von graben family

1. History of the von Graben family
2. Family tree
3. Biographies
4. Coat of arms

Herren von Graben, also named von (dem) Graben, vom Graben,[1] Grabner, Graben von (zum) Stein,[2] and ab dem Graben was the name of an old Austrian noble family.

1 History

Originally from Carniola, an apparent (or illegitimate) branch of the House of Meinhardin,[3][4] the family spread in neighboring countries. The earliest known members of the Graben family, Konrad and his brother Grimoald von Graben, lived around 1170.[5][6][7] During the middle ages family went on to rule some Carinthian, Lower Austrian, Tyrolian, East Tyrols, Styrian, Gorizian and modern Italian districts as Burggrafen (a sort of viscount) and Herren (lords) from the early Middle Ages until the 16th-17th centuries. The last member was Felix Jakob von Graben who lives in Tyrol; the family died out in 1776 or 1780.

1.1 Coat of arms

There are three forms of representation of the gender coat of arms, Von Graben, which have their connection to one another through the established family genealogy.[8][7] A distinction is made between the family coat of arms with the blue diagonal left bar on silver (also variant with diagonal right bar), the silver shovel coat of arms on red and the coat of arms split from red, and divided three times by blue and silver (or black).   

1.2 The lines of the family

Originally from Carniola (line Am Graben), a line settled in Styria around Graz. This line is named also "Line Am Graben" or "Konradin line". During the later 13th century the later princely family Orsini-Rosenberg descended from a member of the family who lived at the Grazer Castle Alt-Grabenhofen, between Reinerkogel and Rosenberg.[9] During the early 14th century, the family split into four main lines, the ancient Styrian "Am Graben, Grabenhofen line", the "Grabner (zu Rosenburg) line" in Lower Austria, the "Kornberg line" and their alleged dutch offspring (De) Graeff,[10][7] and during the earlier 15th century in the Carynthian-Lienzer "Sommeregg line".[11] In 1500, the family split into a new line, the "Stein line" at Castle Stein. Another offspring of the Someregg line was the "Second Tyrolean line" who died out in 1776 or 1780. A detailed list of the lines and branches can be found here:

# Counts of Gorizia, Meinhardin 

## Line Am Graben (Carniola), before 1170-13th century

### Line Am Graben, Grabenhofen (Graz, Styria), before 1259-1468

#### Branch at Thal, early 14th century-after 1341

#### Rosenberger branch (later House of Orsini-RosenbergI), after 1322

#### Line Grabner (zu Rosenburg) (Second line in Lower Austria), before 1314-mid 17th century

#### Kornberg line (Styria), before 1325-1564

##### First line in Lower Austria, 1324-1421

##### First Tyrolean line, 2nd half 15th century-after 1519

###### Swiss line, unknown

##### Graeff / De Graeff family (The Netherlands), around 1480

##### Sommeregg line (Carinthia), before 1436-early 17th century

###### Line am Stein (Carinthia), 1500-1664 in male line

####### Second Tyrolean line, early 16th century-1776/80

1.2.1 Kornberg line

The Grabner zu Kornberg came from Styria in Graz and belonged to the same tribe as the Grabner zu Rosenburg. The first important member of the family was Ulrich II von Graben (named between 1300–1361), who was elevated to the Styrian title of Burggraf of Hohenwang. The Styrian line's residence between 1328 and 1556 was at Schloss Kornberg. Between 1456 and 1564, the Kornberg line was owned the important Lordship Marburg with Obermarburg and the Marburg Castle. They were linked by marriage with the Lords of Windisch-Graetz,[12] Auersperg,[13][better source needed] Stubenberg,[14] and Guttenberg.[15] The Dutch family De Graeff claimed descent from Wolfgang von Graben, a member of the Graben family.[16] Andries de Graeff and his son Cornelis became Free Imperial knights of the Holy Roman Empire. That diploma dates from 19 July 1677.[10]

1.2.1.1 Members

* Ulrich II von Graben (named between 1300 and 1361)

* Friedrich II von Graben († before 1463)

* Ulrich III von Graben († 1486)

* Wolfgang von Graben († 1521)

* Andrä von Graben († 1556)

1.2.2 Line Grabner zu Rosenburg

The Grabner zu Rosenburg came from Styria in Graz and belonged to the same tribe as the Kornberger Graben. They had extensive property with the Rosenburg and Pottenbrunn as well as in Moravia and was one of the advocates of Protestantism during the Reformation in Lower Austria. In the 16th century the Grabner Rosenburg made a center of the Austrian Reformation history.[17] During the 16th and early 17th centuries, the Grabner were among the richest and most respected families in Austria,[18] and one of the country's dominant Protestant noble families.[19]

1.2.2.1 Members

* Sebastian I Grabner zu Rosenburg ( † 1535), leading Protestant

* Leopold Grabner zu Rosenburg (1528–1583), leading protestant

* Sebastian II Grabner zu Rosenburg, leading Protestant

1.2.3 Sommeregg line

The Sommeregger line which came from the Kornberg line, was the most important family at the court of the Meinhardins of Gorizia in the late 15th and early 16th centuries.[20] During the later Middle Ages, the success of that family arose from the steady accumulation of land, and loyalty to the Counts of Görz and later to the Habsburg Emperor. The line resided in Lienz, East Tyrol and Carinthia, and became "the most prominent of the family". Family members held the noble titles as the Burgraves of Sommeregg, Heinfels and Lienz. After the death of Leonhard of Gorizia in 1500, they became his successors as stadtholders of Lienz and East Tyrol. The Lienzer line died out in the year 1534, and the zum Stein in 1664. They were linked by marriage with the Lords of Auersperg,[13] Saurau[21] and Breuner.[22]

