Clary-Aldringen
Encyclopedia
The House of Clary-und-Aldringen or Clary-Aldringen is one of the most prominent Austro-Hungarian princely family of Bohemian noble origin
.
princes of Clary-und-Aldringen are descending from two noble families of the Holy Roman Empire
. On the one hand, the von Clarys, lord
s of Riva del Garda
, are Upper-Italian nobles who enter the Bohemian nobility
in the 14th century. On the other hand, the von Aldringens is a catholic
noble family from the Spanish Netherlands who sided with the Habsburgs during the Reformation
and the subsequent religious wars. In 1622, countess Anna Maria von Aldringen, sister and heir of Thirty Years War's Austrian general Reichsgraf Johann von Aldringen, married count Hieronymus von Clary, son of Bohemian lord Franz von Clary. Their descendants were allowed by imperial decree to adopt the name and arms of both families. Ever since, they are named Clary-und-Aldringen (or Clary-Aldringen).
and the Kingdom of Bohemia
.
The rise of the family started when Franz von Clary left his ancestral lands in Trentino to settle in the Kingdom of Bohemia
where his family was known since the 14th century. In 1623, Clary bought properties in the Ústí nad Labem
region. But it is the inheritance of Johann von Aldringen's estates through Franz's son's wife, Anna Maria von Aldringen, that has made the Clary-Aldringens one of the most influential and wealthy Bohemian
noble family. Indeed, in 1634 Johann had received from Emperor Ferdinand II
the ownership of the lands in and around the wealthy city of Teplitz (Teplice
) only to die the same year without any heir but his sister Anna Maria. The inheritance was disputed but Emperor Ferdinand II
recognized the Clary-Aldringens as legitimate heirs of Teplice, making them the most powerful nobles of the Sudetes. Consequently, the rise of the family speeded up and, in 1666, the Clary-Aldringens are raised to the rank of Count of the Holy Roman Empire by Emperor Joseph I
. Soon after, they bought huge estates in Tyrol
, eventually taking the lead of the Lander
's Estates in 1693.
In 1767, imperial Treasurer and Emperor Joseph II
's private council member Reichsgraf Wenzel von Clary und Aldringen, is raised to princely rank and the Clary-Aldringens are mediatized. Members of the family became hereditary members of the Austrian Reichsrat
(or Imperial Council). From that date, the princely title (Prince
/Fürst von Clary und Aldringen) is borne by the head of the family (styled Durchlaucht (Serene Highness)) while junior members bear the title of Counts/Graf or Cooutess/Grafin von Clary und Aldringen (styled Erlaucht (Illustrious Highness)).
During the Napoleonic Wars
, the family's Teplitz
castle
was the headquarters of the Sixth Coalition
against Napoleon, uniting Austria, Prussia
and Russia. There was first signed the triple alliance against Napoleon I of France
that led to the coalition victory at the nearby Battle of Kulm
and eventually instated the Holy Alliance
officially signed in Paris on September 26, 1815. During the rest of the century
, the family hosted Royals
several times at their Teplitz castle: in 1835, they received King Frederick William III of Prussia
, Emperor Nicolas I of Russia and Empereur Franz I of Austria; in 1849, they received Emperor Franz-Joseph
and Kings Frederick William IV of Prussia
and Frederick-August II of Saxony; in 1860 they received the Emperor
and the prince-Regent William of Prussia. During the late 19th century, the princely family kept a great influence within Austro-Hungarian elites
(the 100 Hoher Adle Familien) and thus played an important role in politics
and diplomacy
as illustrated by prominent Austro-Hungarian diplomat
Prince Siegfried
(1848–1929) and his brother prominent Austrian statesman Count Manfred
(1852–1928).
confiscated their Bohemia
n ancestral estates, the family has lived in Germany
and Italy
.
Since March 2007, the head of the family is Prince Hieronymus von Clary und Aldringen (born in 1944).
The main residences of the princely family are:
Dubí
's St-Mary's Church was built on the order of the Clary-Aldringens between 1898 and 1906 as a copy of the Venice
church Santa Maria dell'Orto to become their new family Church.
, Glam Gallas, Mensdorff-Pouilly
, Ficquelmont, Pejácsevich, Baillet-Latour, Kinský
, Stromberg
, Donnersmarck etc.
Bohemian nobility
Bohemian or Czech nobility refers to the noble families of the Czech state , also known as "Bohemian Crown", "The Lands of the Bohemian Crown" or "The Lands of the Crown of Saint Wenceslaus".Aristocracy was abolished by law in December 1918 at the occasion of birth of the independent...
.
Origin
The BohemianKingdom of Bohemia
The Kingdom of Bohemia was a country located in the region of Bohemia in Central Europe, most of whose territory is currently located in the modern-day Czech Republic. The King was Elector of Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution in 1806, whereupon it became part of the Austrian Empire, and...
princes of Clary-und-Aldringen are descending from two noble families 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...
