The history of the noble Arenberg family presented in an accessible and attractive way for the general public. From its origins in medieval times to the present day, the Arenberg family has been one of Europe’s leading noble families. With origins in the German Eifel region, the Arenbergs became sovereign Princes and later Dukes in the Holy Roman Empire. Their ranks included active officers on many battlefields, important decision makers, and cunning diplomats in the Low Countries, France, and Germany. This book relates the history of this still important and influential noble family and shows how the Dukes of Arenberg have maintained their position in the highest echelons of society throughout the ages. Richly illustrated with numerous paintings, photographs and colour drawings from the family’s well-preserved archives, The Dukes of Arenberg offers the reader not only the military and political history of the Arenberg family, but also an overview of more than a thousand years of European history, in which they have often played an important role. Prologue Chapter 1 The Lords of Arenberg as Burgraves of Cologne From the earliest records until the thirteenth century Chapter 2 A tree with seven branches From the thirteenth century until the sixteenth century: from river Rhine to river Meuse Chapter 3 The marriages of two exceptional women The legacy of Marguerite de La Marck-Arenberg and Anne of Croÿ in the sixteenth century Chapter 4 The Arenberg Family & the Spanish House of Habsburg Philip of Arenberg and his relatives on the battlefields of the seventeenth century Chapter 5 The Arenberg Family & the Austrian House of Habsburg The long careers of three Dukes during the eighteenth century Chapter 6 The challenges of a new political order The consequences of the French Revolution in the long nineteenth century Chapter 7 Arenberg, a ‘transnational’ family caught up in nationalism The First World War and its aftermath Chapter 8 | Duke Leopold of Arenberg A European family looking towards the future The House of Arenberg today Epilogue | Duke Leopold of Arenberg The Arenberg Foundation Promotion of European History and Culture Explanatory maps