1.2.3.1 Members

* Andreas von Graben (early 15th century-1463)

* Cosmas von Graben (15th century)

* Virgil von Graben (15th century-1507)

* Rosina von Graben von Rain (15th century-1534)

1.2.4 Line at Stein

The line at Stein came from Carinthia and East Tyrol and sprang out of the Sommeregger line.

* Lukas von Graben zum Stein (15th-16th century)

1.2.5 Tyrolian line

The Tyrolian line came from Carinthia and East Tyrol and sprang out of the line Graben zum Stein.

* Otto von Graben zum Stein, was named "Graf zum Stein" (1690–1756)

1.3 Feudal

1.3.1 Burgraviate (section)

* Burgraviate of Lienz

* Burgraviate and Lord of the manor Heinfels

* Burgraviate and Lord of the manor Hohenwang

* Burgraviate and Lord of the manor Sommeregg

* Burgraviate and Lord of the manor Lengberg

* Burgraviate and Lord of the manor Saldenhofen

* Burgraviate and Lord of the manor Gleichenberg

* Burgraviate and Lord of the manor Riegersburg

* Burgraviate and Lord of the manor Landskron

1.3.2 High Lordships (section)

* High Lordship of Straß

* High Lordship of Marburg an der Drau (Maribor)

1.3.3 Lordships (section)

* Lordship of Kornberg

* Lordship of Rosenburg

* Lordship of Pottenbrunn

* Lordship of Zagging

1.3.4 Lord of the manor (section)

* Lord of the manor Graben near Rudolfswerth (Novo Mesto)

* Lord of the manor Alt-Grabenhofen in the north of Graz

* Lord of the manor Stein

* Lord of the manor Herbstenburg

* Lord of the manor Weidenburg

* Lord of the manor Eppenstein

1.3.5 Castles, residence (section)

* Obermarburg (Maribor)

* Ansitz Graben at Lienz

* Burg Bruck at Lienz

Notes

External link

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Von Graben

# unknown

## Conrad vom Graben (genannt vermutlich zwischen 1170 und 1208)

### (?) Rudolph ab dem Graben (genannt 1222, im selben Gefolge wie Conrad genannt)

## Grisold vom Graben (genannt 1170)

### Walter vom Graben (genannt 1170)

... →

?) Rapoto vom Graben (genannt um 1203)

... →

# Konrad I. vom (ab dem) Graben († 1307; ''EU known patents'')

## Konrad II. vom (ab dem) Graben [Grabner] († vor 1356)

### → Rosenberger line; later Orsini-Rosenberg

### Otto Grabner (named 1314/28) →  Lower Austrian line Grabner

#### Heinrich Grabner (named 1325)

##### Hanns Grabner (named 1360)

###### Jacob der Grabner the older (named 1354)

####### Jacob Grabner the younger (named 1410)

######## Otto Grabner (named 1440)

######### Johann (Hans) Grabner the younger (named 1449–1481)

######### Georg Grabner auf Joslowitz (named 1450; † 1487)

########## Christoph Grabner zu Rosenburg (named 1487–1515)

########### Sebastian I. Grabner zu Rosenburg (named from 1508, † 1535)

############ Georg Grabner zu Rosenburg (named from 1537; † 1562)

############# Wilhelm Grabner zu Rosenburg 

############# Elisabeth Grabner zu Rosenburg

############ Elisabeth Grabner zu Rosenburg

############ Christoph Grabner zu Rosenburg

############ Hedwig Grabner zu Rosenburg

############ Margaretha Grabner zu Rosenburg

############ Rosina Grabner zu Rosenburg

############ Leopold Grabner zu Rosenburg (1528–1583)

############# Sebastian II. Grabner zu Rosenburg († 1610)

############## Esther Sophia Grabner von (zu) Rosenburg

############## Maria Grabner von (zu) Rosenburg (1589–1623)

############## Johann Leopold Grabner zu Rosenburg († around 1613)

############## Friedrich Christoph Grabner zu Rosenburg (named 1618)

############# Jakob Grabner zu Rosenburg

############# Friedrich Grabner zu Rosenburg

############# Christoph Grabner zu Rosenburg

############# Hanns Georg Grabner zu Rosenburg

############# Wilhelm Grabner zu Rosenburg

############# Sophia Grabner zu Rosenburg

############# Esther Grabner zu Rosenburg

############# Maria Grabner zu Rosenburg

############# Katharina Grabner zu Rosenburg

############# Johanna Grabner zu Rosenburg

############# Petronilla Grabner zu Rosenburg

############# Johann Grabner zu Rosenburg

############# Veronica Grabner zu Rosenburg

############# Josaphat Grabner zu Rosenburg († 1564)

############# Jacob Grabner zu Rosenburg († 1552)

