Harrach

Coat of arms

The Harrach family^[1] is a Bohemian and Austro-German noble family. The Grafs (Counts) of Harrach were among the most prominent families in the Habsburg Empire.

History

Castle Rohrau, Austria

The two main family branches come from two of Charles Harrach's sons — Rohrau, Austria (until 1886) and Jilemnice in Bohemia. Two branches were founded by Frederick August's grandsons — Ernest Christopher Joseph (d. 1838) and Ferdinand Joseph (d. 1841)^[2]

• 1195 — first mentions of family in Ranshofen monastery.
• 14th century — owned lands in Austria, Carinthia and Styria
• 1524 — Leonhard purchased castle Rohrau.
• 4 January 1552 — Leonhard von Harrach received the title of Imperial Baron from Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.
• 6 November 1627 — Karl von Harrach, his grandson received the title of Imperial Count from Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor.
• 1701 — Ferdinand Bonaventura I purchased Jilemnice.
• 1708 — Aloys Thomas Raimund married Cecilia von Thannhausen and attached her surname to family name.

Manors

Prugg castle in Bruck an der Leitha

Hrádek u Nechanic castle

The family has owned the following properties:

• Rohrau Castle, Rohrau, Austria, formerly seat of the elder branch; with notable private collection of paintings known as Graf Harrach’sche Familiensammlung^[3] (from 1870-1970 kept in Palais Harrach). Rohrau has meanwhile been inherited by the counts of Waldburg-Zeil.
• Prugg Castle in Bruck an der Leitha, until today seat of the younger branch
• Palais Harrach (Palais Harrach an der Freyung), Vienna (sold to city in 1975)
• Palais Harrach in der Ungargasse, Vienna
• Hrádek u Nechanic palace
• Náměšť na Hané palace
• Harrachov (Harrachsdorf) — town in Czech Republic with family's glass manufactory (since 1712), well known as Harrachglas. brand^[4]
• Krzeczyn Mały
• Kunín
• Konárovice
• Lodín
• Strkov

Members

Aloys Thomas Raimund Graf Harrach (1669–1742), viceroy of Naples

Auguste von Harrach, princess of Liegnitz (1800–1873), second wife of king Frederick William III of Prussia

Many of its members bear the title 'Graf' (count/earl) or 'Gräfin' (countess). Members of the family are, among others:

• Przibislaus Harrach (d. 1289) — founder of the family
• Leonhard (d. 1590)
• Karl von Harrach (1570–1628) — his grandson, Imperial envoy to German sovereigns' courts, Ferdinand II's favourite. His children:
  • Ernst Adalbert von Harrach (1598–1667), Archbishop of Prague and Cardinal Bishop of Trento.
  • Leonhard (d. 1645), founder of the Rohrau line, the Superior Marshall at the Emperor Ferdinand III Habsburg's court.
  • Otto Frederick (d. 1639) founder of the Jilemnice line, soldier and diplomat, brother-in-law of Albrecht Wallenstein. His son:
    • Ferdinand Bonaventura I Graf Harrach (1637–1706), ambassador in Spain before War of the Spanish Succession. His children:
      • Franz Anton Graf von Harrach (1665–1727) — Bishop of the Archdiocese of Vienna and Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Salzburg
      • Aloys Thomas Raimund Graf Harrach (1669–1742), viceroy of Naples. His children:
        • John Ernest Emmanuel (d. 1739) the Bishop of Nitra
        • Ferdinand Bonaventure II (1708–1778) Governor of Milan
        • Friedrich August von Harrach-Rohrau (1696–1749), interim governor of the Austrian Netherlands. His grandsons:
          • Ernest Christopher Joseph (d. 1838)
          • Ferdinand Joseph (d. 1841). His children:
            • Auguste von Harrach (1800–1873) — second wife to king Frederick William III of Prussia
            • Karl Philip (d. 1878). His son:
              • Ferdinand (1832–1915) — painter.
• Johann Philipp Graf Harrach (1678–1764), Austrian field marshal
• Ernst Guido (1732–1783)
• Maria Josefa von Harrach (1727–1788), princesse of Liechtenstein, wife of Johann Nepomuk Karl, Prince of Liechtenstein
• Karl Borromäus von Harrach (1761–1829) — honorary Chief Physician at the Elisabethine Hospital in Vienna.
• Johann Nepomuk von Harrach (1828–1909) — Czech politician
• Lieutenant Colonel Count Franz von Harrach (1870–1934), Franz Ferdinand's bodyguard when he was assassinated in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914.
• Countess Stephanie Harrach, Johann Harrach's (d. 1945) widow, current member of family
• Beppo Harrach, modern rally pilot, count Ernst Harrach's son

• 

  Jilemnice Castle, Czek Republic

• 

  Hrádek u Nechanic palace, Czek Republic

• 

  Palais Harrach, Prague

• 

  Palais Harrach, Vienna

See also

• List of counts of Austria-Hungary
• Mediatized houses

Notes

1. Possibly from Czech word hrách ("pea"). First known member of the family owned definitely Slavonic name Przibislaus. Indirect evidence of pea's theory — Harrach's coat of arms with an element described in heraldry as "golden ball".
2. Silesian gentry and aristocracy
3. The Collection Of Count Von Harrach
4. A Brief Introduction to Harrach Glass

References

• Reichenberger, Arnold G., The Counts Harrach and the Spanish Theater

External links

• Rohrau Castle - Official site
• Count Harrach Collection at liechtensteinmuseum.at
• Pedigree list