IMPERIAL SPLENDOUR
Three brothers Ems are looking at themselves in a mirror that is at least 400 years old. It is Monday, April 29, in the afternoon. We are standing in one of the parade halls of Palace Hohenems, built some 450 years ago as one of the first renaissance palaces in the Holy Roman Empire, North of the Alps. Indeed, this monument would become famous as the only palace built in the truly Italian Renaissance style in those parts of the world. The Palace became the residence of the Emser, after their elevation to Imperial Counts of Hohenems back in 1560. But they had held the lien, as Knights, on the Hohenems domain long before that, since they are documented as residents there since the early twelfth century.
It is only right that we appear somewhat hazy within the mirror frame. We are not on a journey of self-discovery after all. No! As should be clear by now, our goal is to bring clarity to the fate of the Ems Dynasty of yore.
The night before was spent in our separées on iron wheels transporting us westward from Vienna. In contrast to my brothers, I had trouble getting any sleep with the steady "tong, tong" of the railway coaches. Finally, around 6 am, I had about enough and lifted the curtain to see, whether the sun was already shining. No way! The train had slowed down, since we were approaching the top of the Arlberg Pass, the border to Vorarlberg, the Western most province of Austria. Instead of the sun breaking through the clouds, I was greeted by a hefty snow storm, laying a new blanket of white on ground already preparing for spring. And continue to snow it would, almost down to our destination Feldkirch, where we departed the train in search for our car, in a steady cold drizzle that would continue all morning.
So we lost no time and speeded on to the town of Hohenems, which lay just North of the domains of Feldkirch and Rankweil. The morning was spent there exploring the town with the help of a competent guide, whilst gradually getting trenched in wetness. But lunch beckoned and we managed to find a nice place that served the delicious Swabian Flammekueche (a kind of local Pizza). This delicious meal did us a lot of good, lifting our somewhat melancholic mood of the morning.
After lunch we headed to the palace proper, where brother Ludwig had arranged a guided tour beforehand. It was an impressive edifice, located towards the foothills, a bit aloof of the town, with the market place and town church to its right. Its building was initiated by Cardinal Merk Sittich III von Hohenems (more about him later) already in 1562 and carried out by the famous Italian architect Martino Longhi. Please note that there was no snow, only soggy rain, on the day of our visit; the picture below was taken in winter time some years ago.
As we are standing in front of the impressive entrance to the palace, a nice young fellow approaches us, accompanied by his dogs. At first we believe him to be the warden of the residence, assigned to guide us through the premises. Instead, to our surprise, he turns out to be none other than His Illustrious Highness, Count Clemens Friedrich von Waldburg-Zeil-Hohenems, the present Lord of the Manor, who welcomes us with open arms as his "namesakes". We feel honoured to be guided by his Highness himself through these haloed halls.
As we start our excursion, I get to think about the inclusion of the term "Hohenems" in the Count's name. Did not the last Imperial Count Franz Wilhelm III von Hohenems die in 1759 without a male heir? And did not Emperor Francis I thereupon rescind the Imperial lien and transfer it to his wife Maria Theresia? I dare ask the Count discretely to clarify this matter for me. His answer is an intriguing lecture in latter-day feodalism and genealogy.
It is true that the lien, with its embodied title and rights of Imperial Count, had been rescinded in 1759. But this did not affect the allodial rights of the family. By this is meant the private possessions not linked to the lien, such as, property that had been acquired as real estate by the family as of old. Such private estate is of course inheritable also on the female side, which was the case in 1759, with the Count's only child Maria Rebecca inheriting the allodium.
She in turn became through marriage Countess von Harrach-Hohenems. Her daughter and only heir Maria Walburga married Count Clemens Alois von Waldburg-Zeil, who after marriage assumed the title of Waldburg-Zeil-Hohenems. And so on it went until present day. We can thank the Waldburg-Zeil dynasty for preserving this noble name of Hohenems for prosperity, if only as an add-on.
