Kolowrat family
The House of Kolowrat is a Czech noble family that had a prominent role in the history and administration of their native Kingdom of Bohemia as well as the Holy Roman Empire and later the Habsburg monarchy as high-ranking officials and supporters of the Czech National Revival.
House of Kolowrat | |
---|---|
Country | Kingdom of Bohemia Holy Roman Empire Austrian Empire Austria-Hungary |
Founded | 1347 – Lord Albrecht of Kolowrat |
Current head | Count Maximilián Alexander Kolowrat-Krakowský |
Titles | Lords Counts Imperial Counts |
Cadet branches |
|
The family origins are so far back in time that they are not recorded in any extant Bohemian historical documents. Only a few legends, such as those recounted by historians Bohuslav Balbín and František Palacký, give an account of those origins. The first historically documented Kolowrat is Albrecht of Kolowrat the Elder (cs). The family rose to prominence during the Habsburg Monarchy, during which its members held some of the highest political, military, and clerical offices, including serving as Minister-Presidents, Supreme Chancellors, field marshals, archbishops, and knights of the Order of the Golden Fleece.