Pfyffer from Altishofen

Ludwig Pfyffer von Altishofen , called the Swiss King

Pfyffer von Altishofen is an ennobled patrician family of the formerly free federal city and republic of Lucerne . It was the most powerful and numerically largest patrician family of this city-state and named itself after its most important ancestral houses: Pfyffer von Altishofen , Pfyffer von Wyher and Pfyffer von Heidegg . The latter two branches have gone out.

history

In 1483 Johannes Pfyffer, cloth merchant from Rothenburg, received Lucerne citizenship, and in 1508 he became a member of the Small Council . His son Leodegar, married to Margaretha Kiel, sister of the humanist Ludwig Kiel , administered the Lucerne state finances. Ludwig Pfyffer (1524–1594) is the most famous of his four sons . He developed Lucerne into a Catholic suburb and is considered the founder of the aristocratic constitution of Lucerne. Because of his outstanding political and military importance in France and the Confederation, he was called the "Swiss King".

Since around 1600 the family, with several members in the large and small councils, has always had great weight, and its female representatives were popular marriage parties. In the council they represented French interests and for a long time administered the royal pension funds. The family originally established their wealth and reputation through the cloth trade, then through the large number of lucrative council offices and finally through the many, sometimes high-ranking officers in foreign services. Numerous foundations can be traced back to her. Many members also held high church offices. From 1652 to 1982 they provided a total of 11 out of 19 commanders of the Papal Swiss Guard in Rome.

coat of arms

A black mill iron in gold, accompanied by three blue lilies (family coat of arms)

Nobility and coat of arms letters

1559 by Franz II. , 1563 by Karl IX., 1566 by Emperor Maximilian II , 1577 by Heinrich III.

Significant family members

Casimir Pfyffer von Altishofen , Mayor of Lucerne, President of the National Council

Standard of the Papal Swiss Guard with the coat of arms of Pope John Paul II . and central shield of Colonel Franz Pfyffer von Altishofen (1918–1995), the eleventh Pfyffer as commander of the Swiss Guard

Ludwig Pfyffer von Altishofen (1524–1594), known as the "Swiss King "

Jost Pfyffer von Altishofen (1531–1610), colonel in France

Rudolf Pfyffer von Altishofen (1545–1630), knight, went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem

Johann Rudolf Pfyffer von Altishofen , Commander of the Swiss Guard (1652–1657)

Ludwig Pfyffer von Altishofen (1612–1686), Commander of the Swiss Guard (1658–1686)

Franz Pfyffer von Altishofen (1634–1689), Maréchal de camp, commandant of the Ypres fortress

Franz Pfyffer von Altishofen (1623–1696), Commander of the Swiss Guard (1686–1696)

Franz Xaver Christoph Pfyffer von Altishofen (1680–1750), Swiss Jesuit and candlestick speaker

Franz Ludwig Pfyffer von Altishofen , Commander of the Swiss Guard (1727–1754)

Franz Alois Pfyffer von Altishofen, Commander of the Swiss Guard (1783–1798)

Christoph Pfyffer von Altishofen (1653–1718), winner of Villmergen

Alphons Anton Pfyffer von Altishofen (1690–1753), Colonel of the Life Guard in Lorraine and Vienna

Johann Konrad Pfyffer von Altishofen, Commander of the Swiss Guard (1712–1727)

Johann Rudolf Pfyffer von Altishofen († 1657), 10th commander of the Swiss Guard

Franz Ludwig Pfyffer von Altishofen (1716–1802), lieutenant general in France, Swiss topographer

Joseph Christoph Pfyffer von Altishofen (1718–1778), lieutenant colonel in France

Benedikt Pfyffer von Altishofen (1731–1781), abbot of the Cistercian monastery of St. Urban

Jost Ignaz Pfyffer von Altishofen, Commander of the Swiss Guard (1754–1782)

Alphons Pfyffer von Altishofen (1753–1822), member of the first board of directors of the Helvetic Republic

Karl Leodegar Pfyffer von Altishofen, Commander of the Swiss Guard (1800–1834)

Karl Pfyffer von Altishofen (1771–1840), Swiss military and statesman

Casimir Pfyffer von Altishofen (1794–1875), eminent legal scholar and liberal politician, Mayor of Lucerne, President of the National Council

Martin Pfyffer von Altishofen, Commander of the Swiss Guard (1835–1847)

Alphons Maximilian Pfyffer von Altishofen , also Max Alphons Pfyffer von Altishofen (1834–1890), Chief of Staff, creator of the Gotthard fortifications, builder of the Grand Hotel National, sponsor of César Ritz

Niklaus Pfyffer (1836–1908), important landscape painter

Hans Pfyffer von Altishofen (1866–1953), major, commander of the Gotthard fortifications, extraordinary authorized minister in Warsaw.

Heinrich Pfyffer von Altishofen, Commander of the Swiss Guard (1942–1957)

Franz Pfyffer von Altishofen (1918–1995), Dr. iur., Commander of the Swiss Guard (1972–1982)

André Pfyffer von Altishofen (* 1928), lawyer