Karl Eusebius, Prince of Liechtenstein

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Karl Eusebius, Prince of Liechtenstein; Credit – Wikipedia

Born on April 11, 1611, Karl Eusebius, Prince of Liechtenstein, was the fourth of the four children and the second but the only surviving son of Karl I, the first Prince of Liechtenstein and Baroness Anna Maria von Boskowitz and Černahora (1575 – 1625).

Karl Eusebius had three older siblings:

  • Princess Anna Maria Franziska (1601 – 1640), married Maximilian, 2nd Prince of Dietrichstein, had thirteen children
  • Princess Franziska Barbara (1604 – 1655), married Wenzel Werner of T’Serclaes, Count of Tilly, had nine children
  • Prince Heinrich (died young)

When Karl Eusebius was fifteen years old, his father died on February 12, 1627, and he became the second Prince of Liechtenstein. He was considered underage, and his paternal uncles Maxilimilan of Liechtenstein and Gundakar of Liechtenstein acted as regents until he turned twenty-one in 1632.

On August 6, 1644, Karl Eusebius married his niece Johanna Beatrix of Dietrichstein (circa 1625 – 1676), the daughter of his sister Princess Anna Maria Franziska of Liechtenstein and Maximilian, 2nd Prince of Dietrichstein. Johanna Beatrix predeceased Karl Eusebius, dying on March 26, 1676. She was buried in the Old Crypt at Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic.

Karl Eusebius and Johanna Beatrix had nine children:

  • Princess Eleonora Maria of Liechtenstein (1647 – 1704), married Prince Johann Seyfried von Eggenberg, had seven children
  • Princess Anna Maria of Liechtenstein (1648 – 1654), died in childhood
  • Princess Maria Theresia of Liechtenstein (1649 – 1716), married James Leslie, 2nd Count Leslie of the Holy Roman Empire (his father was a Scottish lord, Alexander Leslie, 14th Baron of Balquhain, 1st Count of the Holy Roman Empire), had one son
  • Princess Johanna Beatrix of Liechtenstein (1650 – 1672), married her second cousin Prince Maximilian of Liechtenstein, had two children
  • Prince Franz Dominik Eusebius of Liechtenstein (born and died 1652), died in infancy
  • Prince Karl Joseph of Liechtenstein (born and died 1652), died in infancy
  • Prince Franz Eusebius Wenzel of Liechtenstein (1654 – 1655), died in infancy
  • Princess Cäcilie of Liechtenstein (born and died 1655), died in infancy
  • Hans-Adam I, Prince of Liechtenstein (1657–1712), married his first cousin Princess Edmunda Maria Theresia of Dietrichstein, had seven children

The devastating Thirty Years War (1618 – 1648) was still occurring during Karl Eusebius’ reign. It is considered one of the most destructive wars in European history with death estimates ranging from 4.5 to 8 million. Some areas of Germany had population declines of over 50%. The war was a continuation of the German religious struggle started by the Reformation, but it also involved the struggle for dominance between the Habsburgs in Austria and Spain and the Bourbons in France. Karl Eusebius I successfully consolidated and rebuilt the House of Liechtenstein territories devastated by the Thirty Years’ War.

Descent from the Cross, commissioned by Karl Eusebius, created by Adam Lenckhardt, the official sculptor of Karl Eusebius’ court

Karl Eusebius began to invest in a personal art collection and became one of the preeminent Central European art collectors of his time. He acquired and commissioned paintings, statues, and other artworks, laying the foundation for the Liechtenstein Museum, formerly a private art museum in Vienna, Austria. It has not been run as a museum since 2012 and is now called Palais Liechtenstein. The Palais Liechtenstein remains home to part of the private art collection of the Princely House of Liechtenstein, one of the largest private collections in the world, started by Karl Eusebius, and is available for visit by booked guided tours.

Part of the park at Lednice Castle; Credit – By Michal Klajban – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=72579529

Karl Eusebius was famous all over Europe for his horse breeding. He showed a strong interest in architecture with his influence in the design of the park at Lednice Castle, now in the Czech Republic (link in German), and in his treatise on architectural theory, an important source for the understanding of royal and aristocratic builders of the 17th century.

Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Czech Republic; Credit – Von Ojin – Eigenes Werk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6438939

After a reign of 57 years, Karl Eusebius, Prince of Liechtenstein died at the age of 72, on April 5, 1684, at Kostelec Castle in Schwarzkosteletz, now Kostelec nad Černými lesy in the Czech Republic. He was buried in the Old Crypt at Chuch of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, Moravia, now in the Czech Republic. Karl Eusebius left his son and successor Hans-Adam I, Prince of Liechtenstein a rich inheritance and an extensive collection of artworks that were multiplied by his son and other descendants. The current Princely Family of Liechtenstein is the second richest European royal family after the Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg.

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Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2021. Karl Eusebius von Liechtenstein – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Eusebius_von_Liechtenstein> [Accessed 3 October 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Karl Eusebius, Prince of Liechtenstein – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Eusebius,_Prince_of_Liechtenstein> [Accessed 3 October 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2021. Karl I, Prince of Liechtenstein. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/karl-i-prince-of-liechtenstein/> [Accessed 3 October 2021].
  • geni_family_tree. 2021. Karl Eusebius, II. Prinz von Liechtenstein. [online] Available at: <https://www.geni.com/people/Karl-Eusebius-II-Prinz-von-Liechtenstein/5068572954690061719> [Accessed 3 October 2021].
  • Princely House of Liechtenstein. 2021. Biographies of all Reigning Princes – 17th century. [online] Available at: <https://fuerstenhaus.li/en/die-biographien-aller-fuersten/17-century/> [Accessed 2 October 2021].
  • Ru.wikipedia.org. 2021. Лихтенштейн, Карл Эйсебиус — Википедия. [online] Available at: <https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9B%D0%B8%D1%85%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%88%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%B9%D0%BD,_%D0%9A%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BB_%D0%AD%D0%B9%D1%81%D0%B5%D0%B1%D0%B8%D1%83%D1%81> [Accessed 3 October 2021].