Excursus I

Alleged ancrestors of the Graeff families


GENEALOGICAL OVERVIEW

IN THE COURSE OF PROCESSING THE DATA ON THE HERREN VON GRABEN, THE FOCUS IS ON THEIR ANCESTRY, WHICH ACCORDING TO HISTORIANS LIES WITH THE COUNTS OF GORIZIA [GRAFEN VON GÖRZ], THE HOUSE OF MEINHARDIN. SINCE THE SOURCES SEE THE COUNTS AS DESCENDANTS OF THE BAVARIAN SIEGHARDINGER, THE OLDEST RECONSTRUCTABLE TRACES ARE TO BE FOUND AROUND 800 IN THE GERMAN KRAICHGAU AREA.

SOURCES ABOUT THE GENEALOGICAL GRABEN-GORIZIAN CONNECTION

  • Weber, Beda, "Das Land Tirol, mit einem Anhange: Vorarlberg, ein Handbuch für Reisende", page 150
  • Granichstaedten-Czerva, Rudolf ,"Brixen - Reichsfürstentum und Hofstaat“ , page 172, (1948)
  • Jahrbuch des Heraldisch-Genealogischen Vereines "Adler", Volume 5, page 235/36 (1875)
  • Tavano, Sergio: Dizionario biografico dei friulani:" Virgil von Graben " (2022 ?)

NOTE

THESE NAMED DYNASTIES AND FAMILIES ARE ASSUMED RESP CLAIMED ANCESTORS OF THE GRAEFF / DE GRAEFF FAMILY. THIS ANCESTRY IS SUPPORTED BY THE SAME COAT OF ARMS BETWEEN GRAEFF AND GRABEN, DIFFERENT DOCUMENTS AND AN IMPERIAL CONFIRMATION. IN THE CASE OF THE OP DEN GRAEFF FAMILY, THIS GENEALOGY ROOTED BACK TO A FAMILY TRADITION AND CANNOT BE INDEPENDENTLY PROVEN.

Excursus A, Siegharding / Meinhardin (Gorizia) to Graeff

NOTE

THESE COAT OF ARMS ARE BASED ON A GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH

Excursus B, Overview of Descendants of the Siegharding / Meinhardin (Gorizia) and Graben

NOTE

THESE COAT OF ARMS ARE BASED ON A GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH


I, HERREN VON GRABEN

Castle Graben, Rudolfswerth
Castle of Graben near Rudolfswerth, ancient Carniola (Slowenia)

HERREN [LORDS] VON GRABEN, ALSO VON (DEM) GRABEN, VOM GRABEN, GRABNER, GRABNER ZU ROSENBURG, GRABEN ZU KORNBERG, GRABEN ZU SOMMEREGG, GRABEN VON (ZUM) STEIN, AB DEM GRABEN WAS THE NAME OF AN OLD AUSTRIAN NOBLE FAMILY.

 

ORIGINALLY FROM ANCIENT CARNIOLA [TODAYS SLOWENIA] AN APPARENT BRANCH OF THE HOUSE OF MEINHARDIN [PRINCELY COUNTS OF GORIZIA, TYROL, DUKES OF CARINTHIA], THE FAMILY SPREAD IN NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES. THE EARLIEST KNOWN MEMBERS OF THE GRABEN FAMILY, KONRAD AND HIS BROTHER GRIMOALD VON GRABEN, LIVED AROUND 1170 AT GRABEN NEAR RUDOLFSWERTH [NOVO MESTO, TODAYS SLOVENIA] . DURING THE MIDDLEAGES THE FAMILY WENT ON TO RULE SOME CARINTHIAN, LOWER AUSTRIAN, TYROLIAN, STYRIAN, GORIZIAN AND MODERN ITALIAN DISTRICTS AS BURGGRAVEN [A SORT OF VISCOUNT] AND HERREN [LOCAL LORDS / LORD OF THE MANOR] FROM THE EARLY MIDDLE AGES UNTIL THE 16TH -17TH CENTURIES. THE LAST MEMBER WAS FELIX JAKOB VON GRABEN (DIED 1775/1781) WHO LIVED IN TYROL.

FAMILY LINES

ORIGINALLY FROM CARNIOLA, A FAMILY LINE SETTLED IN STYRIA AROUND THE CITY OF GRAZ. THIS LINE IS NAMED "LINE AM GRABEN". DURING THE LATER 13TH CENTURY THE LATER PRINCELY FAMILY ORSINI-ROSENBERG DESCENDED FROM A MEMBER OF A FAMILYMEMBER WHO LIVED AT THE GRAZER CASTLE ALT-GRABENHOFEN, BETWEEN REINERKOGEL AND ROSENBERG. DURING THE EARLY 14TH CENTURY, THE FAMILY SPLIT INTO FOUR MAIN LINES, THE STYRIAN GRABENHOFEN LINE, THE GRABNER (ZU ROSENBURG) LINE IN LOWER AUSTRIA, THE KORNBERG LINE AND THEIR ALLEGED DUTCH OFFSPRING (DE) GRAEFF, AND DURING THE EARLIER 15TH CENTURY IN THE CARYNTHIAN-LIENZER SOMMEREGG LINE. IN 1500, THE GRABEN ZU SOMMEREGG SPLIT INTO A NEW LINE, THE STEIN LINE AT CASTLE STEIN. TWO OTHER FAMILY LINES CAN BE FOUND IN TYROL, AND ONE IN SWITZERLAND.


