Historical Notes on the von Paravicini Family and Their Estates Rundeck and Rametz in Mais

Appendix.

Some historical notes on the von Paravicini family and their estates, as a supplement to the article published in No. 84, page 336 of the Tiroler Bote

Necrology of the Ursuline Maria Theresia.

The father of this esteemed educator and religious sister, Bernhard Baron von Paravicini de Capellis, arrived at the beginning of the past century from Valtellina or the Grisons in Mais, where the originally Grisons barons v. Flugi, the nobles v. Planta, and v. Mohr had already previously settled. In the year 1714 he purchased the noble seat of Rundeck in Obermais; he also acquired Castle Rametz with its estates and the Stifterhof farm then belonging to it.

While still in his homeland, he had married a noblewoman v. Belusi, and after her death Veronika v. Planta v. Wildenberg und Rametz. He brought this second wife with him here. Following her demise, he became betrothed for the third time to Maria Anna Baroness v. Flugi v. Aspermont und Knillenberg on February 25, 1727. After four years, death claimed her as well. Already 82 years of age, yet still remarkably lively and vigorous, he entered into a fourth marriage with the young lady Maria Anna Baroness v. Zinneberg. He lived with her for twenty-two years in a contented and blessed union.

His only daughter from the first marriage entered the thousand-year-old Benedictine nunnery of Münster in the Val Müstair, where under the name Regina she served God in quiet seclusion and reached an age of more than 80 years.

The second marriage remained childless.

The two children borne to him by his third wife died in their minority.

In his fourth marriage he was further blessed with twelve children, the last of whom, a daughter named Katharina, came into the world only a month after her father's passing. Six of these passed away in their prime. Of the three sons who reached adulthood, Franz and Bernhard died as Imperial-Royal officers. Johann Nepomuck, married to Maria Theresia, née v. Bataglia de Pont' Alto, widowed v. In der Maur, died as lord of Rundeck in 1813, leaving two daughters. Of his sisters, Mother Theresia in Bruneck survived all her siblings except for one unmarried sister still living. The youngest, Katharina, died a widow in Eppan, having been married first to Herr v. Bernwerth in Innichen and secondly to Herr v. Berghammer.

The father, Bernhard Baron v. Paravicini, Lord of Rundeck and Rametz, passed away in Meran, where he was accustomed to spending the winter, in 1770, at the advanced age of 104 years.

1. Rundeck, formerly an ordinary rural estate between the castles of Rottenstein, Rosenstein, and Reichenbach in Obermais, owes its name and rise to the noble Hanns Jakob Mohr von und zu Lichteneck, Archducal Councillor, former Captain and Caretaker at Tarasp. He built the manor, named it Rundeck, and, in recognition of his merits, received for it the rights and privileges of a noble seat, and for himself the perpetual entitlement to bear its name, from Archduke Leopold, when the latter was still Bishop of Strasbourg and Passau, as well as Administrator of the Princely Abbeys of Murbach and Lure, exactly 200 years ago. (Given at Ensisheim on the 3rd day of the month of March in the year of Christ 1625.)

In the year 1667 Rundeck was one of the noble seats of the Barons v. Mammingen.

On October 15, 1714, Dorothea, surviving widow of Ferdinand v. Kühpach zu Ried, Zimmerlehen und Haßlach, née Klainhans v. Labers und Mihlrain, with the assent of her curator appointed by the Landeshauptmannschaft an der Etsch, Herr Christoph Benedikt Zöttl von und zu Grießenstein, Knight of the Holy Roman Empire and Lord of St. Valentin, of her son, Herr Joseph Anton v. Kühpach, and of her guardian, Herr Philipp Jakob Hueber, Baron von und zu Maur, transferred it by purchase to the aforementioned Baron v. Paravicini; he paid 3,000 florins principal and 100 florins earnest money immediately thereafter, and the remainder of 1,000 florins with 50 florins interest the following year. This was certified as witness and commission clerk in Meran by Herr Peter Bataglia, Doctor of Laws. (Done at Meran on September 23, 1715.)

2. Rametz (in several records written Rometz), an ancient castle situated on a beautiful and fertile vineyard hill at the foot of Mount Labers, separated from Obermais by the Naif stream descending from the nearby and rugged mountain gorge, often barely visible, often terribly destructive, which loses its name there and flows into the Adige after about an hour under the name of the Rametz stream.

In old charters of 1320, 1340, and again 1372, Konrad der Rametzer appears as a witness.

In the year 1352 Sovereign Prince Louis of Brandenburg enfeoffed Johann v. Rametz with a vineyard adjacent to this castle. The latter was at that time judge in Meran after Peter v. Aur, and in 1348 a witness to a deed of purchase.

In the year 1417 Jakob v. Rametz, village magistrate, and Peter Geinhart, provost of the churches and holy places in Mais, concluded a settlement in the name of all noble and non-noble inhabitants with Brother Jodok Pistor, conventual of Stams and official in Mais.

According to the provincial matriculation register, a branch of the territorial nobility styled itself Aichner v. Rametz. Ulrich Aichner v. Rametz was among the Mais nobles who in 1536 issued and sealed a certificate of their complete satisfaction with the parish priest Simon Gaßler, later Abbot of Stams.

From 1594 to 1623, "the noble Junker Augustin Quaranta v. Rametz" appears frequently in the parish registers of Mais. He was the princely cellar master at Tirol near Meran.

Shortly thereafter it came into the possession of the nobles v. Planta, who also resided at Greifen Castle. One of them rests in the Church of Our Lady of Consolation in Mais. On his tomb one reads: „Hic jacet illustrissimus D. D. Rudolphus Planta in Wildenberg et Ramez, Eques Auratus, Serenissimo D. D. Archiduci Aust. Leopoldo sel. memoriae quondam a Consiliis, Capitaneus arcis Trasp, Gubernator Vallis Tollinae et Grisoniae inferioris, cum Conjuge dulcissima D. Margaretha Planta, nata Traverza de Ortenstein, quae obiit X. die Martii Anno MDCXXXVIII. Quorum animae in Domino requiescant. Amen.“

His heirs were the nobles, now Counts v. Travers. By a settlement dated December 5, 1694, Johann v. Travers ceded half of a 24-daywork meadow belonging to Rametz on the Sinich to Baron v. Schneeburg zu Rubein.

From the v. Travers family, Baron Bernhard v. Paravicini acquired Castle Rametz along with the Stifterhof. Under the date of April 27, 1741, manorial investiture was executed for him by Anton Martin Voglmayr v. Thier- und Hochenburg, Baron zu Ferklehen etc., Upper Austrian Regimental Councillor and Cellarer at Tirol etc.

Following his death, the guardian of the minor children, Herr v. Sagburg in Meran, sold the castle and the properties still attached to it to the farmer Michael, father of the present owner, Vigil Alber.