The Austrian nobility is a status group in Austria. The nobility was officially abolished
in 1919 after the fall of Austria-Hungary. The nobles are still part of Austrian society
today, but they no longer retain any specific privileges. Austria's system of nobility was
very similar to Germany's system, as both countries were previously part of the Holy
Roman Empire. Any noble living in the Habsburg-ruled lands,
and who owed their allegiance to the dynasty and therefore to the Emperor, was also considered
part of the Austrian aristocracy. This applied to any member of the Bohemian, Hungarian,
Polish, Croatian, Dalmatian and other nobilities in the Habsburg dominion. Attempting to differentiate
between ethnicities can be quite confusing, especially for nobles during the time of the
Austro-Hungarian monarchy and Holy Roman Empire, not during the time of the Austrian Empire.
A noble from Galicia, for example, could call himself a Polish noble, but he also rightfully
belonged to the Austrian nobility. When speaking of "Austrian nobility", two
categories can be made: 1) the historic nobility that lived in the territories of the Habsburg
empire and who swore allegiance to the dynasty, which included everyone until 1918; 2) the
present, post-1918 Austrian nobility, specifically those who today retain Austrian citizenship,
whose family originally come from Austria proper, South Tyrol and Burgenland, or who
were ennobled at any point under Habsburg rule and identify themselves as belonging
to that status group.
History From 1453 onwards, the Archduke of Austria
had the right to grant nobility to non-nobles, as did the Archbishop of Salzburg, as Salzburg
remained an independent territory. Besides the Holy Roman Emperor from 1438 to 1806 anyway),
only a few territorial rulers within the Empire had this right. In an era of Absolutism, the
nobility residing in the cities slowly turned itself into the court-nobility. Service at
the court became the primary goal of the nobility. This in turn initiated an interest in education
and the interests of the court. Within the court, a close inner circle, called the 100
Familien, possessed enormous riches and lands. They also had great influence at the court
and thus played an important role in politics and diplomacy.
After the end of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the Habsburg rulers, who were Austrian
Emperors from 1804 onwards, continued to elevate individuals to nobility until the end of the
monarchy in 1918. Some of the noble families even obtained the right to be seated in the
Herrenhaus in the Imperial Council of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Nobles from previously
sovereign states such as those in northern Italy also had their noble rights confirmed
and were allowed to keep their titles. Burgenland
On the former status of nobility in Burgenland, which was part of the Kingdom of Hungary until
1921, see Hungarian nobility. Jewish nobility
A few very wealthy Jewish families were ennobled after the 1782 Edict of Tolerance. Because
of the Edict, decreed by Emperor Joseph II, very wealthy Jewish bankers, and later entrepreneurs
and industrialists, could also be ennobled for their services, but with no title or lower-ranking
titles, such as Freiherr or Ritter. The few Jewish families elevated into the aristocracy
were not required to forswear their faith, but most of them converted to Christianity
in order to become more accepted. Although elevation into the nobility meant recognition
for success and civic contributions, and entailed a rise in social status, it did not alter
the fact that Jews were, for the most part, still only being "tolerated". Jews could not
freely choose the place and duration of their stay and had to regularly ask for permission
from the authorities. When the banker and protector of arts Raymund Karl Wetzler von
Plankenstern was created a Reichsfreiherr by Empress Maria Theresia, he converted to
Catholicism while still young. His mansion in Vienna was a center of the fine arts and
he was a close friend of Mozart, as his son Alexander was of Ludwig van Beethoven.
Despite these difficulties, by 1821 there were at least eleven ennobled Jewish families
living in Vienna alone. Some of the very wealthy included the Rothschilds, Arnstein, Eskeles,
Gomperz, Kuffner, Lieben, Auspitz, Schey von Koromla, Todesco, Wertheimstein, and von Wiernes
families. The elevation into the nobility of wealthy Jews also started the process of
assimilation of Jewish families into the Austrian upper class.
Abolition of nobility in 1919
The Adelsaufhebungsgesetz of 1919 abolished nobility as well as all noble privileges,
noble titles and names, but only in Austria. In other Monarchies of Europe the Austrian
noble families can wear their noble titles or even particles such as von and zu in his
or her name and they still have the status of nobility there. For example, the name of
the heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire became simply Karl Habsburg, not Karl
von Habsburg, but in Kingdom of Belgium his real name is Archduke Karl of Austria.
This may sometimes be confusing, as descendants of nobles are sometimes referred to with noble
names abroad. Also, members of noble families often hold multiple citizenships, as was the
case for Otto von Habsburg, who was also a citizen of Germany. The Austrian law does
not apply to artistic, performer or stage names, where von is sometimes used, as in
the case of conductor Herbert von Karajan or the musician Hubert von Goisern. However,
stage names are never recognized for official purposes.
