ...

en'' (counts), and speak of the territory as "''

terra Terra may often refer to: * Terra (mythology), primeval Roman goddess * An alternate name for planet Earth, as well as the Latin name for the planet Terra may also refer to: Geography Astronomy * Terra (satellite), a multi-national NASA scient ...

nostra''"; it was a ''Grafschaft'' (county) with a '' Landrecht'' and a special position in Upper Austria. The town

Eferding Eferding () is the capital of the Eferding district in the Austrian state of Upper Austria. Geography Eferding is the center of the Eferding basin. The city is 2 km away from the Danube River, in Upper Austria. History Eferding was appoi ...

, which the Schaunbergers bought from the

Bishop of Passau The Diocese of Passau (; ) is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church in Germany that is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising.Duke Albert III of Austria decided to try to put an end to the Schaunbergers' independence. In the Schaunberger Feud (1380–1390) he occupied all of their castles on the Danube as well as the town of Eferding, though his siege Castle Schaunberg proved fruitless. Nevertheless, Heinrich von Schaunberg had to concede defeat and swear fealty to the Austrian Duke. This defeat was secured by series of agreements, including the arbitration of 2 February 1383 through a court of imperial princes. By 1388 however Count Heinrich once again felt strong enough to rebel against the

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

; after varying success he finally submitted and had to finally swear fealty the Duke in 1390. The Schaunbergers continued to claim a certain position for around a century. Among other things Friedrich V von Schaunberg was between 1489 and 1494

Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg The Prince-Archbishopric of Salzburg (; ) was an ecclesiastical principality and state of the Holy Roman Empire. It comprised the secular territory ruled by the archbishops of Salzburg, as distinguished from the much larger Catholic diocese f ...

. With the succession of the Austrian Habsburgs to the imperial throne ( Friedrich III and then Maximilian I), the special rights of the Schaunergers were finally curtailed; in 1548 during the

Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

the Schaunbergers lost their

voting rights Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise is the right to vote in representative democracy, public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally in ...

in the Imperial Diet upon becoming

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

, and in 1559 the male line died out upon the death of Count Wolfgang von Schaunberg, after which the title was inherited by the Starhembergers through his sister Anna. After the extinction of the male line of Schaunbergers, the fief was, through a compromise with Kaiser Maximilian II on 10 August 1572, mortgaged to the Starhembergs and the Liechtensteiners, requiring 45,000

florins The Florentine florin was a gold coin (in Italian ''Fiorino d'oro'') struck from 1252 to 1533 with no significant change in its design or metal content standard during that time. It had 54 grains () of nominally pure or 'fine' gold with a pu ...

for repayment, and ceding of the district court and Wildbannforst in the Danube Valley. The term Landl, which was the name of the ''Hausruckviertel'' until the 18th century, originates in the County of Schaunberg.

Counts of Schaunberg (after 1382)

The counts of Schaunberg trace their origins to Edlen von Julbach. They were also known by the name ''von Schaunburg'' from the time of Heinrich IV (''Henricus comes de Scounberch''; 1316) onwards. Due to the growth of the goods produced in what is today the ''

Innviertel The Innviertel (literally German language, German for "Inn Quarter"; officially called the ; ) is a traditional Austrian region southeast of the Inn (river), Inn river. It forms the western part of the States of Austria, state of Upper Austria a ...

'', the Julbach-Schaunbergs relocated their seat to Castle Schaunburg. In 1382 Count Heinrich von Schaunberg sold the lordship of Julbach, their former seat, to house

Wittelsbach The House of Wittelsbach () is a former Bavarian dynasty, with branches that have ruled over territories including the Electorate of Bavaria, the Electoral Palatinate, the Electorate of Cologne, County of Holland, Holland, County of Zeeland, ...

, after which they were exclusively known by the name ''von Schaunburg''. * Heinrich VII von Julbach-Schaunberg, 1355; † 9 October 1390;
married Ursula von Görz of Schöneck, Neuhaus and Uttenstein, on 9 January 1362; † after 1383 ** Heinrich VIII (1380/82–1383) *** several daughters ** Ulrich II, 1382
married Elisabeth von , daughter of Johann von Abensberg before 18 March 1386; † 1423 *** Georg I, 1401/04 *** Johann I of Achau, Eferding, Erlach, Rabensberg, Lemberg, Mistelbach und Peuerbach, 1424 commander in Austria, 1438 Marshal of

Steyr Steyr (; ) is a statutory city (Austria), statutory city, located in the Austrian federal state of Upper Austria. It is the administrative capital, though not part of Steyr-Land District. Steyr is Austria's 12th most populated town and the 3rd lar ...

