Kaspar Graf von Hohenems

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BIOGRAPHY Kaspar was born on 1 March 1573 in the fortress of Alt-Ems, the son of Graf Jacob Hannibal von Hohenems and Ortensia Borromeo. His father died when he was only fifteen, and he came under the guardianship of his uncle, Graf Markus Sittich von Hohenems, archbishop of Salzburg, one of the most cultivated men of his time.

In 1589 Kaspar became a chamberlain to Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, Landesfürst von Tirol.

On 15 May 1592 he contracted his first marriage with Freiin Eleonore Philippine von Welsperg und Primör, daughter of Freiherr Christoph IV Siegmund Welsperg zu Langenstein und Primör, and Freiin Eva Dorothea Lucia von Firmian. They had twelve children of whom only Jakob Hannibal and Eleonore would have progeny.

From 1603 to 1610 Kaspar was fully occupied with building projects, particularly the renovation of the palace of Hohenems under the direction of the Italian architect Martino Longhi the Elder. In 1607 Kaspar built the Chapel of St. Rochus (the patron saint of survivors of the plague), in thanks for his recovery from the plague.

From 1607 to 1614 he was governor of Bludenz and Sonnenberg. On 23 March 1613, for 200,000 gulden Kaspar purchased the county of Vaduz and the lordship of Schellenberg from Graf Karl Ludwig von Sulz.

On 4 January 1614 Kaspar's first wife Philippine died in childbirth. On 3 April 1614 in Buchau Kaspar married Gräfin Anna Amalia von Sulz, daughter of Karl Ludwig, Graf von Sulz, and Gräfin Dorothea Katharina zu Sayn. Of their two sons, the first died young, and the second, Franz Leopold, did not marry. Kaspar's heir was his son Jakob Hannibal from his first marriage.

In 1617 Kaspar issued a charter for the protection of Jews, to encourage those driven out of the Austrian margraviate of Burgau to migrate to his lands. A further migration followed the war with Sweden in 1632.

In 1620 Kaspar sought unsuccessfully to create a separate state from his estates, which lay between Switzerland and Austria. Kaspar died in Hohenems on 10 January 1640. His marble sarcophagus lies in the parish church of Sankt Karl in Hohenems.

Kaspar's descendants were the rulers of Schellenberg until 1699 and of Vaduz until 1712. Both were acquired by Johann Adam Andreas, Gürst von und zu Liechtenstein.