William of Marsano

Wilhelm von Marsano (born August 30, 1797 in Prague , † April 14, 1871 in Gorizia ) was an Austrian Lieutenant Field Marshal and writer .

Life

Wilhelm Marsano came from an originally Genoese family, a branch of which had settled in Prague. The young Marsano, carried away by the movement of the wars of freedom , interrupted his philosophy studies at the University of Prague and in 1813 joined the Imperial and Royal Line Infantry Regiment No. 11 as an ensign . He took part in the campaign against France with his regiment until 1815. In the following years of peace he continued his career as an officer in the Imperial Infantry Regiments No. 21, 1 and 12. In 1821 he was involved in the expedition against Naples. In 1831 he became a captain.

Marsano had already published literary works since 1817 and continued his literary activity in his peace garrison in Prague. His superiors did not always see it positively, as can be seen from the following comment by Field Marshal Lieutenant Kinsky in his qualification in 1843: "This major belongs more to the salon of the educated world than to the 3rd battalion as an advertising district commander ...". He also had difficulties with the censorship in the pre-March period .

The "Prague Alkibiades", as the handsome and socially skilled officer was called, had a military career. In the revolutionary year of 1848 he stood out as a lieutenant colonel in northern Italy, especially in March when he stormed the Porta Tenaglia in Milan . Promoted to colonel, he fought in 1849 as the commander of the 12th Infantry Regiment in Hungary and proved himself particularly in maintaining the bridgehead of Titel (July 20 - August 18). In 1853 he was promoted to major general and was given command of a brigade of III. Army Corps in Lombardy . With this he was used to fight Mazzini's uprising. In 1855 his achievements were honored by being raised to the nobility. After being promoted to Lieutenant Field Marshal, he ended his career in 1858 after 45 years of service.

As a writer, he was at least able to make a name for himself as a playwright and narrator of late romanticism . The dramas “ Aurelio ” (1824) and “ Der Spessart ” (1828), as well as his “ Romantic Poems ” (1825) and “ Die eheimlichen Zeiten and other novels ” (1832) were particularly successful. His comedy “ Die Helden ” (1829) was performed at the Vienna Burgtheater .

He was married to the Marchesa Zambeccari, a celebrated beauty from an old Bolognese family, since 1834.

In Vienna , Marsanogasse in the 18th district of Währing has been remembering him since 1895 .

literature

• Constantin von Wurzbach : Marsano, Wilhelm von . In: Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich . 17th part. Imperial and Royal Court and State Printing Office, Vienna 1867, pp. 10–12 ( digitized version ).
• Rudolf Müller :  Marsano, Wilhelm von . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 20, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1884, p. 429 f.
• Kosch, Wilhelm, German Literature Lexicon, 2 vols., 1927/30.
• V. Hanus:  Marsano Wilhelm Frh. Von. In: Austrian Biographical Lexicon 1815–1950 (ÖBL). Volume 6, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna 1975, ISBN 3-7001-0128-7 , p. 109.
• Allmayer-Beck, Joh. Chr., Appearance and reality, Das Burgtheater and the kuk army, exhibition catalog of the HGM, Vienna 1976.

Web links

• Literature by and about Wilhelm von Marsano in the catalog of the German National Library