But this is not the end of the lecture. Keep in mind that Empress Maria Theresia was feoffed with the title of Imperial Count(ess) of Hohenems. From then on, each Holy Roman Emperor/Austrian Emperor until Charles I counted, among his many titles, also the one of "Count of Hohenems". Indeed, whenever Emperor Francis Joseph I or his spouse Elisabeth ("Sissi") travelled abroad incognito, they had the habit of using "Count(ess) of Hohenems" as their pseudonym. Count Clemens proudly shows me that his family still is in possession of one of the Emperor's "carte de visite". Male descendants of the last Emperor, Charles I, of course also have the right to the title.
Neither is this the end of the story! Count Clemens' great grandfather Clemens Maximilian was married to the granddaughter of Emperor Francis Joseph I himself. Thus, Clemens is the great great grandchild of a Count of Hohenems! An Imperial line indeed!
Now back to our guided tour. We are lucky to be shown the whole palace, which in its entirety is usually not granted to visitors, and are impressed by the grandeur of its lay-out. Unfortunately, scant objects from olden times are preserved in the various halls and rooms, due to several unfortunate events in the past. Already in 1647, many valuables were lost to the army of the Swedish General Wrangel. Later, in the 1700s, the Countess of Harrach-Hohenems had many of the still existing valuables, among them all portraits and other paintings, removed to her domains in Bistrau (in present day Czechia). In the mid 1800s, the palace served as a military barracks for twenty years, until the above mentioned Count Clemens Maximilian finally refurbished and returned it, in 1882, to a residence fit for the Waldburg-Zeil-Hohenems dynasty.
Still, Count Clemens and his forbearers have put a lot of effort into endowing the premises with vintage accoutrements, putting back former pictures on the wall, if only as copies, and placing in the parade rooms furniture, as far as possible, from the time of the former Hohenemser.
Some uniquely preserved features in the parade rooms and corridors give us an inkling of the splendour of yore. For instance, the ceilings in those rooms are uniquely preserved from the 16th century. So, even if tapestry that surely existed at the outset is sorely missing nowadays, one has only to lift one's head to be transported back to the 1570s!
Another room of interest is shown to us by the Count. It is the bedroom of Count Kaspar von Hohenems and his spouse. Although the furniture is not original, it is contemporary. The portraits of the couple are also copies of the originals that are still kept in Bistrau. Still, the room is imbued with a flair of olden times, carefully recreated by the present owner dynasty.
To round up this short review – a full report would fill several blog posts – the Count also points us to an intriguing venerable old sled, placed in an exit corridor. As he explains it, this is actually an original artefact of the time, used to be mounted by the Count of Hohenems on outdoor events in winter time. We dare put a finger on this wooden old-timer, to get in touch with an age more than 450 years past.
We are full of gratitude for the "illustrious" guidance through this manifestation of Imperial splendour. The more so since Count Clemens will not let us leave without offering us coffee and a warming goodbye-drink in his reception room. The Count is en enthusiastic amateur vintner, striving to recreate the palace vineyard of old, laid out already in renaissance times. This is an on-going project. Even so, the first results can already be imbued, in the form of the excellent grappa we are being served. The refreshment is welcome, as we are quite exhausted after the day's experiences, which you can see in the picture.
We say goodbye to the good Count, but do not leave the premises immediately. The Palace Cellar Restaurant beckons and we spend a frugal evening there, munching on the cook's delicacies. At the table, a question occurs to us: how was it possible, for a small noble family on a diminutive estate – even I could walk through the domains of Hohenems in about two hours – to find the funds for such splendorous achievements? The discussion that ensues is best summarised in a short chronicle of two generations of Ems. But better leave this to another blog post, so as not to exhaust your patience, dear Readers!
It is only right that we appear somewhat hazy within the mirror frame. We are not on a journey of self-discovery after all. No! As should be clear by now, our goal is to bring clarity to the fate of the Ems Dynasty of yore.
