Hapsburg

the imperial house of Austria. The original castle of the Hapsburgs is situated in Switzerland on the banks of the Aar, not far from Zurich. The family of the Hapsburgs is one of the most important in European history Its rank is equal even to that of the Bourbons of France, the Hohenstaufens of Germany, and the Tudors and Stuarts of Great Britain. The name is German, meaning a hawk's crag. From 1438 to 1806 nearly all the German emperors were Hapsburgs. Emperor Charles V, Maria Theresa, Rudolph, and several Maximilians were members of the family. It is said that the novelist, Fielding, was descended from a Hapsburg who settled in England. The present ruling house of Austria is a continuation of the Hapsburg line.