Waldstein family
Encyclopedia
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
– Valdštejn) is a 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 noble family. It acquired large properties in Bohemia and Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
and (especially during the 16th century) produced many statesmen and civil servants. In 1628 the family was one of the first among the Bohemian nobility to be promoted to graf
Graf
Graf is a historical German noble title equal in rank to a count or a British earl...
status, then to Reichsgraf two years later. After uniting with the line of the lords of Wartenberg, the family title today is "Reichsgrafen von Waldstein, Herren von Wartenberg". Its most famous members include Albrecht von Wallenstein
Albrecht von Wallenstein
Albrecht Wenzel Eusebius von Wallenstein , actually von Waldstein, was a Bohemian soldier and politician, who offered his services, and an army of 30,000 to 100,000 men during the Danish period of the Thirty Years' War , to the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II...
, who was both duke of Friedland
Duchy of Friedland
Duchy of Friedland was a de-facto sovereign duchy in Bohemia. It was created in 1627 and disappeared in 1634, after death of the ruler, Albrecht von Wallenstein...
and Mecklenburg and 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...
(prince) of Sagan
Zagan
Zagan may refer to:*Zagan - a demon in the Ars Goetia*Żagań - a town in west Poland...
, and Count Ferdinand Ernst Gabriel von Waldstein
Count Ferdinand Ernst Gabriel von Waldstein
Count Ferdinand Ernst Gabriel von Waldstein was a German nobleman and patron of the arts. A member of the Waldstein family and an early patron of Beethoven, his political and military roles included Geheimrat in Bonn, lieutenant-general in the British army, and Komtur in the Teutonic...
, the patron of Beethoven. Valdštejn Castle was the main family property.
Notable family members
- Albrecht von WallensteinAlbrecht von WallensteinAlbrecht Wenzel Eusebius von Wallenstein , actually von Waldstein, was a Bohemian soldier and politician, who offered his services, and an army of 30,000 to 100,000 men during the Danish period of the Thirty Years' War , to the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II...
(24 September 1583 – 25 February 1634) was Duke of FriedlandDuchy of FriedlandDuchy of Friedland was a de-facto sovereign duchy in Bohemia. It was created in 1627 and disappeared in 1634, after death of the ruler, Albrecht von Wallenstein...
, Mecklenburg and 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...
(prince) of SaganZaganZagan may refer to:*Zagan - a demon in the Ars Goetia*Żagań - a town in west Poland... - Johann (Jan) (died 15 June 1576) was supreme Landrichter (judge) in Bohemia from 1554 to 1570 (and, until 1576, in the upper Kämmerer). He was a follower of the utraquististUtraquismUtraquism was a Christian dogma first proposed by Jacob of Mies in 1414. It maintained that the Eucharist should be administered "in both kinds" — as both bread and wine — to all the congregation, including the laity...
faith. - His son, Burggraf Adam the Younger von Waldstein auf Komorní Hrádek, Sasau, Lobositz, Dobrowitz, RožďaloviceRožďaloviceRožďalovice is a town and municipality in Nymburk District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. - Gallery :...
and TrebitschTrebitschTrebitsch:* German name of Třebíč** * Trebitsch , a German name of a quarter in Polkowice * German name of Trzebicz, a village in Drezdenko community in Poland- Family name :* Rabbi Abraham Trebitsch...
(8 June 1570 – 24 August 1638), was appointed supreme Landrichter in 1611 and was Obersthofmeister in the years 1611–1619. He was a faithful supporter of the Holy Roman EmperorHoly Roman EmperorThe Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
and for these services he was granted more lands and posts in 1621. In 1628 he was appointed Reichsgraf and from 1627 to 1638 was the highest Markgraf. He received these distinctions with mixed feelings – as a Bohemian šlechtic or nobleman, he represented the old Bohemian Königsrechte, which only had the ranks of Herr and Ritter. With the support of other Bohemian noblemen, he brought about the abandonment of the policy of appointing more and more Reichsgrafen. He also wished to be allowed to die as a Bohemian pán (lord). - Burian Ladislaus (Burian Guedstein) (1591 – 8 October 1645, Prague) was a general.
- Karl Ernst (Karel Arnošt) (4 May 1661, ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
– 7 January 1713, Vienna) was the Austrian ambassador to Spain, SavoySavoySavoy is a region of France. It comprises roughly the territory of the Western Alps situated between Lake Geneva in the north and Monaco and the Mediterranean coast in the south....
and BrandenburgBrandenburgBrandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
. When in 1703 he returned from a diplomatic mission to France and Portugal on a Portuguese ship, he was captured by the French and held at VincennesVincennesVincennes is a commune in the Val-de-Marne department in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe.-History:...
for nearly a year. His release came as a prisoner exchangePrisoner exchangeA prisoner exchange or prisoner swap is a deal between opposing sides in a conflict to release prisoners. These may be prisoners of war, spies, hostages, etc...
for the French marshal François de Neufville, duc de Villeroy. - Franz de Paula Adam Norbert Wenzel Ludwig Valentin von WaldsteinFranz de Paula Adam von WaldsteinFranz de Paula Adam Norbert Wenzel Ludwig Valentin von Waldstein was an Austrian soldier, explorer and naturalist....
(14 February 1759 – 24 May 1823) was an Austrian soldier, explorer and naturalist. - Count Ferdinand Ernst Gabriel von WaldsteinCount Ferdinand Ernst Gabriel von WaldsteinCount Ferdinand Ernst Gabriel von Waldstein was a German nobleman and patron of the arts. A member of the Waldstein family and an early patron of Beethoven, his political and military roles included Geheimrat in Bonn, lieutenant-general in the British army, and Komtur in the Teutonic...
was the patron of Beethoven. - Emmanuel Ernst von Waldstein was Bishop of LitoměřiceLitomericeLitoměřice is a town at the junction of the rivers Elbe and Ohře in the north part of the Czech Republic, approximately 64 km northwest of Prague....
. - Dr. Michael Waldstein was the founding president of the International Theological Institute of Trumau, Austria and translator of Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body.