Johann Georg of Saxony (1704–1774)

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Louis de Silvestre : Johann Georg von Sachsen, oil on canvas, 1744
Johann Georg of Saxony
Grave in the old Catholic cemetery in Dresden

Johann Georg, Chevalier de Saxe , also Johann Georg (e) von Sachsen , (born August 21, 1704 in Dresden ; † February 25, 1774 ibid) was a general from the Electoral Saxony and governor of Dresden.

Parentage and title

Johann Georg emerged as an illegitimate son of Augustus the Strong from his connection with Princess Lubomirska , who followed the Aurora von Königsmarck as mistress . It was named after August's father Johann Georg III. He was later legitimized as Chevalier de Saxe , which can be translated as Knight of Saxony . The title Chevalier is related to the word Kavalier . As Chevalier de Saxe also was by Johann Georg Joseph Xavier , a son Xavier of Saxony , called.

Military career

Initially, Johann Georg was destined for a spiritual career and became a Knight of Malta in 1728 . Like all illegitimate sons of August, he later joined the Saxon Army . The Chevalier de Saxe commanded the Saxon cavalry as a general in the First and Second Silesian Wars . On 15./16. In October 1756 he, like the rest of the Saxon army, had to surrender as a result of the battle of Lobositz am Lilienstein . After the Treaty of Hubertusburg had been concluded, Johann Georg was transferred from his half-brother Friedrich August Rutowski in April 1763 to the offices of Commander-in-Chief of the Saxon Army and Governor of Dresden. Appointed Field Marshal General on July 27, 1763 , after the end of the Seven Years' War he led the reorganization of the Saxon army. On January 30, 1770, Johann Georg took leave of the military.

Life in old age

In 1764 the Chevalier de Saxe commissioned the master builder Friedrich August Krubsacius to restore and expand the Kurländer Palais in the inner city of Dresden, which was damaged in the Seven Years War . On November 27, 1764, Johann Georg bought the so-called Zinzendorf Garden for 14,000 thalers . Here he was again by Krubsacius a magnificent rococo - Palais (the palace of the Sekundogenitur ) build. After the Moszinskapalais and the Brühlsche Palais in Friedrichstadt, it was the third maison de plaisance of the nobility outside the city walls of Dresden. After retiring from the military, the Chevalier de Saxe moved from the city to his garden. Despite being very withdrawn, he did not renounce the familiar, large court. After a long illness, Johann Georg died in 1774 at the age of 69 in his palace as the longest-living son of Augustus the Strong. Johann Georg's grave is located in the Old Catholic Cemetery in Dresden.

testament

In his will , the Chevalier de Saxe made his half-sister Friederike Alexandrine von Cosel , married Countess von Moszinska, universal heiress. In order to pay off any remaining debts, the obligation was imposed on her to first give the garden with the palace to Elector Friedrich August III. and then to offer Prince Karl for sale for 15,000 thalers. Only in the event of rejection should she keep the garden herself, but in return for a capital of 10,000 thalers to repay the debts. Immediately after opening the will was contested by the commander of the Order of Malta, Oberhofmeister Freiherr von Forell. Forell informed the elector that Johann Georg had been a member of the order since 1728 and that, due to the privileges of the order, all property had to fall to the order. The subsequent process was decided in 1776 in favor of the order. However, the Chevalier de Saxe misjudged the amount of his debts: They actually amounted to around 36,000 thalers. The estate was therefore declared bankrupt and the creditors received 80% of the outstanding sums. After the proceedings had been completed, the order itself had almost 5,000 thalers left in addition to the property.

Footnotes

  1. ↑ retrobibliothek.de: [1]
  2. ↑ dresdner-blaettl.de: The Kurländer Palais ( Memento from March 25, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
  3. ↑ dresdner-stadtteile.de: [2]

literature

Web links

Commons : Johann Georg von Sachsen  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
personal data
SURNAME Johann Georg of Saxony
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Johann Georg Chevalier de Saxe
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Electoral general and governor of Dresden
DATE OF BIRTH August 21, 1704
PLACE OF BIRTH Dresden
DATE OF DEATH February 25, 1774
Place of death Dresden