Adolf von Schwarzenberg

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Adolf von Schwarzenberg

Adolf Graf von Schwarzenberg (* 1551 in Gimborn ; † July 29, 1600 ) was an important general in the Turkish wars of the late 16th century .

family

Adolf came as the only son of Wilhelm III. Freiherr zu Schwarzenberg and Anna von der Harff were born at Gimborn Castle near Gummersbach in what was then the county of Mark . His father Wilhelm III. had after his marriage in 1550 to the family seat of the house Schwarzenberg of Schwarzenberg castle in Franconian transferred to Märkische near UW boundary after already grandfather William I by his marriage to Catherine Baroness von Nesselrode had forged links here. Adolf lost his father in childhood, who fell in 1557 at the Battle of St. Quentin .

Adolf's only and younger sister Elisabeth married Wilhelm von Nesselrode , the chancellor of the Duchy of Jülich-Berg , and died in 1599.

Career

Like his father, he joined the Spanish military at an early age. He fought initially under King Philip II in the Eighty Years' War against the Netherlands , later for the Catholic side against the Huguenots . In terms of offices and dignity, he obtained that of a privy councilor to the elector of Cologne , a marshal to the prince-bishop of Liège , as well as a governor, general and steward in the Cologne monastery.

However, Adolf's fame was based primarily on his military achievements in campaigns against the Turks in Hungary : in 1594 he took part in the siege of Gran with two thousand Walloon horsemen he had recruited himself and helped in the conquest of Hatvan in 1594 . In 1598 he - together with the imperial field marshal Nikolaus II. Pálffy de Erdőd - won back the Raab fortress, which had fallen in 1594 , an important stage victory against the Ottoman conquerors.

triumph

Count Adolf's coat of arms on his birth castle

Out of gratitude, stone memorial columns bearing his name, so-called Raaberkreuze , were erected for the general throughout the country , some of which still exist today. The most important honor was bestowed on Adolf von Schwarzenberg by the emperor: In 1599 Rudolf II elevated him to the rank of imperial count , gave him the city of Auspitz and an enormous amount of money. In addition, he granted the victorious follower the right to extend the Schwarzenberg coat of arms - since then it has not only been adorned with helmet covers in the imperial colors, but now also shows a raven pecking out the eyes of a Turkish head.

The End

The newly elected imperial count saw neither family nor home again: Meanwhile, the war fortunes of the Schwarzenberger turned; In 1598 he succeeded in liberating Oven , but was wounded in the attack on Pest in 1599. In another military campaign against Pápa , Count Adolf von Schwarzenberg was hit again by a bullet and succumbed to his wound on July 29, 1600.

progeny

Count Adolf left behind his wife Margaretha Freiin Wolff von Metternich and his 16-year-old only son Adam .

reception

Through the imperial resolution of Franz Joseph I of February 28, 1863, Adolf von Schwarzenberg was added to the list of the “most famous warlords and generals of Austria worthy of perpetual emulation”, in whose honor and memory there was also a life-size statue in the general hall of that time The newly established Imperial and Royal Court Weapons Museum (today: Heeresgeschichtliches Museum Wien ) was built. The statue was created in 1867 from Carrara marble by the sculptor Karl Costenoble and was dedicated by the Schwarzenberg family.

literature

Web links

Commons : Adolf von Schwarzenberg  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
  • Illustration by Mathias van Somer from 1665: Adolph Grave zu Schwarczenberg ( digitized version )

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Johann Christoph Allmayer-Beck : The Army History Museum Vienna. The museum and its representative rooms . Kiesel Verlag, Salzburg 1981, ISBN 3-7023-0113-5 , p. 31
predecessor Office successor
Wilhelm II. Baron von Schwarzenberg
from 1599 Count
1557–1600 		Adam von Schwarzenberg
personal data
SURNAME Schwarzenberg, Adolf von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Schwarzenberg, Adolf Graf von (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German general in the Turkish Wars
DATE OF BIRTH 1551
PLACE OF BIRTH Gimborn
DATE OF DEATH July 29, 1600
Place of death Pápa , Hungary