Thurn und Taxis
Encyclopedia
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
family that was a key player in the postal services
Mail
Mail, or post, is a system for transporting letters and other tangible objects: written documents, typically enclosed in envelopes, and also small packages are delivered to destinations around the world. Anything sent through the postal system is called mail or post.In principle, a postal service...
in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in the 16th century and is well known as owners of breweries and builders of many castles.
History
In the 12th century, the LombardicLombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
family Tasso (meaning Badger
Badger
Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the weasel family, Mustelidae. There are nine species of badger, in three subfamilies : Melinae , Mellivorinae , and Taxideinae...
or collector) was resident in the mountain village of Cornello now Cornello dei Tasso near Bergamo
Bergamo
Bergamo is a town and comune in Lombardy, Italy, about 40 km northeast of Milan. The comune is home to over 120,000 inhabitants. It is served by the Orio al Serio Airport, which also serves the Province of Bergamo, and to a lesser extent the metropolitan area of Milan...
in Val Brembana
Val Brembana
Val Brembana is a valley in Lombardy, northern Italy. It takes its name from the river crossing it, the Brembo.The Bergamo Alps form the valley's northern limits, notably the Tre Signori and Diavolo di Tenda Peaks, while at south lies the plain of Bergamo...
. The translation of "Tasso" to was the origin of the name "Taxis", and the badger is still represented in the family coat of arms. In 1624 the family became count
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...
s (Graf
Graf
Graf is a historical German noble title equal in rank to a count or a British earl...
en). In 1650 they changed their name to Thurn (= Turm = Tower) und Taxis. In 1695 they received their princely title from Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
| style="float:right;" | Leopold I was a Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary and King of Bohemia. A member of the Habsburg family, he was the second son of Emperor Ferdinand III and his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain. His maternal grandparents were Philip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria...
.
Rainer Maria Rilke
Rainer Maria Rilke
René Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Maria Rilke , better known as Rainer Maria Rilke, was a Bohemian–Austrian poet. He is considered one of the most significant poets in the German language...
wrote his Duino Elegies
Duino Elegies
The Duino Elegies are a set of ten elegies written in German by the poet Rainer Maria Rilke from 1912 to 1922. They are frequently referred to as Rilke's most acclaimed poetic work.-Presentation:...
while visiting Princess Marie of Thurn and Taxis
Czech Branch of the House of Thurn und Taxis
The Czech branch of the Princely House of Thurn and Taxis is a dynastic branch of a German family that was a key player in the postal services in Europe in the 16th century and is well known as owners of breweries and builders of countless castles.-History:...
(née princess of Hohenlohe
Hohenlohe
Hohenlohe is the name of a German princely family and the name of their principality.At first rulers of a county, its two branches were raised to the rank of principalities of the Holy Roman Empire in 1744 and 1764 respectively; in 1806 they lost their independence and their lands formed part of...
) at her family's Duino
Duino
Duino is a town at the Adriatic coast in the municipality of Duino-Aurisina, part of the region of Friuli – Venezia Giulia in the province of Trieste, north-eastern Italy....
castle. Rilke later dedicated his only novel The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge
The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge
The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge was Rainer Maria Rilke's only novel. It was written while Rilke lived in Paris, and was published in 1910. The novel is semi-autobiographical, and is written in an expressionistic style...
to the princess, who was his patroness. Marie's relation to Regensburg's Thurn and Taxis is rather distant, however; she was married to Alexander Thurn and Taxis
Czech Branch of the House of Thurn und Taxis
The Czech branch of the Princely House of Thurn and Taxis is a dynastic branch of a German family that was a key player in the postal services in Europe in the 16th century and is well known as owners of breweries and builders of countless castles.-History:...
, a member of the family's branch
Czech Branch of the House of Thurn und Taxis
The Czech branch of the Princely House of Thurn and Taxis is a dynastic branch of a German family that was a key player in the postal services in Europe in the 16th century and is well known as owners of breweries and builders of countless castles.-History:...
that in the early 19th century settled in Bohemia (now Czech Republic) and became strongly connected to Czech national culture and history.
Several members of the family have been Knights of Malta.
The current head of the house of Thurn and Taxis is HSH Albert II, 12th Prince of Thurn and Taxis
Albert II, Prince of Thurn and Taxis
Albert Maria Lamoral Miguel Johannes Gabriel, 12th Prince of Thurn and Taxis is a German prince and socialite. He has been listed as the world's youngest billionaire many times since his father's death in 1990. He first appeared on the list when he was age eight...
