Andreas von Graben


Andreas von Graben zu Sommeregg was a Carinthian knight and nobleman residing at Sommeregg Castle. He served as a burgrave and castellan governor in the Ortenburg estates, held by the Counts of Celje until 1456.

Life

Born at Kornberg Castle in the Duchy of Styria, Andreas von Graben was a descendant of the noble Graben von Stein family, who sprang out from the House of Gorizia ruling the County of Görz, as well as the County of Tyrol and the Duchy of Carinthia in former times.
He was the son of Friedrich I von Graben and Katharina von Summeregk ; Burgrave Friedrich II von Graben was a brother of him. Andreas' nephew Ulrich III von Graben became a confidant of the Habsburg emperor Frederick III. Andreas` sister Veronica von Graben was married to Philipp Breuner, and Elisabeth von Graben married with Georg von Auersperg.
In 1442 Count Frederick II of Celje enfeoffed Andreas von Graben with the Lordship of Sommeregg. He served as a captain of the former Ortenburg estates and also as burgrave and knight at Sommeregg, which he chose as his residence. In 1445 he was involved in the fierce feud between Count Henry VI of Gorizia and his wife Catherine of Gara and later supported the military campaigns of his bellicose liege lord Count Ulrich II of Celje. In 1450 he was also named as Burggraf of Sternberg, near Wernberg.
Upon the extinction of the Counts of Celje in 1456, their estates were seized by Emperor Frederick III of the Habsburg dynasty. He enforced a settlement with the Counts of Gorizia, whereupon Andreas von Graben had to renounce his conquests and also lost his office as stadtholder of the Ortenburg estates. Nevertheless, he still is documented as a liege lord around Vellach in 1458, and owner of Falkenstein Castle in 1462. He also had the parish churches of Treffling and Lieseregg near his Sommeregg residence rebuilt. The castle became the Stein von Graben family seat for many years.

Marriage and issue

His wife was Barbara Hallecker, daughter of an Imperial counsellor and administrator in Carinthia. The couple had at least eight children