Wilhelmine of Montléart

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wilhelmine Princess of Montléart-Sachsen-Curland (born Fitzgerald; born March 23, 1820 in Dublin , † March 25, 1895 in Vienna) was a noble benefactress in Vienna at the end of the 19th century.

Life

When she was ten, Wilhelmine was an orphan. She lived in the house of her teacher Pauline Baroness von Effinger-Wildegg (née Feronce von Rothenkreutz, 1808–1905). In 1855, Wilhelmine married Prince Moritz von Montléart- Sachsen - Curland (* 1812 in Avignon ; † March 16, 1887 in Vienna), son of Jules Max Thibault Graf Montléart (1787-19 October 1865) and Princess Maria Christina von Sachsen (1770– 1851) . In 1822, Count Montléart was raised to the hereditary status of Austrian princes and in 1824 acquired very extensive property on the Gallitzinberg in today's 16th district of Vienna, Ottakring , which had passed through several hands after the death of Prince Demetrius Gallitzin in 1793.

In 1866, one year after the death of his father, Moritz gave his wife the castle and the surrounding area on the Gallitzinberg and, as the municipality of Ottakring had refused the official renaming, had the area marked with Wilhelminenberg signs, a name that is still used today for the mountain and castle is; the Gallitzinberg has not been officially renamed until today.

From 1879 Wilhelmine was handicapped by a spinal injury and her husband suffered from a nervous problem. The two remained childless.

Mausoleum of Moritz and Wilhelmine of Montléart

In 1887, immediately after Moritz's death, Wilhelmine had the mausoleum built on Savoyenstrasse , where Moritz was buried. As a result, she gave away various possessions and devoted herself to charitable tasks. She is said to have been called "Engel vom Wilhelminenberg".

In 1888, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the reign of Emperor Franz Joseph I , she dedicated 150,000 guilders ( cited as 300,000 kroner after the introduction of the kroner currency in 1892) to the construction of a hospital to the Ottakring community . It was opened in 1891 and named Wilhelminenspital in her honor . With effect from January 1, 1892, Ottakring was incorporated into Vienna; From 1894 onwards, the city of Vienna significantly enlarged the hospital and continues to exist as a municipal hospital to this day.

Wilhelmine was buried on April 2, 1895 in the mausoleum she had commissioned in 1887.

On April 28, 1895, a grandson of Princess Maria Christina, Archduke Rainer , became the heir to Wilhelmine Montléart's owner of Wilhelminenberg Castle. In the years 1903–1908 the already dilapidated castle was torn down and replaced by today's Wilhelminenberg Castle . It was bought by the City of Vienna in 1927 and used as a children's home; Oskar Kokoschka painted it on behalf of the city administration. Today it is used as a hotel.

In memory of the princess, Wilhelminenberg and Wilhelminenberg Castle named after him were added in 1872 to Wilhelminenstrasse (in today's Ottakring and Hernals districts ), Montleartstrasse in 1889 (in today's Ottakring and Penzing districts), in 1891 the Wilhelminenspital in Ottakring and in 1892 the Curlandgasse in what is now the 17th district of Vienna, Hernals. The Savoyenstrasse in Hernals is named after her mother-in-law, Maria Christina von Sachsen . The Paulinensteig and Effingergasse in Ottakring and Paulinengasse in Währing are named after their educator, Pauline von Effinger-Wildegg .

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Vienna Hospital Association
  2. ^ Wilhelminenberg Castle. In: dasrotewien.at - Web dictionary of the Viennese social democracy. SPÖ Vienna (Ed.)
personal data
SURNAME Wilhelmine of Montléart
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Wilhelmine Princess of Montléart-Saxony-Curland
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian nobleman and founder
DATE OF BIRTH March 23, 1820
PLACE OF BIRTH Dublin
DATE OF DEATH March 25, 1895
Place of death Vienna