Maria Walburga from Truchsess-Waldburg-Zeil
Maria Walburga von Truchsess-Waldburg-Zeil (born October 22, 1762 in Brno as Maria Walburga von Harrach ; † May 25, 1828 in Kunewald, Moravia ) was a benefactor and educator.
Life
Maria Walburga von Harrach was born as the only child of Franz "Xaver" von Harrach and Maria Rebekka Josepha von Harrach. She spent her childhood in her father's castles Bistrau ( Bystré u Poličky ) and Kunewald ( Kunín ), as well as in Brno and Vienna.
On September 12, 1779, at the age of 16, she married Clemens Alois von Waldburg-Zeil . Every two years they had four children, the first three of whom died in their first year of life. She became moody after giving birth to her fourth child in 1786 and separating from her husband. Her fourth-born son went to Swabia with his father .
Living alone at Kunewald Castle, Maria Walburga von Truchsess found her zest for life and spent her time riding, hunting and traveling. She made contact with the Brno Freemasons and the Illuminati in Moravia and began to do a lot for the Kuhländchen . It promoted the cultivation of fruit and vegetables, as well as the breeding of the well-known Kuhländer cattle and set up tree nurseries. To improve the medical care of the population, it made a doctor available and expanded the vaccination system. Young people were particularly important to her. In 1788 she opened both a boys' school and a free school for girls. She founded an educational institute at her Kunewald Castle, where she not only provided teaching materials, but also took part in the lessons herself. This institute, based on the model of the Salzmann Institute in Schnepfenthal , was both interdenominational and open to all social classes and was one of the most modern educational institutions in Central Europe.
As ruler of the County of Lustenau , she undertook a trip to her lands in 1808, reformed the school system there and gave the community the Schöne Mann und Briedler Alps as a gift . She donated a public library in Hohenems .
Due to this costly lifestyle, Maria Walburga von Truchsess got into financial difficulties and had to sell her property in Lustenau and Hohenems in 1813.
How much Walburga was revered by Truchsess-Waldburg-Zeil in Kuhländchen can still be seen in the 21st century: On the occasion of her 250th birthday, a festival for "our good countess" was celebrated in Kunewald in 2012.
Individual evidence
- ↑ In 1828 the countess "Maria Walburga Truchseß-Zeil-Waldburg" died. Retrieved March 7, 2019 .
- ↑ a b Truchsess-Waldburg-Zell, Maria Walburga . In: Austrian Academy of Sciences (ed.): Austrian biographical lexicon . tape 14 . Verlag der Österr. Academy of Sciences, Vienna, p. 476 .
- ↑ Das Kuhländchen, the home of Johann Gregor Mendel. Retrieved March 7, 2019 .
- ^ Association of local cow traders, invitation to the festival "Our good Countess" Walburga von Truchsess-Waldburg-Zeil. April 30, 2012, accessed March 7, 2019 .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Truchsess-Waldburg-Zeil, Maria Walburga from |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Walburga, Maria (maiden name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Benefactress and educator |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 22, 1762 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Brno |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 25, 1828 |
| Place of death | Kunewald, Moravia |