########## Jakob Grabner zu Rosenburg]] (named 1487; † 1502)

########## Margareta Grabner († 1499)

######### Andreas Grabner († 1449)

##### Georg Grabner (named 1368)

###### Hans Grabner der Ältere (named 1387)

### Jakob Grabner (named 1328)

## Reinprecht II. vom (ab dem) Graben († before 1356)

## Heinzlein [Heinrich] vom (ab dem) Graben (named 1325–1363)

## Niclein vom (ab dem) Graben († after 1403)

# Rennewart vom (ab dem) Graben (named 1294)

# Walther vom (ab dem) Graben († vor 1331) → Thaler line (Styria)

## X von Thal (named 1307)

### Fritzel der Grabner (named 1341)

## Reinprecht III. vom (ab dem) Graben (the older) († before 1413)

### Affra vom (ab dem) Graben († before 1458)

## Chuntz [Conrad] vom (ab dem) Graben (named 1410)

## Anna vom (ab dem) Graben (named 1431)

## Georg vom (ab dem) Graben († 1439)

### Ulrich [Ullein] vom (ab dem) Graben († around 1456)

### Reinprecht IV. vom (ab dem) Graben (the younger) (named 1396–1456)

### Wolfgang vom (ab dem) Graben (named 1456)

# Ulrich I. von Graben († before 1325) → Kornberger line (Styria)

## Veit von Graben († shortly after 1300)

## Martin (Mört) von (im) Graben (named 1366)

## Otto I. von Graben († before 1360)

### Heinrich von Graben († after 1360)

### Elisabeth von Graben (named around 1360)

### Beata von Graben (named 1409)

### Veronica von Graben

### Barbara von Graben

### Dorothea von Graben

## Ulrich II. von Graben (named 1300–1361)

## Friedrich I. von Graben (* around 1300; † before 1404)

### Friedrich II. von Graben († before 1463)

#### Dorothea von Graben († 1519)

#### Wolfgang von Graben († before 1468)

#### Ulrich III. von Graben (1415–1486)

##### Wolfgang von Graben († 1521)

###### Peter von Graben aka Pieter Graeff (* around 1450/1460) → Family (De) Graeff (The Netherlands)

##### Andree von Graben († 1521)

##### Georg von Graben († 1522)

##### Rosina von Graben

##### Margret [Marusch] von Graben (named 1500)

##### Elisabeth von Graben (named 1483)

##### Wilhelm von Graben († 1523)

###### Georg Siegmund von Graben († 1543)

###### Andrä von Graben († 1556)

###### Margreta von Graben (named 1534)

###### Anna von Graben († 1564)

#### Reinprecht V. von Graben (named between 1456 and 1493)

### Anna von Graben (named 1415)

### Agnes von Graben (named 1380–1447)

### Dorothea von Graben (named 1439)

### female  (named 1459)

### female (named 1459)

### Leonhard [Lienhart, Linhart] von Graben (named 1441) → First tyrolean line 

#### descendants sourced until 1519

### Andreas von Graben zu Sommeregg (1425 first mentioned; † 1463) → Sommeregger line (Carinthia)

#### Heinrich von Graben (1452-1507)

##### [?] Christof von Graben (named 1543–1578)

##### [?] Andreas II. von Graben († 1560)

#### Ernst von Graben (1459-1513)

##### Rosina von Graben von Rain († 1534)

#### Virgil von Graben (1461-1507)

##### Christof von Graben (named 1498)

##### Lukas von Graben zum Stein († 1550) → line am Stein (Carinthia, East Tyrol)

###### Margaretha von Graben zum Stein (named 1542)

###### Georg von Graben zum Stein († 1595)

###### N von Graben zum Stein

###### Catharina von Graben zum Stein (named 1540)

###### Hans von Graben zum Stein, the older († 1587/91)

####### Barbara von Graben zum Stein († 1580)

####### Hans von Graben zum Stein, the younger († 1593)

######## Maria von Graben zum Stein (named 1569)

######## Georg von Graben zum Stein (named 1568)

######## Sabina von Graben zum Stain und Thurn (named 1565)

######## Johann von Graben zum Stein

######## Christoph von Graben zum Stein (named 1564)

######### Benigna von Graben zum Stein

######### Maria von Graben zum Stein

######### Ursula von Graben zum Stein

######### Barbara von Graben zum Stein

######### Catharina von Graben zum Stein

######### Johanna von Graben zum Stein

######## Oswald von Graben zum Stein († 1609)

######### Anna Christina von Graben zum Stein

######### Hans Christof von Graben († 1628)

########## Christof David von Graben zum Stein († 1664)

########## Anna Juliana von Graben zum Stein

########## Lukretia von Graben zum Stein

########## Ursula von Graben zum Stei

########## Maria von Graben zum Stein

######### Christina von Graben

######### Susanna von Graben

######## Christina von Graben zum Stein

######## Andreas von Graben zum Stein

######## Sigismund von Graben zum Stein

######## Ursula Virgo von Graben zum Stein

######## Salome von Graben zum Stein

####### Virgil von Graben zum Stain (named 1558–1570)

####### Christoph von Graben zum Stein (named 1575)

####### Georg von Graben zum Stein (named 1575)

####### Catharina von Graben zum Stein (named 1577)

####### Elisabeth von Graben zum Stein

##### Bartholomäus (Barthlmä) von Graben → second tyrolean line

###### male

####### male 

######## male

######### male 

########## Johann Andre (Hans Andreas) von Graben

########### Martin Laurenz von Graben

########### Maria Juliana von Graben

########## Hans [Johann] Karl von Graben

########### Otto Heinrich von Graben [zum Stein] (* 1643)

############ (unsure) Otto von Graben zum Stein (1690–1756)

########### Johann Sigismund von Graben [zum Stein]

############ (unsure) Felix Jakob von Graben († 1776/1780)

########## Apollonia von Graben

########## Carl von Graben (?)