Members of the lower nobility especially found this radical step of abolition degrading and
humiliating, since working towards and finally earning a nobility title was a way for them
and their families to rise within society. Members of the higher nobility were able to
absorb the formal abolition more easily. They lost their titles and privileges, but kept
their social manners, standing and riches. Federal President Michael Hainisch called
the official abolition The law abolishing nobility and titles was
never repealed, even during the period of Austrofascism. Following the Anschluss to
Nazi Germany, this law remained on the books, although it was not enforced, allowing Austrian
nobles to use titles freely again. Although noble titles and the particles von
and zu are not legal any more, some persons are still unofficially referred to by their
titles. For example, Karl Schwarzenberg will occasionally still be referred to as Fürst
zu Schwarzenberg in the media; he holds Czech and Swiss citizenship, not Austrian.
Unlike the nobility in Bohemia, Poland, Russia, or the former Prussian territories, the Austrian
nobility never had its lands and riches confiscated in Austria. Social measures were introduced
by the republican government in order to create more equality amongst the citizens and finance
public projects, which put a strain on the traditional land-holding gentry and aristocracy,
resulting in the forced sale of many palaces and lands due to the expense of their upkeep.
However, there was no measure by the government specifically to target nobility and take away
their possessions. To many Austrians, the abolition of nobility,
its privileges and titles was and still is an important element of a democratic and republican
state, where individuals are treated equally and thus should earn any positions or honours
solely through individual merit. Noble titles have been replaced with an almost obsessive
usage of and fascination with academic titles and titles of office.
Still, the nobility today are sometimes nonetheless treated slightly differently from other citizens.
Austrian nobility still plays a large part in movies made after World War II, and is
still featured regularly in the media and literature. The social events of nobles are
still covered extensively in tabloids. Besides, the law is often broken on occasions when
members of the nobility are addressed at various events: At the annual birthday celebration
of Emperor Franz Joseph in Bad Ischl, for example, members of the former Imperial House
of Habsburg - more precisely the family of the heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian
Empire - are addressed as "Imperial and Royal Highness".
Apart from the prohibition of their titles, most former nobles have fared remarkably well
in modern Austria and still make up some of the richest families, such as the Esterházy,
Mayr-Melnhof and Mautner-Markhof. Many members of the Austrian nobility today work in the
traditional fields of diplomacy, politics, have business and financial interests, or
are philanthropists or socialites. It was estimated that there were about 20,000
Austrian nobles in 2005. That year, an association was founded, the Vereinigung der Edelleute
in Österreich, which sees itself as the successor of the Vereinigung katholischer Edelleute
in Österreich, founded in 1922 but banned under the Nazis in 1938. Until recently, all
of the various attempts at revival were blocked by Austrian authorities.
Noble titles Austria's nobility was divided into two categories,
the higher nobility, and the lower nobility. To the higher nobility belonged the princes
and counts, and to the lower nobility belonged the barons, knights and untitled noble families:
Non-ruling member of the Imperial family Non-ruling members of the imperial family
were given the title of: The wife of the Emperor bore the title of
Empress and was styled Her Imperial Majesty. Archduke/Archduchess and styled Imperial and
Royal Highness. Agnates of the imperial family, who were excluded
from the line of succession, were created dukes and duchesses or princes and princess
and addressed as Highness or Serene Highness. Duke/Duchess
Higher Nobility Titles (English titles with German equivalents)
Prince/Princess Count/Countess 1
^1 For a Countess not being married, the title Komtesse was used, borrowed from the French
language Comtesse. Lower Nobility Titles
(English titles with German equivalents) Baron/Baroness 2
Knight Edler/Edle
^2 In German, a distinction between baronesses exists, a Freifrau being a baroness by marriage
and Freiin being a baroness by birth. The title of knight is equivalent to 'baronet'
i.e. hereditary knight, and Edler means 'noble.' Below is an incomplete list of Austrian noble
families, listed by rank of title. Note that some members of a family were sometimes given
higher titles by the emperor because of merit. Titles, styles, and rights could only be conferred
by the monarch. In some cases, they could even be revoked because of fall from favour.
The Imperial Family Erzherzog/Erzherzogin
of Austria of Austria-Este
Großherzog/Großherzogin of Tuscany
Herzog/Herzogin of Babenberg extinct 1246
of Hohenberg of Modena & Este
of Reichstadt of Teschen
The Nobility Because of the abolition of the prepositions,
many families were forced to reinvent their family names completely. This brought in many
complications. The following list of the non-Habsburg nobles shows the pre-1919 family names or
preposition in brackets, followed by the standard appearance today. Noble families could have
the preposition "von", "zu" or a combination of it. Non-German-speaking nobility, however,
preferred to use "de", such as those in Bohemia, Hungary, and Galicia, as they felt that it
was less Germanic-sounding. Since Austria-Hungary was a multiethnic empire, both versions could
be officially used and were recognised by the government.