The night before was spent in our separées on iron wheels transporting us westward from Vienna. In contrast to my brothers, I had trouble getting any sleep with the steady "tong, tong" of the railway coaches. Finally, around 6 am, I had about enough and lifted the curtain to see, whether the sun was already shining. No way! The train had slowed down, since we were approaching the top of the Arlberg Pass, the border to Vorarlberg, the Western most province of Austria. Instead of the sun breaking through the clouds, I was greeted by a hefty snow storm, laying a new blanket of white on ground already preparing for spring. And continue to snow it would, almost down to our destination Feldkirch, where we departed the train in search for our car, in a steady cold drizzle that would continue all morning.
 |
| Swabian Flammekueche |
So we lost no time and speeded on to the town of Hohenems, which lay just North of the domains of Feldkirch and Rankweil. The morning was spent there exploring the town with the help of a competent guide, whilst gradually getting trenched in wetness. But lunch beckoned and we managed to find a nice place that served the delicious Swabian Flammekueche (a kind of local Pizza). This delicious meal did us a lot of good, lifting our somewhat melancholic mood of the morning.
After lunch we headed to the palace proper, where brother Ludwig had arranged a guided tour beforehand. It was an impressive edifice, located towards the foothills, a bit aloof of the town, with the market place and town church to its right. Its building was initiated by Cardinal Merk Sittich III von Hohenems (more about him later) already in 1562 and carried out by the famous Italian architect Martino Longhi. Please note that there was no snow, only soggy rain, on the day of our visit; the picture below was taken in winter time some years ago.
 |
| Palace Hohenems, with church and market place to its right. Photographer: Friedrich Böhringer. |
As we are standing in front of the impressive entrance to the palace, a nice young fellow approaches us, accompanied by his dogs. At first we believe him to be the warden of the residence, assigned to guide us through the premises. Instead, to our surprise, he turns out to be none other than His Illustrious Highness, Count Clemens Friedrich von Waldburg-Zeil-Hohenems, the present Lord of the Manor, who welcomes us with open arms as his "namesakes". We feel honoured to be guided by his Highness himself through these haloed halls.
 |
| Seine Erlaucht, Graf Franz Clemens Friedrich von Waldburg-Zeil-Hohenems, with his hunting dogs. |
As we start our excursion, I get to think about the inclusion of the term "Hohenems" in the Count's name. Did not the last Imperial Count Franz Wilhelm III von Hohenems die in 1759 without a male heir? And did not Emperor Francis I thereupon rescind the Imperial lien and transfer it to his wife Maria Theresia? I dare ask the Count discretely to clarify this matter for me. His answer is an intriguing lecture in latter-day feodalism and genealogy.
It is true that the lien, with its embodied title and rights of Imperial Count, had been rescinded in 1759. But this did not affect the allodial rights of the family. By this is meant the private possessions not linked to the lien, such as, property that had been acquired as real estate by the family as of old. Such private estate is of course inheritable also on the female side, which was the case in 1759, with the Count's only child Maria Rebecca inheriting the allodium.
 |
| Maria Rebecca Countess of Hohenems |
But this is not the end of the lecture. Keep in mind that Empress Maria Theresia was feoffed with the title of Imperial Count(ess) of Hohenems. From then on, each Holy Roman Emperor/Austrian Emperor until Charles I counted, among his many titles, also the one of "Count of Hohenems". Indeed, whenever Emperor Francis Joseph I or his spouse Elisabeth ("Sissi") travelled abroad incognito, they had the habit of using "Count(ess) of Hohenems" as their pseudonym. Count Clemens proudly shows me that his family still is in possession of one of the Emperor's "carte de visite". Male descendants of the last Emperor, Charles I, of course also have the right to the title.
 |
| Carte de visite of Emperor Francis Joseph I, when travelling abroad incognito |
Neither is this the end of the story! Count Clemens' great grandfather Clemens Maximilian was married to the granddaughter of Emperor Francis Joseph I himself. Thus, Clemens is the great great grandchild of a Count of Hohenems! An Imperial line indeed!
Now back to our guided tour. We are lucky to be shown the whole palace, which in its entirety is usually not granted to visitors, and are impressed by the grandeur of its lay-out. Unfortunately, scant objects from olden times are preserved in the various halls and rooms, due to several unfortunate events in the past. Already in 1647, many valuables were lost to the army of the Swedish General Wrangel. Later, in the 1700s, the Countess of Harrach-Hohenems had many of the still existing valuables, among them all portraits and other paintings, removed to her domains in Bistrau (in present day Czechia). In the mid 1800s, the palace served as a military barracks for twenty years, until the above mentioned Count Clemens Maximilian finally refurbished and returned it, in 1882, to a residence fit for the Waldburg-Zeil-Hohenems dynasty.
