When Archduke Johann and Anna Plochl's only son was born on March 11, 1839, this news sparked great enthusiasm, especially among the Styrian population. Valued and appreciated by his contemporaries, Franz Graf von Meran, however, has increasingly faded into obscurity in the eyes of posterity. When he is mentioned in history books, it is mostly as the son of his famous father and as the guardian of his rich legacy. But who was the man Franz Meran? How did he spend his childhood and youth, and what influences shaped him? What was his relationship like with his parents and the imperial relatives? Having lost his father at just 20 years old, Franz Meran had to take on social and political responsibilities early on. As the father of seven children, he became the patriarch of the Meran family, which today comprises around 1,000 members.