Johann Baptista von Taxis

Middle panel of a votive altar, Johann Baptista and wife as donor figures

Johann Baptista von Taxis (* 1470 in Camerata Cornello at Bergamo ; † 16th October 1541 in Regensburg ), from the 14th century in courier services dedicated family Tasso arise in Camerata Cornello, the nephew and successor of was Franz von Taxis as Burgundian-Dutch Postmaster General . Since February 6, 1514 Johann Baptista was married to Christina von Wachtendonk zu Hemissem († 1561). From 1490 until his death he was in the Habsburg service and was one of the founders of a transnational Habsburg postal service . Charles V appointed him Count Palatine and Imperial Councilor.

In the service of Maximilian I.

First mention in the Innsbruck Rait books 1490

In 1490 Johann Baptista entered the service of King Maximilian I together with his uncles Janetto and Franz von Taxis, in order to establish a functioning transnational postal and courier system together with them.

Between 1504 and 1506 he administered the Istrian property of his uncle Janetto before he returned to Maximilian's service as chief courier and postal organizer.

In 1512 Johann Baptista organized the Felleisenstafetten from Innsbruck and Augsburg to the Reichstag in Trier and Cologne. In May of the same year he was raised to the simple hereditary nobility, together with Franz von Taxis and his brothers, as well as his own brothers.

Assistant to Franz von Taxis in the Netherlands

In the course of the investigation against Gabriel von Taxis , who had illegally transported private letters in a locked imperial skin iron, Johann Baptista also fell into disrepute. The Court of Auditors ( Raitkammer ) accused him, among other things, of accounting incorrectly by taking 8 guilders to pay for the " Possten ", but only paid 7 ½ guilders. The Innsbruck Court Chamber asked him for the first time in September 1513 to return to Innsbruck from the Netherlands to give an account there. Johann Baptista justified himself in a letter dated October 4, 1513 from Namur , referring to his official leave of absence by Maximilian I and stayed - not least because of his marriage plans - in the Netherlands, where he joined the Dutch-Burgundian postal service under Franz von Taxis . In 1515 Johann Baptista was rehabilitated by Maximilian.

In Charles V's postal contract of November 12, 1516, Johann Baptista was designated as Franz's assistant and at the same time together with Franz as chief postmaster ( capitaines et maistres des postes ) and postmaster and courier. After this contract came into force, Franz and Johann Baptista were to create new routes from Brussels within twelve days and, in the opposite direction, within twenty days. The post riders on the disused routes should be canceled and paid out. From the diary of Lucas Rem and other sources, however, it is known that at least the Dutch postal rate from Brussels to Innsbruck had to be temporarily diverted via Strasbourg and Lake Constance because of the ostracism of Duke Ulrich of Württemberg and Sickingen's siege of Worms .

Because of the foreseeable death of Franz, King Karl awarded Johann Baptista the right to the highest post and courier office in Valladolid on November 30, 1517 .

Johann Baptista as postmaster general under Charles V.

After the death of Franz von Taxis, Charles concluded a new postal contract with Johann Baptista and the Maffeo von Taxis, who worked in Spain, on December 20, 1517 in Valladolid . The agreed annual flat rate was reduced because Karl no longer needed a land connection to Naples. At the same time, it was emphasized again in this contract that the Estafetten could only be set in motion for royal purposes. Both postmasters were to get patents for the subordinate posts so that they would have the same rights and privileges as the Spanish and Dutch officials. At least in the Burgundian Netherlands, this laid the foundation for permanent post offices among post office owners.

After Charles V was elected king on June 28, 1519, Johann Baptista rode as a courier with post horses from Frankfurt to Brussels within two days to announce the election results at the court of the governor Margaret of Austria , where Karl's brother Ferdinand was also staying. On June 14, 1520, Johann Baptista was appointed Postmaster General by Charles V in his kingdoms and dominions . Karls Post was a transnational system for sending messages, but initially only served Habsburg interests and was not allowed to be used by the public. On November 6th, 1520, Johann Baptista received a letter from Charles V from Cologne, where a renewed ban on outside transport was issued.

This changed fundamentally when in 1530 the opening of the Dutch postal route and the Dutch postal rates for private correspondence against payment was allowed. Since 1530 at the latest, postal traffic has been regularized. Contracts with the German King Ferdinand I regulated payment. On the Dutch postal route from Brussels via Namur, Flamisoul , the West Eifel with Arzfeld , Rheinhausen , Württemberg, Augsburg and Innsbruck to Italy, the first regular post offices were established as receiving and issuing points for letters and parcels. Rheinhausen and Augsburg, as the most important post stations, were authorized to open transit skins and forward the mail from there.

