Original scientific paper
The Noble Tattenbach Family and their Estates in Styria
Dejan Zadravec
; Postgraduate (Doctoral) study program in History, Faculty of Arts, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
Abstract
In this article the author discusses the rise and the decline of the noble family of Tattenbach and about their estates in Styria. Some members of this Bavarian family are in the dukedom of Styria first mentioned already at the end of the 15th century. Besides an unknown Tattenbach, who fought against the Turks near the border river Sotla, the first real trace in this province was left by his relative Viljem. The latter did not actually get any bigger estate in lasting or hereditary ownership, but worked mainly as a ministerialis. The founder of the Styrian branch of the family was his son Ivan, who managed to get some estates in hereditary ownership. It can be said that Ivan started at the beginning. He managed to add to his reputation by doing errands for some church institutions, the Estates and the land Sovereign. His son Žiga followed his footsteps and even increased family’s property. Because of the family’s allegiance the land Sovereign awarded Žiga’s three sons with the baronial title in 1598. Six years later his sons split the possessions. Critical financial situation forced Volk Friderik and Gothard to sell the inherited estates and to move away, while their brother Ivan Krištof stayed. He was very trifty and even managed to enlarge the inherited estates. Just before his death in 1627 he possessed the seigneuries Podčetrtek, Bizeljsko, Podsreda, Konjice, Nezbiše, property Trebnik and manor Gojka. His oldest son Gorfrid got the most of inheritance, but could not enjoy it long. He died in 1640 at the age of 33. His youngest son Gotfrid Viljem after attaining majority moved to Bavaria, where he inherited all the estates of the extinct Bavarian branch of Tattenbachs. His brother Ivan Erazem remained in Styria.
After the unsuccessful anti-Habsburg plot, in which the seigneur Ivan Erazem count Tattenbach participated, the seigneury was confiscated on 22nd March 1670 by Emperor Leopold I, and its administration was given to the Inner Austrian court chamber. The chamber did not administer the confiscated estates directly, but gave the administration to a special administrator, who was one of its employees. This job was given to Žiga Schoffman baron Hemerles and later to Anton Canduzzi, both of which visited seigneuries frequently and by giving the instructions to managers it enabled them to work unhindered. The above mentioned court chamber denounced its administration of confiscated estates in October 1676. The Emperor acted immediately, and entrusted the administration to a special institution called judicium delegatum. This institution was composed of five members and formed in 1671 in order to authenticate the claims of Tattenbach’s creditors. Judicium delegatum did not change the way the seigneuries were managed, and named the sequestrator of confiscated estates Peter Lukrecij de Apostollis as administrator. In May 1679, judicium delegatum finished with its main task. Its findings were astonishing. Almost 500 people and organisations were each entitled to between one and 62,000 florins of Tattenbach’s legacy. All of the count’s jewellery and money, which was kept safe by the Inner Austrian court chamber and then judicium delegatum, as well as all his estates, were relevant for repayment. By the end of 1683 only the seigneuries Štatenberg and Podčetrtek remained, but their estimated worth was not large enough to repay all the remaining creditors. For this reason a list of preferential creditors was composed. The creditors at the top of the list were more likely to get their claims back than those lower in the list.
After the execution of Ivan Erazem the only Tattenbachs still living in the province of Styria were the two sons of Gotfrid’s brother Jurij Žiga. Oton Friderik died at a relatively young age and did not leave any male offsprings behind, while Ivan Krištof was survived only by his youngest son Janez Jožef Adalbert. The latter bequeathed all of his estates and possessions to his non-Styrian relative in 1719.
Keywords
The Noble Tattenbach Family; The Early Modern Period; The Seigneuries in Styria; Ivan Erazem Count Tattenbach; Aristocracy
Hrčak ID:
77929
URI
Publication date:
1.12.2008.
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