The Pirquet Archive is a private historical-genealogical collection dedicated to documenting the Pirquet family and its descendants, as well as their broader historical context. The archive brings together family documents, photographs, correspondence, official records, biographical materials and historical research findings compiled over three centuries. Its aim is to preserve memories, reconstruct family connections, and make selected materials accessible in a structured and scholarly form.
Here you can find an introductory video
Some Notable Personalities
- Pierre Martin Pirquet v. Cesenatico
- Peter Zeno Pirquet and his wife Flora Pereira-Arnstein,
a great-granddaughter of Fanny Arnstein, whose father Daniel Itzig
was. - Peter Zeno’s sons Theodor and Silverio Pirquet took over the care of the family collection, and in this generation Anton Eiselsberg as well as the brothers Clemens and Guido
Pirquet deserve mention.
Also the names Josef Weinbrenner, Anton Mayern and Katharina Faber should be mentioned here as well
- History of the Collection
Theodor Pirquet inherited the family collection in 1912 and continued work on the family history. After his death in 1946, his brother Silverio took over this task. Following Flora Pirquet’s wish not to disperse the collection, after Silverio’s death his son Hubert Pirquet inherited it and sent it to his sister in Zurich for safekeeping. From there it was sent after his death to his brother Silvio in Boston. After Silvio’s death it came to John Pirquet in Victoria, B.C., Canada. Subsequently, in 2019, it was sent to Peter (Pasi) Pirquet in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
The idea of founding the Pirquet Archive in Austria was first discussed in 2005 and became reality when Pasi sent the collection to Vienna. Lizzy Baum-Breuer, Claus and Peter Bally then negotiated the lease of the room where it is kept today – with Toni Pinschof as curator.
The Pirquet Archive Contains
– Family trees and genealogical charts
– Historical portraits and photographs
– Letters and memoirs
– Military and civil documents, patents of nobility
– Estate and property references
– Biographical material
The Collection
Silverio’s will of 1949 contained a list of 36 items – including 32 paintings/portraits and 4 document collections. Item No. 28 concerned the Chest No. 1. It contained 17 catalogued objects, as visible in photographs of the inner lid. These numbers continue to be used in the archive for identification. Chest No. 2 contained further family documents collected over several generations, providing an insight into the history of the Pirquet family.
Since then the collection has been enriched by various donations, including from Gingi Moeller and Peter Papesch as well as other descendants of Peter Zeno Pirquet / Flora Pereira-Arnstein, as well as gifts from neighbours in Hirschstetten.
The family tree of the extended family, based on various genealogical charts compiled by Theodor and Silverio Pirquet among others, as well as Ditti Jordis, was digitised by Andreas and Uli Jordis using Family Tree Maker. This family tree serves as a background and orientation and conveys cross-connections.
The family name Pirquet is historically connected with Austria and Belgium. Over the generations, family members were involved in public service, medicine, the military, science, administration and manorial traditions.
The archive endeavours to document these lines carefully through verifiable historical sources.
The collection reflects the changes in European history over the centuries: imperial Austria, the Habsburg monarchy, the First Republic, both World Wars, reconstruction, modern Europe, and the emigration of descendants to all parts of the world.
Individual biographies illustrate how larger historical developments shaped the family’s fortunes.
Portrait Gallery
To view all artwork (portraits and other) collected in this website click here
An overview of the portraits is provided by this video
Families
The index of all families can be searched by surname and first name. Further guidance on using the archive can be found here.
Ongoing Research
The Pirquet Archive is a continuously growing project. Further photographs, archival sources, oral traditions and newly discovered documents are being integrated on an ongoing basis.
This introduction page offers an overview of the entire archive and invites further exploration.
Use Cases – Possible Questions
- How am I related to whom, and in what way?
- Anecdotes from Silverio – audio recordings / podcasts
- Biographies and Family Chronicles;