Thurn und Taxis

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Image:Thurn und Taxis (coa).jpg The Princely House of Thurn and Taxis (German: Das Fürstenhaus Thurn und Taxis) is a German family that was a key player in the postal (mail) services in Europe in the 16th century and is well known as owners of breweries and builders of countless castles.

In the 13th century the originally Lombardic aristocratic family de la Torre (torre in Italian means tower) was resident in Bergamo. The Tower (in German Turm) in the family crest eventually became Thurn, the Tasso (Dachs) became Taxis.

Ruggiano de Tassis (Franz von Taxis) founded the postal service in Italy. And later in Innsbruck, on 11 December 1489, Jeannetto de Tassis was appointed Chief Master of Postal Services. The family held its exclusive position for centuries. On 12 November 1516 the Thurn und Taxis family had a postal service based in Brussels reaching to Rome, Naples, Spain, Germany and France by courier.

The Thurn und Taxis company would last until the 18th century, when the postal service was finally bought by the heir to the Spanish throne.

Rainer Maria Rilke's famous novel The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge was dedicated to Princess Marie of Thurn and Taxis (née princess of Hohenlohe), who was one of his major patrons.

The house of Thurn and Taxis still exists and is currently headed by HSH Albert Maria Lamoral Miguel Johannes Gabriel, 12th Prince of Thurn and Taxis, son of Gloria, Princess of Thurn and Taxis, and is among the wealthiest in Germany. The family has resided in St. Emmeram Castle in Regensburg since 1748. The family's brewery was sold to the Paulaner Group (Munich) in 1996, but still produces beer under the brand of Thurn und Taxis.

1 Princes (Fürsten) of Thurn and Taxis, 1695-present
2 Influences
3 See also
4 External links

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Princes (Fürsten) of Thurn and Taxis, 1695-present

Eugen Alexander Franz 1695-1714
Anselm Franz 1714-1739
Alexander Ferdinand 1739-1773
Karl Anselm 1773-1805
Karl Alexander 1805-1827
Maximilian Karl 1827-1871
Maximilian Maria 1871-1885
Albert 1885-1952
Franz Josef 1952-1971
Karl August 1971-1982
Johannes 1982-1990
Albert 1990-present

The Thurn and Taxis clan came to massive media attention during the late 1970's through mid-1980's when late Prince Johannes married Countess Maria Gloria of Schönburg-Glauchau, a member of an impoverished noble family. The couple's wild, "jet set" lifestyle and Princess Gloria's over-the-top appearance (characterized by bright haircolor and flashy clothes) earned her the nickname "Princess TNT."

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Influences

The mail monopoly of Thurn and Taxis was central to the plot of The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon, which deals with a secret rival mail system W. A. S. T. E., developed by the fictional Trystero family.

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