Ruprecht von Eggenberg
Encyclopedia
Ruprecht von Eggenberg was an Austrian
colonel-general from the Duchy of Styria
in Inner Austria
, part of the Holy Roman Empire
. He was a member of the Eggenberger family
and cousin to Prince Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg
.
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He chose a military career early on in his life. In 1572 he served as a captain with Spanish
forces and saw duty in The Netherlands under the great general Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma and Piacenza
. Ruprecht von Eggenberg benefited greatly from this experience and was ultimately appointed by Charles II, Archduke of Austria
to the arch-ducal council and to captain of the guard at the main castle in Graz
. Because of the growing threat from the Ottoman Turks
, he served as a commander beginning in 1592. Although outnumbered, Eggenberg vanquished the Ottoman forces under the command of Hasan Pasha Predojević at the Battle of Sisak
on 22 June 1593. In 1594 Eggenberg received the command of the Austrian troops along the border to what is today Croatia
and conquered the Ottoman fortress of Petrinja
in 1595. As a hero of the Ottoman wars, in 1596 Eggenberg was appointed the Feldobristen (akin to a colonel
in contemporary military ranks) in Upper Hungary
and in 1597 he received his appointment as the General-Feld-Obrist-Feldzeugmeister (imperfect translation would be Field Colonel General of the Artillery, denoting the second highest rank as well as an artillery officer). In the end, due to his distinguished service, Ruprecht von Eggenberg was elevated by the emperor into the Barons estate
as a Freiherr
. He retired from service in 1606 and moved to Graz in what was then the Duchy of Styria
where he died in 1611.
In his last will & testament of 1609 Ruprecht von Eggenberg had stipulated that he should be buried in the mausoleum
on the Schlossberg to Ehrenhausen
in Styria. In 1693, as per his final request, he was buried in the privileged mausoleum. Furthermore, Ruprecht von Eggenberg had mandated in his testament that only male, Catholic
members of the family who had attained the rank of general or higher may be buried in his mausoleum. Wolff von Eggenberg
also attained the rank of General and was interred in the mausoleum next to his uncle in 1615. The mausoleum was designed by the Graz court artist/architect Giovanni Pietro de Pomis
who was also responsible for, most notably, the design of Schloss Eggenberg
, the Eggenberg sponsored Mariahilfer Kirche (church) and the mausoleum of Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
in Graz.
Austrians
Austrians are a nation and ethnic group, consisting of the population of the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states who share a common Austrian culture and Austrian descent....
colonel-general from the Duchy of Styria
Duchy of Styria
The history of Styria concerns the region roughly corresponding to the modern Austrian state of Styria and the Slovene region of Styria from its settlement by Germans and Slavs in the Dark Ages until the present...
in Inner Austria
Inner Austria
Inner Austria was a term used from the late 14th to the early 17th century for the Habsburg hereditary lands south of the Semmering Pass, referring to the duchies of Styria, Carinthia, Carniola and the Windic March, the County of Gorizia , the city of Trieste and assorted smaller possessions...
, part of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
. He was a member of the Eggenberger family
House of Eggenberg
Eggenberg is the name of an Austrian noble family from Styria whose last male heir died in 1717 bringing an end to the House of Eggenberg.- History :The origin of the Austrian noble house of Eggenberg is shrouded in darkness...
and cousin to Prince Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg
Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg
Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg was an Austrian statesman, a son of Seyfried von Eggenberg and great-grandson of Balthasar Eggenberger of the House of Eggenberg.- Biography :...
.
Military career
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
forces and saw duty in The Netherlands under the great general Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma and Piacenza
Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma
Alexander Farnese was Duke of Parma and Piacenza from 1586 to 1592, and Governor of the Spanish Netherlands from 1578 to 1592.-Biography:...
. Ruprecht von Eggenberg benefited greatly from this experience and was ultimately appointed by Charles II, Archduke of Austria
Charles II, Archduke of Austria
Charles II Francis of Austria was an Archduke of Austria and ruler of Inner Austria from 1564...
to the arch-ducal council and to captain of the guard at the main castle in Graz
Graz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
. Because of the growing threat from the Ottoman Turks
Ottoman Turks
The Ottoman Turks were the Turkish-speaking population of the Ottoman Empire who formed the base of the state's military and ruling classes. Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks is scarce, but they take their Turkish name, Osmanlı , from the house of Osman I The Ottoman...
