Maximilian of Liechtenstein
Maximilian of Liechtenstein | |
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Born | 6 November 1578 |
Died | 29 April 1645 Győr | (aged 66)
Noble family | Liechtenstein |
Spouse(s) | Catherine Šemberová of Boskovice and Černá Hora |
Father | Baron Hartmann II of Liechtenstein |
Mother | Countess Anna Maria of Ortenburg |
Maximilian of Liechtenstein (6 November 1578 – 29 April 1645 in
Family
His parents were the imperial councilor, Baron Hartmann II of Liechtenstein and Anna Maria (1547–1601), daughter of Count Charles of Ortenburg.
Ascent
Like his brothers Maximilien converted from Protestantism to Catholicism. He served in the Imperial Army and in 1600, he participated in an unsuccessful attempt to relieve the city of Nagykanizsa, which was besieged by the Ottomans. In 1601 Emperor Rudolf II appointed him to the Aulic Council. In 1605, he served under Giorgio Basta near Esztergom, which was held successfully against the Ottomans. In 1605, he again fought in the Imperial army, before entering the service of the Moravian Estates. His new job was to recruit troops to protect Moravia against the Ottomans.
In 1608, a power struggle broke out between Emperor Rudolf II and his younger brother, Archduke Matthias. Maximilian and his brother Charles supported Matthias, who appointed Maximilian to Colonel-Quartermaster and Commander of the Artillery. Matthias won the conflict and forced Rudolf in 1611 to renounce almost all of his powers. In 1612, Maximilian participated in a war against Venice. Also in 1612, Emperor Rudolf II died and Matthias succeeded him. In 1613, Maximilian was appointed imperial Geheimrat and Master of the Horse. In the same year, he accompanied the Matthias to the Imperial Diet in Regensburg. In the courtly festivities he participated in a tournament modeled after the medieval knightly tournaments.
Bohemian revolt
At the outbreak of the
In the
, which had been in the hands of insurgents since 1618.The Emperor rewarded him for his services with confiscated possessions of Charles of Kaunitz, plus a gift of 100000guilders, settling the imperial debt to Maximilian for providing troops. He used the money to purchase more confiscated property. In 1623, he again fought Hungarian rebels and was then appointed commander of all the imperial troops in Bohemia. He was also raised to
Later life
In 1628, he took up command of the imperial army again, but only for a short time. In the same year, he was formally admitted to the Bohemian nobility. In 1638, he was promoted to field marshal and commander of the Hungarian fortress of Győr and the surrounding area. There were no major battles against the Ottomans and he had time to reinforce the fortress.
His preferred residence was Rabensburg Castle in Lower Austria. He expanded the castle into a château. He adorned the main hall with paintings of the battles he had fought, and added modern fortification.
After his brother Charles died in 1627, Maximilian acted as guardian of his nephew
Maximilian and his wife gave numerous donations to various monasteries. In 1633, they founded a
Maximilian died in 1645. Since he had no heir, his possessions were divided between his brother Gundaker and his nephew Charles Eusebius.
Ancestry
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References
- Thomas Winkelbauer: Fürst und Fürstendiener. Gundakar von Liechtenstein. Ein Österreichischer Aristokrat des konfessionellen Zeitalters, Vienna and Munich, 1999, ISBN 978-3-486-64837-9, p. 62–64 ff
- Jacob von Falke: Geschichte des fürstlichen Hauses Liechtenstein, vol. 2, Vienna, 1877 p. 245–265
- Gerhard Taddey (ed.): Lexikon der deutschen Geschichte, 2nd ed., Stuttgart, 1983, ISBN 3-520-80002-0, p. 737
Footnotes
- ^ Familiendaten
- ^ Geschichte Haus Liechtenstein Archived 2009-09-05 at the Wayback Machine