House of Metternich
Encyclopedia
The House of Metternich is a German noble
house originating in Rhineland
. The most prominent member of the House of Metternich was Klemens von Metternich, who was the dominant figure at the Congress of Vienna
(1814-1815).
of the rulers of Hemmerich (which today is a district of Bornheim
, near Bonn
). The head of the family rose to have the position of hereditary chamberlain
of the Archbishop of Cologne. This branch of the family drew its name from the village of Metternich in Weilerswist
beginning in the 13th century.
By the 16th century, the family had seven distinct branches:
. His son, also named Dieter von Metternich (d. 1600) styled himself Lord
of Mersch
and Esch-sur-Sûre
. His grandson, Wolfgang Heinrich von Metternich (d. 1699) acquired Dodenburg
, Neckar
, Steinbach, and Densborn
. Wolfgang Heinrich von Metternich's brother Lothar Friedrich von Metternich-Burscheid
was Archbishop of Mainz.
von Metternich, came to rule Chursdorf
. This branch of the family converted to the Protestant faith. Johann Reinhard Freiherr von Metternich's son Ernst von Metternich, made a Graf
in 1697, was a soldier in the service of Frederick I of Prussia
and a member of the privy council
of Brandenburg-Prussia
. Ernst von Metternich was involved in the diplomacy that saw Frederick I granted the title King in Prussia
, in Prussia's acquisition of Neuchâtel, and in the negotiating of the Treaty of Utrecht
in 1713. Ernst von Metternich's brother was a member of the privy council of the Principality of Ansbach
and in 1726 became Chancellor
of Schwarzburg
. He was also an author on questions of theosophy
and alchemy
.
In 1635, the family of Archbishop of Trier Lothar Johann Reinhard von Metternich (1515-1623) acquired the County of Beilstein
and began styling themselves Freiherren von Metternich-Winneburg zu Beilstein. Their title was upgraded to Graf
in 1679. Lothar Johann Reinhard von Metternich's nephews, Karl von Metternich and Emmerich von Metternich, were opposed to the policies of Archbishop of Trier Philipp Christoph von Sötern
.
In 1623-30, the Imperial Quartermaster General
, Lothar von Metternich and his brother Wilhelm purchased the lordships of Lázně Kynžvart
and the village of Metternich near Koblenz
. Wilhelm's eldest son Karl Heinrich von Metternich-Winneburg
was Archbishop of Mainz and Bishop of Worms in 1679. The younger son, Philip Emmerich von Metternich (d. 1698), was raised to the rank of Graf
. The last Count of Metternich-Winneburg was Franz Georg Carl Joseph Johann Nepomuk von Metternich-Winneburg, who lost the County to France
by the 1801 Treaty of Lunéville
. In compensation, Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor
gave him the secularized Ochsenhausen Abbey
and raised him to the rank of Fürst
.
His son, Klemens von Metternich worked in the service of the Austrian Empire
; he was a major diplomat at the Congress of Vienna
and was Minister-President of Austria from 1821 to 1848. He acquired Schloss Johannisberg
in the Rheingau
.
His son, Richard von Metternich was married to his niece, Princess Pauline von Metternich (Pauline was the daughter of Klemens' half-sister Leonore).
Richard and Pauline von Metternich had three daughters, but no sons, so upon the death of Richard, the title of Fürst
passed to Richard's half-brother Paul von Metternich (1834-1906). The title then passed to his son, Klemens Wenzel von Metternich (1869-1930). His son, Paul Alfons von Metternich-Winneburg (1917-1992) was the president of ADAC
. In 1992, the title of Fürst passed to Franz Albrecht Metternich-Sándor (1920-2009), whose mother was a descendant of Klemens von Metternich and who had been adopted by his aunt Clementine von Metternich-Sándor (1870-1963). Franz Albrecht Metternich-Sándor the son of Victor III, Duke of Ratibor and Prince of Corvey, and also inherited his father's title. Franz Albrecht's eldest son is Viktor Metternich-Sándor (b. 1964), who has headed the House of Metternich since his father's death.
