Caradja

Caradja, Karadja, Karatzas (Greek Καρατζάς ) or Romanian: Caragea is the name of a Greek phanariotischen noble family, presented the Prince of Wallachia.

Origin and Meaning

The house Caradja Greek- Byzantine origin, probably from Constantinople Opel.

In the book Alexiade the Byzantine historian Anna Comnena to find the earliest sources on the history of the family:

Argyros Karadja ( Caratzas ) is of Alexius I ( Byzantium ) sent in 1091 to Dalmatia and there appointed the Duke of Durazzo, and in 1094 the Duke of Philippopolis.

Eustache Karadja is in 1453 an intermediary between the Patriarch and the Sultan.

Constantin Caradja is in 1591 " Grand Postelinc " ( Lord Chamberlain ) in Moldavia, and thus the first known family member in the Romanian principalities. The genealogy of the family can be demonstrated consistently since this generation. His grandson, Jean Caradja founded as " Postelnic " ( Chamberlain ) of Wallachia, the monastery of Slobozia ( Wallachia ) and causes in 1625 the restoration of the St. Sava Church of Iasi. The two main branches of the family go to the second grandson Constantine ( Kostas ) Caradja back in 1653 also " Grand Postelnic " in Moldova. The branch of his son Dumitrasco Caradja is well known for Caradja Nicolas (1737-1784), Prince of Wallachia from 1782-1783 and expires with the Prince Georges Caradja in 1918 in Greece. The currently still existing branch is due to his second son Georges Caradja. Meanwhile firstborn Scarlat ( Charles) Caradja ( 1695-1780 ) receives as " Grand Dragoman " the Sublime Porte by Sultan Abdulhamid I on September 26, 1774 the title of " Prince Honoraire " of the Principality of Moldavia ( Moldo - Valachia ). His brother Jean Caradja (1700-1793) is from 1761-1763 as Joannicios III. Patriarch of Constantinople Opel. The grandson of Scarlat (Charles ), Jean Georges Caradja ( 1754-1844 ), Prince of Wallachia from 1812 to 1818, in turn, is survived by two sons ( " Beyzadés " ie sons of the ruler ), and Constantin Georges, of which the current members of the family descended in Germany.

Descendants of Beyzade Georges Caradja and Smaragda Bibica Rosetti

Prince Aristide Caradja (1861-1955) married to Mathilde Grecianu (1862-1945), daughter of the Univ. Professor Alexandre Grecianu (1828-1894) from Iasi:

They had five children:

• Prince Constantin Nicolas Caradja (1892-1961) married to Catherine Krezulescu (1893-1993); their children: Princess Irène Mathilde Catherine Caradja (1915-1940) married to Constantin Emandi († 1940)
• Princess Marie Constance Lucie Caradja (1916-1933)
• Princess Alexandra ( Tanda ) Caradja ( 1920-1997 )

Descendants of Beyzade Constantin Caradja and Adèle Condo Dandolo

• Prince Jean Constantin Alexandre Othon Karadja Pasha (1835-1894), Minister for Plénipotentiaire, married to Mary- Louise (1868-1943), daughter of the Swedish senator and industrialist, Lars Olsson Smith. Children: Prince Constantin Jean Lars Anthony Demetre Karadja (1889-1950), General of Romania, married to Princess Marcelle Hélène Caradja (1896-1971), daughter of Prince Aristide Caradja (see above). Prince Jean ( Ion) Caradja Aristide ( 1917-1993 ), married to Minna Frieda Auguste Starke ( 1911-1992 ) and his second wife, Georgeta Cătănescu (* 1915). The children are from the first marriage: Princess Irène Marcelle Marie Caradja, ( born 1941 ) married to Dr. Alexander Manescu (* 1939), their children Alexandra Despina Manescu (* 1969), Stefan Nicolae Manescu ( b. 1974 ), Michael Constantin Manescu (* 1980)
• Prince Constantin Jean Demetre Caradja ( born 1943 ) married to Birgit Elisabeth Dorothea Caradja born Lauer (born 1958 ); their children: Prince Constantin Spyridon Karatzas ( b. 1981 ), Prince Constantin January Caradja Gustav (* 1990), Prince Manuel Constantin Lars Caradja (* 1992)
• Princess Ioana Despina Caradja, ( born 1945 ) married to Berthold Albrecht; their children: Christa Despina Albrecht ( born 1967), Evelyne Albrecht ( b. 1971 )

Swell

Bibliography

• Eugène Rizo Rangabe, Livre d'Or de la Noblesse Phanariote et de Familles Princières de VALACHIE et de Moldavie, Athens, 1892
• V. Laurent, " Argyros Karatzas, protokuropalates et duc de Philippopolis ", Revista Istorica 29 (1943 ), 203-210

• Noble family