The House of Thun und Hohenstein, also known as Thun-Hohenstein, belonged to the historical Austrian and Bohemian nobility. There is one

prince A prince is a 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, in some European states. The ...

ly and several comital branches of the family. The princely branch of the family lived at

Děčín Děčín (; ) is a city in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 46,000 inhabitants. It is the seventth largest municipality in the country by area. Děčín is an important traffic junction. Administrative division Děč ...

() in

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...

for more than 200 years. The family maintained an expansive library, including two important albums depicting artistically and technologically innovative armour made for the

Habsburg 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 ...

court during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

History

feudal Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was a combination of legal, economic, military, cultural, and political customs that flourished in Middle Ages, medieval Europe from the 9th to 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of struc ...

family originally from Ton, Trentino, formerly an Italian-speaking part of

Tyrol Tyrol ( ; historically the Tyrole; ; ) is a historical region in the Alps of Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Empire and Austria-Hungary, f ...

(today part of the

Trentino Trentino (), officially the Autonomous Province of Trento (; ; ), is an Autonomous province#Italy, autonomous province of Italy in the Northern Italy, country's far north. Trentino and South Tyrol constitute the Regions of Italy, region of Tren ...

province of Italy), the male line traces back to Manfreinus of Tunno in 1187.

Almanach de Gotha The ''Almanach de Gotha'' () is a directory of Europe's royalty and higher nobility, also including the major governmental, military and diplomatic corps, as well as statistical data by country. First published in 1763 by C. W. Ettinger in ...

, ''Thun und Hohenstein''.

Justus Perthes Johann Georg Justus Perthes (11 September 1749 – 2 May 1816) was a Germans, German publisher and founder of Justus Perthes (publishing company), the publishing house that bears his name. Life He was born in the Thuringian town of Rudolstadt, t ...

, 1944, p. 539 (in French). In 1469, they became hereditary

cup-bearer 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 ...

s of the

Prince-bishopric of Trent The Prince-Bishopric of Trent (; ) was an ecclesiastical principality roughly corresponding to the present-day Northern Italy, Northern Italian autonomous province of Trentino. It was created in 1027 and existed until 1803, when it was German m ...

and in 1558 of the Prince-bishopric of Brixen.https://www.thunweb.com/en/geschichtliches/anfaenge

Titles of Baron, Count and Prince

All males of the family were granted the hereditary title of ''

Freiherr (; male, abbreviated as ), (; his wife, abbreviated as , ) and (, his unmarried daughters and maiden aunts) are designations used as titles of nobility in the German-speaking areas of the Holy Roman Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire and in ...

'' (Baron) in 1604, and ''

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 ...

'' (Count 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 ...

) in 1629. The title of ''

Fürst ' (, female form ', plural '; from Old High German ', "the first", a translation of the Latin ') is a German language, German word for a ruler as well as a princely title. ' were, starting in the Middle Ages, members of the highest nobility who ...

'' (Prince) was conferred on 19 July 1911 by Emperor Franz Joseph upon the head of the family, along with the

style Style, or styles may refer to: Film and television * ''Style'' (2001 film), a Hindi film starring Sharman Joshi, Riya Sen, Sahil Khan and Shilpi Mudgal * ''Style'' (2002 film), a Tamil drama film * ''Style'' (2004 film), a Burmese film * '' ...

of ''Durchlaucht'' (

Serene Highness His/Her Serene Highness (abbreviation: HSH, second person address: Your Serene Highness) is a style (manner of address), style used today by the reigning families of Liechtenstein, Monaco and Thailand. Until 1918, it was also associated with the p ...

), in the

Austro-Hungarian Empire Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military and diplomatic alliance, it consist ...

. They were hereditary members of the Austrian House of Lords, in right of possession of the entailed lordship of Tetschen since 1879.

Properties in Bohemia

The family acquired Klášterec nad Ohří Chateau in 1621, Jílové Castle in 1629 (expropriated in 1946), and Děčín Castle in the second half of the 17th century, which became the family's main seat until it was sold in 1932. They also acquired Choltice Castle and Benátky nad Jizerou Castle, and several palaces in

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

Notable family members

Ahnenprobe_Lodron_Josepha_Maximiliana_1786

Friedrich von Thun und Hohenstein

Of the three sons of Count Franz Anton (1786–1873) and his wife Countess Theresia Anna Maria (née von Brühl), the eldest, (1810–1881), entered the diplomatic service. After holding other posts he was in 1850 appointed president of the restored German Diet at

Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...

