Fürstenberg (baronial family)
Encyclopedia
Fürstenberg is the name of a German noble
family of Westphalia
, descended from one Hermanus de Vorstenberg, a liegeman of the Archbishop of Cologne, who was among the prince electors (Kurfürsten) of the Holy Roman Empire
. Hermanus held a castle for his lord called "Fürstenberg" (The Princely Mountain) in Ense
-Höingen in Soest
; this would give the family its name. His son was Wilhelm von Vorstenberg, the Justiciar and Castellan of Werl
.
Already Imperial Knight
s, on April 26, 1660, the family were created imperial
barons (Reichsfreiherren
). Matriculation to the baronial class in the Kingdom of Bavaria
occurred on August 22, 1891 for Friedrich Freiherr von Fürstenberg, Rittmeister
à la suite
in the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt
and Freeholder of Egenburg by Würzburg
.
Some members of the family were elevated to comital
dignities during German Mediatization for their services to the Kingdom of Prussia
, or given honorific titles for their twentieth-century achievements:
The baronial Fürstenberg clan should not be confused with the princely family
of the same name.
. In the nineteenth century, the family also owned the following castles:
German nobility
The German nobility was the elite hereditary ruling class or aristocratic class from ca. 500 B.C. to the Holy Roman Empire and what is now Germany.-Principles of German nobility:...
family of Westphalia
Westphalia
Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...
, descended from one Hermanus de Vorstenberg, a liegeman of the Archbishop of Cologne, who was among the prince electors (Kurfürsten) of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
. Hermanus held a castle for his lord called "Fürstenberg" (The Princely Mountain) in Ense
Ense
Ense is a municipality in the district of Soest, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Ense is situated on the river Möhne, approx. 12 km north-west of Arnsberg and 12 km south-west of Soest...
-Höingen in Soest
Soest, Germany
Soest is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the Soest district. After Lippstadt, a neighbouring town, Soest is the second biggest town in its district.-Geography:...
; this would give the family its name. His son was Wilhelm von Vorstenberg, the Justiciar and Castellan of Werl
Werl
Werl is a town located in the district of Soest in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Werl is easily accessible because it is located between the Sauerland, Münsterland, and the Ruhr Area...
.
Already Imperial Knight
Imperial Knight
The Free Imperial Knights, or the Knights of the Empire was an organisation of free nobles of the Holy Roman Empire, whose direct overlord was the Emperor, remnants of the medieval free nobility and the ministeriales...
s, on April 26, 1660, the family were created imperial
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
barons (Reichsfreiherren
Freiherr
The German titles Freiherr and Freifrau and Freiin are titles of nobility, used preceding a person's given name or, after 1919, before the surname...
). Matriculation to the baronial class in the Kingdom of Bavaria
Kingdom of Bavaria
The Kingdom of Bavaria was a German state that existed from 1806 to 1918. The Bavarian Elector Maximilian IV Joseph of the House of Wittelsbach became the first King of Bavaria in 1806 as Maximilian I Joseph. The monarchy would remain held by the Wittelsbachs until the kingdom's dissolution in 1918...
occurred on August 22, 1891 for Friedrich Freiherr von Fürstenberg, Rittmeister
Rittmeister
Rotamaster was the military rank of a commissioned cavalry officer in charge of a squadron , the equivalent of O3 or Captain, in the German-speaking armies, Austro-Hungarian, Polish-Lithuanian, Russian and some other states.The exact name of this rank maintains a variety of spellings in different...
à la suite
À la suite
À la suite was a military title, given to those who were entitled to wear a regimental uniform but otherwise had no official position. It can best be translated as "in the entourage of".In Prussia, these were:...
in the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt
Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt
The Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was a member state of the Holy Roman Empire. It was formed in 1567 following the division of the Landgraviate of Hesse between the four sons of Philip I, the last Landgrave of Hesse....
and Freeholder of Egenburg by Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
.
Some members of the family were elevated to comital
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
dignities during German Mediatization for their services to the Kingdom of Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
, or given honorific titles for their twentieth-century achievements:
- Herdringen Line: A PrussiaPrussiaPrussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n graviateGrafGraf is a historical German noble title equal in rank to a count or a British earl...
; the title was Graf von Fürstenberg-Herdringen, and an estate in tailFee tailAt common law, fee tail or entail is an estate of inheritance in real property which cannot be sold, devised by will, or otherwise alienated by the owner, but which passes by operation of law to the owner's heirs upon his death...
, Besitz Herdringen, was given on January 16, 1843 to Franz Egon Freiherr von Fürstenberg of Herdringen (1818-1902), Member of the Prussian House of LordsHerrenhausThe German term Herrenhaus is equivalent to the English House of Lords and describes roughly similar institutions as the English House of Lords in German-speaking countries.More specifically, Herrenhaus, can refer to either of the following:...
and SeneschalSeneschalA seneschal was an officer in the houses of important nobles in the Middle Ages. In the French administrative system of the Middle Ages, the sénéchal was also a royal officer in charge of justice and control of the administration in southern provinces, equivalent to the northern French bailli...
in the Duchy of WestphaliaDuchy of WestphaliaThe Duchy of Westphalia was a historic territory in the greater region of Westphalia, located in the east of modern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Originally, Westphalia formed with Angria and Eastphalia one of the three main regions of Saxony...
