# Ferdinand Schwarzenberg

Ferdinand Schwarzenberg, (* 17 July 1989 in Zurich) is a Czech- Swiss nobleman, a member of the House of Schwarzenberg, and heir presumptive to the headship of his house since 2023. He works in the automotive industry.

## Life

Born on 17 July 1989 in Zurich as the second child and first-born son of bank director Dr. Friedrich Schwarzenberg (1940–2014) and his wife Regula (*1956).
He spent his childhood in Zollikon, Switzerland, but since the late 1990s he has been regularly visiting the Czech Republic, where his parents owned the estate Nový Dvůr near Cerhonice (famous from the play Naši furianti by Ladislav Stroupežnický) near Písek.
He briefly visited the Benes Gymnasium in Písek. From 2006 to 2009 he attended the German Gymnasium in Prague, where he graduated. He then served in the Swiss Armed Forces for two years and joined the reserve as a First Lieutenant. Subsequently, he worked for six months in Switzerland as a car mechanic. Later, he studied at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, where he completed his bachelor's degree in European Studies and his master's degree in Arts and Heritage. During his studies, he work-interned in Germany and Austria in a law firm, a forestry company and the heavy industry.
After his university studies, he worked in the UK for Goodwood, a company that organises historic car races. After a year in the UK, he returned to the Czech Republic and started working for Škoda Auto, where he was part of the international sales team and was responsible for Business Development in France, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. He is now employed by Porsche in sales, marketing and business development for Central and Eastern Europe, responsible for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.
He speaks German, English, French, Czech and partly Dutch.

## Family

On 13 May 2023, he married Marie Friling at Attersee am Attersee in Austria. She is a descendant of Empress Maria Theresa:
* 1st generation: Marie Friling (* 1992)
* 2nd generation: Nicole von Oswald (* 1963) ⚭ (1985) Antoine Friling (* 1958)
* 3rd generation: Johanna Baroness Mayr von Melnhof (* 1935) ⚭ (1957) Johann Christoph von Oswald (1925–1982)
* 4th generation: Maria Anna Countess of Meran (1897–1983) ⚭ (1919) Friedrich Adalbert Baron Mayr von Melnhof (1892–1956)
* 5th generation: Johann Count of Meran (1867–1947) ⚭ (1891) Ladislasia Countess of Lamberg (1870–1952)
* 6th generation: Franz Count of Meran (1839–1891) ⚭ (1862) Therese Countess of Lamberg (1836–1913)
* 7th generation: Archduke John of Austria 1782–1859) ⚭ (1829, morganatic marriage) Anna Plochl (1804–1885), later Baroness von Brandhofen and finally Countess von Meran
* 8th generation: Emperor Leopold II (1747–1792) ⚭ (1765) Maria Luisa of Spain (1745–1792)
* 9: generation: Empress Maria Theresa' (1717–1780) ⚭ (1736) Emperor Francis I (1708–1765)

## Orders and Decorations

* Order of the Golden Fleece
* Knight of Honour and Devotion of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
* Knight of the Royal Order of Saint George for the Defense of the Immaculate Conception
* Knight of Justice of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George (‘’Spanish branch’’)
* Jerusalem Pilgrim's Cross in Gold
* Lourdes Pilgrimages Memorial Medal
* Ribbon for the Malta Order Lourdes Pilgrimages 150th Anniversary