Gerhard von Questenberg
Gerhard Freiherr von Questenberg-Jarmeritz (* around 1586 in Cologne , † July 1, 1646 in Vienna ) was an imperial diplomat and statesman during the Thirty Years' War .
family
Gerhard von Questenberg came from the marriage of Gerhard von Questenberg with Katharina von Therlaen-Lennep. His grandfather Johann von Questenberg was the war secretary and registrar under Emperor Matthias . His brother Kaspar was the abbot of the rich Strachow monastery near Prague, his brother Hermann Reichshofrat.
Gerhard became privy councilor of Emperor Ferdinand II , who - together with his brother Hermann - elevated him to the rank of baron on March 17, 1627. Due to the considerable family ownership of lands, he also called himself Gerhard II, Freiherr von und zu Questenberg, Lord of the Jaromiritz , Bauschitz, Beschau , Gabhorn, Pürten, Mieß, Rappolten and Sieghardskirchen rule .
He was married to Maria Unterholzer von Kranichberg . From this marriage there were four children.
Life
Gerhard Freiherr von Questenberg was Imperial Privy Councilor at the Viennese court and Vice President of the Court War Council.
He acquired the lordships of Jarmeritz in Moravia (1623) and Bečov in West Bohemia (1624), which had been confiscated by Ferdinand II's opponents .
He was one of the few councilors at the Viennese court who maintained a personally trusting relationship with Wallenstein . Therefore, together with Verdenberg , at the Regensburg Electoral Congress (1630), the emperor selected him to convey the news of his replacement to the commander-in-chief of the imperial army, what was happening in Memmingen; Wallenstein received the news with dignity. After Wallenstein's release, the two emissaries negotiated his reinstatement with him in 1632. During the second generalate, Questenberg played a key role in containing the conflicts between Wallenstein and the emperor and the Viennese court, but could not prevent his assassination in 1634.
The historian Golo Mann judges: “He (Wallenstein) won Gerhard von Questenberg for himself; be it through the power of his personality or by giving him the title of baron and the means to live as a baron. Intelligent, jovial and industrious, Questenberg remained one of his most useful Viennese liaison officers, almost until the last day. "
In Schiller's Wallenstein , however, he appears as the emperor's envoy and opponent of Wallenstein, who is promoting his removal.
In 1636 he became imperial ruler over Lower Austria, Upper Austria and Hungary.
literature
- Constantin von Wurzbach : Questenberg, Gerhard Freiherr von und zu . In: Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich . 24th part. Imperial-Royal Court and State Printing Office, Vienna 1872, p. 149 f. ( Digitized version ).
- Hermann Hallwich : Questenberg, Gerhard von . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 27, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1888, pp. 41-44.
- Christoph Kampmann : Questenberg, Gerhard (II.) Von. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 21, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 2003, ISBN 3-428-11202-4 , p. 43 f. ( Digitized version ).
Individual evidence
- ↑ Golo Mann : Wallenstein. His life , Fischer Taschenbuch, Frankfurt am Main 2016 (first 1971), p. 420
Web links
- Entry on Gerhard von Questenberg in the Austria Forum (in the AEIOU Austria Lexicon )
- "Freiherr Gerhard von und zu Questenberg"
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Questenberg, Gerhard von |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Questenberg-Jarmeritz, Gerhard von |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Diplomat and statesman |
| DATE OF BIRTH | around 1586 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Cologne |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 1, 1646 |
| Place of death | Vienna |