1699 - 1712 Johann
Adam Andreas (born 1657, died 1712) successfully undertook
the reorganization of the Princely administration and the restructuring of the family finances. In 1687,
he was appointed to the Privy Council, and he received the Order of the Golden Fleece in 1693. He
also put his financial-political skills to use in the service of the Imperial House. A project to rationalize
the government administration in 1699 failed, however, due to the stubborn resistance of the bureaucracy.
The founding of the Vienna Deposit Bank, which Johann Adam presided over from 1703 to 1705, also remained
without the expected success. In 1707, the Prince traveled
as the Imperial commissioner to the Hungarian parliament in Pressburg. His
purchase of the Lordship of Schellenberg and the County of Vaduz in 1699 and 1712, respectively, had
far-reaching consequences for the family. With these acquisitions, the Princes gained property with
imperial immediacy for the first time and approached the goal they had pursued for almost a hundred
years, namely a seat in the Imperial Council of Princes. Prince
Johann Adam was regarded as the most generous collector and patron of art in his era. Through the purchase
of valuable paintings and sculptures, he contributed significantly to the reputation of the Princely
Collections. His construction activities were also of lasting importance, culminating in the establishment
of the two magnificent palaces in Vienna, the Majorat Palace and the Garden Palace. |
 Prince Hans-Adam I
|