Conversely, family names using prepositions like "de" and "de la" could not replace the
preposition with the Germanic "von". For example, the family "Sanchez de la Cerda" originally
came from Spain, therefore the preposition remained as in the original. The same exception
applies to other families such as "Schönburg-de Laserna" and "de la Fontaine und d'Harnoncourt-Unverzagt".
The latter is an interesting combination of French- and German-language prepositions,
which again is a reflection of the colourful multiethnic history of the Austrian Empire.
Often, family names with a predicate were written "von X-Y", even though the correct
form is "X von Y". Fürst/Fürstin
The style of address is Durchlaucht. Also used was Fürstliche Gnaden. The Austrian
princely title was the most prestigious title of the Austrian nobility, forming the higher
nobility alongside the counts; this close inner circle, called the 100 Familien, possessed
enormous riches and lands. They also had great influence at the court and thus played an
important role in politics and diplomacy. Today, the fortunes of the Austrian princely
families remain among the biggest fortunes of the country.
Graf/Gräfin
The style of address is, in most cases, Erlaucht. Also used was Gräfliche Gnaden.
FreiherrFreiin
There was no official style, but "Gnädiger Herr", "Gnädige Frau", or "Gnädiges Fräulein"
were common forms of address. Although strictly speaking the title was "Freiherr", the usage
of "Baron" in written and verbal communication was very common, even if incorrect. The title
"Freiin" was also often replaced for "geborene Baronin", which was strictly speaking also
incorrect since a "Baronin" would have been wed already.
Ritter There was no official style, but "Gnädiger
Herr" was a common form of address. The title was for males only; no female version exists.
Female members of a family with the title Ritter however were often addressed as "Edle
von", which was totally incorrect, unless the family already carried the "Edler" honour
before being raised as into the "Ritter" class.
Edler/Edle The rank of Edler carried no official style,
but "Gnädiger Herr" or "Gnädige Frau" were common forms of address.
Erbsälzer This title belonged to the patricians of the
free city of Werl, in Germany, who had the hereditary right to exploit the nearby salt
mines. Thus this title was not granted in Austria, but merely recognized there.
(von) Lilien (von) Papen
Untitled noble families or status unknown
Marquis Gozeni di S. Giorgio
See also Bohemian nobility
German comital titles Hungarian nobility
Notes
References
Literature Binder-Krieglstein, Reinhard. Österreichisches
Adelsrecht 1868 – 1918/19: von der Ausgestaltung des Adelsrechts der cisleithanischen Reichshälfte
bis zum Adelsaufhebungsgesetz der Republik unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des adeligen
Namensrechts. Frankfurt am Main [u.a.]: Peter Lang. ISBN 978-3-631-34833-8.
Coudenhove-Kalergi, Richard. Adel. Vienna. 1923.
Frank-Döfering, Peter. Adelslexikon des österreichischen Kaisertums 1804–1918. Herder, Vienna 1989.
ISBN 3-210-24925-3. Lieven, Dominic. The aristocracy in Europe:
1815–1914. New York: Columbia Univ. Press. ISBN 0-231-08112-X. .
Siegert, Heinz. Adel in Österreich(in German). Vienna 1971.
Stekl, Hannes. Adel und Bürgertum in der Habsburgermonarchie 18. bis 20. Jahrhundert(in
German). Oldenbourg, Vienna 2004. ISBN 3-486-56846-9 Walterskirchen, Gudula. Blaues Blut für Österreich.
Amalthea, Vienna 2000. ISBN 3-85002-452-0 Walterskirchen, Gudula. Der verborgene Stand.
Adel in Österreich heute. Amalthea, Vienna 2007. ISBN 3-85002-428-8
Der Gotha. Supplement. Der "Österreich-Gotha". Mit Ergänzungswerken zum deutschen Adel.
Saur, Munich 1997. ISBN 3-598-30359-9 External links
Vereinigung der Edelleute in Österreich Homepage of the Association of Austrian Nobles
Österreichisches Familienregister Database of all Austrian noble families
Tiroler Adler Database of all Tyrolean noble families
Stiftung Seeau|Lexikon Adel Online encyclopedia about nobility in Austria
Heraldisch-Genealogische Gesellschaft ADLER Wien Homepage of Heraldic Genealogy Society
EAGLE in Vienna