The Harrach [1] family is an old and influential Austrian noble family, which was also part of the Bohemian nobility. The Grafen (Counts) of Harrach were among the most prominent families in the Habsburg Empire. As one of a small number of mediatised houses, the family belongs to the Uradel (ancient nobility).
The family first appeared in 1195 in documents found at Ranshofen Abbey in the Duchy of Bavaria. There are two main family branches – the Rohrau branch in Austria (until 1886) and the Jilemnice branch in Bohemia – which were established by two sons of Count Karl von Harrach (1570–1628). Two branches were later founded by grandsons of Friedrich August von Harrach-Rohrau – Ernest Christopher Joseph (d. 1838) and Ferdinand Joseph (d. 1841). [2]
The family owned the following properties at various times:
Many of its members bear the title of Graf (count/earl) or Gräfin (countess). Notable members of the family are, among others: