Franz Wilhelm von Fürstenberg

Franz Wilhelm von Fürstenberg

Franz Wilhelm von Fürstenberg (born September 29, 1628 at Herdringen Castle , † September 2, 1688 in Mülheim ) was a knight of the Teutonic Order and most recently the Landkomtur of the Westphalia ballot . He is considered the most important Westphalian land commander between the Reformation and secularization . Among other things, he had the current building of the Kommende Mülheim built.

Early life

Franz Wilhelm was the son of Friedrich von Fürstenberg and Anna Marias, née von Kerpen. One of his many brothers was Bishop Ferdinand von Fürstenberg .

Like many of his siblings, Franz Wilhelm was earmarked for the clergy at an early age. He received his first tonsure in 1637 at the age of nine. Together with his older brother Ferdinand, he attended the Jesuit grammar school in Siegen . Later he switched to the grammar school in Paderborn and from 1646 to the grammar school Paulinum in Münster .

Friedrich von Fürstenberg , born in 1618, was responsible for bringing up Franz Wilhelm after the death of his parents. For financial reasons, an academic education was not an option. He also had to forego the family's usual Grand Tour . Efforts to inspect the cathedral failed. However, through the intercession of his godfather, Prince-Bishop Franz Wilhelm von Wartenberg , he succeeded in joining the Teutonic Order.

Rise in the Order

Franz Wilhelm von Fürstenberg entered the German Order on February 14, 1650. He only brought one harness and two horses. The first stop was the upcoming Mülheim. The sources refer to him in 1651 as an economics inspector. He performed his novitiate in 1652 and 1653 at the headquarters of the order in Mergentheim . Then he returned to Mülheim as house commander. His military service as envisaged by the order, he probably performed in Malta . On the occasion of a diplomatic mission in 1660, his older brother Wilhelm succeeded in obtaining the promise from Grand Master Leopold Wilhelm of Austria that Franz Wilhelm should receive the next vacant position of a commander. In the same year he received the commander in Osnabrück . This was the smallest and poorest Westphalian commander.

Franz Wilhelm's income improved when his brother Bishop Ferdinand appointed him court marshal of the Duchy of Paderborn in 1616 . He was the head of the episcopal household and a close confidante of his brother. He accompanied him to the Reichstag in Regensburg in 1664 .

From 1664 to 1671 he was Komtur der Kommende Brackel . However, he leased these out for management purposes. When the Münster prince-bishop Christoph Bernhard von Galen was preparing his war against the Netherlands, he tried to employ Franz Wilhelm von Fürstenberg. On the advice of his brother Wilhelm in particular, Franz Wilhelm declined, especially since Grand Master Johann Caspar von Ampringen would hardly have approved this step.

Coadjutor of the Westphalia Ballei

In 1666 the old Westphalian commander Johann Winold von Westrem asked for a coadjutor to be sent . He thought Franz Wilhelm von Fürstenberg was suitable for this. In the same year a chapter of the Ballei elected Friedrich Wilhelm as coadjutor. As a result of this promotion to an important position in the order, he renounced the shares he was entitled to in the family property in favor of a nephew.

As the representative of the Landkomtur, Franz Wilhelm took over responsibility for the Ballei Westfalen. Their situation was extremely difficult. In 1651 there were only 10 knights and priests left. The St. Georgs Kommende in Munster only existed in name and was united with Mülheim. The upcoming Mülheim was heavily in debt. Apart from the lease money from Brackel, only the coming Welheim and Waldenburg brought in significant income. As a result of a ruling by the Reichshofrat, the Waldenburg was lost to the order in 1670 and fell to the von Fürstenberg family . However, out of consideration for Franz Wilhelm, this took possession of the property only twenty years later. Until then, the order benefited from this income.

Land Commander

Upcoming Mülheim

Until the death of the previous land commander in 1671, Franz Wilhelm continued his office as court marshal. After that he became a land commander himself. In the same year he held the first chapter of the ball. His relationship with the Grand Master of Ampringen was friendly. Both agreed on the goal of stopping the decline of the order. In his area of ​​responsibility, Franz Wilhelm accepted very few new knights in order to be able to pay off the debts of the Ballei. Not least through a strict audit, he managed to settle the debts of the Coming and the Ballei by 1682. By securing old title deeds, he was able to maintain ownership claims. Because it was loss-making for the order, he did not support the planned re-establishment of the St. George Brotherhood in Münster. Franz Wilhelm lived relatively modestly personally.

As early as 1677, the financial situation was so stable that Franz Wilhelm was able to start the new building in Mülheim. He was able to win Ambrosius von Oelde as an architect . In 1681 he succeeded in persuading his brother, Bishop Ferdinand, to donate a significant amount to the church of St. Margaretha .

Franz Wilhelm wrote a pamphlet in 1682 that dealt with the administration of the Land Commissioner. It was titled: “ Thorough and true news from the Mülheim Land Commandery about justice, ancient origins and customs, as well as the usual behavior in the household. “In addition to general descriptions and explanations, the font also contains personal notes and reminders. He also emphasized that in spite of all frugality, the duty to give alms should not be forgotten. He also gave advice on appropriate administration.

The land commander died unexpectedly after sustaining an injury on the way back from a pilgrimage to Werl .

literature

• Helmut Lahrkamp: Franz Wilhelm von Fürstenberg . In the S. u. a .: Fürstenberg's story. Vol. 3: The history of the von Fürstenberg family in the 17th century. Münster, 1971 pp. 150–158

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Coming Mülheim ( Memento from July 20, 2011 in the Internet Archive )