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:...
house originating in Rhineland
Rhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
. The most prominent member of the House of Metternich was Klemens von Metternich, who was the dominant figure at the Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
(1814-1815).
Background
The House of Metternich originated as a cadet branchCadet branch
Cadet branch is a term in genealogy to describe the lineage of the descendants of the younger sons of a monarch or patriarch. In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets – titles, realms, fiefs, property and income – have...
of the rulers of Hemmerich (which today is a district of Bornheim
Bornheim
Bornheim is a town in the Rhein-Sieg district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated on the West bank of the Rhine, approx. 10 km north-west of Bonn, 20 km south of Cologne....
, near Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
). The head of the family rose to have the position of hereditary chamberlain
Chamberlain (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....
of the Archbishop of Cologne. This branch of the family drew its name from the village of Metternich in Weilerswist
Weilerswist
Weilerswist is a municipality in the district of Euskirchen in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the Eifel hills, approximately 10 kilometers north of Euskirchen, and 20 kilometers south-west of Cologne....
beginning in the 13th century.
By the 16th century, the family had seven distinct branches:
- Metternich-BurscheidBourscheidBourscheid is a commune and small town in north-eastern Luxembourg. It is part of the canton of Diekirch, which is part of the district of Diekirch., the town of Bourscheid, which lies in the centre of the commune, has a population of 266...
- Metternich-WinneburgCounty of BeilsteinThe Lordship of Winneburg and Beilstein was a state of the Holy Roman Empire situated on the Moselle River around Winneburg Castle near Cochem....
- Metternich-ChursdorfChursdorfChursdorf is a municipality in the district Saale-Orla-Kreis, in Thuringia, Germany....
- a branch in Lorraine
- a branch in the Duchy of JülichDuchy of JülichThe Duchy of Jülich comprised a state within the Holy Roman Empire from the 11th to the 18th centuries. The duchy lay left of the Rhine river between the Electorate of Cologne in the east and the Duchy of Limburg in the west. It had territories on both sides of the river Rur, around its capital...
- a second branch in the Duchy of Jülich
Metternich-Burscheid
Dieter von Metternich acquired Zievel by marriage in 1494, and came to be ruler of BurscheidBourscheid
Bourscheid is a commune and small town in north-eastern Luxembourg. It is part of the canton of Diekirch, which is part of the district of Diekirch., the town of Bourscheid, which lies in the centre of the commune, has a population of 266...
. His son, also named Dieter von Metternich (d. 1600) styled himself Lord
Lord
Lord is a title with various meanings. It can denote a prince or a feudal superior . The title today is mostly used in connection with the peerage of the United Kingdom or its predecessor countries, although some users of the title do not themselves hold peerages, and use it 'by courtesy'...
of Mersch
Mersch
Mersch is a commune and town in central Luxembourg, capital of the canton of Mersch. It is situated at the confluence of the rivers Alzette, Mamer and Eisch., the town of Mersch, which lies in the centre of the commune, has a population of 3,345...
and Esch-sur-Sûre
Esch-sur-Sûre
Esch-sur-Sûre is a commune and small town in north-western Luxembourg. It is part of the canton of Wiltz, which is part of the district of Diekirch...
. His grandson, Wolfgang Heinrich von Metternich (d. 1699) acquired Dodenburg
Dodenburg
Dodenburg is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
, Neckar
Neckar
The Neckar is a long river, mainly flowing through the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg, but also a short section through Hesse, in Germany. The Neckar is a major right tributary of the River Rhine...
, Steinbach, and Densborn
Densborn
Densborn is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
. Wolfgang Heinrich von Metternich's brother Lothar Friedrich von Metternich-Burscheid
Lothar Friedrich von Metternich-Burscheid
Lothar Friedrich von Metternich-Burscheid was the Bishop of Speyer from 1652 to 1675 and also Archbishop of Mainz and Bishop of Worms from 1673 to 1675.-Biography:...
was Archbishop of Mainz.