##### Virgil Lucz von Graben (named 1550)

###### Bartholomeus von Graben (named 1525–1564)

####### Michael von Graben

###### Leonhard (Lienhard) von Graben (named 1507–1545)

###### Andreas von Graben (named 1527–1574)

####### male

######## (Anna) Maria von Graben (named 1575)

######## Regina von Graben

##### illegitimate child

##### illegitimate child

##### illegitimate child 

##### illegitimate child

#### Ruth von Graben (named 1477)

#### Cosmas von Graben († 1479)

#### Wolfgang von Graben (named 1450)

#### Wolfgang Andreas (Wolf Andrä) von Graben (named 1486)

#### Barbara von Graben (named 1467)

## Nikolaus von Graben (named 1350/56) → first Lower Austrian line

### Dietrich (Dietl) von Graben (named around 1400)

### Otto II. von Graben (* 1378; † 1439)

### Friedrich (Friedl) von Graben

### Wolfgang von Graben (named between 1405 and 1421)

### Veronika von Graben (* 1404)

### Agnes Veronika von Graben (* 1406)

## Catrey von Graben

## Johann von Graben (named 1350)

## Heinrich von (in den) Graben (named 1356)

## Martin (Mört) von (im) Graben (named 1366)

Friedrich (Frederik) II von Graben (died before 1463), also called Frederick the Younger (German: Friedrich der Jüngere), was a Styrian noble, a member of the edelfrei Von Graben family. He held the titles as Lord of Kornberg and Marburg, the Lordship Marburg, (in Lower Styria), as well as burgrave of Riegersburg. [1] One of the most affluent Styrian nobles, Frederick was an advisor to the Habsburg emperor Frederick III, assessor at the Reichskammergericht, and member of the duchy's Landtag assembly.[2]

Biography

Frederick's ancestors were of the Styrian branch of the Von Graben family. His parents were Frederick I von Graben (died c. 1422 at Kornberg Castle), progenitor of the Kornberg line, and Katharina von Sumerau[3] or Saurau. Frederick II succeeded his father in Styria, while his brother Andreas von Graben (d. 1463) inherited the Carinthian (Ortenburg) estates of their mother. In 1438 he married Elisabeth Steinwald von Fladnitz with whom he had four children [4] One of them, Ulrich III von Graben (d. 1486), a loyal follower of Emperor Frederick III, was appointed Landeshauptmann / governor of the Styrian Duchy. Frederick first appeared in a 1401 deed, when he received the burgraviate of Riegersburg serving the Walsee noble dynasty from Swabia.[5] He soon acquired further estates from Seckau Abbey and, since 1443, owned the villages of Neudorf and Pölan as well as parts of the villages Altendorf near Wolfsberg in Carinthia and Wanofezen. From 1446 he is documented as a member of the Styrian estates (Landstände) and in 1456 received, together with his son Ulrich III, the pawned the Lordship Marburg with Obermarburg and Maribor Castle from the Walsee owners.[6][7] In 1461 he signed a contract in which Laibach (Ljubljana) in Carniola became the see of a diocese.[8]

Notes

Ulrich III von Graben († 16 February 1486)[1] was a member of the Austrian nobility and an important member of the court of emperor Frederick III of Austria. He was Lord of Kornberg, the Lordship Marburg, Obermarburg and Maribor Castle.

Biography

Ulrich's parents were Friedrich II von Graben and a Lady von Plankenwarth or Adelheid Hoffer. He was a descendant of the dynastic House of Graben von Stein, originating from the dynasty Meinhardiner. He was related to the Lords Philipp Breuner and Ruprecht I von Windischgraetz. His uncle was Lord Andreas von Graben zu Sommeregg, the founder of the Carinthian line of the family. Ulrich von Graben married in 1464 Agnes Närringer, daughter of Mert Närringer and widow of Lord Hans Breuner. The couple had seven children.[2]

* Wolfgang von Graben († 1521), styrian Lord and Burggraf, imperial military and administrator

* Andree von Graben († 1521), Lord of Kornberg and Graben, bailiff of Slovenj Gradec (Windischgraetz)

* Georg von Graben († 1522)

* Rosina von Graben († 1539), married Heinrich from the House of Guttenberg, princebishop-bambergs stadholder in carynthia[3]

* Margret (Marusch) von Graben

Elisabeth von Graben, married Lord Georg IV von Auersperg

* Wilhelm von Graben († 1523), Lord of Kornberg and Graben, Lord of the manor Saldenhofen and imperial Burggraf of Burg Neuberg[4]

Ulrich was first named in 1452 as member at the Coronation of the Holy Roman Emperor of Frederick III of Austria.[5] In 1456 he elected, together with his father Friedrich, Lord of the Lordship Marburg. In the same year Ulrich was elected imperial Burggraf of Maribor.[6] In 1462 he succeeded Lord Eberhard VIII von Walsee as Landeshauptmann (state captain) of the Duchy of Styria.[7] In 1469 he was succeeded by Count Wilhelm von Dirnstein. In the same year Ulrich became imperial Seneschal and emperor Friedrich III pledged him with the castle of Maribor.[8] In 1483 Ulrich was elected imperial Burggraf of Graz.[9] As burggraf of Graz he was deeply involved in the war against Matthias Corvinus.[10] In this time he was the emperors deputy.