Succession planning

In 1536 Charles V signed a new contract with Johann Baptista in which he, as his long-time servant, knight, councilor and postmaster general, granted him the right to the office of GPM for his underage son Franz II von Taxis because of his old age . Johann Baptista was, however, to hold the office until his resignation or death and to instruct Franz II in the office of postmaster general. In this contract, the merits of Johann Baptistas as the organizer of new postal courses and war-related interim routes were listed again.

Transfer of ownership to the Rheinhausen post office

With the establishment of permanent post offices on the Dutch postal route, which was also a transit line, not only Augsburg but also Rheinhausen gained in importance. For this reason, with imperial permission and confirmation, Johann Baptista awarded the Rheinhausen post office with the branches in Bobenheim near Worms and Diedelsheim to his cousins Seraphin and Bartholomäus von Taxis for operation and usufruct . In doing so, Johann Baptista waived the right to lend to himself and his heirs during the lifetime of both cousins. This transfer was confirmed in 1543 by Franz II von Taxis.

Johann Baptista died on October 16, 1541 in Regensburg after accompanying Charles V to a diet. He was buried in the Notre Dame du Sablon church in Brussels .

Descendants of Johann Baptista von Taxis

Illegitimate, legitimized from the connection with Barbara di Walcher from Tyrol, 1538

Johann Anton von Taxis (* before 1510 in Innsbruck, † 1580 in Rome) Spanish postmaster in Rome, without descendants.
Anton von Taxis (* 1509 in Innsbruck, † 1574 in Antwerp) imperial postmaster in Antwerp
as well as Augustine, canon

Illegitimate, subsequently legitimized from the connection with Cornelia de Hase, 1584

Jean Batiste de Tassis

Legitimate children

Roger (* 1513 in Mechelen; † March 16, 1593 in Antwerp) Dr. jur., cleric, chancellor of the University of Leuven
Francis II (* around 1514; † 1543 in Brussels), Johann Baptista's successor as postmaster general
Raimond (* 1515 in Mechelen, † July 23, 1579 in Madrid) Spanish postmaster correyo major , cf. Schiller's Don Karlos ; with Raimond's grandson Juan de Tassis , the Madrid line was extinguished
Leonhard I (* 1521 in Brussels; † May 5, 1612 ibid) 2nd successor as postmaster general
Ludwig († after January 10, 1568) ∞ after 1541 with Anna Loosmans
Johann Baptista (* 1530 in Brussels, † 1610 in Madrid) Spanish diplomat
Ursula, nun
Margareta († July 19, 1596) ∞ with Karl Boissot, imperial council
Maria († April 6, 1601) ∞ with Daniel van den Berghe, Flemish council
Adelheid († after 1599) ∞ with Dr. jur. Jacob Masius, brother of Andreas Masius
Regina, also Rosina († after January 10, 1568) ∞ on March 3, 1551 with Christoph von Taxis , court postmaster
Allegra, ∞ with Johann Baptista Zapata, corriero maggiore (mail and courier master) in Naples

literature

Carl Brandi, Kaiser Karl V, 2 vols., New edition Frankfurt 1986
Wolfgang Behringer, Thurn and Taxis, Munich 1990 ISBN 3-492-03336-9
Wolfgang Behringer, In the sign of Mercury, Göttingen 2003 ISBN 3-525-35187-9
Martin Dallmeier, Sources for the History of the European Postal Service, Kallmünz 1977
European Family Tables Volume V
Ludwig Kalmus, World History of the Post, Vienna 1937
Eduard Leitner, in: Archive for German Postal History 2/80, pp. 32–53
Memminger Chronik, transcription by Uli Braun, in: Archive for German Postal History 2/90, p. 7
Fritz Ohmann, The Beginnings of the Post Office and Taxis, Leipzig 1909
Lucas Rem, diary from the years 1494–1541, edited by B. Greiff, Augsburg 1861
Joseph Rübsam: Taxis, Johann Baptista von . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 37, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1894, pp. 496-499.
Joseph Rübsam: Johann Baptista von Taxis. A statesman and military officer under Philip II and Philip III, 1530–1610. Along with an excursus: From the prehistoric times of the Taxis posts 1505–1520. Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau 1889.
Joseph Rübsam, various individual items
Hermann Wiesflecker, Maximilian I., Munich / Vienna 1991

Remarks

↑ further details under Franz von Taxis

predecessor	Office	successor
Franz I of Taxis	Postmaster General 1518–1541	Francis II of Taxis

personal data
SURNAME	Taxis, Johann Baptista von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Postmaster General
DATE OF BIRTH	around 1470
PLACE OF BIRTH	Camerata Cornello near Bergamo , Italy
DATE OF DEATH	October 16, 1541
Place of death	Regensburg , Germany

[1] urther details under Franz von Taxis