Auersperg family

[beladona]

I think, we could start a thread about princely line of Auersperg family, because their members belonged to highest aristocracy in Habsburg monarchy. Please post pics, info, about them...
Here is the picture of father of Aglae Auersperg (close fried of Archduchess Marie Valerie):

Adolf (1821-85), who was - with his older brother Karl (1814-90) - important statesman in Habsburg monarchy.

[beladona]

Father of Adolf was Prince Wilhelm (1782-1827). He was maried with Adelheid Windisch-Graetz but his young wife died two years after the wedding. Leo van Pas has a nice story about his second wedding taken from memoirs of Princess Fugger: "Wilhelm, the eldest (grandson of Prince Karl Josef) went out to travel and see the world. One day he sent a message to his parents informing then he had become engaged to a Miss Friederike von Lenthe. The second eldest brother Karl was dispatched immediately to dissuade his brother from this ill-advised association. Only a short time had passed when Prince Karl himself sent a letter telling his parents that not only had he not been able to achieve his objective, but that he had become betrothed to Miss Auguste von Lenthe, the sister of his brother's bride."
The brothers married the Lenthe sisters in a double wedding on February 15th 1810.
Prince Wilhelm and Frederika had seven children, among them three sons Karl, Alexander and Adolf.
Prince Karl (1783-1847) and Augusta had seven children too, but only one son, Karl, who never married.

Unfortunately I don´t have any pictures of these beautiful or clever sisters, who made such a good marriages:))
If someone has, please post it...

[Marc]

One of my favorite families...one question:was grafliche branch of this family considered "equa" in official termsl like it was the case with Schonburg and Solms families?

[beladona]

One of my favorite families...one question:was grafliche branch of this family considered "equa" in official termsl like it was the case with Schonburg and Solms families?

Mine too...but it seems no other people are interested...
About the grafliche branches of the family, do you think the branches which lived in Carinthia? I am not sure, but I think they were not considered equal...

[Marc]

Yes,I mean that line,but can't find it on the web...

[beladona]

From marriage of Wilhelm Auersperg and Frederika von Lenthe were (except three daughters) born three sons – Karl, Alexander and Adolf. All brothers married hungarian countesses: Karl and Adolf married sisters Ernestine and Johanna Festetics, Alexander married countess Sarolta Szápáry.
Marriage of eldest brother Karl remained childless, so the next heir was Alexander´s only son Wilhelm. He has tragic destiny. His father died when he  was 12 years old, and her mother and sister died in 1873 because of fire in their palace at Pressburg. Wilhelm himself died very young (22 years) in duel with Count Kolowrat in 1876, but there were very strange circumstances around this case. It is said that the duel was because they both loved the same Countess or because Prince Auersperg gossiped around Count Kolowrat. There also exist an ugly theory that Count Kolowrat was payed by both uncles of young Wilhelm to provoke him and kill him, so that the next heir could be Adolf´s eldest son. The true is that young Wilhelm was near-sighted and didn´t want to fight, but uncle Karl (as a head of the family) order him to defend his honour. Although duels were strictly interdicted, Count Kolowrat was only shortly arrested and then he better left Austria.

[Marc]

Poor guy...really feel sorry for him...who was this Countess,do you know?

[beladona]

It was Countess Anna Waldstein. She never married and later entered the cloister...

[Marc]

Thank you...I will never understand those beautiful women who had many other oportunities entering monastery...

[beladona]

maybe she could feel compromised or she could want to clean the family name?

[Zukunftsseele]