Franz Seraph von Orsini-Rosenberg

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Franz Seraph von Orsini-Rosenberg

Franz Seraph von Orsini-Rosenberg (* 18th October 1761 in Graz , † 4. August 1832 in Vienna ), fully Franciscus Seraphicus Vincent Ferrerius Felix Amadeus Judas Thadäus Georgius Honorius Aloysius Orsini Count, 1796 2. Imperial Prince of Orsini and Rosenberg , was an Austrian nobleman and general in the Napoleonic Wars .

Military career

At the age of 13 he entered the Theresian Knight Academy . In 1779 he was appointed kk chamberlain . In 1780 he joined the carbine regiment of Hereditary Grand Duke Ferdinand of Tuscany as a sub-lieutenant . In 1783 he became a first lieutenant and in 1785 a captain .

During the Austrian Turkish War from 1787 to 1792 , Orsini-Rosenberg initially served in the Imperial Kinsky Chevauxlégers regiment. It stood out especially on July 22, 1788 at the Shamier Dam near Belgrade . In 1789 he was promoted to major at Lobkowitz-Chevauxlégers, then in 1790 to lieutenant colonel. He moved first to the Jaqueminian, later to the Mackian cuirassier regiment . In 1790 he was made a knight of the Maria Theresa Order .

At the beginning of the coalition wars , Orsini-Rosenberg was initially involved with his cuirassiers in the Rhine Army and in the siege of Mainz . He distinguished himself in the battle near Bergzabern and on December 15, 1793 at Marienthaler Walde. Because of these services he was promoted by Emperor Franz II to kk colonel on horseback and regimental commander. In the campaign of 1796 Orsini-Rosenberg served under the command of Archduke Karl . In the battle of Würzburg on September 3, 1796, the cuirassier regiment of Mack, led by Orsini-Rosenberg, was one of the seven left wing cavalry regiments that defeated the French cavalry under General Jean-Baptiste Jourdan . Orsini-Rosenberg was then promoted to kk Oberstfeldwachtmeister (general sergeant) on horseback.

In the campaigns in 1797, 1799 and 1800 he was used in the German Empire and Switzerland. In 1799 he was involved in Charles' victories over General Jourdan near Ostrach and Stockach . He then commanded the avant-garde of the von Hotze army corps and suffered a saber blow on the head during the battle near Frauenfeld on May 25, 1799 . Nevertheless, he commanded - under the command of Field Marshal Lieutenant Friedrich von Hotze - in the Battle of Zurich on June 4, the avant-garde that crossed the Glatt . In September Orsini-Rosenberg was involved in the capture of Mannheim under Archduke Karl . He commanded the vault that occupied the entrenchments near Neckarau and took several thousand prisoners. In June, when the Austrians withdrew near Nördlingen, he and his troops were able to save the entire reserve artillery for the Austrians near Oettingen .

Orsini-Rosenberg retired in September 1800, officially for health reasons. However, like his protector Archduke Karl, who had resigned from army command in March, he had fallen out of favor. In January 1801 Orsini-Rosenberg was reactivated and promoted to field marshal lieutenant. In April he took over command of the 13th Dragoons Regiment, which was later renamed the 5th Chevauxlégers Regiment. For his position near Nördlingen he was awarded the Commander's Cross of the Maria Theresa Order.

From 1801 to 1805 he served as a division general in Inner Austria . In the Third Coalition War he took part in the Italian campaign under Archduke Charles and was not insignificantly involved in the victory at Caldiero . After the Peace of Pressburg in 1806 he served as a division commander in Vienna and was accepted into the Order of the Golden Fleece by Emperor Franz I in 1808 .

In the Fifth Coalition War he led the 4th Corps in Archduke Charles' army. He was involved in the defeat at Regensburg and the victory at Aspern . In the following defeat at Wagram on July 5 and 6, 1809, his task was to keep the left wing of the Austrians at Markgrafneusiedl . After being supported by the 2nd Corps under the Prince of Hohenzollern-Hechingen , he was able to repel two attacks by Napoleon's main power, but had to leave the hill to the French for the third attack and retreated towards Wolkersdorf . The announced reinforcement by Archduke Johann's troops did not arrive in time. During the armistice that followed, Emperor Franz appointed him in command of the key Moravian fortress of Olomouc . After the Peace of Schönbrunn he became inspector of the cavalry in Lower Austria , in 1811 he became a war council, shortly afterwards a secret council.

During the wars of liberation he was responsible for supplies, equipment and supplies for the cavalry. His work was rewarded with promotion to general of the cavalry.

In 1825 he and his successors were awarded the title “Highly High Born” as imperial prince, previously he was only “Princely grace”. In 1830 he was retired due to his poor health.

Family and economy

Franz Seraph was the eldest son of Vincent von Orsini-Rosenberg . In 1786 Franz Seraph married Countess Maria Carolina von Khevenhüller -Metsch (1767–1811). In 1796 he inherited the dignity of imperial prince from his cousin, Prince Franz Xaver . As the eldest of the family, he was also the Chief Court of Justice of the Duchy of Carinthia.

From his cousin he inherited the Lords Rosegg, Federaun and Hammerwerk Rosenbach (all in Carinthia). In 1794 he inherited the Lower Austrian feudal lordship of Gleiss with the Allodialgut and Schloss Zell from his father , as well as the Primogenitur rulers of Grafenstein, Welzenegg, Keutschach and Greifenburg, the allode Gut Truttendorf and half of the Palais in Klagenfurt . Together with his brothers he owned the Sonnegg, Maria Loretto am Wörthersee, the second half of the palace.

In 1807 he sold the Federaun-Tarvis estate for 70,000 guilders. He acquired the Annabichl estate and castle . In 1814 he sold the iron smelter near Pontafel. He had Greifenburg Castle rebuilt, which was largely destroyed in a fire in 1747. He also had the dilapidated Zell Castle near Waidhofen renovated.

After the parish church of Rosegg was destroyed , he had it rebuilt in his capacity as patron saint.

In financial matters, the prince was rather unhappy. He got increasingly into debt, and even his income was temporarily pledged. In 1819 he inherited half of his third of the family entails from his brother Leopold Alois , in 1821 he inherited half of his property from his cousin Wolfgang Philipp. Due to its poor economic situation, he transferred his property to his son Ferdinand Carl in 1824 in return for assuming the debt. In the same year he inherited his brother Vinzenz Ferrerius' half of the family entails.

Prince Orsini-Rosenberg died on August 4, 1832 in Vienna. He was first at the St. Marx Cemetery buried and transferred later to Carinthia, where he in him erected family tomb at the cemetery of St. Philippen whether Sonnegg was buried

The marriage to Maria Carolina had nine children:

  • Vincent Ferrerius (1787-1824)
  • Ferdinand Carl (1790–1859), 3rd prince, founder of the older line
  • Maria Anna (1792)
  • Maria Juliana (1793)
  • Franz Xaver (1794-1813)
  • Maria Carl (1796–1798)
  • Maria Theresa (1798–1866)
  • Friedrich Sigismund (1801–1887), founder of the Middle Line
  • Joseph (1803–1868), founder of the Younger Lineage

From a premarital relationship, Franz Seraph had an illegitimate child whose name was unknown.

literature

personal data
SURNAME Orsini-Rosenberg, Franz Seraph von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian nobleman and general
DATE OF BIRTH October 18, 1761
PLACE OF BIRTH Klagenfurt
DATE OF DEATH 4th August 1832
Place of death Klagenfurt