Adolph Aloys

Freiherr (; male, abbreviated as ), (; his wife, abbreviated as , literally "free lord" or "free lady") and (, his unmarried daughters and maiden aunts) are designations used as titles of nobility in the German-speaking areas of the Holy Roman Empire ...

von Braun (17 June 1818 – 4 March 1904) was a diplomat and statesman who became one of the closest collaborators of the Emperor

Franz Joseph I Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I (german: Franz Joseph Karl, hu, Ferenc József Károly, 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 2 December 1848 until his ...

of Austria. He was the

Privy Councillor A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...

and Director of the Emperor’s Cabinet’s Chancellery (''Hofrat und Chefs der Kabinetskanzlerei'') from 1865-1899.

Education

Von Braun was born in a suburb of Bubna in

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

, Kingdom of Bohemia (today the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

). He attended primary and high school in Prague and Pilsen, graduated with highest honours, and received the “Ring of the Emperor”. In 1842, he graduated in Law and Political Science at the Universities of Prague and Vienna. From 1843–48, he studied at the University of Rome obtaining degrees in Mineralogy, Church Law and Italian.

Diplomatic career

1842 : Began internship at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Vienna. 1848 : ''Franz Joseph I succeeds his uncle Ferdinand I as Emperor of Austria at the age of 18. Count

Felix Schwarzenberg Felix Ludwig Johann Friedrich, Prince of Schwarzenberg (german: Felix Ludwig Johann Friedrich Prinz zu Schwarzenberg; cs, Felix Ludvík Jan Bedřich princ ze Schwarzenbergu; 2 October 1800 – 5 April 1852) was a Bohemian nobleman and an Au ...

, statesman who restored the Habsburg Empire as a European power following the revolution of 1848 appointed Minister President and Foreign Minister.'' 1849 : Appointed Legation Attaché to Switzerland (Bern and Zurich)). 1849 : In April, Braun appointed Presidential Secretary of the Minister President and Foreign Minister of Austria, Count Felix Schwarzenberg. 1850-1851 : Accompanied the Foreign Minister to conferences in Dresden and other German courts and was entrusted with special missions at this crucial historic moment for the Empire. 1851 : Appointed as Legation Secretary to the Presidential Embassy in

Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...

as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim of Austria to Frankfurt am Main, Hessen Darmstadt and Hessen-Nassau. 1856 : Promoted to the full tenure of Chargé d’Affairs (''Geschäftsträger'') at the Embassy in Frankfurt am Main. 1859 : Promoted to the rank of Legation Counsellor. Responsibilities as Chargé d’Affairs were extended to the Princely Courts of

Lippe Lippe () is a ''Kreis'' (district) in the east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Herford, Minden-Lübbecke, Höxter, Paderborn, Gütersloh, and district-free Bielefeld, which forms the region Ostwestfalen-Lippe. The d ...

Schaumburg-Lippe Schaumburg-Lippe, also Lippe-Schaumburg, was created as a county in 1647, became a principality in 1807, a free state in 1918, and was until 1946 a small state in Germany, located in the present day state of Lower Saxony, with its capital at Bück ...

, Waldeck and Hessen-Homburg and to a special mission at the

Grand Duchy of Baden The Grand Duchy of Baden (german: Großherzogtum Baden) was a state in the southwest German Empire on the east bank of the Rhine. It existed between 1806 and 1918. It came into existence in the 12th century as the Margraviate of Baden and subs ...

. 1861 : Interim Head of the Office of German Affairs in Vienna before moving back to Frankfurt in August of the same year.

Work with Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria

1863 : Appointed Presidential Secretary of the Emperor during the Congress of the German Princes in Frankfurt am Main. 1865 : Called back to Vienna and appointed by the Emperor to become Privy Councillor and Director of His Cabinet’s Chancellery. Took oath on Nov.10, 1865. The very private relation between him and the Monarch commanded his absolute secrecy. At the end of 1865 his career as a diplomat ended and he took permanent residence in Vienna. 1866 : ''Battle of Königrätz, on 3 July – Defeat of the Austrian Monarchy against the Prussians. Dissolution of the German Confederation.'' 1867 : ''Franz Joseph I became Constitutional Emperor'' 1867 : The Emperor and his wife Elisabeth were invited by

Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...

to visit the Paris World Exhibition (autumn). Braun was part of the retinue. 1867 : ''The Emperor’s brother Ferdinand Maximilian (Emperor

Maximilian I of Mexico Maximilian I (german: Ferdinand Maximilian Josef Maria von Habsburg-Lothringen, link=no, es, Fernando Maximiliano José María de Habsburgo-Lorena, link=no; 6 July 1832 – 19 June 1867) was an Austrian archduke who reigned as the only Emperor ...

