- Kalanj
Kalanj is an archaic
surname used by many families both noblemen and peasants in the European countries ofSlovakia ,Austria ,Hungary ,Slovenia ,Liechtenstein ,Croatia ,Bosnia-Herzegovina and theCzech Republic as well as parts ofGermany ,Italy , andSerbia . Use of this family name dates back to theEarly Middle Ages .Possible origins for the name include:
*The Kaallegn, a Hungarian ruling dynasty that brought the Hungarians to Europe in the first placeFact|date=February 2007
*The Serbian and Croatian word "klanje" which means "slaughter", depicting a nickname for a ruthless medieval lord inSlavonia under the Hungarian crown
*The family name Keisinger, the name of Austrian feudal ruling family with Bavaro-Saxon ancestry.Sophia Marie Antoinette Josephina von Voralberg und Salzburg-Koburg, the niece of Emperor Ferdinand I, married a wealthy Slavic trader and craftsman that was known through the entire Adriatic, Stephan Kalanj. From that family sprang an entire family tree of numerous Barons, Princes and semi-known political officials (Hungary's Viceroy Stevan of Croatia and Slavonia, Prince Linz III of
Istria and fourteen [consecutive] barons of the City ofKarlovac ).In the 16th through 19th centuries the
Habsburg s entitled the Kalanj "Minor Habsburgs" because of their propensity for marriage, much like the Habsburgs themselves. One well-known man, coming from the previous branches of the family was Svetozar Borović, later also known with the title "von Bojna".All traces of the last somewhat-direct descendants were lost after the
Yugoslav wars . The last known were Dubravka Kalanj (who took refuge in Austria), Stevo Kalanj, the Secretary of Culture in Karlovac, and Marc Kalanj of whom there is no sign at all.
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