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The House of Castell is a German noble family of mediatised counts of the old Holy Roman Empire. As such it ranks with the reigning dynasties of Europe. In 1901 the heads of the two family branches Castell-Castell and Castell-Rüdenhausen were granted the hereditary title of Princes by Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria.
Contents
History
The family appears in 1057 with Robbrath de Castello. The County of Castell was created in AD1200, in the modern region of Franconia in northern Bavaria, Germany. Rulership of Castell was shared between the brothers Louis and Rupert II in 1223, and later with the brothers Albert II, Frederick II and Henry I in 1235. The County partitioned into Elder and Younger lines in 1254, which were reunited in 1347 with the extinction of the Elder branch. Castell was repartitioned in 1597 into Castell-Remlingen and Castell-Rüdenhausen. When Count Wolfgang Theodoric of Castell-Castell (itself a partition of Castell-Remlingen) died in 1709, the County of Castell was recreated as a partition. Castell was annexed to Castell-Castell in 1772.
Counts of Castell (1200–54)
Partitioned between Elder and Younger lines
Counts of the Elder Line of Castell (1254–347)
Line extinct and inherited by the Younger line which renames itself to Castell
Counts of the Younger Line of Castell (1254–347)
Line inherited the Elder branch and was renamed to Castell
Counts of Castell (1347–1597)
Partitioned into: Castell-Remlingen and Castell-Rüdenhausen
Counts of Castell (1709–72)
Inherited by Count Christian Frederick Charles of Castell-Castell.
After 1806
The family was mediatized in 1806 and 1815, however without loss of its equal-to-royal rank, its two states incorporated into Bavaria. In 1901 both branches received the Bavarian rank of Princes (only in primogeniture), with the title Prince (Serene Highness) for the heads of the branches and the title Count/Countess (Illustrious Highness) for all other members of the House.