Ignatius Fortuna
Ignatius Christianus Fridericus Fortuna (* unknown; † November 24, 1789 in Steele ) was chamberlain of the Essen princess Franziska Christine von Pfalz-Sulzbach and Maria Kunigunde von Sachsen . In contrast to many other Kammermohren, who only appear on paintings of their masters as status symbols or in invoices and inventories or are mentioned incidentally in letters, Ignatius' life is well documented. The main sources are the files on his estate and the will of the abbess Franziska Christine.
Origin and youth
Ignatius, who was only given this name at baptism and whose original name is unknown, was brought to the Imperial Monastery of Essen around 1735 as a child . The later rent master Franz Adam Schiffer from Essen , who had lived as a merchant in South America, brought two young slaves with him on his return from there, probably from Surinam . These were raised and baptized in a Christian way in Essen, one in the name of Maximilian, the other on October 12, 1737 in the parish church of St. Johann Baptist in the name of Ignatius Christianus Fridericus. The middle names indicate the godparents: Christianus came from the abbess Franziska Christine, Fridericus from Friedrich Christian Freiherr von Brabeck, a canon of Thorn Abbey , in which Franziska Christine was also abbess. Both boys were given by Schiffer to clerical rulers, Maximilian, who died early, to the abbot Benedikt von Geismar of the Werden monastery , and Ignatius to the abbess. Having a Moor at court was part of the standard of European royal courts from the middle of the 17th century, and the spiritual princes of Werden and Essen were no exception.
The relationship with the abbess
What is unusual, however, is the special trust that Franziska Christine placed in Ignatius. The Mohr, who, according to Franziska Christine's will, had not learned a trade, took a prominent position in the household, which is reflected in how he was housed: In the Essen abbey building he lived in the anteroom to the abbess's dining room, a kind of living room in Borbeck Castle a room next to the princely dining room. His position was particularly clear in the residential rooms in Steele: while lackeys, servants, maidservants and the princess's cook lived in unheated rooms under the roof, Ignatius had a heated room on the same floor as the princess, a privilege only the one next to him Rentmaster of the monastery and the personal clergyman of the princess had. Little is known about Ignatius' duties in courtly ceremonies, but his estate included a flute, a violin, a violoncello and a trumpet, as well as objects such as a leather riding rope, which indicate that Ignatius had societies with the abbess both musically and with Acting entertained. When Franziska Christine's successor Maria Kunigunde von Sachsen entered the city, it was Ignatius who carried her train, served the table and afterwards served the most distinguished guests the coffee.
Ignatius' appreciation at the Essen court can also be seen in the gifts he received from his employer: Franziska Christine gave him a gold watch and a fur coat, Ignatius presumably also received monetary gifts, because he came to an unusual level of wealth for a Moor: from files it is known that as early as 1772 Ignatius was able to lend a sum of 200 Reichstaler at five percent interest to a Jew who went bankrupt the following year. Franziska Christine also gave Ignatius particularly rich consideration in her will: The "faithful Kammermohr" received a lifelong right to live in the orphanage in Steele , which she founded , free meals at the same table as the rent master and the clergyman of the foundation and half a measure of wine on high holidays, Sundays and public holidays. In the event of illness, the orphanage should pay for the doctor and medicine. It also had to provide him with "respectable and adequate clothing in the German manner". On high holidays he should also be paid "play money" of 1 or 1 ½ Reichstaler. Since he had not learned a trade, Ignatius was only supposed to get a light job in the orphanage.
Fortuna
Ignatius took the surname Fortuna sometime after the abbess's death in 1776 , with which he signed himself in 1780. The care of Franziska Christines would probably not have been necessary: Ignatius, who was around 45 years old in 1776, was not poor: in 1776 he lent the orphanage, which was in economic difficulties after buying a property, 600 Reichstaler, on which he received an annual fee the following year Pension of 18 Reichstaler waived. The orphanage was not Fortuna's only debtor: the princess's valet owed him 38 and 23 Reichstaler respectively. He also lent money to Schiffer's sons, his foster brothers: One, a prince-bishop councilor, received 50 Reichstaler at two percent interest in 1780, another, a silversmith, 200 Reichstaler, which Fortuna later waived in return for an annual pension of six Reichstaler .
Death and inheritance
Ignatius Fortuna died, without leaving a will or an heir, on November 24th, 1789 at around 7am in the orphanage of Steele of "Schlagfluss", ie after a stroke at the age of probably almost 60 years. In the search for a will, a total of 514 Reichstaler and bulging clothing boxes were found in his rooms. This estate of “Mr. Ignaz”, who was always richly dressed during his lifetime, aroused various desires: the children of Schiffers, who had brought Ignatius to Essen as a child, referred to themselves as his foster siblings and asked for the inheritance to be granted. The orphanage in which he had lived to the end also asked for the inheritance. The princely chancellery proposed the treasury as heir. The inheritance dispute was decided by the abbess Maria Kunigunde personally, who took care of it from Koblenz , where she lived at her brother's court. Maria Kunigunde kept some ostrich feathers from the estate and turned the rest to the orphanage. One of the foster brothers received 100 Reichstaler, and various people who were involved in handling the inheritance or who had been Fortuna's personal acquaintances also received small gifts.
The orphanage decided to auction Fortuna's elegant clothes because even the smallest of undershirts was too valuable for orphans. The inventory list drawn up for this purpose recorded 15 skirts made of precious fabrics such as damask . The auction, which lasted until 1794, which is why some items of clothing were eaten by moths in the meantime , brought in around 300 Reichstaler, so that the value of the entire inheritance was around 1000 Reichstaler. In comparison, the estate of Angelo Soliman , the Chamberlain of the Princes of Liechtenstein who died in 1796, was around 35 Reichstaler.
Fortuna was also spared the fate of Soliman's stuffed stuffed curiosity for the public after death. In her will, Franziska Christine had ordered her Mohr to be buried near her, so Ignatius Fortuna was buried on November 26, 1789 in the chapel of the orphanage in Steele, where a memorial plaque can still be found today.
literature
- Ute Küppers-Braun: Kammermohren: Ignatius Fortuna at the Essen court and other colored court servants. In: Münster am Hellweg. 54, 2001, pp. 17-49.
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Fortuna, Ignatius |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Mr. Ignaz |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Chamberlain of the abbess of Essen |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 18th century |
| DATE OF DEATH | November 24, 1789 |
| Place of death | Food Steele |