Romanian Noble and Princely Families

[andrew]

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There are many counts in Transilvania and the Western parts of Romania, which were part of the kingdom of Hungary until 1918 from the 9th century. They are mostly of Hungarian origins but there were a few of Roman origins, too. Bethlen, Károlyi, Teleki, Bánffy, Kalnoky, Mocsonyi, Nako, Rhédey to name but a few of them. Many of them left the country after the second World War, so you might have encountered one of them.
În Wallachia and Moldova the nobility were named boiars. Cantacuzino, Știrbei, Calimachi, Ghica, Șuțu, etc

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

There are many counts in Transilvania and the Western parts of Romania, which were part of the kingdom of Hungary until 1918 from the 9th century. They are mostly of Hungarian origins but there were a few of Roman origins, too. Bethlen, Károlyi, Teleki, Bánffy, Kalnoky, Mocsonyi, Nako, Rhédey to name but a few of them. Many of them left the country after the second World War, so you might have encountered one of them.
În Wallachia and Moldova the nobility were named boiars. Cantacuzino, Știrbei, Calimachi, Ghica, Șuțu, etc

The families you name: Bethlen (Hungary and Slovakia), Károlyi (Hungary), Teleki (Holy Roman Empire and Hungary), Bánffy (Hungary), Kálnoky (Hungary), Mocsonyi (Hungary), Nákó (Hungary), Rhédey (hungary and Slovakia), Cantacuzino (Byzantine Empire), Știrbei (Poland), etc. all are from present-day Romania indeed, but all of them have their Adelsbrief from another (foreign) country.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Have many Romanian noble families had properties/estates returned to them?

I'd imagine that much of the Romanian Nobilty were dispersed during the Communists years.

 

[JR76]

Have many Romanian noble families had properties/estates returned to them?

I'd imagine that much of the Romanian Nobilty were dispersed during the Communists years.

While I can't reply to your question I have this article writing about the issue to share

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.ft.com/content/5af412ba-2d51-11e6-bf8d-26294ad519fc

 

[Somebody]

BBC also published an article (in 2014) on a few families that had their castle returned to them.

 

[An Ard Ri]

I'd imagine a lot of the properties are in a bad state of neglect having been unoccupied for decades.

 

[Katrina22]

The Romanians do not have a comparable system of Nobility (Peerage) with West-European countries, consisting of Dukes, Marquesses, Counts, Viscounts, Barons and Knights.

The reason is simple: there was no King of Romania conferring titles of Nobility. The Romanian Nobles with comparable titles have been created by the Holy Roman Empire, by the Emperor of Austria/King of Hungary, by the Tsar of Russia and by the King of Poland.

For a major part of it's history Romania was Russian (Moldova) or Austria-Hungarian (Transylvania). The current Royal House of Romania is only from 1881 and is a junior branch of the German princely House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. In this short existence it saw the Russian Revolution of 1917, the toppling of the Russian, Austria-Hungarian and German thrones. Finally in 1947 the monarchy was toppled by the Communists.

In this short period (less than 70 turbulent years with two World Wars, revolutions and a Communist coup) no own Peerage of Romania has been established. There certainly are castles and domains in Romania, but the original owners all were ennobled in a foreign peerage, the royal family included. Only on May 10th 2011 King Michael and his five daughters denounced their German princely rank, style, surname and title. Since then the family holds the surname De Roumanie, with the title Prince (Princess) of Romania and the prefix HRH.

We can say they are the sole Romanian création.

Yes, this gentleman did not say he was a Romanian Count (that was my term), and he said that "count" would not be the exact term, but probably how I would refer to his title in English. He also said that he attended school in France, and that he had hopes that his family might be restored to their land, estate, or something like that, which was IN present-day Romania. So, as you describe, he could have been Hungarian, Austrian, etc by ethnicity.

 

[Katrina22]

There are many counts in Transilvania and the Western parts of Romania, which were part of the kingdom of Hungary until 1918 from the 9th century. They are mostly of Hungarian origins but there were a few of Roman origins, too. Bethlen, Károlyi, Teleki, Bánffy, Kalnoky, Mocsonyi, Nako, Rhédey to name but a few of them. Many of them left the country after the second World War, so you might have encountered one of them.
În Wallachia and Moldova the nobility were named boiars. Cantacuzino, Știrbei, Calimachi, Ghica, Șuțu, etc

Yes, Andrew, this could have been the case. If only I remembered his family name! Or even whereabouts his "land" in Romania was, though I'm not sure he told me precisely where it was anyway. Thanks for your input.

 

[Katrina22]

BBC also published an article (in 2014) on a few families that had their castle returned to them.

Lovely! Thank-you!

 

[Katrina22]

While I can't reply to your question I have this article writing about the issue to share

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.ft.com/content/5af412ba-2d51-11e6-bf8d-26294ad519fc

Sorry, just goes to a subscription page for me.

 

[Katrina22]

Romanian nobility:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Romanian_nobility

Romanian noble families:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Romanian_noble_families

Thank-you so much for your help!

 

[iceflower]

Prince Constantin Pavlovitch Mourousy and Princess Suzanne Mourousy attended Plamen Roussev signing his Book "Le violon de ma liberté - The violin of my freedom" at "Cercle de l'Union Interalliée" in Paris yesterday, October 18:


** Pic **

 

[CyrilVladisla]

Vladislav II (died August 20, 1456) was a voivode of the principality of Wallachia.
He reigned from December 1447 to October 1448.
He also reigned from 1448 to August 20, 1456.
He founded Snagov Monastery in 1453.