The House of Dietrichstein was one of the oldest and most prominent Austrian noble families originating from the Duchy of Carinthia. The family belonged to the high nobility. The Nikolsburg (Mikulov) branch was elevated to the rank of Prince of the Holy Roman Empire in 1624, while a member of the Hollenburg branch was elevated to the same dignity in 1684. The family held two territories with imperial immediacy – the Principality of Dietrichstein, along with castles in Carinthia and Moravia, and the Barony of Tarasp in Switzerland.
Princely arms of the family
Dietrichstein Castle
Hollenburg, Carinthia, Austria
Mikulov Castle, Moravia, Czech Republic
The Austrian nobility is a status group that was officially abolished in 1919 after the fall of Austria-Hungary. The nobles are still part of Austrian society today, but they no longer retain any specific privileges. Austria's system of nobility was very similar to that of Germany, as both countries were previously part of the Holy Roman Empire (962–1806).
The imperial court of Maria Theresa at the Hofburg in Vienna
During the baroque era, the nobility started to move into the cities and built themselves lavish residences called Palais. The Palais Kinsky in Vienna, belonging to the princely Kinsky family, is one of the most outstanding pieces.
Aristocrats gathering around Emperor Franz Joseph at a ball in the Hofburg Imperial Palace, painting by Wilhelm Gause (1900).
Ludwig Edler von Mises
