Heggenberger Heritage
Key Moments in the Heggenberger Family History
Discover the rich history of the Heggenberger family. Since 1188, our lineage has been woven through significant events that shaped our identity. From humble beginnings to notable achievements, this timeline captures the essence of who we are. Each event tells a story of resilience, growth, and unity.
1188 - The First Record
The history of the Heggenberger family can be traced back to 1188. The first “Heggenberger” mentioned in documents is the knight and ministerial Wulfing de Hekinberch, who appears as a witness in two documents of Duke Otakar I. in 1188 and originally came from Hackenberg near Fürstenfeld. In the turbulent centuries that followed, it was the then dominant families of Lower Styria, the Pettauer and Koenigsberger families, within whose various branches (Katzensteiner, Sanegger, Stubenberger, Counts of Cili, Turner) Heggenberg Castle and the estates around Heggenberg changed hands several times, with their respective owners referring to themselves as the "Heggenberger".
Oldest known Heggenberger Seal (1188)
1232 - Eberhard von Heggenberg
Eberhard von Heggenberg is mentioned in documents, as he litigated against the Oberburg monastery (Gornju Grad) in 1232 over several tithe rights.
1257 – The first mention of Heggenberg Castle
The year 1257 is the first year in which Heggenburg Castle is mentioned. The son of Eberhard I. von Heggenberg, Eberhard II. von Heggenberg-Katzenstein (Kacenštajn), moves to the relatively newly built Heggenberg Castle in this year.
Postcard with Fortress and Castle Heggenberger
1286 - Officialis Hakenbergius
Hermann von Heggenberg, both burgrave and bailiff, is appointed “officialis Hakenbergius” of Duke Ulrich III of Carinthia in 1268 and entrusted with various border demarcation tasks. Gunter I. von Heggenberg and Gunter II. von Heggenberg also appear in this context.
1320 – Gunter II. von Heggenberg
Economic difficulties force the Koenigsberg line to sell large parts of their possessions. Gunter II. von Heggenberg takes advantage of this and acquires large tracts of land around Heggenberg Castle, receiving it as a hereditary fief. However, the castle itself remains in the possession of the Koenigsbergers until 1322, when they pledge their entire estate, including the castle, to their collateral line, the Pettauer family, in the persons of Herdegen and Friedrich von Pettau. Even after 1323, Gunter II. does not have to leave Heggenberg Castle, but he is no longer part of the Koenigsberg entourage. Now an almost independent knight, having previously been bound exclusively to the Koenigsbergers through the feudal castle, he began to ally himself with the Sanegger knights, a collateral line of the Pettauer family.
1328 – The Sanneck Knights
In a deed of donation of land from the Pettau family to the Oberburg monastery (Gornju Grad), Gunter II. of Heggenberg is described as belonging to the “Sanneck Knights.”
Coat of Arms of the Sanneck Knight (1328)
1405 - Hermann II., Turner von Heggenberg
Hermann II., Turner von Heggenberg and his wife donate a large estate to the Oberburg monastery (Gornju Grad) on the anniversary of the deaths of his three ancestors, Poppo Lindecker, Herman Turner, and Joerg von Heggenberg.
1438 – Catholic change of power
With the extinction of the male line of the Pettau count family, Heggenberg Castle passes to the Catholic branch of the Stubenberg family.
1441 – The Counts of Cilli
The Stubenbergers pledge Heggenberg Castle to the Counts of Cilli, descendants of the “Highly noble family of the Lords of Sanneck” (Slovene: Žovneški gospodje), who had been elevated to the rank of imperial princes by Emperor Sigismund in 1436.
Coat of Arms of the Counts of Cilli
1456 – The takeover by the Habsburgs
The last male descendant of the Cillier family, who could be described as a high-ranking noble descendant of the Pettauer family and an “independent” Heggenberger, was Ulrich I., who fell victim to an assassination attempt in Belgrade on November 9, 1456. Ulrich I. had two sons, Hermann III. and Georg II., but both died before him. As a result, the Habsburgs inherited most of the Cillier family's vast territories in Styria, Carniola, and Hungary under the terms of an inheritance agreement. From the middle of the 15th century, Emperor Frederick III. of Habsburg appointed burgraves to administer the castle and the surrounding lands. These continued to refer to themselves in various forms as “Heggenberger,” “von Heggenberg,” “Hekenberger,” and “von Heckenberch.”
1880 – Traces in the United States of America
In the year 1880 Alfons Friedrich Heggenberger, born in 1868, emigrated with his Swiss wife Emma Amanda Buegler Amman from the town of Hof in Bavaria, Germany to Boston, Massachusetts in the USA. In accordance with the practices of the time, he anglicized his name. Alfons became Alphonse, Friedrich became Frederik, and Heggenberger became Frederick due to a transcription error in the naturalization certificate. In accordance with the custom at the time, he anglicized his name. Alfons became Alphonse, Friedrich became Frederik, and Heggenberger became Heggenberger with only one “g” at the beginning due to a transcription error in the naturalization certificate. Alphonse had five children: Alphonse Frederik Jr. (1892), Carl Henry (1894), Albert Francis (1895), Ernestine Frieda (1903), and Rudolph Emil (1906).
1895 - General Albert F. Hegenberger
Albert Francis Hegenberger (September 30, 1895 – August 31, 1983) was a famous and highly decorated aviator who rose to the rank of Two Star Major General in the United States Air Force. He set numerous long-distance flight records and, in 1927, flew the first Trans-Pacific flight from continental United States to Hawaii, together with Lester J. Maitland as navigator of the famous aircraft “Bird of Paradise.” During World War II, he fought mainly in the Pacific, most recently as head of the 10th Air Force. After the war, he became head of the Pacific Air Command, then 1st Air Force in Okinawa, and finally Commanding General of the Special Weapons Group, a branch of the US Air Force's long-range nuclear bombers task force. Albert F. Hegenberger also received the 1927 Mackay Trophy, the 1934 Collier Trophy, and was a fellow of the Institute of Aeronautical Engineers. In 1976, Hegenberger was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton, Ohio. The "Hegenberger Road" and "Hegenberger Expressway" in Oakland, California, near the Oakland International Airport, are named after him.
Brigadier General Albert F. Hegenberger in 1943
Family Castle Showcase
Explore our heritage through this gallery, featuring treasured castles and artifacts that tell our family's story.
Common Questions
Have questions about our family history? We've got answers.
The name Heggenberger is a surname of origin. It refers to people who come from a specific area called “Heggenberg.” The town of Heggenberg, with the eponymous Heggenberg mountain and the ruins of the former Heggenberg fortress, as well as Heggenberg Castle in the valley below, is located approximately 50 km northeast of the Slovenian capital Ljubljana. This area was part of the Duchy of Carinthia in the Holy Roman Empire from 976 and, with the rise of the Habsburgs in the 13th century, part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the end of World War I in 1918.
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