.
- Stammheim Line: A Prussian graviate; Graf von Fürstenberg-Stammheim, in the Demesne of Stammheim given on October 15, 1840 for the Royal Prussian ChamberlainChamberlain (office)A chamberlain is an officer in charge of managing a household. In many countries there are ceremonial posts associated with the household of the sovereign....
Franz Egon Freiherr von Fürstenberg of Stammheim and the heirsInheritanceInheritance is the practice of passing on property, titles, debts, rights and obligations upon the death of an individual. It has long played an important role in human societies...
of his body. This line died out in 1925.
- BelgianBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
Naturalisation as Baron de Furstenberg was granted April 18, 1887 for Clemens Freiherr von Fürstenberg. A Belgian comtéComtéComté is a French word that can refer to:* The territory ruled by a count in medieval France...
was created with the title Comte de Furstenberg on January 3, 1964 for the agricultural scientistAgricultural scienceAgricultural science is a broad multidisciplinary field that encompasses the parts of exact, natural, economic and social sciences that are used in the practice and understanding of agriculture. -Agriculture and agricultural science:The two terms are often confused...
Wenemar Freiherr von Fürstenberg.
The baronial Fürstenberg clan should not be confused with the princely family
Fürstenberg (princely family)
Fürstenberg is the name of a noble house in Germany, based primarily in southern Baden-Württemberg. The family derives its name from the fortified town of the line's founder, Count Heinrich von Fürstenberg, today part of Hüfingen...
of the same name.
Former holdings
The family stammsitz (ancestral seat) is Schloss Herdringen near ArnsbergArnsberg
Arnsberg is a town in the Hochsauerland district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the location of the Regierungsbezirk Arnsberg's administration and one of the three local administration offices of the Hochsauerlandkreis.-Geography:...
. In the nineteenth century, the family also owned the following castles:
- Eggeringhausen
- Gimborn
- Hugenpoet-Borbeck
- Körtlinghausen
- Köln-Stammheim.
Notable members
- Dietrich von Fürstenberg, prince bishop of Paderborn (1546-1618);
- Kaspar von Fürstenberg, DrostDrostSeneschal of the Realm, Riksdrots , Rigsdrost , or Valtakunnandrotsi is a Danish and Swedish name of a supreme state official, with at least a connotation to administration of judiciary, who in medieval Scandinavia was often a leader in the government.The word drots/drost...
of WestphaliaWestphaliaWestphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...
(1545-1618); - Ferdinand Freiherr von Fürstenberg, prince bishop of Paderborn, prince bishop of Münster (1626-1683);
- Franz Friedrich Wilhelm von FürstenbergFranz Friedrich Wilhelm von FürstenbergFranz Friedrich Wilhelm von Fürstenberg was a German statesman and educator of the 18th century....
(1729 – 1810), statesman and educator - Franz Egon Freiherr von Fürstenberg, prince bishop of Paderborn, prince bishop of Hildesheim (1737-1825).
- Franz Egon Graf von Fürstenberg-Stammheim (1797-1859)
- Maximilien de FurstenbergMaximilien de FurstenbergMaximilien Louis Hubert Egon Vincent Marie Joseph, Freiherr von Fürstenberg-Stammheim also Maximilian Kardinal von Fürstenberg was a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and was Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.He was born in the castle of Ter Worm, Heerlen, The Netherlands,...
-Stammheim (1904-1988) - Elimar Freiherr von Fürstenberg (1910-1981)
Fürstenberg-Herdringen
- Franz Egon Freiherr von Fürstenberg of Herdringen (1818-1902)
- Engelbert Egon Graf von Fürstenberg-Herdringen (1850-1918)
- Franz-Egon Graf von Fürstenberg-Herdringen (1896-1975) married to Gloria GuinnessGloria GuinnessGloria Guinness , born Gloria Rubio y Alatorre, was a Mexican-born socialite and fashion icon of the 20th century, and a contributing editor to Harper's Bazaar from 1963 until 1971...
(1912-1980) - Wenemar von Fürstenberg-Herdringen (1897-1972)
- Betsy von FurstenbergBetsy von FurstenbergBetsy von Furstenberg is a German-born American radio, television, film, and Broadway actress.-Birth and childhood:...
-Herdringen (b. 1931) - Dolores GuinnessDolores GuinnessDolores Guinness born 31 July 1936 in Berlin-Charlottenburg, Germany, is a German born Freiin , socialite, fashion icon and jet set member of the 1950s and 1960s. She is also a member of the International Best Dressed List since 1970...
née von Fürstenberg-Herdringen (b.1936) - Franz-Egon von Fürstenberg-Herdringen (b.1939)