Metternich-Chursdorf
A second line of the family, founded by Johann Reinhard FreiherrFreiherr
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...
von Metternich, came to rule Chursdorf
Chursdorf
Chursdorf is a municipality in the district Saale-Orla-Kreis, in Thuringia, Germany....
. This branch of the family converted to the Protestant faith. Johann Reinhard Freiherr von Metternich's son Ernst von Metternich, made a Graf
Graf
Graf is a historical German noble title equal in rank to a count or a British earl...
in 1697, was a soldier in the service of Frederick I of Prussia
Frederick I of Prussia
Frederick I , of the Hohenzollern dynasty, was Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia in personal union . The latter function he upgraded to royalty, becoming the first King in Prussia . From 1707 he was in personal union the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel...
and a member of the privy council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
of Brandenburg-Prussia
Brandenburg-Prussia
Brandenburg-Prussia is the historiographic denomination for the Early Modern realm of the Brandenburgian Hohenzollerns between 1618 and 1701. Based in the Electorate of Brandenburg, the main branch of the Hohenzollern intermarried with the branch ruling the Duchy of Prussia, and secured succession...
. Ernst von Metternich was involved in the diplomacy that saw Frederick I granted the title King in Prussia
King in Prussia
King in Prussia was a title used by the Electors of Brandenburg from 1701 to 1772. Subsequently they used the title King of Prussia....
, in Prussia's acquisition of Neuchâtel, and in the negotiating of the Treaty of Utrecht
Treaty of Utrecht
The Treaty of Utrecht, which established the Peace of Utrecht, comprises a series of individual peace treaties, rather than a single document, signed by the belligerents in the War of Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht in March and April 1713...
in 1713. Ernst von Metternich's brother was a member of the privy council of the Principality of Ansbach
Principality of Ansbach
The Principality of Ansbach or Brandenburg-Ansbach was a reichsfrei principality in the Holy Roman Empire centered on the Bavarian city of Ansbach...
and in 1726 became Chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
of Schwarzburg
Schwarzburg
Schwarzburg is a municipality in the valley of the Schwarza in the district Saalfeld-Rudolstadt in Thuringia, Germany.First mentioned in 1071 as Swartzinburg. The castle was from the 12th century the seat of the Counts of Schwarzburg...
. He was also an author on questions of theosophy
Theosophy
Theosophy, in its modern presentation, is a spiritual philosophy developed since the late 19th century. Its major themes were originally described mainly by Helena Blavatsky , co-founder of the Theosophical Society...
and alchemy
Alchemy
Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
.
Metternich-Winneburg-Beilstein
County of Beilstein
The Lordship of Winneburg and Beilstein was a state of the Holy Roman Empire situated on the Moselle River around Winneburg Castle near Cochem....
and began styling themselves Freiherren von Metternich-Winneburg zu Beilstein. Their title was upgraded to Graf
Graf
Graf is a historical German noble title equal in rank to a count or a British earl...
in 1679. Lothar Johann Reinhard von Metternich's nephews, Karl von Metternich and Emmerich von Metternich, were opposed to the policies of Archbishop of Trier Philipp Christoph von Sötern
Philipp Christoph von Sötern
Philipp Christoph von Sötern was the Prince-Bishop of Speyer from 1610 to 1652 and the Archbishop-Elector of Trier from 1623 to 1652.-Biography:...
.
In 1623-30, the Imperial Quartermaster General
Quartermaster general
A Quartermaster general is the staff officer in charge of supplies for a whole army.- The United Kingdom :In the United Kingdom, the Quartermaster-General to the Forces is one of the most senior generals in the British Army...