Notes

Wolfgang von Graben, also Wolfgang de Groben (de Gröben) and Wolfgang Grabenski († 11 December 1521) was born in Kornberg castle, Styria and a member of the Austrian nobility. He held the titles as a lord of Graben, Kornberg, Marburg with Obermarburg and Maribor Castle, Radkersburg, Neudenstein, Weinberg and burgrave of Saldenhofen.

Biography

Wolfgang was a descendant of the Von Graben von Stein family, who descend from the Meinhardiner dynasty.[1] His parents were Ulrich III von Graben and Agnes Närringer.[2] Virgil von Graben was his cousin. He was first named in 1470 as heritage Jörg II. Steinwalds of some manors of 30 styrian Stubenberg fiefs.[3] In 1481 Fredericks III of Austria pledged him castle Gurnitz.[4] In 1476, Wolfgang and his son Peter von Graben (born 1450s or early 1460s) went to Holland in the entourage of Archduke Maximilian of Austria [the later Emperor]. The latter had just acquired Holland by marrying Mary of Burgundy. Margarethe von Croppenstein is reported as Peter's mother, but this cannot be correct, since she is mentioned as the wife of a Wolfgang von Graben, but only in the 16th century, which therefore applies to a later Wolfgang von Graben. Wolfgang entered the military service and was assigned to the archduke.[5] Wolfgang was also mentioned in Holland in 1483.[6] Peter married Griet Pietersdr Berents from the "Berents-De Grebber family", took the name Pieter (de) Graeff (or De Graaff)[5] and became the ancestor of the Dutch Graeff/De Graeff family.[6][7] The name (De) Graeff was the Dutch spelling of Von Graben in the 14th and 15th century.[8] In the Diploma of Nobility from 19 July 1677 loaned to Andries de Graeff,[9] it was affirmed that the family de Graeff was formerly called von Graben, which is the same as de Graeff. This family today shows the same coat of arms as the De Graeff family. Returning to Austria in 1485, Wolfgang became one of the emperor Fredericks mayor captains in the war against Matthias Corvinus.[10] In 1489 Von Graben succeeded his father as lord of Marburg, castle Obermarburg and the citypalace Marburg an der Drau.[11] In the following year he succeeded his cousin Georg Breuner as lord of some smaller styrian and imperial fiefs. In the same year he was in of castle Neidenstein.[12] Later he became burggraf of Saldenhofen (1498),[13] bailiff of Bad Radkersburg[14] and Tabor (since 1501)[15] and since 1510 as successor of his brother Andre von Graben of Slovenj Gradec (Windischgraetz).[16] In 1509 he was made advisor to Emperor Maximilian I of Austria.[17] In 1520 he inherited together with his brothers Andre and Wilhelm von Graben Schloss Graben near Novo Mesto (Rudolfswerth) in Carniola.[18]

Descendants of Wolfgang von Graben

During the Dutch Golden Age the (de) Graeffs said that they descend from Wolfgang von Graben, who was in Holland in 1476/1483.[5][19][20]In the Diploma of Nobility from 1677 loaned to Andries de Graeff it was affirmed that the family De Graeff was formerly called von Graben.

Notes

Andreas von Graben zu Sommeregg (15th century – 1463) was a Carinthian knight and nobleman residing at Sommeregg Castle. He served as a burgrave and castellan governor in the Ortenburg estates, held by the Counts of Celje until 1456.

Family

Born at Kornberg Castle in the Duchy of Styria, Andreas von Graben was a descendant of the noble (edelfrei) House of Graben family. He was the son of Friedrich I von Graben (d. 1422 at Kornberg Castle) and Katharina von Summeregk (Sommeregg);[1] Burgrave Friedrich II von Graben was a brother of him. Andreas' nephew Ulrich III von Graben[2] became a confidant of the Habsburg emperor Frederick III. Andreas` sister (?) Veronica von Graben (d. 1467) was married to Philipp Breuner (d. 1458), and Elisabeth von Graben married with Georg von Auersperg (d. 1488).