. On the one hand, the von Clarys, 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'...
s of Riva del Garda
Riva del Garda
Riva del Garda is a town and comune in the northern Italian province of Trentino. It is also known simply as Riva. The estimated population is 15,151.- History :...
, are Upper-Italian nobles who enter the Bohemian nobility
Bohemian nobility
Bohemian or Czech nobility refers to the noble families of the Czech state , also known as "Bohemian Crown", "The Lands of the Bohemian Crown" or "The Lands of the Crown of Saint Wenceslaus".Aristocracy was abolished by law in December 1918 at the occasion of birth of the independent...
in the 14th century. On the other hand, the von Aldringens is a catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
noble family from the Spanish Netherlands who sided with the Habsburgs during the Reformation
Reformation
- Movements :* Protestant Reformation, an attempt by Martin Luther to reform the Roman Catholic Church that resulted in a schism, and grew into a wider movement...
and the subsequent religious wars. In 1622, countess Anna Maria von Aldringen, sister and heir of Thirty Years War's Austrian general Reichsgraf Johann von Aldringen, married count Hieronymus von Clary, son of Bohemian lord Franz von Clary. Their descendants were allowed by imperial decree to adopt the name and arms of both families. Ever since, they are named Clary-und-Aldringen (or Clary-Aldringen).
In the Austrian Empire
The princes von Clary-Aldringen have been one of the most prominent family of the Austrian EmpireAustrian 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...
and the Kingdom of Bohemia
Kingdom of Bohemia
The Kingdom of Bohemia was a country located in the region of Bohemia in Central Europe, most of whose territory is currently located in the modern-day Czech Republic. The King was Elector of Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution in 1806, whereupon it became part of the Austrian Empire, and...
.
The rise of the family started when Franz von Clary left his ancestral lands in Trentino to settle in the Kingdom of Bohemia
Kingdom of Bohemia
The Kingdom of Bohemia was a country located in the region of Bohemia in Central Europe, most of whose territory is currently located in the modern-day Czech Republic. The King was Elector of Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution in 1806, whereupon it became part of the Austrian Empire, and...
where his family was known since the 14th century. In 1623, Clary bought properties in the Ústí nad Labem
Ústí nad Labem
Ústí nad Labem is a city of the Czech Republic, in the Ústí nad Labem Region. The city is the 7th-most populous in the country.Ústí is situated in a mountainous district at the confluence of the Bílina and the Elbe Rivers, and, besides being an active river port, is an important railway junction...
region. But it is the inheritance of Johann von Aldringen's estates through Franz's son's wife, Anna Maria von Aldringen, that has made the Clary-Aldringens one of the most influential and wealthy Bohemian
Bohemian
A Bohemian is a resident of the former Kingdom of Bohemia, either in a narrow sense as the region of Bohemia proper or in a wider meaning as the whole country, now known as the Czech Republic. The word "Bohemian" was used to denote the Czech people as well as the Czech language before the word...
noble family. Indeed, in 1634 Johann had received from Emperor Ferdinand II
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II , a member of the House of Habsburg, was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Bohemia , and King of Hungary . His rule coincided with the Thirty Years' War.- Life :...
the ownership of the lands in and around the wealthy city of Teplitz (Teplice
Teplice
Teplice , Teplice-Šanov until 1948 is a town in the Czech Republic, the capital of the Teplice District in the Ústí nad Labem Region. It is the state's second largest spa town ....
) only to die the same year without any heir but his sister Anna Maria. The inheritance was disputed but Emperor Ferdinand II
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II , a member of the House of Habsburg, was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Bohemia , and King of Hungary . His rule coincided with the Thirty Years' War.- Life :...
recognized the Clary-Aldringens as legitimate heirs of Teplice, making them the most powerful nobles of the Sudetes. Consequently, the rise of the family speeded up and, in 1666, the Clary-Aldringens are raised to the rank of Count of the Holy Roman Empire by Emperor Joseph I
Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor
Joseph I , Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, King of Hungary, King of the Romans was the elder son of Emperor Leopold I and his third wife, Eleonor Magdalene of Neuburg....
. Soon after, they bought huge estates in Tyrol
County of Tyrol
The County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
, eventually taking the lead of the Lander
Lander
- Science :* Lander , type of spacecraft which descends to the surface of an astronomical body* Lander , lunar crater* Benthic lander, oceanographic measuring platform which sits on the seabed or benthic zone-Lander:...
's Estates in 1693.
In 1767, imperial Treasurer and Emperor Joseph II
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
Joseph II was Holy Roman Emperor from 1765 to 1790 and ruler of the Habsburg lands from 1780 to 1790. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Francis I...
