Joseph Franz, Prince of Dietrichstein

Joseph Franz, Prince of Dietrichstein (28 March 1798 – 10 July 1858), was a German prince, member of the House of Dietrichstein, Major general, 9th Prince (Fürst) of Dietrichstein zu Nikolsburg, Count of Proskau-Leslie, Baron (Freiherr) of Hollenburg, Finkenstein and Thalberg.

Joseph Franz, Prince of Dietrichstein

Early life

Born in St. Petersburg, he was the only child of Franz Joseph, 8th Prince of Dietrichstein, and Countess Alexandra Andrejevna Shuvalova (1775-1847), Court lady at the Imperial court of Austria, whose mother, Countess Ekaterina Shuvalova, was Court lady of Catherine the Great.

Biography

Shortly after the birth of Joseph Franz, the marriage of his parent ended. His mother moved to Italy, where she remained the rest of her life. The child was left under the care of his father, who raised him with English views, which are considered at that time as the most progressive. Joseph Franz studied in Prague and Viena, where he attended to lectures of the called "Austrian Bolzano", Vincenz Weindtridta, later provost of Nikolsburg.^{[1][unreliable source?]}

Shortly after his marriage in 1821, Joseph Franz received from his father the Bohemian states of the family, and thanks to this he was one of the members of the family who became more close to the Czech nobility.^[1] Often stayed in Prague, he came into contact with Czech patriots and his ideas.

Joseph Franz was one of the initiators of the Unity to encourage industry in the Czech Republic (Jednota ku povzbuzení průmyslu v Čechách), which was founded in Prague on 1 March 1833, and during 1833-1840 he was his President.^[1] He further participated in the associational Prague life: he was a member of the Economic Company (Hospodářské společnosti) and the Society of the National Museum of the Kingdom of Bohemia (království českého a Společnosti vlasteneckého muzea království českého).^[1]

An avid collector of art and paintings, when he assumed the title of Prince of Dietrichstein after his father's death (10 July 1854), he called from Prague the sculptor Emanuel Max to create his sculpture, which was placed after his completion in the Hall of Ancestors at Nikolsburg Castle.^[1]

Having fathered only four daughters and also neither of his male relatives had surviving male issue, in the 1850s for Joseph Franz was clear that the House of Dietrichstein was doomed to extinction. In 1856, he entered into an agreement with the last surviving male of the family, his uncle Moritz about the future of the family's heritage. Moritz, following the primogeniture, assumed the succession of the princely title, but the lands and properties where divided among the four daughters of Joseph Franz.^[1]

During a visit to his youngest daughter, Joseph Franz died at Frýdlant Castle in 1858, aged 60. He was buried in the family crypt at Nikolsburg Castle.^[1]

Marriage and issue

On 21 February 1821, Joseph Franz married with Gabriele Antonia Maria Apollonia Johanna Nepomuzena Felizitas (2 November 1804 – 22 September 1880), a daughter of Josef Antonín, Count Wratislav von Mitrowitz (1764-1830) and Countess Marie Gabriele Valentine Des Fours-Walderode (1771-1840).^[2][3] They had four daughters:^[4][5]

• Theresia (15 October 1822 – 12 March 1895), married on 15 November 1849 to Count Johann Frederick von Herberstein (1810-1861). She inherited the Fideikomiss received from Gundacar of Dietrichstein in 1690, who contained, among other things, Libochovice Palace and the Austrian estates in Vienna, in addition with Dolní Kounice, Ptuj Castle in Slovenia and the Hungarian estates.
• Alexandrine Maria (28 February 1824 – 22 February 1906), married on 28 April 1857 to Count Alexander of Mensdorff-Pouilly. She inherited the most important assets: Nikolsburg (for centuries the seat of the family) with his castle, another palace in Vienna and the Weidlingau villa.
• Gabriele (8 December 1825 – 24 December 1909), married on 1 September 1852 to Prince Alfred von Hatzfeldt-Wildenburg (1825-1911). She inherited Lipník nad Bečvou, Hranice na Moravě with the rest of the Moravian estates.
• Clothilde (26 June 1828 – 31 October 1899), married on 28 April 1850 to Count Eduard von Clam und Gallas. She inherited the Bohemian estates: Žďár nad Sázavou and Přibyslav, along with the Dietrichstein Palace in Währinger Strasse, Vienna.

An important and extensive ancestral graphic collection, which dates have not yet been processed, were inherited by both Theresia and Gabriele. The four sisters also shared a collection of paintings and family portraits later held in Vienna. The core of the family portraits, however, remained intact at Nikolsburg Castle.

In late 1868, Alexandrine's husband, Count Alexander of Mensdorff-Pouilly, obtained from the Emperor the title of Prince of Dietrichstein-Nikolsburg, thus reviving the title of his wife's family. The title of Count of Proskau passed to the only son of Theresia, who in 1896 changed his title to Count of Herberstein-Proskau.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Joseph Franz, Prince of Dietrichstein

16. Walther Franz Xaver Anton, 5th Prince of Dietrichstein 8. Karl Maximilian, 6th Prince of Dietrichstein 17. Countess Karolina Maximiliana von Proskau 4. Karl Johann Baptist, 7th Prince of Dietrichstein 18. Count Sigismund Frederick Khevenhüller-Aichelberg 9. Countess Maria Anna Josepha Khevenhüller-Aichelberg 19. Countess Ernestine von Orsini-Rosenberg 2. Franz Joseph, 8th Prince of Dietrichstein 20. Count Johann Franz Joseph Thun-Hohenstein 10. Count Johann Joseph Franz Thun-Hohenstein 21. Countess Maria Philippine Harrach zu Rohrau 5. Countess Maria Christina Josepha Thun–Hohenstein 22. Count Hermann Friedrich von Hohenzollern-Hechingen 11. Countess Marie Christine von Hohenzollern-Hechingen 23. Countess Josepha von Oettingen zu Spielberg 1. Joseph Franz, 9th Prince of Dietrichstein 24. Ivan Maximovich Shuvalov 12. Count Peter Ivanovich Shuvalov 25. Tatiana Ermolaevna Nechaeva 6. Count Andrey Petrovich Shuvalov 26. Yegor Ivanovich Shepelev 13. Mavra Yegorovna Shepeleva 27. 3. Countess Alexandra Andreeevna Shuvalova 28. Semyon Andreyevich Saltykov 14. Count Pyotr Semyonovich Saltykov 29. Fyokla Yakovlevna Volynskaya 7. Countess Catharina Pyotrovna Saltykova 30. Yuriy Yuryevich Trubetskoy 15. Princess Praskovia Yuriyevna Trubetskaya 31. Countess Yelena Grigoriyevna Cherkasskaya

Notes

1. . rmm.cz. Archived from the original on 7 June 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
2. Marek, Miroslav. "Genealogy of the Wratislav z Mitrowicz family". genealogy.euweb.cz. Retrieved 22 April 2015.^{[self-published source]}
3. "Gabrielle, Gräfin Wratislawova z Mitrovic : Genealogics".
4. Marek, Miroslav. "Genealogy of the House of Dietrichstein (Nikolsburg branch)". genealogy.euweb.cz. Retrieved 22 April 2015.^{[self-published source]}
5. "Joseph, Fürst von Dietrichstein zu Nicolsburg : Genealogics".