A DETAILED LIST OF THE LINES AND BRANCHES CAN BE FOUND HERE:

* COUNTS OF GORIZIA, HOUSE OF MEINHARDINL

** 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-ROSENBERG), 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 DATE

***** GRAEFF / DE GRAEFF FAMILY (THE NETHERLANDS), AROUND 1484

***** 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

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. ORIGINALLY, THE VON GRABEN CARRIED THE COAT OF ARMS WITH THE BLUE OBLIQUE BEAM TO SILVER. FROM 1328 (UNTIL 1556/1564), THE VON GRABEN FAMILY OF THE KORNBERG LINE BORE THE COAT OF ARMS WITH THE SILVER SHOVEL ON RED. HOWEVER, THE DEPRIVED LINE VON GRABEN ZU SOMMEREGG [ANDREAS VON GRABEN, DIED 1463) ADOPTED THE OBLIQUE BEAM COAT OF ARMS - RED, DIVIDED BY BLUE AND SILVER - AT THE TIME WHEN IT WAS CONVERTED INTO ORTENBURGER SERVICES CAME. 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 ON RED COAT OF ARMS AND THE COAT OF ARMS SPLIT FROM RED, AND DIVIDED THREE TIMES BY BLUE AND SILVER (OR BLACK).

FOR MORE INFORMATIONS VISIT THE COAT OF ARMS SECTION

A) Coat of arms with blue diagonal left bar on silver (ancient)

B) Coat of arms with silver shovel on red (variant with shovel)

C) Coat of arms with split from red, blue and silver divided

Coat of arms versions B) and C)


Feudal

Ruled fiefs and castles of the Von Graben
The Lord von Graben

 

 

 

 

 

 

I, BURGRAVIATES

BURGRAVE OF LIENZ  (EAST-TYROL)

BURGRAVE AND LORD OF THE MANOR HEINFELS  (CARINTHIA)

BURGRAVE AND LORD OF THE MANOR HOHENWANG  (STYRIA)

BURGRAVE AND LORD OF THE MANOR SOMMEREGG  (CARINTHIA)

BURGRAVE AND LORD OF THE MANOR LENGBERG  (EAST-TYROL)

BURGRAVE AND LORD OF THE MANOR SALDENHOFEN  (STYRIA / SLOWENIA) 

BURGRAVE AND LORD OF THE MANOR GLEICHENBERG  (STYRIA)

BURGRAVE AND LORD OF THE MANOR RIEGERSBURG  (STYRIA)

BURGRAVE AND LORD OF THE MANOR LANDSKRON  (CARINTHIA)

 

II, HIGH LORDSHIPS

HIGH LORDSHIP AND CASTLE OF STRASS  (STYRIA)

HIGH LORDSHIP OF MARBURG AN DER DRAU AND CASTLE OF OBERMARBURG  (STYRIA / SLOWENIA)

 

III, LORDSHIPS

LORDSHIP AND CASTLE OF KORNBERG  (STYRIA)

LORDSHIP AND CASTLE OF ROSENBURG  (LOWER AUSTRIA)

LORDSHIP AND CASTLE OF POTTENBRUNN  (LOWER AUSTRIA)

LORDSHIP AND CASTLE OF ZÄGGING  (LOWER AUSTRIA)

 

IV, LORD OF THE MANOR

LORD OF THE MANOR GRABEN NEAR RUDOLFSWERTH (NOVO MESTO)  (CARNIOLA / SLOWENIA)

LORD OF THE MANOR SCHLOSS ALT-GRABENHOFEN IN THE NORTH OF GRAZ  (STYRIA)

LORD OF THE MANOR STEIN  (CARINTHIA)

LORD OF THE MANOR HERBSTENBURG  (TYROL, ITALIA)

LORD OF THE MANOR WEIDENBURG (CARINTHIA)

LORD OF THE MANOR EPPENSTEIN  (CARINTHIA)

 

V, CASTLES, RESIDENCES

ANSITZ GRABEN AT LIENZ  (EAST-TYROL)

 

SCHLOSS BRUCK AT LIENZ  (EAST-TYROL)


Excursus

Ancestrial Graben castle from the Herren von Graben, Grad Graben Novo mesto (Rudolfswerth, Slovenia)

Further reading

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE HERREN VON GRABEN PLEASECVISIT THE VON GRABEN FORSCHUNG (GERMAN / ENGLISH)


II, HOUSE OF MEINHARDIN (GORIZIA)

Görz (Wikimedia Commons)

THE COUNTS OF GORIZIA (GRAFEN VON GÖRZ), ALSO KNOWN AS HOUSE OF MEINHARDIN, WAS A DYNASTY OF SOVEREIGN PRINCES AND COUNTS IN THE ORDER OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE. THEY WHERE LOCATED IN THE ALPS AT THE SOUTH-EASTERN BOARDER OF THE ANCIENT EMPIRE, AND RULED THE PRINCELY COUNTIES OF TYROL AND GORIZIA, THE DUCHY OF CARINTHIA, THE MARGRAVIATES OF ISTRIA AND CARNIOLA [AND LATER ALSO AS A DUCHY] AMONG OTHER TERRITORIES AND LORDSHIPS. THE DYNASTY DIED OUT WITH COUNT LEONHARD VON GÖRZ IN 1500.

Ruled territories