) was shot in Mexico.'' 1869 : Napoleon III invited the Emperor Franz Joseph I to the opening of the

Suez Canal The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...

(planned by Austrian Engineer Alois Negrelli and built by French Ferdinand de Lesseps). Braun traveled in the retinue of the Emperor who made the first pilgrimage of a Habsburg Monarch to the Holy Land since Friedrich III in 1430. The route went through Constantinople, Jerusalem, Jaffa to Egypt. 1870 : ''Franz Joseph I revoked the Concordat with the Vatican''. 1874 : Traveled with the Emperor to St.Petersburg to visit Tsar

Alexander II of Russia Alexander II ( rus, Алекса́ндр II Никола́евич, Aleksándr II Nikoláyevich, p=ɐlʲɪˈksandr ftɐˈroj nʲɪkɐˈlajɪvʲɪtɕ; 29 April 181813 March 1881) was Emperor of Russia, Congress Poland, King of Poland and Gra ...

. 1879 : ''Silver Wedding Anniversary of the Emperor.'' 1889 : Death of

Crown Prince Rudolf en, Rudolph Francis Charles Joseph , caption = Rudolf in 1887 , spouse = , issue = Elisabeth Marie, Princess Otto of Windisch-Graetz , house = Habsburg-Lorraine , father = Franz Joseph I of Austria , mother ...

in Mayerling together with Baroness Mary Vetsera. von Braun wrote on behalf of the Emperor to the mother of 18-year-old Vetsera on 19 July 1889 to announce the tragic event and forward the Emperors condolences. (Letter in the Vienna National Library) 1898 : ''Assassination of the

Empress Elisabeth Elizabeth Petrovna (russian: Елизаве́та (Елисаве́та) Петро́вна) (), also known as Yelisaveta or Elizaveta, reigned as Empress of Russia from 1741 until her death in 1762. She remains one of the most popular Russian ...

in Geneva, Switzerland.'' 1899 : von Braun went into retirement in December, at age 81.

Titles and decorations

1850-1851 : Received Knights Cross of the Albert Order ( King of Saxony) and the Order of the Royal Württemberg Crown. 1861 : Received the Order of the Iron Crown Third Class for the services rendered that year. Knighted (''Ritter'') (4.1.1861) 1863: Knight’s Cross of the

Order of Leopold Order of Leopold may refer to: * Order of Leopold (Austria), founded in 1808 by emperor Francis I of Austria and discontinued in 1918 * Order of Leopold (Belgium), founded in 1832 by king Leopold I of Belgium * Order of Leopold II, founded in Congo ...

. 1867 : Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold (Privy Councillor). 1868 : Distinguished with the title of k.k. ''Wirklichen Geheimen Rates''. 1873 : Received knighthood and the Commander Cross of the Hungarian Royal Order of St.Stephan from the Emperor. Receives the title of Baron (''Freiherr'') (4.7.1873) 1975 : Honorary citizen of Bad Aussee, Austria. 1881 : Braun was appointed Knight of the

Order of the Golden Fleece The Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece ( es, Insigne Orden del Toisón de Oro, german: Orden vom Goldenen Vlies) is a Catholic order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in 1430, to celebrate his marriage ...

(''Kanzler des Goldenen Vlies'') until his death. 1884 : “Braungasse” (Braun street) in Bad Ausse

1887 : Order of the Iron Crown first class. 1894 : Honorary Citizen of the city of Plan in Bohemia. 1896 : Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold. 1899 : Grand Cross with Diamonds of the Imperial Austrian

, one of the only four recipients of this honour. 1899 : Honorary Member of the Association of Visual Artists of Vienna.

Further Interests

Braun's fondest interests were the study of natural sciences and particularly

astronomy Astronomy () is a natural science that studies astronomical object, celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and chronology of the Universe, evolution. Objects of interest ...

and

mineralogy Mineralogy is a subject of geology specializing in the scientific study of the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical) properties of minerals and mineralized artifacts. Specific studies within mineralogy include the proces ...