Still, Count Clemens and his forbearers have put a lot of effort into endowing the premises with vintage accoutrements, putting back former pictures on the wall, if only as copies, and placing in the parade rooms furniture, as far as possible, from the time of the former Hohenemser.
Some uniquely preserved features in the parade rooms and corridors give us an inkling of the splendour of yore. For instance, the ceilings in those rooms are uniquely preserved from the 16th century. So, even if tapestry that surely existed at the outset is sorely missing nowadays, one has only to lift one's head to be transported back to the 1570s!
 |
| Well preserved ceilings in Palace Hohenems |
Another room of interest is shown to us by the Count. It is the bedroom of Count Kaspar von Hohenems and his spouse. Although the furniture is not original, it is contemporary. The portraits of the couple are also copies of the originals that are still kept in Bistrau. Still, the room is imbued with a flair of olden times, carefully recreated by the present owner dynasty.
 |
| Bedroom of Kaspar von Hohenems and his spouse |
To round up this short review – a full report would fill several blog posts – the Count also points us to an intriguing venerable old sled, placed in an exit corridor. As he explains it, this is actually an original artefact of the time, used to be mounted by the Count of Hohenems on outdoor events in winter time. We dare put a finger on this wooden old-timer, to get in touch with an age more than 450 years past.
 |
| Wooden renaissance sled in Palace Hohenems |
We are full of gratitude for the "illustrious" guidance through this manifestation of Imperial splendour. The more so since Count Clemens will not let us leave without offering us coffee and a warming goodbye-drink in his reception room. The Count is en enthusiastic amateur vintner, striving to recreate the palace vineyard of old, laid out already in renaissance times. This is an on-going project. Even so, the first results can already be imbued, in the form of the excellent grappa we are being served. The refreshment is welcome, as we are quite exhausted after the day's experiences, which you can see in the picture.
We say goodbye to the good Count, but do not leave the premises immediately. The Palace Cellar Restaurant beckons and we spend a frugal evening there, munching on the cook's delicacies. At the table, a question occurs to us: how was it possible, for a small noble family on a diminutive estate – even I could walk through the domains of Hohenems in about two hours – to find the funds for such splendorous achievements? The discussion that ensues is best summarised in a short chronicle of two generations of Ems. But better leave this to another blog post, so as not to exhaust your patience, dear Readers!
Comments
Eine tolle Reise mit Familiengeschichte. Was für ein Glück dass Euch der jetzige Besitzer durch das Schloss führte. Ich hoffe Du bringst Auszüge als Vortrag im Herbst?
Liebe Grüße Werner
Jamie
Einfach großartig Deine neuesten Mitteilungen zu lesen und dabei mit Euch in die Geschichte eintauchen zu dürfen! Habe natürlich bereits in der Schule von den ’Emsern‘ gelernt und dann während des Jus-Studiums, zumal wir ja auch ‚Rechtsgeschichte‘ als Prüfungsfach hatten und ich immer geschichtlich interessiert war. Deine Berichte eröffnen aber noch ganz andere für mich hochinteressante Perspektiven und es ist ein Vergnügen sie zu lesen, ergänzt durch Deine wie immer die Texte bereichernden Bilder. Bin allerdings erst mit ziemlicher Verspätung dazugekommen mir dieses Vergnügen zu gönnen.
Schade, dass ich die Wohnung in Salzburg, die gleich beim Mirabell lag, im Vorjahr aufgeben musste, sonst hätte ich Euch gerne dort begrüßt und herumgeführt.
Hoffentlich hattet Ihr auf Euren sonstigen Reisestationen besseres Wetter; bei uns war es angeblich der kälteste Mai seit ca. 30 Jahren und recht verregnet.
Herzliche Grüße,
Ingrid
Bei unser Umrundung des Bodensees per Rad sind wir übrigens Ende April in der Nähe von Hohenems "vorbeigestrampelt" ohne diese Hintergründe zu erahnen...
Vielen Dank und herzliche Grüße aus Leonding, Wilfried