, king's advisor and Imperial High Master, † 16 November 1453;
married Anna around 1413; † 29 March 1465; interred in **** Ulrich, † 1 October ??? **** Johann II, 1421; † after 19 October 1437 **** Bernhard von Weitenegg, imperial advisor, 1447 commander in Austria; † 8 April 1473
married Agnes (daughter of Reinprecht d. J. von Wallsee and Katharina von Rosenberg) before 10 August 1430; † 15 August 1479 ***** , 13 June 1439; in

Siena Siena ( , ; traditionally spelled Sienna in English; ) is a city in Tuscany, in central Italy, and the capital of the province of Siena. It is the twelfth most populated city in the region by number of inhabitants, with a population of 52,991 ...

in 1449; 1469 Canon, 1484 priest of Salzburg, 1485 Provost of St. Andrä im Lavanttal, 1489 Bishop-elect, 1490 Archbishop of Salzburg; † 4 October 1494 in

Salzburg Salzburg is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020 its population was 156,852. The city lies on the Salzach, Salzach River, near the border with Germany and at the foot of the Austrian Alps, Alps moun ...

of dropsy and interred in St Peter's Abbey ***** Siegmund III, † 1536 ***** Ladislaus, † 16 July 1475 ***** Georg II of Frankenburg, Kammer, Neuattersee, Seisenegg and Neumarkt, † 7 March 1491 in Schaunburg, interred in Wilhering;
married Maria Margareta von Starhemberg before 12 November 1484 (born 1469, died 1522), daughter of Hans von Sprinzenstein and Elisabeth von Hohenberg ****** Elisabeth, 1491, † 30 August 1512;
married Johann Prueschenk Count of Hardegg before 26 May 1503, † 27 July 1535 in

Liegnitz Legnica (; , ; ; ) is a city in southwestern Poland, in the central part of Lower Silesia, on the Kaczawa River and the Czarna Woda. As well as being the seat of the county, since 1992 the city has been the seat of the Diocese of Legnica. L ...

**** Albrecht, 1430; 1444 Canon of Passau; 1445/61 Provost of St. Stephan, Vienna, 1448 matriculated in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

; 1451 in

Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...

;

Doctor of law A Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) is a doctoral degree in legal studies. The abbreviation LL.D. stands for ''Legum Doctor'', with the double “L” in the abbreviation referring to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both canon law ...

; † 15. August 1473 after falling from a horse **** Wolfgang I; 1448 matriculated in Vienna, imperial commander, † 30 July 1484, interred in Pupping **** Ludwig, † 9 August 1427 **** Ludwig, 1448 matriculated in Vienna, † 19 June 1453 **** Elisabeth, 1437, † August 1461
   married Ulrich, Count von Oettingen of Flochberg before 25 February 1444, † 28 May 1477 **** Barbara, † after 1492
   married Duyn Frangepan comes de Vegilia etc. before 24 June 1457; † after 14 June 1487 **** Agnes, † 1457, interred in Pupping;
   married Heinrich IV, Lord of Rosenberg before 24 September 1453, † in Vienna 25 March 1457 **** Siegmund I, imperial commander, 1489 head marshal in Austria; † 2 October 1498, interred in Pupping;
   married Barbara von Wallsee (daughter of Reinprecht V of

ober Ober may refer to: * Ober (playing card), court card in the German and Swiss styles of playing cards * Ober, Indiana, an unincorporated community in Washington Township, Starke County * Oberek (also ''ober''), a lively Polish dance in triple metre ...

- und Niederwallsee and Margareta von Starhemberg); † in Niederwallsee 15 November 1505 ***** Friedrich, died young ***** Bernhard, died young ***** Wolfgang, died young **** Ulrich III of Frauenheim, Klein-Sölk, Rabensberg and Lemberg, 1449 head marshal in Steier, 1460/1463 commander in

Carniola Carniola ( ; ; ; ) is a historical region that comprised parts of present-day Slovenia. Although as a whole it does not exist anymore, Slovenes living within the former borders of the region still tend to identify with its traditional parts Upp ...