, son of Johannes
Johannes, Prince of Thurn and Taxis
Johannes, Prince of Thurn and Taxis was a German businessman and the head of the immensely wealthy, aristocratic Thurn und Taxis family from 1982 until his death.-Early life:...
and his wife, Gloria
Gloria, Princess of Thurn and Taxis
Gloria, Princess of Thurn and Taxis is a princess, by marriage, of the German Thurn und Taxis House.-Biography:Gloria was born on 23 February 1960, the daughter of Joachim, Count...
. The family is one of the wealthiest in Germany. The family has resided in St. Emmeram Castle in Regensburg
Regensburg
Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
since 1748. The family's brewery was sold to the Paulaner Group (Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
) in 1996, but still produces beer under the brand of Thurn und Taxis.
Postal service
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Ruggiano de Tassis founded a postal service in Italy. And later in Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
, on 11 December 1489, Jeannetto de Tassis was appointed Chief Master of Postal Services. The family held its exclusive position for centuries. On 12 November 1516 the Taxis family had a postal service based in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
— where the eponym
Eponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
ous extensive warehouse and railway goods yard complex is currently under development as a cultural centre — reaching to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and 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 courier.
The Thurn und Taxis company would last until the 18th century, when the postal service was finally bought by the heir to the Spanish throne.
Princes of Thurn and Taxis
- Eugen Alexander FranzEugen Alexander Franz, 1st Prince of Thurn and TaxisEugen Alexander Franz, Prince of Thurn and Taxis, full German name: Eugen Alexander Franz Fürst von Thurn und Taxis was the first Prince of Thurn and Taxis, Postmaster General of the Imperial Reichspost, and Head of the House of...
(1695–1714) - Anselm FranzAnselm Franz, 2nd Prince of Thurn and Taxis-Titles and styles:*1681–1695: His Serene Highness The Hereditary Count of Thurn and Taxis*1695 – 21 February 1714: His Serene Highness The Hereditary Prince of Thurn and Taxis...
(1714–1739) - Alexander FerdinandAlexander Ferdinand, 3rd Prince of Thurn and Taxis-Titles and styles:*21 March 1704 – 8 November 1739: His Serene Highness The Hereditary Prince of Thurn and Taxis*8 November 1739 – 17 March 1773: His Serene Highness The Prince of Thurn and Taxis-Honours:...
(1739–1773) - Karl AnselmKarl Anselm, 4th Prince of Thurn and Taxis-Titles and styles:*2 June 1733 – 8 November 1739: His Serene Highness Prince Karl Anselm of Thurn and Taxis*8 November 1739 – 17 March 1773: His Serene Highness The Hereditary Prince of Thurn and Taxis...
(1773–1805) - Karl AlexanderKarl Alexander, 5th Prince of Thurn and Taxis-Titles and styles:*22 February 1770 – 17 March 1773: His Serene Highness Prince Karl Alexander of Thurn and Taxis*17 March 1773 – 13 November 1805: His Serene Highness The Hereditary Prince of Thurn and Taxis...
(1805–1827) - Maximilian KarlMaximilian Karl, 6th Prince of Thurn and Taxis-Titles and styles:*3 November 1802 – 13 November 1805: His Serene Highness Prince Maximilian Karl of Thurn and Taxis*13 November 1805 – 15 July 1827: His Serene Highness The Hereditary Prince of Thurn and Taxis...
(1827–1871) - Maximilian MariaMaximilian Maria, 7th Prince of Thurn and Taxis-Titles and styles:*24 June 1862 – 26 June 1867: His Serene Highness Prince Maximilian Maria of Thurn and Taxis*26 June 1867 – 10 November 1870: His Serene Highness The Hereditary Prince of Thurn and Taxis...
(1871–1885) - Albert I (1885–1952)
- Franz JosephFranz Joseph, 9th Prince of Thurn and TaxisFranz Joseph Maximilian Maria Antonius Ignatius Lamoral, Prince of Thurn and Taxis, full German name: Franz Josef Maximilian Maria Antonius Ignatius Lamoral Fürst von Thurn und Taxis was the ninth Prince of Thurn and Taxis and Head of the Princely House of Thurn and Taxis from 22...
(1952–1971) - Karl AugustKarl August, 10th Prince of Thurn and TaxisKarl August Joseph Maria Maximilian Lamoral Antonius Ignatius Benediktus Valentin, Prince of Thurn and Taxis, full German name: Karl August Joseph Maria Maximilian Lamoral Antonius Ignatius Benediktus Valentin Fürst von Thurn und Taxis was the tenth Prince of...
