Gottfried von Kühnelt-Leddihn

Fra' Gottfried Ritter von Kühnelt-Leddihn (born 1948, Austria) is a Knight of Justice and Prince Grand Prior of Austria of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. He is a retired government official of the State of Tyrol in Austria.

Family

Kühnelt-Leddihn is the younger son of Austrian political scientist and Catholic intellectual, Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn and of Countess Marie Christiane von Goëss. He has an older brother Erik (born 1938) and an older sister, Isabel (1946–2015) who was active in the Paneuropean Union.

In 1975, Kühnelt-Leddihn married Baroness Eleonore Fraydt von Fraydenegg und Monzello (born 1952), fourth daughter of Baron Wolf-Otto Fraydt von Fraydenegg-Monzello and of Christine Kosak. They had five children.

Order of Malta

Since 1970, Kühnelt-Leddihn has volunteered with the charitable works of Malteser International. After the death of his wife, he took simple vows as a Knight of Justice in the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. On 21 June 2013 he took solemn vows.

He was named Grand Prior of Austria 25 July 2022.

He ceased to be a member of Sovereign Council, 3 September 2022, when Pope Francis appointed a new Sovereign Council.

Publications

"Gott schuf den Menschen als Sein Abbild", Die Malteser, Ausgabe 2/2019.