, Lothar von Metternich and his brother Wilhelm purchased the lordships of Lázně Kynžvart
Lázne Kynžvart
Kynžvart is a town and castle in the northwestern Bohemia, Czech Republic.It is original place of Jewish Königswarter family.Kynžvart is famous for its sanatorium which is designed for children ages 2 to 15 with nonspecific respiratory disorders....
and the village of Metternich near Koblenz
Koblenz
Koblenz is a German city situated on both banks of the Rhine at its confluence with the Moselle, where the Deutsches Eck and its monument are situated.As Koblenz was one of the military posts established by Drusus about 8 BC, the...
. Wilhelm's eldest son Karl Heinrich von Metternich-Winneburg
Karl Heinrich von Metternich-Winneburg
Karl Heinrich von Metternich-Winneburg was elected as Archbishop-Elector of Mainz and Bishop of Worms in 1679, but died before he could be consecrated as a bishop.-Biography:...
was Archbishop of Mainz and Bishop of Worms in 1679. The younger son, Philip Emmerich von Metternich (d. 1698), was raised to the rank of Graf
Graf
Graf is a historical German noble title equal in rank to a count or a British earl...
. The last Count of Metternich-Winneburg was Franz Georg Carl Joseph Johann Nepomuk von Metternich-Winneburg, who lost the County to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
by the 1801 Treaty of Lunéville
Treaty of Lunéville
The Treaty of Lunéville was signed on 9 February 1801 between the French Republic and the Holy Roman Emperor Francis II, negotiating both on behalf of his own domains and of the Holy Roman Empire...
. In compensation, Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor
Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor
Francis II was the last Holy Roman Emperor, ruling from 1792 until 6 August 1806, when he dissolved the Empire after the disastrous defeat of the Third Coalition by Napoleon at the Battle of Austerlitz...
gave him the secularized Ochsenhausen Abbey
Ochsenhausen Abbey
Ochsenhausen Abbey was a Benedictine monastery in Ochsenhausen in the district of Biberach in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.- History :...
and raised him to the rank of Fürst
Fürst
Fürst is a German title of nobility, usually translated into English as Prince.The term refers to the head of a principality and is distinguished from the son of a monarch, who is referred to as Prinz...
.
His son, Klemens von Metternich worked in the service of the Austrian Empire
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
; he was a major diplomat at the Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
and was Minister-President of Austria from 1821 to 1848. He acquired Schloss Johannisberg
Schloss Johannisberg
Schloss Johannisberg is a winery in the Rheingau wine-growing region in Germany, that has been making wine for over 900 years. The winery is most noted for its claim to have "discovered" late harvest wine.- History :...
in the Rheingau
Rheingau
The Rheingau is the hill country on the north side of the Rhine River between Wiesbaden and Lorch near Frankfurt, reaching from the western Taunus to the Rhine. It lies in the state of Hesse and is part of the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis administrative district...
.
His son, Richard von Metternich was married to his niece, Princess Pauline von Metternich (Pauline was the daughter of Klemens' half-sister Leonore).
Richard and Pauline von Metternich had three daughters, but no sons, so upon the death of Richard, the title of Fürst
Fürst
Fürst is a German title of nobility, usually translated into English as Prince.The term refers to the head of a principality and is distinguished from the son of a monarch, who is referred to as Prinz...
passed to Richard's half-brother Paul von Metternich (1834-1906). The title then passed to his son, Klemens Wenzel von Metternich (1869-1930). His son, Paul Alfons von Metternich-Winneburg (1917-1992) was the president of ADAC
ADAC
The ADAC is Germany's and Europe's largest automobile club, with more than 17 million members in June 2010. It was founded on May 24, 1903 as "Deutsche Motorradfahrer-Vereinigung" and was renamed in 1911...
. In 1992, the title of Fürst passed to Franz Albrecht Metternich-Sándor (1920-2009), whose mother was a descendant of Klemens von Metternich and who had been adopted by his aunt Clementine von Metternich-Sándor (1870-1963). Franz Albrecht Metternich-Sándor the son of Victor III, Duke of Ratibor and Prince of Corvey, and also inherited his father's title. Franz Albrecht's eldest son is Viktor Metternich-Sándor (b. 1964), who has headed the House of Metternich since his father's death.