, where he represented the anti- Prussian policy of Prince Felix Schwarzenberg, and often came into conflict with Prince von Bismarck, who was the Prussian

envoy Envoy or Envoys may refer to: Diplomacy * Diplomacy, in general * Envoy (title) * Special envoy, a type of Diplomatic rank#Special envoy, diplomatic rank Brands *Airspeed Envoy, a 1930s British light transport aircraft *Envoy (automobile), an au ...

. He was afterwards

ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or so ...

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

and St. Petersburg. After his retirement in 1863 from the public service in the Bohemian ''

Landtag A ''Landtag'' (State Diet) is generally the legislative assembly or parliament of a federated state or other subnational self-governing entity in German-speaking nations. It is usually a unicameral assembly exercising legislative competence ...

'' and the Austrian '' Reichsrat'' he supported the federal policy of his brother Leo. In 1879 he was made a hereditary member of the Upper House. In this position he was, on his death 24 September 1881, succeeded by his eldest son Franz (born 1847).

Maria Wilhelmine von Thun und Hohenstein

Countess 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 York: ...

Maria Wilhelmine von Thun und Hohenstein, née Countess von Ulfeldt was a Viennese aristocrat of the 18th century. She was the hostess of a musically and intellectually outstanding

salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment that provides Cosmetics, cosmetic treatments for people. Other variations of this type of business include hair salons, spas, day spas, ...

, and a patroness of music, notably that of

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...

and

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

Leopold von Thun und Hohenstein

Count Leopold von Thun und Hohenstein (1811–1888) was a leading Austrian statesman who was later a minister in the cabinets of Schwarzenberg and

Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: �joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety of instruments and forms, including the or ...

Franz von Thun und Hohenstein

Count Franz Anton von Thun und Hohenstein, (1847–1916) was an

Austro-Hungarian Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military and diplomatic alliance, it consist ...

nobleman and statesman. He was Governor of his native Bohemia from 1889 to 1896 and again from 1911 to 1915. He was elevated to the rank of

Prince A prince is a 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, in some European states. The ...

by Emperor

Franz Joseph I of Austria Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I ( ; ; 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the ruler of the Grand title of the emperor of Austria, other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 1848 until his death ...

on 19 July 1911. Leaving no sons, he was succeeded in the princely title by his brother Jaroslav (1864–1929).

Galeas von Thun und Hohenstein

Fra' Galeas von Thun und Hohenstein (1850–1931) was the 75th

and Grand Master of the

Sovereign Military Order of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, and commonly known as the Order of Malta or the Knights of Malta, is a Catholic lay religious ...

from 1905 to 1931.

Róża Maria von Thun und Hohenstein

Róża Maria Fürstin von Thun und Hohenstein (''

née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...

'' Woźniakowska, Prawdzic coat of arms, born 13 April 1954), usually shortened to ''Róża Thun'', married Franz Graf von Thun und Hohenstein in 1981. After the death of his father in 1990, Franz became the Head of the family and automatically assumed the title of

. She has been a European Parliament Member (MEP) from

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

between 2009 and 2024.

Other prominent members

* Wenzeslaus of Thun (1629–1673), prince-bishop of Passau from 1664 to 1673 * Johann Ernst von Thun und Hohenstein (1643–1709), prince-archbishop of Salzburg from 1687 to 1709 * Eleonore Barbara von Thun und Hohenstein (1661–1723), princess consort of Liechtenstein * Friedrich von Thun (born 1942), Austrian actor * Matteo Thun (born 1952), Italian architect * Max von Thun (born 1977), German-Austrian actor

Historic properties

Decin-castle-002.jpg,

Castle Klášterec nad Ohří chateau 2008-07-15.JPG, Klášterec nad Ohří Chateau File:Choltice,_zámek_(1).jpg, Choltice castle Benátky nad Jizerou, zámek 1.JPG, Benátky nad Jizerou castle Jilove DC CZ zamek 119.jpg,

Jílové u Děčína Jílové (until 1945 Jílové u Podmokel; ) is a town in Děčín District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 4,900 inhabitants. Administrative division Jílové consists of six municipal parts (in brackets populat ...

castle Italian embassy Prague 2850.JPG, Thun-Hohenstein Palace, Prague (Malá Strana) Praha, Thunovská, Britská ambasáda.JPG, Thun-Palace, Prague Praha, Poslanecká sněmovna Parlamentu České republiky.jpg, Thun Palace, Prague Castel_Thun_-_hlavní_brána.jpg, Castel Thun,

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

Palazzo_Thun,_Trento.jpg, Thun Palace,

Trento Trento ( or ; Ladin language, Ladin and ; ; ; ; ; ), also known in English as Trent, is a city on the Adige, Adige River in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol in Italy. It is the capital of the Trentino, autonomous province of Trento. In the 16th ...

, Italy

References

External links

* {{Authority control