History of the von Habicht family
Alexandre von Habicht
Little information is known about the beginnings of the von Habicht dynasty for a variety of reasons, principle among them lack of record keeping. Despite the lack of official knowledge, various family tales have been passed down through the generations forming a series of interconnected stories that lay out the history of the von Habicht dynasty to 200 years ago. Around this time Alexandre von Habicht, known then as Alexandre Hrach, wandered around much of Europe as a knight, offering his services to whatever lord would pay at the moment for a fighting man. A very difficult life, Alexandre was of the poorest, outstripped by even some non-nobles in terms of wealth. This only results because of his keeping his armor, weapons, and horse in order to secure work. Missing the Crusades by a scant ten years, there was seemingly no means for him to make money. The story tells that, desperate, Alexandre traveled to Constantinople in hopes of finding some form of service.
Stunned by the majesty of the Hagia Sophia, Alexandre immediately pledged his sword to the newly risen emperor Baldwin of Flanders in 1204 and then Theodore I Laskaris in 1208. He stayed in this service until his death in they year 1236. In between these dates he sired three children: two sons Andreas (1213) and Fabian(1216) and a daughter named Theresa (1208). Fabian died at the age of three.
Andreas von Habicht
It is with Andreas that the history of the von Habicht's truly begins. Losing his father at the age of eleven and his mother four years later, Andreas was left a young, family-less Austrian in a predominantly Greek land. Emperor John III Doukas Vatatzes, pitying the two younglings and feeling indebted towards them due to the services Alexandre had provided, he arranged spaces for the two in a monastery located just outside Constantinople. Moving here, Andreas took lessons with the monks while his sister learned the ways of being a nun. Becoming a pious man, Andreas could never forget the stories with which his father had regaled him of the Germanic lands. At the age of 30, leading a healthy life as a monk, he begged permission from the abbot to be given leave. The abbot, a kindly man, had taken a liking to Andreas and was hesitant to let him go. By some unexplained reason Andreas was given leave, travelling with his sister to the lands of Austria. Here he worked as a chaplain to a wealthy Burgrave until his death in 1270. Only two of his children lived to adulthood, those being Alexandre II (1240) and Lukas (1243) Hrach.
Alexandre II von Habicht
Despite the pressings of his father, Alexandre never felt the urge to enter the monastic life. His brother Lukas took such a path, entering a monastery at the age of six and beginning his studies. Alexandre received education from his father who, despite allowing ALexandre to stay, desired to instill piousness in him. His father, having become friends with the Burgrave and his family, secured military training for young Alexandre. Training extensively, Alexandre was knighted at the age of 22 after saving the life of the Burgrave's son during a skirmish with another local lord. Given a small village to manage, Alexandre moved here and built himself a small manor. Running the small area well, fate was not so kind to him as it was before. Disease ravaged the local area, causing Alexandre to flee with his only surviving son Alexandre (1265) to the area which would become the county of Dobersberg. Here, he once again plied his trade as a warrior, earning three villages in the north of the area which to run.
Jonas von Habicht
Following in the path of his father, Jonas became a warrior at a young age. As Andreas had done to Alexandre II, Alexandre II instilled a deep sense of religious duty into Jonas. He was known as one of the most pious men in the region, receiving compliments from the clergy for his knowledge and education. Upon the death of his father in 1274 due to disease, Jonas inherited the villages that had been his father's. His plans, however, were much more ambitious. Gathering levies from the villages, he left his cousin Noah, Lukas's son, in charge of the villages. He traveled to Spain at the outset of the Aragonese Crusade. Despite being little more than 19 at the start of the conflict, he displayed great tactical aptitude in battle, leading the assault which would break the city of Girona. It was at this time that Jonas would take the title von Habicht. Returning to Austria with much greater wealth, Jonas found his lands much the same as before. Using the loot, he built his household slowly and by the year 1328 had managed to gain control of a castle and a multitude of villages through a series of marriages and gifts in thanks. He died in 1318 in a hunting accident.
He left two sons and a daughter unmarried: Alexandre III (1288), Sebastian (1289), and Helena (1297).
Alexandre III
All mentions of Alexandre III in writing, despite his recentness, were destroyed by the von Habicht family for an unknown reason. The only known information is that he died in 1344 of unknown causes.
Dietricht von Habicht
The son of Sebastian von Habicht, Dietricht was born in 1316. Sent to live in a monastery for the first ten years of his life as had become a custom in the von Habicht family, he returned to study under Sebastian. With the education afforded them due to spending time under the monks, many of the von Habichts were literate and versed in history and poetry as well as Scripture. Dietricht was one of the family's most fanatic believers, constantly praying and seeking guidance from God. Given control of two villages at the age of 20 by Sebastian, Dietricht displayed poor administrative skills, focusing much of his attention on religion and warfare, spying some connection between the two that he could never explain to others. Despite the lack of skills to begin with, Dietrich became a competent administrator by the time his father died in 1359. Ascending as the head of the von Habicht family, Dietrich pursued reforms which would place increased value in religion and warfare. By the time Otto IV was named Duke of Manburg, Dietrich had built a sizable military force filled with religious fervor. Fighting alongside Otto IV, he was awarded the county of Dobersberg for the military service provided. He died in 1388.
He left only one heir, Konstantin von Habicht (1350)
Konstantin von Habicht
The current ruler of the von Habicht dynasty. Has two sons, Konstanin II (1370) and Dominik (1370), and a daughter Isabel (1374)
Durandals
Not as big as this