's private council member Reichsgraf Wenzel von Clary und Aldringen, is raised to princely rank and the Clary-Aldringens are mediatized. Members of the family became hereditary members of the Austrian Reichsrat
Reichsrat
There was a Reichsrat * Reichsrat * Reichsrat , in the Austrian part of Austria-Hungary * Reichsrat -See also:...
(or Imperial Council). From that date, the princely title (Prince
Prince
Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
/Fürst von Clary und Aldringen) is borne by the head of the family (styled Durchlaucht (Serene Highness)) while junior members bear the title of Counts/Graf or Cooutess/Grafin von Clary und Aldringen (styled Erlaucht (Illustrious Highness)).
During the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, the family's Teplitz
Teplice
Teplice , Teplice-Šanov until 1948 is a town in the Czech Republic, the capital of the Teplice District in the Ústí nad Labem Region. It is the state's second largest spa town ....
castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
was the headquarters of the Sixth Coalition
War of the Sixth Coalition
In the War of the Sixth Coalition , a coalition of Austria, Prussia, Russia, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Sweden, Spain and a number of German States finally defeated France and drove Napoleon Bonaparte into exile on Elba. After Napoleon's disastrous invasion of Russia, the continental powers...
against Napoleon, uniting Austria, 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...
and Russia. There was first signed the triple alliance against Napoleon I of France
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
that led to the coalition victory at the nearby Battle of Kulm
Battle of Kulm
The Battle of Kulm was a battle near the town Kulm and the village Přestanov in northern Bohemia. It was fought on 29–30 August 1813, during the War of the Sixth Coalition...
and eventually instated the Holy Alliance
Holy Alliance
The Holy Alliance was a coalition of Russia, Austria and Prussia created in 1815 at the behest of Czar Alexander I of Russia, signed by the three powers in Paris on September 26, 1815, in the Congress of Vienna after the defeat of Napoleon.Ostensibly it was to instill the Christian values of...
officially signed in Paris on September 26, 1815. During the rest of the century
19th century
The 19th century was a period in history marked by the collapse of the Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Holy Roman and Mughal empires...
, the family hosted Royals
Royals
Royals can refer to:* A royal family* Reading Football Club, a football team currently playing in the Football League Championship* Rajasthan Royals, an Indian Premier League franchise* Kansas City Royals, a Major League Baseball team...
several times at their Teplitz castle: in 1835, they received King Frederick William III of Prussia
Frederick William III of Prussia
Frederick William III was king of Prussia from 1797 to 1840. He was in personal union the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel .-Early life:...
, Emperor Nicolas I of Russia and Empereur Franz I of Austria; in 1849, they received Emperor Franz-Joseph
Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I was Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, King of Croatia, Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Galicia and Lodomeria and Grand Duke of Cracow from 1848 until his death in 1916.In the December of 1848, Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria abdicated the throne as part of...
and Kings Frederick William IV of Prussia
Frederick William IV of Prussia
|align=right|Upon his accession, he toned down the reactionary policies enacted by his father, easing press censorship and promising to enact a constitution at some point, but he refused to enact a popular legislative assembly, preferring to work with the aristocracy through "united committees" of...
and Frederick-August II of Saxony; in 1860 they received the Emperor
Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I was Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, King of Croatia, Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Galicia and Lodomeria and Grand Duke of Cracow from 1848 until his death in 1916.In the December of 1848, Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria abdicated the throne as part of...
and the prince-Regent William of Prussia. During the late 19th century, the princely family kept a great influence within Austro-Hungarian elites
Austrian nobility
Historically, the Austrian nobility was a privileged social class in Austria. The nobility was officially abolished in 1919 after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Former noble families and their descendants are still a part of Austrian society today, but they no longer retain any specific...
(the 100 Hoher Adle Familien) and thus played an important role in politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
and diplomacy
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
as illustrated by prominent Austro-Hungarian diplomat
Austro-Hungarian ambassadors
This is a list of diplomatic missions of Austria-Hungary from the formation of the Dual Monarchy in 1867 until it was dissolved in 1918.For a background to the diplomatic service of Austria-Hungary, including the types of diplomatic representation, see Austro-Hungarian Foreign Service.- France :A...
Prince Siegfried
Prince Siegfried von Clary-Aldringen
Siegfried Graf von Clary und Aldringen was an Austro-Hungarian diplomat during the time before World War I.-Life:...
(1848–1929) and his brother prominent Austrian statesman Count Manfred
Count Manfred von Clary-Aldringen
Count Manfred von Clary-Aldringen was an Austro-Hungarian nobleman and statesman.-Biography:...
(1852–1928).
Nowadays
Since 1945 when the Czechoslovak communist regimeCzechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
confiscated their Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
n ancestral estates, the family has lived in 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 Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Since March 2007, the head of the family is Prince Hieronymus von Clary und Aldringen (born in 1944).
