Johann Anton Barvitius

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Johann Anton Barvitius (Ger. Barwitz ) (since the 1590s: Freiherr von Fernamont ) (* around 1555 in the Netherlands , † 1620 in Cologne ) was initially a Wittelsbach agent in Cologne. Later he entered the service of Emperor Rudolf II. For a long time he was his close confidante. In addition, he was in contact with scientists and artists. He also appeared as a patron of church art.

family

His family background is not entirely clear. Contemporary he was referred to in 1601 as the son of a tumbled monkey (bullfinch) from Utrecht . The statements made in the older literature that the family came from Piedmont are likely to be incorrect. He himself was married twice. In his second marriage in 1597 he married Catharina Maria Freiin von Bailliencourt and Circelles, mistress of Barlette and Douchy. The later General Feldzeugmeister and governor of the Principality of Glogau, Johann Franz Barvitius, emerged from the marriage.

Life

He studied law and eloquence in France . He completed his studies with a doctorate (Dr. jur. Et phil.). According to contemporary reports, he was an excellent knowledge of the Latin language.

In 1575 he can be found in Cologne. He was an avid Catholic and had become a member of the Marian congregation of the Jesuits in Cologne . There he worked as a news agent for Catholic courts, in particular for the Wittelsbachers and for circles at the curia . He reported early on about the planned conversion of the Elector Gebhard Truchsess von Waldburg . He played a decisive role when it came to asserting Ernst von Bayern as the successor to the deposed Elector.

In 1583 Barvitius went to Bavaria. A year later he was on behalf of the Wittelsbacher in Rome to by Gregor XIII. to achieve that Ernst of Bavaria, contrary to the decisions of the Council of Trento , could lead both the Archdiocese of Cologne and the dioceses of Münster and Liège .

At the beginning of 1589 he moved to the court of Rudolf II in Prague . There he was initially secretary of the Latin expedition of the Reichshof Chancellery . A short time later he was also responsible for the secret imperial house correspondence and secretary of the secret council . He had actually been a member of this since 1601, although the official appointment did not take place until 1608. Between 1593 and 1607 he was also a member of the Imperial Court Council .

His technical knowledge and his personality were reasons that the emperor placed his trust in him. From 1594, with a few interruptions until the death of the emperor, he was probably the closest confidante of Rudolf II. He ennobled him with the title Fernemont. The Salzburg Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau judged: " Barvitio rules everything ."

It is often difficult to prove what influence he actually had on certain decisions. His strict Catholic attitude is clear. He tried to limit the growing influence of Duke Heinrich Julius von Braunschweig . He probably didn't have a clear political concept. In 1609, together with Archduke Leopold, he was responsible for investigations in connection with the so-called Frankfurt rabbinical conspiracy .

He had to pay attention to Rudolf's difficult personality and did not lose sight of his own interests. His reliability was praised by supplicants. He was well paid for his support. After Rudolf's death, Emperor Matthias took him over to his secret council in 1612. Together with the Reich Vice Chancellor Hans Ludwig von Ulm , he represented a strictly Catholic position. With that he stood in opposition to Cardinal Melchior Khlesl . Ferdinand II also valued him precisely because of his Catholic attitude .

In addition to his official business, Barvitius was in close contact with various scholars and poets who were living in Prague at the time. Some of them dedicated him like the poet Elisabeth Jane Weston dedicated works to him. He placed Tycho Brahe in Prague. Johannes Kepler dedicated the work De Jesu Christi anno natalitio to him . On the occasion of his marriage in 1597, a collection of contributions by various poets appeared in his honor. Even humanists outside Prague were in touch with him and dedicated works to him. He tried himself as a writer. In favor of various churches and Catholic institutions in Prague, he acted as a donor of religious statues or altars.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Birgit Klein: Levi von Bonn alias Löb Kraus and the Jews in the old empire. On the trail of a betrayal with far-reaching consequences. Diss. Duisburg, 1998 p. 454

literature

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Barvitius, Johann Anton
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Johann Anton Bärwitz
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Confidante of Rudolf II.
DATE OF BIRTH around 1555
DATE OF DEATH 1620
Place of death Cologne