Career

In 1431 or before Andreas von Graben served as a captain (Hauptmann, a sort of stadtholder) of the former Ortenburg Estate who brlong to the Counts of Celje.[3][4][5] In 1442 Count Frederick II of Celje enfeoffed Andreas von Graben with the Lordship, Burgraviate [6] (a sort of viscount) of Sommeregg.[7] which he chose as New family residence. In 1445 he was involved in the fierce feud between Count Henry VI of Gorizia and his wife Catherine of Gara and later supported the military campaigns of his bellicose liege lord Count Ulrich II of Celje.[8][9][10] In 1450 he was also named as Burggraf of Sternberg, near Wernberg. [11] Upon the extinction of the Counts of Celje in 1456, their estates were seized by Emperor Frederick III of the Habsburg dynasty. He enforced a settlement with the Counts of Gorizia, whereupon Andreas von Graben had to renounce his conquests and also lost his office as stadtholder of the Ortenburg estates. Nevertheless, he still is documented as a liege lord around Vellach in 1458, and owner of Falkenstein Castle in 1462.[12] He also had the parish churches of Treffling and Lieseregg (in present-day Seeboden) near his Sommeregg residence rebuilt. The castle became the Von Graben family seat for many years.

Marriage and issue

Andreas von Graben married Barbara von Hallegg,[13] daughter of Jörg von Hallegg (Hallecker), imperial counsellor and Administrator / Landeshauptmann of Carinthia. The couple had at least eight children:

* Heinrich von Graben (d. 1507)

* Ernst von Graben (d. 1513), nobleman, served the Archbishops of Salzburg

* Virgil von Graben (d. 1507), succeeded his father as Burgrave of Sommeregg, administrator in the County of Gorizia, served the Habsburg emperors Frederick III and Maximilian I

* Ruth von Graben, knight

* Cosmas von Graben (d. 1479), nobleman, Burgrave of Sanneck (Žovnek), served the Counts of Celje and the House of Habsburg

* Wolfgang von Graben, priest

* Wolfgang Andreas von Graben, knighted by King Maximilian I in 1486 at his coronation in Aachen, military person

* Barbara von Graben, married to Ladislaus Prager

Notes

Virgil von Graben (15th century — 1507) was an Austrian noble, politician and diplomat. He was one of the most important noblemen and officials in the County of Gorizia and in the Habsburg Empire of Frederick III. and Maximilian I.[1]

Introduction

Virgil von Graben belonged to the Carinthian-East Tyrolean branch of the family Von Graben which held important offices at the time of the last Counts of Gorizia and through whose work Renaissance culture also found its way into East Tyrol.[2] Virgil von Graben was considered the "richest and most capable Gorizia nobleman of his time".[3] He was under the last Meinhardin Count Leonhard, whose guarantor he was, regent of the princely county and captain of Gorizia,[4] trusted councilor of Count Leonhard and the Roman-German King Maximilian. As such, he directed and completed the takeover of the County of Gorizia into the possession of the Habsburgs[5] under whom he remained governor (captain) of the County of Gorizia. In addition, von Graben was stadholder, Burgrave (or pledgee) of Lienz.[6]

Family

Virgil von Graben was the son of Andreas von Graben and his wife was Barbara von Hallegg, daughter of Jörg von Hallegg (Hallecker),[7] imperial counsellor and Administrator / Landeshauptmann of Carinthia. One of his nephews was Ladislaus Prager, Hereditary Marshal of the duchy of Carinthia and Chamberlain of Emperor Frederik III. Virgil von Graben was married to Dorothea Arnold, née Herbst (von Herbstenburg), but their marriage was not considered legal, so Virgil's sons could not inherit his estates:[8]

* Christof von Graben, who is mentioned as a pastor in 1498

* Lukas von Graben zum Stein († 1550) was appointed lord of Stein in 1500 by Maximilian I, and thus the ancestor of the line am Stein, which retained the dominion until the death of Christof David von Graben zum Stein († 1664)[9]

* Barthlmä von Graben (Bartholomeus von Graben), about whom little is known; Between 1501 and 1511 he was the owner of the Treffling farm, which he gave as a fief to his fiefdom Andreen Hohenburger; his descendants moved to [10] and formed the second Tyrolean line, which died out with the death of Felix Jakob von Graben (zum Stein) in 1776 (or 1780).

* Virgil Lucz von Graben (named or died 1550); possibly the father of Leonhard (Lienhard) von Graben (mentioned 1507-1545), who was awarded the parish church of Gorizia in 1507

** In addition to his noble born offspring, Virgil von Graben fathered four illegitimate children with his morganatic wife named Agnes, whom he endowed with rich goods[11]

Heritage

Since all of Virgil's sons were from his not legally binding marriage to Dorothea von Arnold (née Herbst von Herbstenburg) none of them could claim his inheritance. His brothers Heinrich, Cosmas, Wolfgang and Wolf Andrä von Graben also had no heirs. So Sommeregg, along with smaller estates, came to Rosina von Graben von Rain, the daughter of his older brother Ernst von Graben.[12]

Career

Around 1461, Virgil and his father Andreas von Graben were taken prisoner by the Counts of Gorizia. They had to swear feud, and Virgil then probably entered the service of the Counts of Gorizia. In addition to his fiefs of the Archdiocese of Salzburg in Upper Carinthia and East Tyrol, he appeared as a captain (governeur) of the County of Gorizia from 1474/75.[13] In 1463 Virgil von Graben inherited the Sommeregg estate from his father Andreas von Graben. Virgil von Graben was a feudal man in the service of the Archbishop of Salzburg and was his caretaker resp. Burgrave at Lengberg Castle in East Tyrol.[14] With his appointment, the heyday of Lengberg began. In the years 1480-85 he had the former "veste Lengenberch" converted into a representative Gothic castle at his own expense.[15] In 1487 Sommeregg was conquered by Hungarian troops led by Matthias Corvinus, who were fighting the German-Roman Emperor Frederick III stood, conquered and destroyed. The reconstruction, which was initiated by Virgil von Graben after the withdrawal of the foreign army, gave the castle its typical irregular shape. From the end of the 15th century until his death in 1507, Virgil von Graben was the burgrave of Gorizia and lord of Heinfels in the Puster Valley.

