Pranckh is the name of an ancient Austrian noble family descending from Pranckh Castle, near Saint Marein bei Knittelfeld in the former March and later Duchy of Styria. It first appeared in documents dated 1135.
They were knights of the free nobles of Feistritz-Traisen, which subsequently, under Adalram von Waldeck, a descendant of the Aribonids, founded the Augustinian Abbey of Seckau in 1140. It is one of the oldest families in Austria still present today.
The continuous succession of the family begins in 1242 with Ulrich von Pranckh. In 1298 the marriage between Friedrich von Pranckh and heiress Anna von Pux, descendant of the ‘Saint’ Countess Hemma von Gurk was officiated. Anna von Pux brought to the marriage her coat of arms, estates in Styria and Carinthia and the future ruling seat of the family, the castle of Pux, located near Teufenbach.
However the ruling seat was not moved to Pux until 1425. A different part of the family did remain in St. Marein, which saw increased invasions of the Turks during these times – they however did not dare to attack the castle of Pranckh!
The burial helmet of the family of Pranckh is one of the most famous crested medieval bucket helmets, the only other existing specimen is the one from the Black Prince of Canterbury. The helmet was likely to be used during tournaments, as its additional front reinforcements suggest.
It presumably belonged to Albert von Pranckh, who carried an almost identical helmet in his coat of arms, and dates back to the first half of the 14th century. The crest shows a golden pair of buffalo horns, embellished with silver outer ridges, covered in leather. Following a crusade, it was donated to the Abbey of Seckau, where it hung with two funerary hatchments over the family crypt of Pranckh.
In 1878 it was acquired for the imperial collection in Vienna and is currently on display at the armoury of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.