Althann

The House of Althann (also spelled Althan, Altham or Altheim) is the name of an ancient German noble family that originated from Lower Bavaria, whose members occupied many important political and clerical positions during the Holy Roman Empire. From 1714, they held the position of hereditary Cup-bearers for the Holy Roman Emperor.

v. Althann Coat of Arms

History

They are one of the oldest extant German noble families, going back to at least 1129.^[1] By 1400, they had moved to Austria, where they were created barons, in 1574, and Imperial Counts, in 1610. After Brandenberg-Prussia annexed Silesia in the First Silesian War, a branch of the family joined the Prussian nobility.^[2] In the nineteenth century, they had seats in both the Austrian and Prussian Herrenhauser, or House of Lords.^[3]

A list of notable members and possessions of the family may be found in the corresponding German Wikipedia article.

References

1. Landkreis Dillingen an der Donau (2005). Der Landkreis Dillingen a. d. Donau in Geschichte und Gegenwart: 3. neu bearbeitete Auflage, Dillingen an der Donau. pp. 223–224, 248.
2. von Hefner, Otto Titan (1857). J. Siebmachers's großes Wappenbuch, Band 3, Abt. 1: Der Adel des Königreichs Preußen. p. 1.
3. Chronik der preussischen Herrenhauses. Berlin. 1885. p. 150.

Bibliography

• Wilhelm Hauser, Das Geschlecht derer von Althann. Dissertation: Vienna, 1949.
• Joseph Kögler, Die Chroniken der Grafschaft Glatz. Neu bearbeitet von Dieter Pohl, (Köln, 1992ff): Volume 2: 257–259; Volume 4: 220–225.