Count Albrecht Konrad Reinhold Finck von Finckenstein (30 October 1660 – 16 December 1735) was a

Prussian nobleman The Junkers ( ; ) were members of the landed nobility in Prussia. They owned great estates that were maintained and worked by peasants with few rights. These estates often lay in the countryside outside of major cities or towns. They were an impor ...

field marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered as ...

and

statesman A statesman or stateswoman typically is a politician who has had a long and respected political career at the national or international level. Statesman or Statesmen may also refer to: Newspapers United States * ''The Statesman'' (Oregon), a n ...

Finck von Finckenstein The House of Finck von Finckenstein is a noble family classified as '' Uradel'' (German for 'ancient nobility'). It is one of the oldest Prussian aristocratic families extant, dating back to the 12th century in the Duchy of Carinthia. Origins ...

came from ancient Prussian nobility or according to the Imperial Count Diploma originally from

Carinthia Carinthia (german: Kärnten ; sl, Koroška ) is the southernmost States of Austria, Austrian state, in the Eastern Alps, and is noted for its mountains and lakes. The main language is German language, German. Its regional dialects belong to t ...

and was the son of a Prussian chamberlain. He was born in Saberau,

East Prussia East Prussia ; german: Ostpreißen, label=Low Prussian; pl, Prusy Wschodnie; lt, Rytų Prūsija was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 187 ...

rbb-online.de
/ref> and became a Prussian

and tutor to two Prussian

crown prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wif ...

s, Governor of Pillau,

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

of a regiment, knight of the

Order of the Black Eagle The Order of the Black Eagle (german: Hoher Orden vom Schwarzen Adler) was the highest order of chivalry in the Kingdom of Prussia. The order was founded on 17 January 1701 by Elector Friedrich III of Brandenburg (who became Friedrich I, King ...

, Knight of the Order of St John, Captain to

Krossen Krossen is a village in Lindesnes municipality in Agder county, Norway. The village is located in the Mandalen valley, on the western shore of the river Mandalselva, about north of the town of Mandal and about south of the village of Øysleb� ...

, as well as Master of the Finckenstein estate. He went into Dutch, then

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

war service, but resigned from French service when

Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Vers ...

mobilized against Germany and destroyed Heidelberg and the

Heidelberg Castle Heidelberg Castle (german: Heidelberger Schloss) is a ruin in Germany and landmark of Heidelberg. The castle ruins are among the most important Renaissance structures north of the Alps. The castle has only been partially rebuilt since its demoli ...

in 1689. He acquired a position as a Prussian Major in 1689 through "prudence and moderation, as well as exceptional conduct". He was

Lord Chamberlain The Lord Chamberlain of the Household is the most senior officer of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom, supervising the departments which support and provide advice to the Sovereign of the United Kingdom while also acting as the main cha ...

for two crown princes, became in 1710 Imperial Count (

Reichsgraf Imperial Count (german: Reichsgraf) was a title in the Holy Roman Empire. In the medieval era, it was used exclusively to designate the holder of an imperial county, that is, a fief held directly ( immediately) from the emperor, rather than from ...

) of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...

and

Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

(

Graf (feminine: ) is a historical title of the German nobility, usually translated as "count". Considered to be intermediate among noble ranks, the title is often treated as equivalent to the British title of "earl" (whose female version is "coun ...

) in Prussia after the Battle of Malplaquet in which he successfully led the Prussian forces under Prince Eugene. His military career culminated in 1733 when he was made Prussian

. In the years 1716 to 1720, Finck von Finckenstein had

Finckenstein Palace Finckenstein Palace (German: ''Schloss Finckenstein'') was a baroque palace, designed by the architect John von Collas between 1716 and 1720 in the former West Prussia, about 25 mi. (40 km) south of Elbląg in present-day Susz, Polan ...

built after the design of

John von Collas John von Collas born Jean de Collas (11 November 1678 – 16 June 1753) was a late Baroque architect of the 18th century. Biography Collas was born in Sedan to Antoine de Collas (died 1693) and Elisabeth née de Vilain (died 1681). He was ...

References

External links

Finckenstein Palace
{{DEFAULTSORT:Finckenstein, Albrecht Konrad Finck von 1660 births 1735 deaths People from East Prussia Field marshals of Prussia People from Nidzica County German army commanders in the War of the Spanish Succession