Hohenems, Adelsgeschlecht

Hohenems, Counts von, noble family from Vorarlberg; estate officials under the Staufen in the 12th century, were given Ems (Hohenems) castle in 1180. During the 14th century, they built up a territory which was subject to the emperor only ("reichsfrei") and which became a hereditary fiefdom in 1430/1443. During the 16th century, they were lansquenet leaders in Germany and Italy and cooperated closely with the Habsburgs and in 1560 were given the rank of count. The family died out in 1759; their allodial property fell to the Counts Waldburg-Zeil via the Harrach family; the sovereignty over their territory fell to the Austrian state. Prominent members of the family included Jakob Hannibal von Hohenems, Kaspar von Hohenems, Marcus Sitticus von Hohenems and Mark Sittich von Hohenems.