The House of Esterházy, also spelled Eszterházy, is a Hungarian noble family with origins in the Middle Ages. From the 17th century, the Esterházys were the greatest landowner magnates of the Kingdom of Hungary, during the time that it was part of the Habsburg monarchy and later Austria-Hungary. During the history of the Habsburg Empire, the Esterházy family was consistently loyal to the Habsburg rulers. The Esterházys received the title of Graf (Count) in 1626, and the Forchtenstein line received the title of Fürst (Prince) from the Holy Roman Emperor in 1712.
The princely Eszterházy arms
The arms of Paul I, Prince Esterházy (1635–1713)
Forchtenstein Castle in Forchtenstein, Austria
Schloss Esterházy in Eisenstadt, Austria
Eisenstadt is the capital city of the Austrian state of Burgenland. With a population of 15,074, it is the smallest state capital and the 38th-largest city in Austria overall. It lies at the foot of the Leitha Mountains hill range.
Image: Kismarton légifotó3
Image: Eisenstadt Kalvarienberg
Image: Landesregierung Eisenstadt 4805
Image: Eisenstadt Schloss Esterhazy 16082003 01