Elevations of Rank
- FreiherrFreiherrThe German titles Freiherr and Freifrau and Freiin are titles of nobility, used preceding a person's given name or, after 1919, before the surname...
- granted to Wolfgang Heinrich von Metternich on April 14, 1664 - GrafGrafGraf is a historical German noble title equal in rank to a count or a British earl...
- granted to Philipp Emmerich Freiherr von Metternich-Winneburg on March 20, 1667 - Graf - granted to Ernst Freiherr von Metternich-Chursdorf on May 28, 1696
- FürstFürstFürst is a German title of nobility, usually translated into English as Prince.The term refers to the head of a principality and is distinguished from the son of a monarch, who is referred to as Prinz...
- granted to Franz Georg Carl Joseph Johann Nepomuk von Metternich-Winneburg on June 30, 1803 - Extension of Austrian hereditary princedom to descendants of Franz Georg Carl Joseph Johann Nepomuk von Metternich-Winneburg - granted on October 20, 1813
- Duke of the Kingdom of NaplesKingdom of NaplesThe Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
- granted to Klemens von Metternich on August 1, 1818
Prominent Members of the House of Metternich
- Lothar Johann Reinhard von Metternich (1551-1623), Archbishop and Elector of Trier
- Johann Reinhard Freiherr von Metternich, Protestant administrator of the pin Halberstadt.
- Johann Burchard von Metternich († 1637), canon of Trier, Bamberg and Münster, provost of Mainz, Magdeburg and administrator of Halberstadt and provost of St. Bartholomew in Frankfurt am Main
- Karl von Metternich († 1635), canon of Trier, Liège, Eichstätt and Augsburg, archdeacon of St. Kastor in carding and provost of Aachen Cathedral
- Emmerich von Metternich († 1653), Canon in Trier, Worms, and Paderborn and provost in Trier
- Lothar von Metternich († 1663), Imperial Chamberlain, Privy Councillor, Colonel and Quartermaster General
- Wilhelm von Metternich († 1652), of imperial court and council of war
- Heinrich von Metternich zu Brohl († 1654), first minister later soldier, governor of the occupied lower Palatinate of Bavaria and Major General
- Lothar Friedrich von Metternich-BurscheidLothar Friedrich von Metternich-BurscheidLothar Friedrich von Metternich-Burscheid was the Bishop of Speyer from 1652 to 1675 and also Archbishop of Mainz and Bishop of Worms from 1673 to 1675.-Biography:...
(1617–1675), Archbishop of Mainz - Karl Heinrich von Metternich-WinneburgKarl Heinrich von Metternich-WinneburgKarl Heinrich von Metternich-Winneburg was elected as Archbishop-Elector of Mainz and Bishop of Worms in 1679, but died before he could be consecrated as a bishop.-Biography:...
(1622–1679), Archbishop of Mainz - Ernst von Metternich (1656–1727), Prussian diplomat
- Wolfgang von Metternich († 1731), diplomat, civil servant and alchemical writer
- Franz Georg Karl von Metternich (1746–1818), politician
- Klemens von Metternich (1773–1859), Austrian diplomat and politician
- Richard von Metternich (1829–1895), Austrian politician and diplomat
- Princess Pauline von Metternich (1836–1921), founder of a literary salon in Vienna
- Tatiana von Metternich-WinneburgTatiana von Metternich-WinneburgTatiana von Metternich-Winneburg was a German patron of the arts of Russian birth. She published her books and watercolours under the name Tatiana von Metternich. She supported charity, especially the Red Cross and the Order of St...
(1915–2006), patron - Paul Alfons von Metternich-Winneburg (1917–1992)
- Franz-Albrecht Metternich-Sándor (1920–2009), head of the ducal line Ratibor-Corvey, princely house of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst
- Viktor Metternich-Sándor, born 1964, since 2009 head of the ducal line Ratibor-Corvey princely house of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst
- Reinhard Carl Johann von Metternich-Runge, born 1965, Philanthropist and Human Rights Activist