This page lists princely families in the territories of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, whether extant or extinct. The style of address was Durchlaucht (Serene Highness); also used was Fürstliche Gnaden (Princely Grace). The Austrian princely title (Fürst) was the most prestigious title of the Austrian nobility, forming the higher nobility (hoher Adel) alongside the counts (Grafen). This close inner circle, called the 100 Familien (100 families), possessed enormous riches and lands. They also had great influence at the court and thus played an important role in politics and diplomacy.
| Preposition[1] | Original name | Most called | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| von | Auersperg | Auersperg | head of this family also carries the titles of Duke of Gottschee, Princely Count of Wels. All members are Serene Highnesses, Princes(ses) of Auersperg | |
| Batthyány-Strattmann[2] | junior members were counts | |||
| von | Clary und Aldringen | Clary-Aldringen[3] | junior members were counts | |
| von | Collalto und San Salvatore | Collalto | junior members were counts | |
| von | Colloredo-Mansfeld[4] | Colloredo-Mansfeld | ||
| von | Croÿ | Croÿ-(subline) | also known as Croÿ-Dülmen, three branches exist. Heads of this family were dukes; also used the preposition de. | |
| von | Dietrichstein | became extinct firstly in male line, recreated for husband of heiress; junior members of this family were counts of Dietrichstein & Proskau-Leslie (first family) then Dietrichstein-Mensdorff-Pouilly (second family) | ||
| von | Eggenberg[5] | became extinct firstly in male line, Bohemian possessions passed to the nearest male relatives via marriage, the Schwarzenberg family, and Styrian possessions likewise to the Herberstein family.[6] [7] [8] [9] | ||
| Esterházy von Galántha[10] | Esterházy | also comital; also used the preposition de | ||
| Festetics von Tolna[11] | Festetics | also comital; also used the preposition de | ||
| zu | Fürstenberg[12] | Fürstenberg | members use titles outside of Austria; some use the preposition von | |
| von | Grassalkovics[13] | Grassalkovics | became extinct | |
| von | Hohenberg | Hohenberg | title of Fürst for all members (see here); elevated to ducal status by primogeniture in 1917; the head of this house is titled Herzog von Hohenberg (Duke of Hohenberg) | |
| zu | Hohenlohe[14] | Hohenlohe-(subline) | this family had multiple branches | |
| von | Khevenhüller-Metsch[15] | Khevenhüller-Metsch | junior members were counts | |
| Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau[16] | Kinsky | junior members were counts; also comital | ||
| von | Koháry | Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Koháry | also comital; became extinct firstly in male line, possessions passed to the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha branch of the family via marriage to the heiress of the last prince | |
| von | Lichnowsky | Lichnowsky | ||
| von | Lobkowicz[17] | Lobkowicz | ||
| Lónyay de Nagy-Lónya et Vásáros-Namény[18] | Lónyay | also comital; also used the preposition de | ||
| von und zu | Liechtenstein[19] | Liechtenstein | sovereign since 1719 | |
| von | Metternich-Winneburg[20] | Metternich | also used the preposition de | |
| von | Montenuovo | Montenuovo | see also House of Neipperg | |
| zu | Oettingen-Oettingen[21] | this family had multiple branches (Oettingen, Wallerstein & Spielberg) | ||
| von | Orsini und Rosenberg[22] | Orsini-Rosenberg | junior members were counts | |
| von | Rohan[23] | Rohan | a line of this family was ducal; also used the preposition de | |
| zu | Sayn-Wittgenstein[24] | Sayn-Wittgenstein-(subline) | this family had multiple branches | |
| von | Schönburg[25] | Schönburg-(subline) | this family had multiple branches (Hartenstein & Waldenburg); also comital | |
| von | Starhemberg[26] | Starhemberg | junior members were counts | |
| zu | Schwarzenberg[27] | Schwarzenberg | the head of this house is also Duke of Krumlov, Princely Landgrave in Klettgau, and Count of Sulz | |
| von | Thun-Hohenstein | Thun-Hohenstein[28] | also comital | |
| von und zu | Trauttmansdorff-Weinsberg[29] | Trauttmansdorff-Weinsberg | also comital | |
| von | Waldburg[30] | Waldburg-(subline) | this family had multiple branches; junior members were counts | |
| zu | Windisch-Graetz | Windisch-Graetz | also Windisch-Grätz |