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Hohenberg family

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For the comital House of Hohenberg, see Count of Hohenberg.
House of Hohenberg
arms of the Dukes of Hohenberg as designed in 1917
Founded1900
FounderSophie, Duchess of Hohenberg
Current headGeorg, Duke of Hohenberg
TitlesDuke of Hohenberg
Prince of Hohenberg
File:2004 Austria 10 Euro The Castle of Artstetten back.jpg
The Castle of Artstetten commemorative coin

The Ducal House of Hohenberg is an Austrian noble family, descended from Countess Sophie Chotek (1868-1914) who in 1900 married Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria-Este (1863–1914), the heir presumptive to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. As their marriage was a morganatic one, none of their four children were in the line of succession to the Austro-Hungarian throne. Still, they represent the senior agnatic line of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine.

Establishment and history

The House of Hohenberg was established by imperial decree of Emperor Francis Joseph of Austria when upon the couple's marriage in 1900, he created Francis Ferdinand's wife Princess of Hohenberg (in German: Fürstin von Hohenberg) in her own right with the style of Serene Highness (in German: Durchlaucht), and the specification that this name and title should also be borne by her descendants.

In 1909, the Emperor raised Sophie to the more senior title of "Duchess of Hohenberg" (Herzogin von Hohenberg) with the style of "Highness" (Hoheit). That title expired upon Sophie's assassination in 1914.

In 1917, Emperor Charles of Austria granted Franz Ferdinand and Sophie's eldest son the title of "Duke" with the style Highness, the other members of the family remaining titled "Prince" or "Princess" with the lesser style of Serene Highness. Thus Prince Max became the first "Duke of Hohenberg", the dukedom being hereditary according to primogeniture in the male line. Following the collapse of the monarchy, the Austrian nobility, along with hereditary titles and such nobiliary particles as "von" were abolished by law in 1919.

In 1938, several members of the family who were opposed to Adolf Hitler were arrested by the Nazis and sent to Dachau concentration camp, most notably Max and his brother Ernst. The current head of the family, Georg Hohenberg, was ambassador of the Republic of Austria to the Holy See during part of the reign of Pope John Paul II. He is also a Knight of the Golden Fleece.

Members of the Hohenberg family are not only descended from, and married into, the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, but are also related through marriage to several other European dynasties including the Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg and the Princely House of Liechtenstein.

The Hohenbergs' Artstetten Castle was selected to provide the main motif for an Austrian 10 euro commemorative coin minted on 13 October 2004. The reverse shows the entrance to the crypt of the Hohenberg family. There are two portraits to the left, showing Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg.

Dukes and Princes of Hohenberg (1909–1914)

Dukes of Hohenberg (1917–present)

  • Maximilian (1902–1962), son of the first Duchess of Hohenberg, since 1919 pretender to the title, with issue
  • Franz (1927–1977) with issue
  • Georg (born 1929) with issue

Line of succession to the title Duke of Hohenberg

Line of succession to the title Duke of Hohenberg:[1]

  1. Prince Nikolaus of Hohenberg (b. 1961), heir apparent, son of Duke Georg
  2. Prince Karl of Hohenberg (b. 1991), son of Prince Nikolaus
  3. Prince Maximilian of Hohenberg (b. 1970), son of Duke Georg
  4. Prince Nikolaus of Hohenberg (b. 2001), son of Prince Maximilian
  5. Prince Leopold of Hohenberg (b. 2006), son of Prince Maximilian
  6. Prince Albrecht of Hohenberg (b. 1931), son of Duke Maximilian
  7. Prince Leo Johannes of Hohenberg (b. 1964), son of Prince Albrecht
  8. Prince Adrien of Hohenberg (b. 2003), son of Prince Leo Johannes
  9. Prince Stephan of Hohenberg (b. 1972), son of Duke Maxmilian's late son Johannes
  10. Prince Nepomuk of Hohenberg (b. 2005), son of Prince Stephan
  11. Prince Georg of Hohenberg (b. 1975), son of Duke Maxmilian's late son Johannes
  12. Prince Peter of Hohenberg (b. 1936), son of Duke Maximilian
  13. Prince Gerhard of Hohenberg (b. 1941), son of Duke Maximilian
  14. Prince Franz Ferdinand of Hohenberg (b. 1969), a male-line grandson of Duchess Sophie's son Ernst
  15. Prince Maximilian of Hohenberg (b. 2001), son of Prince Franz Ferdinand
  16. Prince Ernst of Hohenberg (b. 1944), son of Duchess Sophie's son Ernst

References

  1. ^ Marek, Miroslav. "Habsburg". Genealogy.EU. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)[self-published source][better source needed]
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