Georg Adam von Starhemberg

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Johann Georg Adam Graf von Starhemberg ( Prince since 1765 ) (born August 10, 1724 in London , † April 19, 1807 in Vienna ) was an Austrian diplomat, minister and chief steward and close confidante of Maria Theresa .

Georg Adam Count of Starhemberg

Early years

Georg Adam came from the aristocratic Starhemberg family and was the fifth son of the imperial ambassador Konrad Sigmund Graf von Starhemberg and his mother Leopoldine (née Fürstin von Löwenstein ). Godfather was King George I. He lost his father at an early age. In addition to his mother, his great uncle, who later became finance minister Gundaker Thomas Starhemberg , played an important role in his education and upbringing. He eventually completed his grand tour to the courts and capitals of Europe.

Georg Adam von Starhemberg entered the civil service in 1742 and became Reichshofrat in 1748. In 1744 he became a member of the Freemason Lodge Minerva to the three palms in Leipzig . In 1747 he married his cousin Theresia Countess Starhemberg. She died in 1749 giving birth to a daughter. This also died in childhood.

diplomat

After the Treaty of Aachen in 1748 he became chamberlain to Archduke Joseph . He was sent to Lisbon in 1750 on the death of the Portuguese King John V. He also tried to reach a trade agreement for Trieste . In 1752 he became envoy to Madrid . In the summer of 1752 he traveled to Paris. There the imperial ambassador Wenzel Anton Kaunitz noticed him.

In 1754 Georg Adam moved from Starhemberg to Paris . He was ambassador there for the next twelve years. He contributed to the rapprochement between Austria and France. Starhemberg worked on King Louis XV primarily through Madame de Pompadour . a. In particular, he was involved in the conclusion of the Treaty of Versailles of 1756. A short time later it was again mainly thanks to Starhemberg that France supported Austria materially in another treaty in the fight against Prussia in the Seven Years' War . In view of the changing war situation, Starhemberg had to fight more and more against the peace party at the French court. At the Peace of Paris of 1763 Starhemberg was only indirectly involved.

In gratitude, he received the title of Imperial Ambassador. In 1759 he was accepted into the Order of the Golden Fleece . Starhemberg was raised to the status of hereditary and imperial princes in 1765 . In Paris he successfully negotiated a future marriage between Marie Antoinette and the Duke of Berry, who later became Louis XVI.

He had married Maria Franziska Josefa von Salm-Salm as early as 1761 . An inheritance soon emerged from the marriage with their son Ludwig .

minister

Wenzel Anton Kaunitz succeeded in getting his confidante Starhemberg into the State Council as Minister of State and Conference for Domestic Affairs. Starhemberg had a close relationship with Maria Theresa until her death. With this he was in a secret political correspondence and Starhemberg was obliged to openly express his opinion on every political event. After reading it, both sides burned the letters.

Starhemberg was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of St. Stephen in 1767 . In 1770 he accompanied Marie Antoinette as Imperial Commissioner on her bridal trip to Strasbourg . At the private invitation of the French king, Starhemberg traveled to Paris to attend the wedding. He later received a large painting of her image from Marie Antoinette, which he held in high esteem.

In the same year he became Minister Plenipotentiary in the Austrian Netherlands . There he headed the administration for the governor-general Karl Alexander von Lothringen . This happened at the instigation of Emperor Joseph, who wanted to remove Starhemberg from the vicinity of the Empress and from Kaunitz. Joseph was disappointed in Starhemberg because he did not want to be turned into a political tool and also rejected various reform projects.

Although Joseph tried to restrict Starhemberg's competencies, he implemented various projects, including the establishment of an Academy of Sciences . Overall, the situation in the Netherlands at that time was quite favorable. His predecessors such as Johann Karl Philipp Graf Cobenzl had already created the fundamental reforms. The economic situation improved and the country experienced a cultural boom. Starhemberg did everything possible to stabilize this development. The fight against poverty and beggars was particularly important to him. He got the cities to build shelters for the homeless. Starhemberg fit in well with the political life of the Austrian Netherlands. He gave the stands the feeling of having a say without actually giving up the political initiative. The relationship with the governor general was also problem-free. Both had an interest in science and art. Starhemberg lived mainly at Meudon Castle near Brussels. There he was able to receive Emperor Joseph in 1781. In addition to his official work, he devoted himself to art and his passion for collecting.

