Cilli, Grafengeschlecht#

Cilli, Counts in former Southern Styria (today Slovenia). The Barons of Soune (Souneck) inherited the estates of the Counts of Heunburg and Ortenburg and were recognized as Counts von Cilli by Emperor Ludwig IV in 1341. They further improved their status through marriage connections with families of the higher nobility (e.g the Luxemburg family). The Counts von Cilli were made imperial counts in 1436 by Emperor Sigismund. They owned a great number of estates in the Habsburg territories (Styria, Carinthia, Carniola) and in the territories of the Hungarian crown (Croatia, Slovenia). While Friedrich III tried to prevent the Cillis from developing a territory of their own, Count Ulrich II was extremely influential at court, especially while Ladislaus Postumus was still a minor. On Nov. 9, 1456, Count Ulrich von C. was murdered in Belgrade by Ladislaus Hunyádi, son of the administrator of the Hungarian realm and brother of Matthias Corvinus His estates in Hungary fell to the Hungarian crown, those in the Habsburg countries to Friedrich III until 1460 (Peace of Pusarnitz).

Literature#