On the death of His Illustrious Highness Johannes Graf zu Königsegg-Aulendorf
"On Wednesday, December 2, 2020, in the early hours of the morning, well provided with the holy sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church S.E. Johannes Graf zu Königsegg-Aulendorf in his home in Königseggwald in the 96th year of his life. He was a member and head of the family that, following the lords of the Thur, Erit and Linzgau, who were related to the Merovingians, and in the service of the Guelphs and Staufers, was quickly called upon to help shape imperial politics and at the same time to form his own rule in the rooted place. Integrated into the Upper Swabian homeland, however, it worked far beyond the borders, in league with Württemberg and, after the Reformation, turned towards the House of Habsburg.
As a second-born, the Count zu Königsegg-Aulendorf prepared to find his own way, attended grammar school in Munich up to 7th grade, then the rural schoolhouse in Neubeuert in the Bavarian Inn Valley, which was closed in 1941 because of "political unreliability". After moving to high school in Wangen im Allgäu, he became a soldier in the east from autumn 1943 and was captured by the English in the hospital in Hamburg, transferred to the French via an American camp, and released by them at Christmas 1945. After obtaining his university entrance qualification and then studying forest science at the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg im Breisgau with a state examination in 1951, he passed the state examination in spring 1953.
After his older brother, Hereditary Count Carl, died on the Eastern Front in World War II, it was up to him, who had seen his childhood in Aulendorf Castle, to take over the remaining agricultural and forestry property with the new center of life in Königseggwald.
Extensive travels under the simplest conditions through Scandinavia and Africa and the studies in Freiburg im Breisgau expanded perspective and knowledge.
His marriage to Stephanie Reichsfreiin von Waldbott-Bassenheim in 1955 was followed by the early death of his father, who took on responsibility for the family, which was blessed with three healthy, promising children, for the company and the employees.
Count Königsegg created a solid company out of a difficult situation, which was expanded to include a Galloway breed in the later years and, with foresight and wisdom, placed it in the hands of Hereditary Count Maximilian in 1994. He was also involved in local politics and national associations for many decades. For example, as a committee member in the forest owners' association in South Wuerttemberg, which his father founded in 1946, and later also in the forestry chamber, where he worked as a champion for a general association in Baden-Wuerttemberg. From 1956 to 1999 he was a member of the Königseggwald municipal council and in 1999 was honored with the Badge of Honor of the Baden-Württemberg Municipal Council. The municipality made him an honorary citizen in 2005.
Relieved of the burden of responsibility, he turned to old and new tasks and devoted himself to his beloved nature and hunting as well as researching the history of his family. To this end, he traveled to the East, which was still quite wild after the collapse of Soviet power, on long journeys, for which Africa had not caused too much trouble Family left there and who found their memory in the work of the same name, the third part of the Königsegg trilogy.
So we say goodbye to a friend, to a philanthropist, whose character, charm and humor included and enchanted everyone, but especially those close to him."