, he served as a commander beginning in 1592. Although outnumbered, Eggenberg vanquished the Ottoman forces under the command of Hasan Pasha Predojević at the Battle of Sisak
Battle of Sisak
The Battle of Sisak was fought on June 22, 1593, between Ottoman forces of the Bosnian governor-general, or Beylerbeyi, Hasan-paša Predojević, and forces of the Holy Roman Empire under the supreme command of the Styrian general Ruprecht von Eggenberg...
on 22 June 1593. In 1594 Eggenberg received the command of the Austrian troops along the border to what is today Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
and conquered the Ottoman fortress of Petrinja
Petrinja
Petrinja is a city in central Croatia near Sisak in the historic region of Banovina. The city belongs to Sisak-Moslavina County .- History :The name of Petrinja has its roots in Latin petrus, meaning "stone"...
in 1595. As a hero of the Ottoman wars, in 1596 Eggenberg was appointed the Feldobristen (akin to a colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
in contemporary military ranks) in Upper Hungary
Upper Hungary
Upper Hungary is the usual English translation for the area that was historically the northern part of the Kingdom of Hungary, now mostly present-day Slovakia...
and in 1597 he received his appointment as the General-Feld-Obrist-Feldzeugmeister (imperfect translation would be Field Colonel General of the Artillery, denoting the second highest rank as well as an artillery officer). In the end, due to his distinguished service, Ruprecht von Eggenberg was elevated by the emperor into the Barons estate
Estates of the realm
The Estates of the realm were the broad social orders of the hierarchically conceived society, recognized in the Middle Ages and Early Modern period in Christian Europe; they are sometimes distinguished as the three estates: the clergy, the nobility, and commoners, and are often referred to by...
as a Freiherr
Freiherr
The German titles Freiherr and Freifrau and Freiin are titles of nobility, used preceding a person's given name or, after 1919, before the surname...
. He retired from service in 1606 and moved to Graz in what was then the Duchy of Styria
Duchy of Styria
The history of Styria concerns the region roughly corresponding to the modern Austrian state of Styria and the Slovene region of Styria from its settlement by Germans and Slavs in the Dark Ages until the present...
where he died in 1611.
In his last will & testament of 1609 Ruprecht von Eggenberg had stipulated that he should be buried in the mausoleum
Mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...
on the Schlossberg to Ehrenhausen
Ehrenhausen
Ehrenhausen is a municipality in the district of Leibnitz in Styria, Austria. The district was at one time the seat of a branch of the Eggenberg dynasty and the Schlossberg to Ehrenhausen features the mausoleum of Ruprecht von Eggenberg and his nephew Wolf von Eggenberg which was designed by...
in Styria. In 1693, as per his final request, he was buried in the privileged mausoleum. Furthermore, Ruprecht von Eggenberg had mandated in his testament that only male, Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
members of the family who had attained the rank of general or higher may be buried in his mausoleum. Wolff von Eggenberg
Wolff von Eggenberg
Wolff von Eggenberg was an Austrian military officer and Freiherr of the House of Eggenberg.He was the nephew and sole heir of Ruprecht von Eggenberg. Like his uncle, Wolff von Eggenberg chose a military career and received the command of Imperial Forces as General-Obrist on the border to Croatia...
also attained the rank of General and was interred in the mausoleum next to his uncle in 1615. The mausoleum was designed by the Graz court artist/architect Giovanni Pietro de Pomis
Giovanni Pietro de Pomis
Giovanni Pietro de Pomis was an Italian painter, medailleur , architect and fortress master builder. His works show a marked influence of late-Mannerism.- Biography :De Pomis was apparently a pupil of the Venetian Jacopo Tintoretto...
who was also responsible for, most notably, the design of Schloss Eggenberg
Schloss Eggenberg (Graz)
Eggenberg Palace in Graz is the most significant Baroque palace complex in Styria. With its preserved accouterments, the extensive scenic gardens as well as some additional collections from the Universalmuseum Joanneum housed in the palace and park, Schloss Eggenberg counts among the most valuable...
, the Eggenberg sponsored Mariahilfer Kirche (church) and the mausoleum of Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II , a member of the House of Habsburg, was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Bohemia , and King of Hungary . His rule coincided with the Thirty Years' War.- Life :...
in Graz.
Literature
- Karl Johann Casimir von Landmann. Eggenberg, Ruprecht Freiherr von. In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB) Band 5. Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot, 1877, p. 666 f.
- Walther Ernest Heydendorff. Die Fürsten und Freiherren zu Eggenberg und ihre Vorfahren. Graz: Verlag Styria, 1965.
- Barbara Kaiser. Schloss Eggenberg. Graz: Christian Brandstätter Verlag, 2006. ISBN 3-902510-80-3 (English Edition) or ISBN 3-902510-96-X (German Edition) (available through the Joanneum)
- Kurt Woisetschläger, et al. Giovanni Pietro de Pomis. Graz: Verlag Styria, 1974. ISBN 3-222-10847-1