House of Goerz (Görz, Gorizia)
- also: Meinhardiner
- South German sovereign lineage from the 12th to the 14th century
Coat of arms
Meaning/Origin of the Coat of Arms
The origin of the coat of arms of the House of Goerz is appreciably unknown but traditional in this pattern already since the year 1304. Only the number of the in silver and red diagonally placed bars changed during the centuries between four and eight (finally five). Indeed the golden lion on blue ground is the really coat of arms of the in the year 1500 vanished counts from the House of the Goerz Meinhardins, who were in passing even the Counts of Tyrolia and they are seen as the real paters of that country. Until nowadays use many Tyrolian municipalities (in north and south) that lion in the coat of arms under direct reference to the Counts of Goerz. In that could of course hint the red-silvery bars to the colours of the Country of Tyrolia.
History of the House
The Country of Tyrolia was already in the early and later middle ages an important mountain pass area with the lowermost crossings over the Alpen Mountains (Alps). The centers of power were initially two seats of bishops which are today situated outside of Austria: Brixen (Bressanone) and Trient (Trento). The bishops of Trient and Brixen were the sovereigns of many semi-free compulsory henchmen (Ministerials) and base noblemen which styled until today the scenery with their numerous castles mostly in Southern Tyrolia. One of that noblemen families were the Counts of Tyrolia named by the Chateau of Tyrolia near the Town of Merano. They speedy ascended as bailiffs which exercised the judiicial power for the Bishops of Trient and took over finally and appreciably in the 12th century the secular power. That fact is also to comprehend by seeing that the name of the ancestral mension was finally transfered over the whole country.Between 1253 and 1258 the Counts of Goerz assumed the power in Tyrolia after the Counts of Tyrolia vanished in the virile succession. Count Meinhard III. of Goerz was merried with Adelheid of Tyrolia and could in this way demand his inheritance-claims. His son and successor Count Meinhard II. of Tyrolia (as Count of Goerz Meinhard IV., as Duke of Carinthia since 1286 Meinhard I.) build up not only his rule, but could also urge on the building of a passably homogeneous country not only by the erection of a for then circumstances really exemplary administration. Anyhow the three areas of reign with Gorizia (Görz), Carinthia (Kärnten) and Tyrol (Tirol), were to large for only one sovereign and primary to much distant, so was initiated a sharing out in 1267/71. The so named Goerz Meinhardins maintained until their vanish in the year 1500 the ancestral mension in Goerz and the Tyrolian Meinhardins ruled to their vanish in the virile succession over Tyrolia and Carinthia.
In the year 1335 the House of Habsburg earned the legacy of the Counts of Goerz in Carinthia and Krain, and in 1363 ceded Countess Margarete Maultasch the Country of Tyrolia to the Duke Rudolph IV. after her only son Meinhard died in the same year. Countess Margarete Maultasch descended from the House of Goerz, but she was momentary married with an husband from the House of Wittelsbach but banished him later.
The Counts of Goerz were moreover the Bailiffs of Aquileia. They are famous in numismatics as publishers of the first German golden coin, the "Zwainziger". The renowned diplomat and minnesinger Oswald of Wolkenstein was a subordinate of the Counts of Goerz.
Source: Ronald Preuß
