The family's origin seat was located in Grafenreuth, now part of
Thiersheim in the
District of Wunsiedel in
Upper Franconia, first mentioned in 1180. Up to the 18th century, the family, awarded with the title
Baron, was the owner of nearby land and villages, e.g. in the area of
Marktredwitz. Lines of the family moved to
Upper Palatinate, e.g. in
Schlammersdorf. The family is directly related with the
House of Sparneck. In the fellowship of the
Margraves of
Brandenburg-Bayreuth, members of the family were part of the
Order of the Red Eagle and engaged in St Georgen under that with the foundation of the
Gravenreuther Stift by Georg Christoph of Gravenreuth (1667-1736), offering a home and a religious life-style for poor unmarried older men. In 1825 the Guttenthau line of family was awarded with the title of
Count (German: Grafen). This line of the family went extinct in 1919. In 1816 the
Hofmark Affing was bought, members of the family are still living there. == Notable members ==