The Korbinian family
The Korbinian family is believed to be one of the longest reigning families in the world. Their origins are shrouded in mystery, but scientists now believe that the Korbinians originally migrated to the area around Bad Urach in Württemberg around 1100 BC. There, they established their ancestral seat on Runder Berg (Round Mountain). This castle was never conquered or destroyed, allowing the family to expand their seat over the centuries. Through state-of-the-art genetic research, it has been determined that the Korbinian family has continuously inhabited this region since that time, and their bloodline remains unbroken.
However, the actual history of the family begins around 58 BC. In the early parts of his report Commentarii rerum gestarum Galliae, Caesar recounts encountering a group of nearly 400 warriors at the beginning of his campaign. They wore black cloaks and were almost four to five heads taller than his soldiers. Caesar succeeded in recruiting these men for his campaign. However, in the winter of 58/57 BC, the men left his legions and disappeared, only to return in the spring of 57 BC. This time, almost 2,000 men joined his campaign. Over the seven years of his campaign, the group grew to over 5,000. The Germanic people, as Caesar referred to them, soon became enemies of Rome. This was partly Caesar's fault, as he rewarded the Germanic warriors with gold and other treasures. From 15 BC until the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the Korbinian family fought alongside and against the Romans.
It was during this encounter that they acquired the name "Korbinian." The Romans called them "Raben Männer" (Raven Men) due to their black cloaks, which led to the name "Corbinian" derived from the Latin "Corvus." Over the centuries, it evolved into Korbinian. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the rise of the Franks, they attempted to subjugate the territories of the Korbinians, which now encompassed large parts of present-day Bavaria. However, the Frankish King Clovis, like the Romans before him, failed in their conquest. Under Clovis' son Charlemagne, the Korbinians became vassals and key advisors to the emperor, making them one of the most powerful families of the Middle Ages. With the help of the Korbinians, who had previously defeated the Alemanni, Charlemagne was able to defeat the Saxons. However, he had to cede the Duchy of Saxony to the Korbinians. After Charlemagne's death and the division of his empire among his sons, the Korbinians grew increasingly powerful. With the establishment of the Holy Roman Empire (HRE), the family became one of the most important pillars of imperial power. Due to their extensive distribution throughout the empire, the Korbinians amassed great wealth. Emperors often found themselves heavily indebted to the Korbinians. The family consolidated their power permanently through these and other measures. Another advantage was the high stability within the family due to a clearly defined hierarchy.
