County (Principality) of Starhemberg Grafschaft (Fürstentum) Starhemberg
1643–1806
Status	State of the Holy Roman Empire
Capital	Starhemberg
Government	Principality
Historical era	Early modern period
• Castle built by     Ottokar of Styria	1140–45
• County gained     Reichsfreiheit	1643
• Raised to principality	1765
• Mediatised to the     Austrian Empire	1806
Succeeded by Austrian Empire

Arms of alliance of Princess Franziska von Starhemberg

Original arms of the family

The House of Starhemberg (German pronunciation: [ˈʃtaːʁəmbɛʁk]) is the name of an old and distinguished Austrian noble family originating from Upper Austria, specifically Steyr and Steinbach.^[1] Members of the family played important political role within the Holy Roman Empire and later in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

History

The first known member Gundaker I von Steyr was mentioned in the 12th century. In 1150, he married Richezza von Steinbach (Richezza nobilis matrona de Steinpach), and through her he inherited Steinbach in 1160. They were made by imperial counts (Reichsgrafen) in 1643 by Emperor Ferdinand III, and were later raised to princely rank (Reichsfürsten) in 1765 by Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor. In 1806, the Princes of Starhemberg lost their independence through mediatisation initialized by Napoleon and lost its sovereign rights, but allowed to retain equality of birth with other reigning families, which was an important fact for marriage purposes. The family belongs to the small circle of high nobility,^[2] and their Starhemberg Palace (German: Schloss Starhemberg) in Eferding, Upper Austria, includes a museum about the family's history.

Mediatized Princes of Starhemberg

Notable family members

• Eberhard IV of Starhemberg (ca 1370–1429), Archbishop of Salzburg from 1427 until his death
• Erasmus of Starhemberg (1503-1560), Austrian noble
• Bohunka Starhemberg (died 1530), wife of the Bohemian noble Jost III of Rosenberg, who died at the birth of their daughter
• Count Ernst Rüdiger von Starhemberg (1638–1701), Austrian politician, field marshal, the defender of Vienna against the Turks in 1683, commander of the Vienna city defence
• Maximilian Lorenz Starhemberg (ca 1640–89), Imperial field marshal and commander of the fortress of Philippsburg, brother of Ernst Rüdiger
• Gundaker Thomas Starhemberg (1663–1745), half-brother of Ernst Rüdiger, financial expert
• Guido Starhemberg (1657–1737), Austrian commander during the War of the Spanish Succession
• Maximilian Adam Graf Starhemberg (1669-1741), brother of Guido and also Austrian field Marshal.
• Maria Eva Sophia of Starhemberg (1722–73), married William Hyacinth, Prince of Nassau-Siegen and Constantine, Landgrave of Hesse-Rotenburg
• Georg Adam, Prince of Starhemberg (1724-1807), Austrian Ambassador in France
• Ludwig, Prince of Starhemberg (1762-1833), Austrian Ambassador in the United Kingdom
• Ernst Rüdiger von Starhemberg (1861–1927), Austrian politician and landowner
• Fanny von Starhemberg (1875–1943), Austrian politician for the Christian Social Party
• Ernst Rüdiger Starhemberg (1899–1956), Austrian politician, Vice-Chancellor of Austria and Heimwehr
• Heinrich Starhemberg (1934–97), son of Ernst Rüdiger and Nora Gregor, actor and writer using the pseudonym Henry Gregor

References

Further reading

• Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Adelslexikon Band XIV, Gesamtreihe Band 131, C. A. Starke Verlag, Limburg/Lahn, 2003, pp. 24–26 (in German).

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Starhemberg family.

• Official website of the Starhemberg family (in German)
• Starhemberg Castle website (in German)