, † 27 December 1484;
   1st wife: Barbara
   2nd wife: Margareta von Kraig, † 6 June 1492, daughter of Andreas and Katharina von Rohr (married second husband Wilhelm der Reiche von Auersperg of Krumau at the Großsen Kamp on 22 October 1488; † 1506) ***** Johann III, 1478, † 1490 ***** Siegmund, died young ***** Werner, died young ***** Genoveva, 1486, † 1519;
   married Johann von Liechtenstein, Herr zu Niklasburg in 1498 ***** Georg III of Mistelbach, Peuerbach, Erlach, Stauff, Aschach, Neumarkt etc., 1472; high marshal in Austria and Steir, 1544

Augsburg Confession The Augsburg Confession (), also known as the Augustan Confession or the Augustana from its Latin name, ''Confessio Augustana'', is the primary confession of faith of the Lutheranism, Lutheran Church and one of the most important documents of th ...

, † after 10 April 1554 in Eferding;
married Genoveva Countess of , daughter of Count Andreas I of Arco and Barbara di Martinengo, † died 1554 ****** Johann IV, Augsburg Confession, † in

Linz Linz (Pronunciation: , ; ) is the capital of Upper Austria and List of cities and towns in Austria, third-largest city in Austria. Located on the river Danube, the city is in the far north of Austria, south of the border with the Czech Repub ...

31 May 1551;
married Begina von in

Wels Wels (; Central Bavarian: ''Wös'') is a city in Upper Austria, on the Traun River near Linz. It is the county seat of Wels-Land, and with a population of approximately 60,000, the List of cities and towns in Austria, eighth largest city in Aus ...

(born 30 January 1522, died 2 October 1572 in Wels), daughter of Siegmund Ludwig of Perg and Steinhaus and Anna Eckertsau of Bockfliess ****** Andreas, 1527/39, † around 1540 ****** Susanna ****** Wolfgang II of Eferding and Oberwallsee, born 1512, † 11 June 1559 in Eferding;
   married Anna de Salamanca von Ortenburg in Vienna on 13 February 1539, daughter of Gabriel I von Salamanca, Count of Ortenburg and Elisabeth von Eberstein; † 26 July 1569 in Eferding ****** Anna, * 1513, † 1551
   married Erasmus d. Ä. von Starhemberg of Wildberg in Linz on 25 November 1529 (1540); Augsburg Confession; † 3 September 1560 ****** Magdalena, † 1560 (or December 1563)
   married Kaspar Pflug von Rebenstein of Petschau, Tachau, Schluckenau and Kuttenplan on 4 August 1537; Augsburg Confession; † in Falkenau 1585 ****** Itha, 1554/59, † 1568 ****** Elisabeth

References

* Othmar Hageneder: ''Die Grafschaft Schaunberg. Beiträge zur Geschichte eines Territoriums im späten Mittelalter.'' In: ''Mitteilungen des Oberösterreichischen Landesarchivs.'' Bd. 5, 1957, , pp. 189–264. * Siegfried Haider: ''Schaunberg.'' In: ''

Lexikon des Mittelalters The (; LMA or LexMA) is a German encyclopedia on the history and culture of the Middle Ages. Written by authors from all over the world, it comprises more than 36,000 articles in 9 volumes. Historically the works range from Late Antiquity to ab ...

.'' Band 7: ''Planudes bis Stadt (Rus).'' Lexma Verlag, München 1995, , p. 1444. * Gerhard Taddey (Hrsg.), ''Lexikon der deutschen Geschichte bis 1945. Ereignisse, Institutionen, Personen. Von den Anfängen bis zur Kapitulation 1945.'' 3., überarbeitete Auflage. Kröner, Stuttgart 1998, . * Gerhard Köbler: ''Historisches Lexikon der deutschen Länder. Die deutschen Territorien vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart.'', 7., vollständig überarbeitete Auflage. Beck, München 2007, . *Stammliste auf Basis von Detlev Schwennike (Hrsg.): ''Europäische Stammtafeln. Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten.'' Neue Folge Band 16: ''Bayern und Franken.'' J. A. Stargardt, Marburg 1995, , Tafel 38–39. {{coord missing, Austria Counties of the Holy Roman Empire Historical geography of Austria