13. století
The Kinsky dynasty
A powerful Czech noble family
Fotogalerie
Info text
The family’s coat of arms features three silver wolf teeth going from right to left on a red blazon.
Originally their dynasty belonged to the lower nobility, their name is first mentioned in 1282. At the time they were still using the appellation “Vchynsky”, which was distorted along the years to later become Kinsky, the family’s name today. The family branches were separated around 1350 with the dynasty’s main branch keeping the properties.
The
family’s golden age came in the 16th century, when Radoslav Kinsky became the hofmeister (a counselor in the German princely courts) in the court of Emperor Matthias. The dark times following the White Mountain battle meant the family suffered significant losses (a branch also emigrated to the Netherlands), but in the late 17th century it was back to its full power, the princely branch holding a particularly great authority.