(1971–1982) - Johannes (1982–1990)
- Albert II (1990-)
The Thurn and Taxis family came to massive media attention during the late-1970s through mid-1980s when late Prince Johannes married Countess Mariae Gloria of Schönburg-Glauchau
Gloria, Princess of Thurn and Taxis
Gloria, Princess of Thurn and Taxis is a princess, by marriage, of the German Thurn und Taxis House.-Biography:Gloria was born on 23 February 1960, the daughter of Joachim, Count...
, a member of an impoverished noble family. The couple's wild, "jet set" lifestyle and Princess Gloria's over-the-top appearance (characterized by bright hair color and flashy clothes) earned her the nickname Princess TNT.
Cultural references to Thurn and Taxis
- The mail monopoly of Thurn and Taxis is central to the plot of The Crying of Lot 49The Crying of Lot 49The Crying of Lot 49 is a novel by Thomas Pynchon, first published in 1966. The shortest of Pynchon's novels, it is about a woman, Oedipa Maas, possibly unearthing the centuries-old conflict between two mail distribution companies, Thurn und Taxis and the Trystero...
by Thomas PynchonThomas PynchonThomas Ruggles Pynchon, Jr. is an American novelist. For his most praised novel, Gravity's Rainbow, Pynchon received the National Book Award, and is regularly cited as a contender for the Nobel Prize in Literature...
, which deals with a secret rival mail system , developed by the fictional Trystero family. - The board game Thurn and TaxisThurn and Taxis (board game)Thurn and Taxis is a board game designed by Karen and Andreas Seyfarth and published in 2006 by Hans im Glück in German and by Rio Grande Games in English. In the game, players seek to build postal networks and post offices in Bavaria and surrounding areas, as did the house of Thurn und Taxis in...
, by Andreas SeyfarthAndreas SeyfarthAndreas Seyfarth is a German-style board game designer, who is most famous for creating Puerto Rico, which is rated #2 on BoardGameGeek. In 2002, the game was awarded first place for the prestigious Deutscher Spiele Preis...
and Karen Seyfarth, is inspired by the family. - The protagonist of Walter Jon WilliamsWalter Jon WilliamsWalter Jon Williams is an American writer, primarily of science fiction.Several of Williams' novels have a distinct cyberpunk feel to them, notably Hardwired , Voice of the Whirlwind and Angel Stationn...
's Elegy for Angels and Dogs is the head of the Thurn und Taxis family. - Thurn und Taxis are also mentioned in several volumes of the 163x series1632 seriesThe 1632 series, also known as the 1632-verse or Ring of Fire series, is an alternate history book series and sub-series created, primarily co-written, and coordinated by Eric Flint and published by Baen Books...
by Eric FlintEric FlintEric Flint is an American author, editor, and e-publisher. The majority of his main works are alternate history science fiction, but he also writes humorous fantasy adventures.- Career :...
and others, e.g. 1635: The Dreeson Incident1635: The Dreeson Incident1635: The Dreeson Incident is a novel in the alternate history 1632 series, written by Virginia DeMarce and Eric Flint, as a sequel to Flint's novella 1634: The Bavarian Crisis.-Plot summary:...
and 1636: The Saxon Uprising1636: The Saxon Uprising1636: The Saxon Uprising is a novel by Eric Flint in the 1632 series. It is a direct continuation of 1635: The Eastern Front.-Plot summary:...
.
See also
- House of Thurn and Taxis line of successionHouse of Thurn and Taxis line of successionThe House of Thurn and Taxis exists through several extant lines descending from Alexander Ferdinand, 3rd Prince of Thurn and Taxis. The Law of Succession is agnatic primogeniture, only allowing males to succeed to the princely title...
- Order of Parfaite AmitiéOrder of Parfaite AmitiéThe Order of Parfaite Amitié is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry in the Princely House of Thurn and Taxis.-History:...
- Thurn-und-Taxis-PostThurn-und-Taxis-PostThe Thurn-und-Taxis-Post was a private company and the successor to the Imperial Reichspost of the Holy Roman Empire. The Thurn-und-Taxis-Post was operated by the Princely House of Thurn and Taxis between 1806 and 1867...
- Czech branch of the House of Thurn and Taxis
- Dukes of Castel DuinoDuke of Castel DuinoThe Dukes of Castel Duino are a noble family in Italy descending from the Bohemian line of the Princely House of Thurn and Taxis. The title was created along with the additional title of Prince della Torre e Tasso in 1923 for Prince Alexander of Thurn and Taxis following his naturalisation in...
, an Italian branch of the Thurn und Taxis Family