Graf is a historical title of the German nobility and later also of the Russian nobility, usually translated as "count". Considered to be intermediate among noble ranks, the title is often treated as equivalent to the British title of "earl".
The House of Welf is a European dynasty that has included many German and British monarchs from the 11th to 20th century and Emperor Ivan VI of Russia in the 18th century. The originally Franconian family from the Meuse-Moselle area was closely related to the imperial family of the Carolingians.
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 Schenk von Stauffenberg family is a Roman Catholic Uradel German noble family from Swabia, Germany. The family's best-known recent member was Colonel Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg – the key figure in the 1944 "20 July plot" to assassinate Adolf Hitler.
The House of Schönborn is the name of an ancient noble and mediatised formerly sovereign family of the former Holy Roman Empire.
The House of Fürstenberg is an old and influential Swabian noble house in Germany, based primarily in what is today southern Baden-Württemberg near the source of the Danube river. Numerous members of the family have risen to prominence over the centuries as soldiers, churchmen, diplomats, and academics. Sometimes the name is gallicized as de Furstenberg or anglicized as Furstenberg.
The House of Batthyány is the name of an ancient and distinguished Hungarian Magnate family. Members of this family bear the title Count/Countess (Graf/Gräfin) Batthyány von Német-Ujvar respectively, while the title of Prince (Fürst) of Batthyány-Strattmann is reserved only for the Head of the family. A branch of the family was notable in Croatia as well, producing several Bans (viceroys) of Croatia in the 16th, 17th and 18th century.
The Electorate of Trier was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire that existed from the end of the 9th to the early 19th century. It was the temporal possession of the prince-archbishop of Trier who was, ex officio, a prince-elector of the empire. The other ecclesiastical electors were the electors of Cologne and Mainz.
August Philipp Karl of Limburg Stirum (1721–1797), count of Limburg Stirum and Bronckhorst, was the son of Otto Leopold Count von Limburg Styrum und Bronckhorst, Lord of Gemen and Raesfeld (1688–1754) and Anna Elisabeth countess of Schönborn (1686–1757).
The House of Harrach is the name of an old and influential Austro-German 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 mediatized families, it belongs to the Uradel.
Johann Philipp von Walderdorff was a German nobleman who served as Archbishop and Elector of Trier from 1756 and as Prince-Bishop of Worms from 1763 until his death in 1768.
Molsberg is an Ortsgemeinde – a community belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde – in the Westerwaldkreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
The Diocese of Fulda is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in the north of the German state of Hessen. It is a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Paderborn. The bishop's seat is in Fulda Cathedral.
The House of Khevenhüller is the name of an old and important Carinthian noble family, documented there since 1356, with its ancestral seat at Landskron Castle. In the 16th century, the family split into the two branches of Khevenhüller-Frankenburg, Imperial Counts from 1593, and Khevenhüller-Hochosterwitz, raised to Imperial Counts in 1725 and, as Khevenhüller-Metsch, to princely rank (Fürsten) in 1763. The family belongs to high nobility.
The House of Dietrichstein was the name of one of the oldest and most prominent Austrian noble families originating from Carinthia. The family belonged to the High Nobility, the Hochadel. 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 hold two groups of territories: the Principality of Dietrichstein, some castles in Carinthia and Moravia, and the Barony of Tarasp in Switzerland.
The House of Clary und Aldringen, also known as Clary-Aldringen, is one of the most prominent Austro-Hungarian princely families. Originally from Friuli, Northern Italy, one branch of the family moved to the County of Tyrol around 1500 and to the Kingdom of Bohemia around 1600, where it became one of the leading families of the Bohemian nobility. It produced several notable Austro-Hungarian statesmen, military officers and diplomats.
Bruchsal Palace, also called the Damiansburg, is a Baroque palace complex located in Bruchsal, Germany. The complex is made up of over 50 buildings. These include a three-winged residential building with an attached chapel, four pavilions separated by a road, some smaller utility buildings, and a garden. It is noted for its fine Rococo decoration and in particular its entrance staircase, which is regarded as one of the finest examples of its kind in any Baroque palace.
Wilderich Freiherr von Walderdorff from the Walderdorff family was Prince-Bishop of Vienna and Reichsvizekanzler (Vice-Chancellor) of the Holy Roman Empire (1660-1669).
Countess Tessa June von Walderdorff, also known by her married name Tessa Hilton, is an American socialite, model, and real estate broker. She previously worked as an actress in short films, a free-lance disc jockey, and was a writer for the German fashion and lifestyle magazine I Love You.
Countess Adelaide of Vianden was a countess from the House of Vianden, the cadet branch of the House of Sponheim that ruled the County of Vianden, and through marriage Countess of Nassau-Siegen. She acted as regent of the County of Nassau-Siegen for her eldest son in the period 1351–1362.