Controversy over the County of Gorizia

Virgil von Graben had great influence on the political events of this dilapidated principality as captain (governor) of the County of Gorizia. In 1476 Virgil von Graben, together with Bishop Gerg Golser von Brixen, Balthasar von Welsberg and Phoebus von Thurn, represented Count Leonhard of Gorizia at the court of Margrave Ludovico Gonzaga in Mantua in order to solemnly promise his marriage to Gonzaga's daughter Paola Gonzaga.[16] During the reign of the ailing Count Leonhard of Gorizia, Virgil von Graben was persuaded by grand promises by King Maximilian I to end his hitherto secret association with the Venetians and instead advocate the country's accession to the Habsburg Empire.[17] The enlightened views of Venice and its decision-makers would have recognized the Gorizian (Meinhardin) bastard Virgil von Graben himself as the new Count of Gorizia (it was said that the Von Graben descendant from the House of Gorizia).[18] Another suggestion was that Von Graben would hand over the County of Gorizia to the Republic and in exchange would receive all Gorizia castles and lordships in Friuli and Venice as a [19] But it didn't come to that. In 1498, Virgil von Graben gave his son Lukas von Graben authority over the gorizian Burghut. First, the Council of Ten of the Republic of Venice considered appointing Lukas von Graben as their supreme commander in Friuli. However, since Virgil von Graben ended the contract with Venice about the succession in the County of Gorizia and negotiated with Maximilian I, this appointment did not come [20] After the death of Count Leonhard on April 12, 1500, and the Gorizia inheritance in favor of the Habsburgs, the Venetians saw their failure solely in the actions of the lords Virgil and Lukas von Graben. After the successful conversion of the Gorizia county into the Habsburg Empire, Virgil von Graben was modestly rewarded, measured against his immense merit.[21] However, von Graben continued to act as governor and captain of Lienz and East Tyrol as well as captain of Gorizia;[22] meanwhile he also lived in Bruck Castle for a short time. Furthermore, after 1500, von Graben was also cidet as the burgrave of Lienz.[23]

Notes

Rosina von Graben von Rain (died 1534[1]), also called Rosina von Rain, was an Austrian noble woman, a member of the Graben von Stein family and heiress of the burgraviate of Sommeregg Castle[2] in Carinthia.

Family Von Graben

Rosina's father was the carinthian noble Ernst von Graben (d. 1513), son of Andreas von Graben (d. 1463),[3] who ruled as burgrave at Sommeregg since 1507. Andreas had been an official of the Counts of Celje; after their extinction in 1456, his son Ernst had received the Sommeregg estates in Upper Carinthia as a fief from the hands of the Habsburg king Maximilian I. Ernst's brother Virgil von Graben, Rosina's uncle, was a very powerful Austrian noble, Habsburg stattholder in the County of Gorizia and Maximilan's councillor.

Heritage of Sommeregg

Since all of Virgil von Grabens sons were from his not legally binding marriage to Dorothea von Arnold (née Herbst von Herbstenburg) none of them could claim his inheritance. His brothers Heinrich, Cosmas, Wolfgang and Wolf Andrä von Graben also had no heirs. So Sommeregg, along with smaller estates, came to Rosina von Graben von Rain and her family, the Rainer von Rain.[4]

Biography

Upon her father's death in 1513, Rosina followed him up as burgravine (a sort of Viscountess) of the Sommeregg estates.[5] She became also Lady of Doberdò within the comital lands of Gorizia. Rosina was married twice: first to the ministerialis Georg Goldacher, her second husband was Haymeran von Rain zu Sommeregg,[6] a member of the Bavarian nobility who was elevated to the rank of a Freiherr zu Sommeregg by Emperor Charles V in 1530. The couple sold Doberdò to the Counts of Attems in 1522 and concentrated on consolidating their Carinthian possessions.[7] However, their eldest son Hans Joachim von Rain returned to Bavaria and in 1550 sold the castle and the lordship of Sommeregg to Christoph Khevenhüller, castellan of nearby Ortenburg Castle.[8] Hans Joachims daughter Ursula von Rain was the last member of the Rainer zu Rain family and married Paul von Leiblfing in 1573.[9] This also gave the coat of arms of the Graben-Rain to the bavarian Leiblfing family. Rosina's and her husband Haymeran's tomb chapel is to be found of at the St Michael's Church in Lienz.[10]

Notes

Lukas von Graben zum Stein (until 1500 Lukas von Graben) († 1550 at Stein Castle), lord of Stein, was a Carinthian-Gorizian nobleman and military leader of the Counts of Gorizia and the Habsburgs. He came from the Sommeregger line of Von Graben, whose members held important offices at the time of the last Counts of Gorizia, and through whose work the Renaissance culture also found its way into East Tyrol.[1]

