Rudolf von Colloredo

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Count Rudolf von Colloredo (1585–1657), field marshal

Rudolf Hieronymus Eusebius Imperial Count von Colloredo-Waldsee , also Wallsee , (born November 2, 1585 in Budweis ; † February 24, 1657 in Prague ) from the Asquin line of the Colloredo family , was an Imperial Privy Councilor , Field Marshal and owner of Infantry Regiment No. 45, Governor of Prague, Commanding General in Bohemia and Grand Prior of the Order of Malta .

Origin and family

Rudolf was a younger son of the founder of this line, Ludwig Colloredo and the Perla Countess von Polinico, who already appeared as chamberlain of the imperial court under the emperors Maximilian II and Rudolf II . He went to Spain with Emperor Rudolf II, when he was still Archduke, and on March 19, 1588, he became part of Prague in the Erbländischen and confirming the descent from those of Wallsee in Friuli with the predicate "von Waldsee" on July 31st Admitted to the status of imperial barons in 1591. In addition to his brother Hieronymus, there are two more records, Friedrich († 1586 in London ), the emperor's envoy to the English court of Queen Elizabeth I and Lelius, the imperial colonel . After he died childless, Ludwig († 1693), son of his brother Hieronymus, who did not reproduce the family but died without sons, received his inheritance. Opochno now fell to the next fief cousin, another Hieronymus Graf Colloredo, and he became the founder of the princely line.

Leaflet detail Battle of Lützen

biography

Rudolf's godfather was Emperor Rudolf II , who gave his newborn godchild the rich Commandery Groß Tinz of the Order of Malta in Silesia . As he grew up, he gradually became a page, servant and cupbearer to the emperor. His strong body and his fearlessness, however, made him choose the military career.

After he had entered the Order of St. John of Jerusalem and was soon promoted by the Emperor to Grand Prior of Bohemia, out of gratitude he dedicated his services to the House of Habsburg throughout the Thirty Years' War , where he distinguished himself on various occasions. Emperor Ferdinand II and his brothers Hieronymus and Lelius elevated him to the rank of imperial count on October 26, 1624. In 1629 he also received the newly established Infantry Regiment No. 45 as owner, which took part in all campaigns of that war up to the Peace of Westphalia .

Prague 1648
Rudolf von Colloredo

During the Mantuan War of Succession , Rudolf was summoned to northern Italy and secured enormous fortunes as a colonel when imperial troops under Matthias Gallas sacked the city of Mantua in July 1630 . He was promoted to Sergeant General on January 27, 1632 . In the course of the Thirty Years' War he was particularly notable in the battle of Lützen on November 6th July. / November 16, 1632 greg. , in the run-up to which he blocked the Swedish army with a small force until the actually moving Wallenstein could be warned and line up for battle. He suffered seven wounds in the process. As a result, in the same year, in addition to the tour on December 23, he advanced to Feldzeugmeister . He later moved to Lorraine and Burgundy with Matthias Gallas . Emperor Ferdinand III. honored him on February 1, 1634 with the dignity of a secret council and at the same time appointed field marshal .

In the Wallenstein crisis he remained loyal to the emperor, did not appear at the well-known gathering of colonels in Pilsen and also kept his troops in Silesia, not only in loyalty to their warlord, but also in exemplary order. The emperor rewarded his reliability and loyalty in 1636 with the great Opochno rule in Bohemia , which was confiscated by Lípa after the death of Jan Rudolf Trčka . In 1637 Rudolf was also appointed Grand Prior of the Order of Malta for Bohemia zu Strakonitz (from 1647 ambassador of the order at the imperial court).

In 1646 he held the state parliament in Prague as the emperor's governor. In 1647/48 he was appointed governor of Prague and commanding general in Bohemia . With his bold defense of the old and new town of Prague, Colloredo made the attack by the Swedes on July 26, 1648 ineffective by asserting this during the attack by Count Königsmarck on the Lesser Town. Royal Mark captured no less than 12 tons of gold in Colloredo's palace on the Lesser Town. Rudolf Colloredo received a seat and vote as a personalist in the Swabian Earl's College and died as Governor of Prague, Field Marshal and Grand Prior of the Order of Malta in Bohemia, after donating one million to a Fideikommiss on Opotschno. This property was owned by the Colloredo family until 1945 and was returned to them - albeit without the Opočno Castle - after the Velvet Revolution .

Coat of arms of Counts Colloredo of the Asquino and Bernhard lines, 1624

coat of arms

1624: In the black shield there is a silver crossbeam with the imperial eagle in the middle. Three crowned helmets rise above the count's crown. A black wild boar leaping out of the right helmet grows up with its tongue turned inwards. The middle helmet wears a right-turning, closed eagle's flight, which is covered with a silver crossbar and the left helmet a growing youth in a long white dress with a forehead band, alternately plaited by white and red ribbons, the ends of which fly outwards, and a red waist band . Half of his arms are bare and the youth holds three arrows in a cross in his right hand and an upright golden bow in his left. The helmet covers are black and silver.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The coats of arms of the high German nobility. Volume 2, Verlag Bauer & Raspe, Nuremberg 1974, p. 43.
  2. ^ A b Carl Eduard Vehse: History of the German courts since the Reformation. Volume 42, Verlag Hoffmann & Campe, Hamburg 1858, p. 201 ff.
  3. ↑ a b C. A. Schweigerd: Austria's heroes and military leaders: from Maximilian I to the present day. Volume 2, printing and publishing company des Verlags-Comptoirs, Grimma 1853, p. 62 ff.
  4. ^ Antonio Schmidt-Brentano: Imperial and Imperial Generals (1618-1815). Austrian State Archives / A. Schmidt-Brentano 2006, p. 21.
  5. ↑ GB of Grollanza: The noble family of Waldsee-Mels and in particular the Counts of Colloredo. kk Hofbuchhandlung Wilhelm Frick, Vienna 1889, p. 257 f.

literature

personal data
SURNAME Colloredo, Rudolf von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Colloredo-Waldsee, Rudolf Hieronymus Eusebius von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Bohemian nobleman, field marshal and governor of Prague
DATE OF BIRTH November 2, 1585
PLACE OF BIRTH Ceske Budejovice
DATE OF DEATH February 24, 1657
Place of death Prague