During the American War of Independence Starhemberg sought trade relations with the emerging United States. The empress refused multiple requests to resign because of Joseph's disfavor. The good agreement with the governor meant that he handed over the governor in the Netherlands to him in 1780 because of a serious illness. Starhemberg handed over the office to Albert Kasimir von Sachsen-Teschen after the death of Karl von Lothringen .

Even after the death of Maria Theresa, Starhemberg retained his post as Minister Plenipotentiary. Joseph II endeavored to direct the government of the Austrian Netherlands from Vienna. The governor couple hardly played a political role and Starhemberg's advice and ideas were not heard in Vienna.

Chief steward

Starhemberg stayed in Brussels until 1783. He then received the title of first chief court master and colonel of all the emperor's body guards. Although pro forma the highest court office, the emperor largely kept Starhemberg away from politics. Its tasks were limited to the representative.

Castle in Eferding

In 1783 Johann Graf von Starhemberg transferred his possessions to Georg Adam von Starhemberg for a cash rent. He managed and increased his estates with success. He had Alterlaa Palace near Vienna magnificently rebuilt and a park laid out. He had Hebattendorf Palace completed and the palace in Eferding restored and refurbished . He has greatly expanded the castle library. In Vienna he lived in the family's city palace on Minoritenplatz . He also used the palace for his official duties. He had to receive numerous foreign envoys and dignitaries staying in Vienna on behalf of the emperor. That is why he had this building lavishly decorated. He spent most of the winters in Vienna, and in summer and autumn he often lived in his castles. In Vienna he was also the owner of the Freihaus auf der Wieden from 1784 , where the Freihaus theater existed from 1787 to 1801 .

When in 1790, for health reasons, the emperor was unable to continue to lead the government personally, he set up a small conference council that carried out the most important government affairs. Starhemberg also belonged to this, along with four other people.

After Joseph's death, Leopold II confirmed him in his office as chief steward. As conference minister he took part in deliberations about a possible war against Prussia. When Charles de Artois and other French emigrants came to Vienna in 1791, they were introduced at court by Starhemberg. However, he was skeptical of their wishes for a war against revolutionary France. After the death of Leopold II, his successor, Franz I, confirmed Starhemberg in his office as Obersthofkanzler.

Starhemberg and others rejected Johann Amadeus Franz von Thugut's war course in vain. When Napoleon stood before Vienna in 1797, Starhemberg organized the relocation of the government and the court to Prague . The emperor also commissioned Starhemberg with an expert opinion on a possible peace agreement. As a result, apart from his representative duties, he no longer played any significant political role.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Angela Kulenkampff: Austria and the Old Reich: The Reich Policy of State Chancellor Kaunitz under Maria Theresia and Joseph II. Cologne, 2005 p. 69.
  2. ↑ Renate Zedinger: The administration of the Austrian Netherlands in Vienna (1714-1795): studies on the centralization of the Viennese court in Staatswerdungsprozeß the Habsburg monarchy. Vienna, 2000 p. 156.
  3. ↑ Renate Zedinger: The administration of the Austrian Netherlands in Vienna (1714-1795): studies on the centralization of the Viennese court in Staatswerdungsprozeß the Habsburg monarchy. Vienna, 2000 p. 157.
  4. ↑ Renate Zedinger: The administration of the Austrian Netherlands in Vienna (1714-1795): studies on the centralization of the Viennese court in Staatswerdungsprozeß the Habsburg monarchy. Vienna, 2000 p. 157.
predecessor Office successor
Johann Philipp Stoltius (until 1748) Austrian envoy to Portugal
25 Sep 1750-17. Sep 1751 		Johann Sigismund von Khevenhüller-Metsch (from 1759)
Johann Philipp Stoltius (until 1734) Austrian envoy to Spain
17th Sep. 1751-14. March 1752 		Christoph Anton from Migazzi
Johann von Mareschall Austrian ambassador to France
1753–1766 		Florimont-Claude Mercy-Argenteau
personal data
SURNAME Starhemberg, Georg Adam von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Starhemberg, Johann Georg Adam Graf von (full name); Starhemberg, Johann Georg Adam Prince of
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian diplomat, minister and high court master
DATE OF BIRTH August 10, 1724
PLACE OF BIRTH London
DATE OF DEATH April 19, 1807
Place of death Vienna