12. století
The House of Lichtenstein
An eminent noble family originating from the Lichtenstein region
Fotogalerie
Info text
The family name comes from the Lichtenstein Castle near Vienna. The name of Hugo of Lichtenstein as the first head of the family was mentioned in documents dating from as far back as 1136. The dynasty was given some property in South Moravia in the middle of the 13th century by King Premyslid Ottokar II. By the end of the 14th century, count Jan I became the Habsburg’s hofmeister (a counselor in the German
princely courts). But the family’s power culminated during the time of Karl of Lichtenstein, who was at the head of the catholic faction in the 17th century and the main supporter of the Habsburgs during the counterreformation and the post-White mountain dealings. He also acquired the position of proconsul of Bohemia. The family preserved its power all through the reign of the Habsburg dynasty.
