the Eggenberg dynasty, Johann Anton I, who succeeded in attaining a position even his illustrious father had failed to attain: a seat among the princes of the empire in the Reichstag. As an imperial minister, Hans Ulrich had skilfully succeeded in guiding his master on the throne despite facing numerous dangers and constant upheavals during these times of great change. He slowly and consistently worked on his ideas of a united "empire", which he saw as a strengthened central imperial power, at the expense of the feudal interests of the old noble families and the desire for autonomy of the princes of the realm. This way, he became one of the major architects of the absolutist Habsburg state, which was to dominate and shape the century to come. In Austria, Hans Ulrich has left a historical legacy behind. His masterpiece, Schloss Eggenberg, was the main motif on one of the most famous silver collectors coins: the 10 euro Eggenberg Palace coin minted on 10 September 2002. On 1 August 2010, UNESCO expanded the registry listing of the City of Graz - Historic Centre to include Schloss Eggenberg among the World Cultural Heritage Sites. References Literature Hans Ulrich Fürst von Eggenberg: Freund und erster Minister Kaiser Ferdinand II. By Hans von Zwiedineck-Südenhorst. Charleston, SC: BiblioBazaar, 2009. (new edition of digitally preserved original German text printed in Vienna in 1880, printed in Leipzig by Amazon Distribution GmbH) F. Mareš, Beitrage zur Geschichte der Beziehungen des Fursten J. U. von Eggenberg (Prague, 1893) Schloss Eggenberg. By Barbara Kaiser. Graz: Christian Brandstätter Verlag, 2006. (English Edition) or (German Edition) (available in German or English editions through the Universalmuseum Joanneum) The Thirty Years War. By Cicely Veronica Wedgwood. Garden City, NY: Anchor Books, 1961. (Re-issued by NYRB Classics, 2005. ) Die Fürsten und Freiherren zu Eggenberg und ihre Vorfahren. By Walther Ernest Heydendorff. Graz: Verlag Styria, 1965. External links Short Biography at Český Krumlov Info site The Joanneum - Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg Biography German language biography at Cosmopolis 1568 births 1634 deaths 16th-century Austrian people 17th-century Austrian people Knights of the Golden Fleece Hans Ulrich Barons of Austria Austrian people of the Thirty Years' War Austrian expatriates in Slovenia Politicians from Graz Obersthofmeister