article_snippet: The von Thurn und Taxis family wealth originated from The von Thurn und Taxis family wealth postal system empire which can be traced back to around 1290 when two early ancestors operated courier services in the Italian city-states.
article_snippet: But the family's important postal activities began with Franz von Taxis, who served as postmaster to the Holy Roman emperor
article_snippet: their postal system empire which can be traced back to around 1290 when two early ancestors operated courier services in the Italian city-states originally bought out the Thurn and Taxis monopoly in 1867 and used their postal system empire which can be traced back to around 1290 when two early ancestors operated courier services in the Italian city-states as the basis for a new German national post.
article_snippet: A member of the family is believed to have invented the taximeter, which is why taxicabs came to bear A member of the family name.
article_snippet: The House of Thurn and Taxis held the rank of royalty in their postal system empire which can be traced back to around 1290 when two early ancestors operated courier services in the Italian city-states until 1918.