Illustrious Highness
This page lists comital families in the territories of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, whether extant or extinct. Mediatized counts ("Reichsgrafen") were entitled to the style of "Erlaucht" (Illustrious Highness), while others bore the style of "Hochgeboren" (High Born). The Austrian comital title ("Graf") was the second most prestigious title of the Austrian nobility, forming the higher nobility ("hoher Adel") alongside the princes ("Furst"); this close inner circle, called the "100 Familien" (100 families), possessed enormous riches and lands. They also had great influence at the court and thus played an important role in politics and diplomacy.