. His fine collection of minerals and

meteorite A meteorite is a solid piece of debris from an object, such as a comet, asteroid, or meteoroid, that originates in outer space and survives its passage through the atmosphere to reach the surface of a planet or Natural satellite, moon. When the ...

s was donated to the Museum of Natural History in Vienna ( Naturhistorisches Museum) after his death. He developed personal relationships and correspondence with musicians such as

Johannes Brahms Johannes Brahms (; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the mid- Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, he spent much of his professional life in Vienna. He is sometimes grouped wit ...

Anton Bruckner Josef Anton Bruckner (; 4 September 182411 October 1896) was an Austrian composer, organist, and music theorist best known for his symphonies, masses, Te Deum and motets. The first are considered emblematic of the final stage of Austro-Germ ...

Antonín Dvořák Antonín Leopold Dvořák ( ; ; 8 September 1841 – 1 May 1904) was a Czechs, Czech composer. Dvořák frequently employed rhythms and other aspects of the folk music of Moravian traditional music, Moravia and his native Bohemia, following t ...

and Bedřich Smetana. The whole family was intensely involved in the musical life. They had a permanent Loge at the Vienna State Opera (Loge 13 Parterre). Braun spoke fluent German, Czech, French, Italian and English and had extensive knowledge of the numerous languages spoken in the Austrian Empire.

Personal life

* Parents: Wenzel Braun (1785-1826) and Constantia Fidelis Slanzowsky (b.1788) * 1858: married (6.4. 1858) Friederike Louise Borgnis, the daughter of Carl Hieronymus Borgnis and Philippine Elisabeth Emma b. Thurneisen. The marriage took place at the Hauskapelle of the Frankfurt Federal Palace with the hand-written consent of the Emperor. * Five sons: Carl Adolph von Braun (b. 1859, Frankfurt am Main), Franz von Braun (b. 1861, Frankfurt am Main), Aloys (Louis) Ernst Hugo Gabriel von Braun (b.30.01.1864, Frankfurt am Main - d. 02.09.1937, Klagenfurt), Ernst von Braun (b. 1866, Vienna), Alexander von Braun (b. 1874, Vienna) * Resided in Prague and Vienna, Frankfurt am Main, Vienna, Bad Aussee (Austria), Schwanegg Waldgut bei Mitterndorf (Austria). The family lived in Vienna very near the Hofburg at the “Stöckl der Belaria” in a comfortable old house next to the Court Stables. * Social life for von Braun in Vienna was very restricted by his position with the Emperor, but guests were numerous at summer house in Bad Aussee. Among the guests were Kübeck, Schmerlin, Beck, Paar, Hohenlohe, Trautmannsdorf, Kesselstadt, Papay, Hoyos, Simony, Haymerle, Schratt, Hübner, Gabillon, Montenuovo, Andrian, Warsberg, Dumreicher, Graf Taafe, Ceschi, and others. * 1897: Death of wife, Louise Friederike Borgnis

Death

Von Braun died on 4 March 1904 in Markt Aussee (Bad Aussee), where he was buried.

References

Sources

* Andreas Enderlin-Mahr "Adolf von Braun: Habsburgs mächtigster Beamter?

* (1894.
"Handbuch des allerhöchsten Hofes und des Hofstaates seiner K."
("Handbook of the Supreme Court and courtiers of His Imperial and Royal Apostolic Majesty.") Wien. Accessed October 2011. * Der Bagdasarian, Nicolas (1976.
"The Austro-German rapprochement, 1870-1879: from the Battle of Sedan to the Dual Alliance."
Fairleigh Dickinson University Press. Accessed October 2011. * “Erinnerungen an meinen Grossvater Adolf Freiherr von Braun” by Carl-Maria Freiherr von Braun (Geneva, 1989) * “Ein Bilderbogen aus meinem Leben” by Carl Maria Freiherr von Braun, in collaboration with Muriel von Braun, Geneva 1997 * Diaries of Aloys Ernst von Braun (1864-1937), son of Adolf Aloys von Braun * Neues Wiener Abendblatt - Wien, Samstag 5.Marz 1904

* Letters in the Vienna National Library

* “Figures et Souvenirs 1859-1871” by Princess Pauline de Metternich, Austrian Ambassador to France

* Naturhistorisches Museum – Vienna, Austria

{{DEFAULTSORT:Braun, Adolph Aloys von 19th-century Austrian people Diplomats from Austria-Hungary Austrian barons Habsburg Bohemian nobility Politicians from Prague 1818 births 1904 deaths