House of Guttenberg


Guttenberg is a prominent Franconian noble family. It traces its origins back to 1149 with a Gundeloh von Blassenberg, though the first mention in a document is dated 1158. The name Guttenberg is derived from Guttenberg in present-day Bavaria, and it was adopted by a Heinrich von Blassenberg around 1310.
The Plassenberg family members were ministeriales of the Counts of Andechs and used as their seat the Plassenburg of Kulmbach. The castle of Guttenberg remains the main seat of the family.
The family currently consists of two branches: the elder branch, von und zu Guttenberg, and the younger Steinhausen branch. In 1700, the family rose from the rank of Reichsritter to Reichsfreiherr.
After the Holy Roman Empire dissolved, they were given the rank of Freiherr of Bavaria. According to historian Werner Wagenhöfer, the Guttenberg family is the most researched family of the low nobility in Franconia, along with the Seckendorff and Bibra families.

Prominent members