Notable members
- Reichsgraf Johann von Aldringen (1584–1634), commandant of the Austrian army during the Thirty Years War
- Prince Wenzel von Clary und Aldringen, first prince Clary-und-Aldringen
- Princess Elizabeth-Alexandrine von Clary-und-Aldringen, née Countess de Ficquelmont, daughter of Count Charles-Louis and Countess Dorothea de FicquelmontDorothea de FicquelmontCountess Dolly de Ficquelmont, born Countess Dorothea von Tiesenhausen was a Russian writer and salonist...
, née TiesenhausenTiesenhausenTiesenhausen is the name of a Baltic German nobility family. The origins of the family are in Lower Saxony. During the Baltic crusades they settled in Livonia in the first half of the 12th century where they became one of the wealthiest and most important noble lineages between the 14th and 16th... - Prince Siegfried von Clary-AldringenPrince Siegfried von Clary-AldringenSiegfried Graf von Clary und Aldringen was an Austro-Hungarian diplomat during the time before World War I.-Life:...
(1897–1920), prominent Austro-Hungarian ambassadorAustro-Hungarian ambassadorsThis is a list of diplomatic missions of Austria-Hungary from the formation of the Dual Monarchy in 1867 until it was dissolved in 1918.For a background to the diplomatic service of Austria-Hungary, including the types of diplomatic representation, see Austro-Hungarian Foreign Service.- France :A...
; son of the previous one - Count Manfred von Clary-AldringenCount Manfred von Clary-AldringenCount Manfred von Clary-Aldringen was an Austro-Hungarian nobleman and statesman.-Biography:...
(1852–1928), Austro-Hungarian statesman, GovernorGovernorA governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of Austrian Imperial Lander of SilesiaDuchy of SilesiaThe Duchy of Silesia with its capital at Wrocław was a medieval duchy located in the historic Silesian region of Poland. Soon after it was formed under the Piast dynasty in 1138, it fragmented into various Duchies of Silesia. In 1327 the remaining Duchy of Wrocław as well as most other duchies...
and StyriaDuchy of StyriaThe history of Styria concerns the region roughly corresponding to the modern Austrian state of Styria and the Slovene region of Styria from its settlement by Germans and Slavs in the Dark Ages until the present...
, minister-presidentMinister-PresidentA minister-president is the head of government in a number of European countries or subnational governments, in which a parliamentary or semi-presidential system of government prevails, who presides over the council of ministers...
of the Austrian part of EmpireCisleithaniaCisleithania was a name of the Austrian part of Austria-Hungary, the Dual Monarchy created in 1867 and dissolved in 1918. The name was used by politicians and bureaucrats, but it had no official status...
(1889); and brother of the previous one
Residences
- Palais Mollard-ClaryPalais Mollard-ClaryPalais Mollard-Clary is a Baroque palace in Vienna, Austria. It is located in the first district Innere Stadt, at Herrengasse 9.It was built from 1686 to 1689 for Count Mollard . In 1760, it was bought by Count Franz Wenzel von Clary-Aldringen. Emperor Joseph II held his famous "round tables" here...
in Vienna - TepliceTepliceTeplice , Teplice-Šanov until 1948 is a town in the Czech Republic, the capital of the Teplice District in the Ústí nad Labem Region. It is the state's second largest spa town ....
castle - Herrnau castle in SalzburgSalzburg-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
Dubí
Dubí
Dubí is a town in the Ústí nad Labem Region, in the Czech Republic, near Teplice in the Ore Mountains, with 7,792 residents. It is an important transit point to Germany on European route E55, and the border crossing Cínovec is located within the town limits. There is a spa with mineral waters and...
's St-Mary's Church was built on the order of the Clary-Aldringens between 1898 and 1906 as a copy of the Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
church Santa Maria dell'Orto to become their new family Church.
Marriages
The Clary-und-Aldringens are tied with the RadziwillRadziwill
The Radziwiłł family is an noble family of Lithuanian origin. The descendants of Kristinas Astikas, a close associate of the 14th century Lithuanian ruler Vytautas, were highly prominent for centuries, first in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, later in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the...
, Glam Gallas, Mensdorff-Pouilly
Mensdorff-Pouilly
Mensdorff-Pouilly is a noble family originally from Lorraine. It derives its name from the barony of Pouilly at Stenay in Meuse.In 1790, during the French Revolution, Albert Louis de Pouilly emigrated with his family...
, Ficquelmont, Pejácsevich, Baillet-Latour, Kinský
Kinsky
The Kinsky family of the Counts and later Princes was one of the oldest and most illustrious families originating from Bohemia...
, Stromberg
Stromberg
-People:*Lyndon Stromberg, American sculptor and designer*Karl Stromberg, the villain in the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me*Joseph R. Stromberg, historian with the Ludwig von Mises Institute*Glenn Strömberg, Swedish soccer player...
, Donnersmarck etc.