Family von Graben

Lukas von Graben was born the son of the important nobleman Virgil von Graben of the Von Graben family and Dorothea Arnold, née Herbst von Herbstenburg. However, since this marriage was not legally binding, his children could not accept their father's inheritance.[2] One of his cousins was Ladislaus Prager, Hereditary Marshal of the duchy of Carinthia and Chamberlain of Emperor Frederik III. According to Bucelin, Lukas von Graben was married to a daughter of Georg Hellssen,[3] with whom he had three daughters and two sons, who inherited the Stein fief:[4]

* Margaretha von Graben zum Stein, married to Leopold Göstels von Mülbach (1542)

* N of Graben zum Stein, married N of Moors

* Catharina von Graben zum Stein, married Christoph Mühlsteuers in Flaschberg in 1540

* Hans von Graben zum Stein, the older († 1587–91), married to Anna Straufen and remarried in 1576 with Margarita Manndorfferin (von Manndorff),[5] Lord of Stein

* Georg von Graben zum Stein (mentioned 1570; † 1595), Lord of Stein; married to Kunigunde (née Von Gendorf, widow Von Vasold) no descendants; Lord of Stein

Heritage

Lukas von Graben was unable to take over his father's inheritance due to his father's illegal marriage.[6] As a result, the von Graben family lost the important fief of Sommeregg. The inheritance passed to Lukas von Graben's cousin Rosina von Graben von Rain and to the barons von Rain zu Sommeregg.[7] Lukas was enfeoffed by the emperor with Heinfels, the manor and castle Schwarzenegk (Schwarzenegg) on ​​the Karst, Črni Vrh (Divača in Slovenia), and the manor and Stein Castle. In 1500 he was given the suffix Zum Stein by the later Emperor Maximilian I.[8] Stein remained in the family until 1664.

Controversy over the County of Gorizia

When the last Count of Gorizia, Leonhard, was about to die at the end of the 15th century, the two neighboring states, the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy and the Republic of Venice, began to fight the inheritance. In 1498 Lukas von Graben was given command of the gorizian Burghut, the defense of the capital and residential city of Gorizia and its surroundings, by his father Virgil von Graben, kaptein (governor) of the County of Gorizia. The Venetians tried to win over Lukas von Graben, but he refused, also because of his father's strict guidelines.[9] The Venice Council of Ten offered to appoint Lukas von Graben as their supreme commander in Friuli. However, since Virgil von Graben ended the contract with Venice about the succession in the County of Gorizia and negotiated with Emperor Maximilian, this appointment was no longer made.[10] Equipped with precise instructions from his father, Lukas von Graben intervened as commander of the Gorizia troops in the war with the Republic of Venice. But since his attempts also failed, Friuli and the city of Gorizia were handed over to the Venetian troops in 1500.[11] A short time later Gorizia was won back by imperial troops for Maximilian of Austria. After the Gorizian inheritance in favor of the Habsburgs, the Venetians saw their failure solely in the actions of Messrs Virgil and Lukas von Graben. Lukas von Graben and his father were modestly rewarded in relation to their immense merits.[12]

Imperial service

In 1500, Emperor Maximilian gave his "loyal, dear" Lukas von Graben the dominion of Stein as a fief due to his "great services" in winning the County of Gorizia.[13] During the Venetian War of 1508, Von Graben zum Stein belonged to the Lienz War Chamber as Chief Provisioner (a sort of Purser) under the Supreme Commissioner Erich I of Brunswick-Lüneburg.[14][15] Lukas von Graben zum Stein was in the favor of Emperor Maximilian throughout his life, so he demanded on October 25, 1514, in his instruction to the Krainer councils and the commissaries of the Krain (Carniola) estates that, among other things, "Our faithful dear Lucas von Grabn zum Stain near Traberg servants from our county of Tyrol" to strengthen the defense against the Republic of Venice.

Notes

There are three forms of representation of the gender coat of arms, Von Graben, which have their connection to one another through the established family genealogy. A distinction is made between the family coat of arms with

1. blue diagonal left bar on silver (also variant with diagonal right bar)
2. silver shovel on red
3. split from red, and divided three times by blue and silver (or black).

# Line am Graben (Carniola):  blue diagonal left bar on silver

## Line Am Graben, Grabenhofen (Graz, Styria):  blue diagonal left bar on silver (also variant with diagonal right bar)

### Branch at Thal: blue diagonal left bar on silver (also variant with diagonal right bar)

### Rosenberger branch (later House of Orsini-RosenbergI): blue diagonal right bar on silver

### Line Grabner zu Rosenburg (Second line in Lower Austria): blue diagonal right bar on silver

### Kornberg line (Styria): silver shovel on red

#### First line in Lower Austria: silver shovel on red

#### First Tyrolean line: silver shovel on red

##### Swiss line: silver shovel coat on red

#### Family Graeff / De Graeff: silver shovel on red

#### Sommeregg line (Carinthia): split from red, and divided three times by blue and silver

##### Line am Stein (Carinthia): split from red, and divided three times by blue and silver

###### Second Tyrolean line: split from red, and divided three times by blue and silver

FOR MORE COAT OF ARMS VISIT WAPPEN