Counts of Cilli

Counts of Cilli, also known as Counts of Celje, were 14th and 15th century dinasty in  Holy Roman Empire. 

Before becoming counts, they were known as Lords of Žovnek. They were small, local lords, who owned few forts and castles in Savinja Valley. Their rise began in 1278, when they allied with Rudolf I of Germany in the battle of the Marchfeld against Ottokar II of Bohemia, and later becoming Habsburg vassals. Under Habsburg protection, they grew their wealth and power, especially after they inhereted large estates, located in modern day Austria and Slovenia, from Counts of Heunburg. in 1334 they acquired Celje Castle, which became their seat of power. In 1341, The Holy Roman Emperor granted them the title of Counts, and they became known as Counts of Cilli.

As Counts, they were able to grow and spread their influence even faster. The most important Count was Hermann II of Cilli, who saved the life of Sigismund of Luxemburg, King of Hungary, during the 1396 Battle of Nicopolis against the Ottoman Empire. As a reward, Sigismund gave them large estates located in Croatia. The relations between Counts of Cilli and the House of Luxemburg grew stronger, when Hermann's daughter, Barbara of Cilli, married Sigismund in 1405. Hermann and Sigismund continued to be close allies, and Hermann and his son Friedrich were even founding members of Sigismund's chivalric Order of the Dragon in 1408. After Sigismund was crowned as the Holy Roman Emperor in 1433, he granted Cilli the title of Princes of the Holy Roman Empire. With Celje being on equal footing as Habsburgs, they became a serious threat to their interests, which led to a conflict between the families, which ended in 1443 with a contract of mutual inheritance. If one family had no male heirs, the other would inherit their territories.

Frederick's son, Ulrich II, was much more ambitious and politically active than his father, and followed Hermann II in establishing Cilli as a power. He used the family's relations and their princely status to further spread their influence, especially in Bohemia and Hungary. He became a guardian and advisor of of his nephew, Ladislaus the Posthumous, young king of Hungary and Bohemia and duke of Austria. For interfering in Hungarian politics, Ulrich became an enemy of Hunyadi Family, which led them to plan a conspiracy against Cilli. On 8th of Novermber, 1458, Ulrich and Ladislaus travelled to Kalimegdan Fortress in Belgrade to fight against the Ottoman forces, where he was the next day killed by Hunyadi. After his death, and because he had no male heirs, all their territory was inherited by the Habsburgs.