Eberhard Friedrich von Venningen

Epitaph by Eberhard Friedrich von Venningen in the Protestant church in Neidenstein

Eberhard Friedrich von Venningen (* 1642 ; † June 2, 1710 in Heidelberg ) came from the Alsatian line of the Lords of Venningen . He was promoted to lieutenant general in the military service for the Electoral Palatinate .

Life

Eberhard Friedrich von Venningen was the son of the Palatinate hunter Philipp Ludwig von Venningen († 1678) and Maria Catharina von Rathsamhausen.

At that time the family had an elevated position at the Electoral Palatinate court and so Eberhard also entered the service of Elector Karl Ludwig . His sister Anna Eleonore von Venningen, who married Georg Gottfried von Rathsamhausen, was the court lady of Liselotte von der Pfalz . Eberhard Friedrich is mentioned in numerous places in their letters. In 1669 he was involved in hunting with greyhounds.

In 1678 he was Jägermeister, in 1680 Oberjägermeister. In 1680 he accompanied the elector to England, where like him he was awarded the title of doctor of medicine. In 1688 he became a captain , in 1693 a colonel . After the siege of Landau , which he survived badly wounded in 1703, he was appointed lieutenant general in 1706.

“Haus zum Giesen” in Heidelberg with a larger than life Venningen statue

From 1672 he led the lengthy negotiations for his family against the Raitz von Frentz for the possession of the castle and town of Grombach , which the Venningen owned from 1498 to the early 17th century, but which then passed into changing hands through two Venningen heir daughters was. The lawsuits dragged on until 1798 and thus over several generations, but Eberhard Friedrich obtained the assignment of ownership in 1697 and the transfer back of Grombach to the Venningen in 1702, so that from then on his brother Philipp Egolph († 1708) resided in Grombach Castle.

In 1707 Eberhard Friedrich had the Haus zum Riesen built in Heidelberg . The master builder was Johann Adam Breunig , who also built the Jesuit College and the Old University . With the express permission of the Elector, the house was built from ashlar stones from the partly blown thick tower of Heidelberg Castle . The house owes its name to the larger-than-life statue of the builder created by Heinrich Charrasky , which adorns the middle risalit on the second floor .

Eberhard Friedrich died on June 2, 1710 and was buried in the Protestant church in Neidenstein , a traditional burial place for those of Venningen.

family

He was married to Eva Elisabeth von Wolhaben on Missingdorf. From this marriage comes the son Carl (1684-1718), his godmother was Elisabeth Charlotte von der Pfalz, whose middle name derives his name. Carl von Venningen was the Palatinate hunter and chief officer in Oppenheim . He left only one daughter, Helena Elisabetha, who was married to Friedrich von und zu der Thann, so that parts of the Venningen property came to the Thann after 1718.

Eberhard Friedrich's brother Johann Augustin († 1713) is the ancestor of all Venningens still living today. His grandson Carl Philipp von Venningen (1728–1797) combined the entire family property and was President of the Electorate of the Palatinate.

Tomb

His tomb in the Protestant church in Neidenstein , on which he is depicted in full life size, was probably designed by Heinrich Charrasky, who also created the Venningen statue on the Giant's House. Mars , the god of war, and Diana, the goddess of hunting , embody the life of the deceased in the tomb . Matching war horns and hunting horns are shown. The dedication lists Venningen's title:

Your Rom. Kayserl. Mayest. former sergeant-general of the cavalry as well as his Elector. Pass through to Palatinate Camerer, Colonel Hunter Master, Lieutenant General of Reuterey, Colonel on a Regim. Carabiniers and Oberambtmann zu Oppenheim

Web links

• The "House of the Giant" in Heidelberg

literature

• Meinhold Lurz: The barons of Venningen. Ed. from Heimatverein Kraichgau eV (special publication no. 17), Sinsheim 1997, ISBN 3-921214-13-0 , pp. 777-782.
• City of Bad Rappenau (Ed.): Grunbach uff dem Creichgöw. A home book. Contributions to the past and present of Grombach, the westernmost district of Bad Rappenau. Bad Rappenau 2010, pp. 118–120.