Therese von Sternbach
Therese von Sternbach (born May 20, 1775 in Bruneck ; died April 5, 1829 in Mühlau ) was a Tyrolean freedom fighter during the Tyrolean popular uprising of 1809.
Life
Maria Theresia Obholzer was the daughter of Josef Obholzer and his wife Walburga, née Waitz. The heavily courted girl married the baron Franz Andreas from the Mühlau line of the von Sternbach aristocratic family on June 17, 1799, despite considerable differences in class . From the marriage came the son Karl Matthias and the daughter Adelheid (1806-1808). The couple initially lived on the estate in Gais until Franz Andreas was able to move back to the Rizol residence, his parents' home in Mühlau, after his father's death. Franz Andreas died there on February 10, 1808.
His rich widow carefully managed the inheritance that had fallen to her and, in view of the unrest that had been going on for several years in Europe, put up additional supplies. The Tyrolean struggle for freedom began in spring 1809. She supported the fighters in the Lower Inn Valley ( Josef Speckbacher and Martin Teimer von Wildau ) materially and financially, bought rifles and ammunition and, according to her own reports, also took part in the fighting herself on horseback - encouraging her men.
In the run-up to the third battle on the Bergisel , she was arrested by the Bavarian troops on August 3 , as her castle had been betrayed to the occupying forces as an arsenal. She was forced to billet troops; after the Bavarian defeat she was taken to Munich as a closely guarded hostage by the retreating Bavarians . She had to leave the underage son behind in Rizol Castle. While in captivity, she was threatened with hanging , whereupon she asked to be executed with her face to Austria and her back to France .
Sternbach, meanwhile imprisoned in the citadel of Strasbourg and already sentenced to death , was unexpectedly released on February 20, 1810 due to the peace agreements. She found her possessions in the Puster Valley plundered, but regained prosperity through the management of the goods. She was known in the population for her quirks: she smoked a pipe and was a passionate hunter and pool player .
Their requests at the imperial court for financial help with the reconstruction were not granted. On December 25, 1820, however, she received the Great Golden Civil Medal of Honor from Francis I in recognition of her services. The Tyrolean miniature painter Franz Spitzer painted several scenes of her life around 1823, which she added to her diary. Sternbach died on April 5, 1829 and was buried in the Sternbach family crypt.
literature
- Ch. Haidacher: Sternbach Maria Theresia Freiin von. In: Austrian Biographical Lexicon 1815–1950 (ÖBL). Volume 13, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna 2007–2010, ISBN 978-3-7001-6963-5 , p. 232.
Individual evidence
- ^ Anna Maria Achenrainer: Therese Sternbach , 1964
- ↑ a b Antonius Lux (ed.): Great women of world history. A thousand biographies in words and pictures . Sebastian Lux Verlag , Munich 1963, p. 450.
- ^ Austrian Biographical Lexicon 1815-1950 Online Edition: Sternbach, Maria Theresia
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Sternbach, Therese von |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Obholzer, Maria Theresia (maiden name); Sternbach, Maria Theresia Freiin von |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Tyrolean freedom fighter |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 20, 1775 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Brunico |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 5, 1829 |
| Place of death | Mühlau |