Mária Lebstück

Mária Lebstück, around 1848

Mária Lebstück (born August 15, 1830 in Agram (now Zagreb ) in Croatia , † May 30, 1892 in Neupest (now Budapest ) in Hungary ) was an officer and freedom fighter in Hungary. Jenő Huszka composed the operetta Leutnant Maria (Mária főhadnagy) based on her life story .

Maria was born in Agram in 1830 as the daughter of Michael Lebstück, a resident businessman of German descent. When she was about 13 she came to Vienna to grow up with her uncle. When the revolution broke out in 1848 , she disguised herself as a man under the name Karl , initially as a legionnaire in the legal corps. She later fled to Hungary and first joined the German Legion and then the Tyrolean Hunters , where she grazed the head during the battle of Kápolna .

Because of her bravery in battle, she was appointed lieutenant at the battlefield and joined the Austro-Habsburg cavalry in the 9th Hussar Regiment . Because of her special achievements in a powder transport from Scotnok to Komorn , she was promoted to first lieutenant.

In the meantime, Maria was able to secretly marry and became pregnant. When, due to the pregnancy, it was discovered that Lieutenant Karl was a woman, she and her husband were taken prisoner of war in Arad , where they gave birth to their child Paul Jonak . Her husband was sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment, where he died. Maria was expelled to Croatia. After about three years she returned to Hungary, where she married her second husband, the lieutenant and freedom fighter Julius Pasche.

After the death of her second husband, Maria moved to Budapest with her son Paul, where he worked as a sign painter and master painter. She died there on May 30, 1892.

See also

• List of female military personnel disguised as men

literature

Commons : Mária Lebstück  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

• Benda:  Maria's living piece. In: Austrian Biographical Lexicon 1815–1950 (ÖBL). Volume 5, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna 1972, p. 68.