Maximilian Freiherr von und zu Trauttmansdorff (23 May 1584, in

Graz Graz (; sl, Gradec) is the capital city of the Austrian state of Styria and second-largest city in Austria after Vienna. As of 1 January 2021, it had a population of 331,562 (294,236 of whom had principal-residence status). In 2018, the popul ...

– 8 June 1650, in Vienna), (from 1623 Reichsgraf von und zu Trauttmansdorff) was an Austrian politician and diplomat of the Thirty Years' War era. His other titles included Freiherr von Gleichenberg, Neuenstadt am Kocher, Negau, Burgau und Totzenbach, Herr zu Teinitz. He was a Knight in 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 ...

, Geheimer Rat,

Chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

and Obersthofmeister. As a long-term counsellor to emperors Ferdinand II and especially to Ferdinand III, he was a leading figure in governing the Empire and the Austrian Erblande. Concluding many treaties for the Empire, he was a principal architect of the

Peace of Westphalia The Peace of Westphalia (german: Westfälischer Friede, ) is the collective name for two peace treaties signed in October 1648 in the Westphalian cities of Osnabrück and Münster. They ended the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) and brought pea ...

where he was the head of the Imperial delegation.

Early life

Maximilian Johann was born as son of Johann Friedrich, Freiherr von Trauttmansdorff (1542-1614) and his wife Eva von Trauttmansdorff zum Freienthurn und Castelalt (b. 1549), who belonged to the other line of Trauttmansdorff family. Apart from his elder brother Johann David (d. 1627), he had sisters Susanna (d. 1620) and Elisabeth (1587-1653), who both married into

House of Sinzendorf A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air ...

Biography

After law studies in Padua, Siena and Perugia from 1601 to 1603, Trauttmansdorff shortly became Rittmeister in the Imperial Army. He started his political career as member of the Aulic Council under Rudolf II in 1609. In 1614, he became Obersthofmeister of Empress Anna of Tyrol. Since the overthrow of the leading imperial counsellor

Melchior Khlesl Melchior Khlesl (Klesl,Klesel,CleseliusHe uses the spelling Khlesl himself in his German-language correspondence: Victor Bibl, Klesl's Briefe an K. Rudolfs II. Obersthofmeister Adam Freiherrn von Dietrichstein (1583-1589). Ein Beitrag zur Geschic ...

in 1618 and the coming into power of Ferdinand II, Trauttmansdorff was

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 one of the most important diplomats of the new emperor. In 1619, he arranged the alliance between Ferdinand II and Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria. With Prince Gabriel Bethlen of Transylvania, he concluded the Peace of Nikolsburg in 1621. The emperor made him

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 ...

in 1623 and elevated him into the Bohemian nobility in 1628. From 1633 on, Trauttmansdorff was Obersthofmeister and closest advisor to the emperor's son, Ferdinand III. In 1635, he arranged the Peace of Prague with the

Electorate of Saxony The Electorate of Saxony, also known as Electoral Saxony (German: or ), was a territory of the Holy Roman Empire from 1356–1806. It was centered around the cities of Dresden, Leipzig and Chemnitz. In the Golden Bull of 1356, Emperor Charles ...

. With Ferdinand's coronation to emperor in 1637, Maximilian, now the Imperial Obersthofmeister, became the most powerful person of the imperial court behind the emperor. He was the head of the delegation of the Holy Roman Empire for the

between 1645 and 1647 but was replaced by Johann Ludwig von Nassau-Hadamar in 1647 when his health deteriorated. In September 1648, he convinced Ferdinand to agree to the peace treaty without involvement of or military support for Spain, thus removing the last barrier on the way to peace.

Marriage and issue

In 1615 he married Countess Maria Sophia Pálffy ab Erdöd (1596-1668), together they had the following surviving children: * Count Adam Matthias von und zu Trauttmansdorff (1617-1687); married first to Countess Eva Johanna von Sternberg (d. 1674); married secondly to Maria Isabella Lobkowicz (1649-1719); no issue from both marriages * Count Johann Friedrich von und zu Trauttmansdorff (1619-1696); married first to Princess Maria Clara von Dietrichstein (1626-1667); married secondly to Countess Maria Eleonora von Sternberg (1654-1703); had issue from both marriages * Count Ferdinand von und zu Trauttmansdorff (d. 1692); married Countess Maria Elisabeth Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau (1670-1737); no issue * Countess Maria Elisabeth von und zu Trauttmansdorff; Prioress * Countess Maria Maximiliana von und zu Trauttmansdorff (d. 1692): married to Count Georg Siegmund von

Herberstein Herberstein may refer to: * Schloss Herberstein, a castle in Styria, Austria * Siegersdorf bei Herberstein, a municipality in the district of Hartberg in Styria, Austria * Sankt Johann bei Herberstein, a municipality in the district of Hartberg in ...

(d. 1696) * Count Franz Anton von und zu Trauttmansdorff (d. 1683): married Countess Margaretha von Porcia; had issue * Count Maximilian von und zu Trauttmansdorff (d. 1705); married his relative Victoria Eleonora von Trauttmansdorff (d. 1705); no issue * Count Karl von und zu Trauttmansdorff (d. 1664); Knight of the Order of St. John; no issue * Count Georg Sigmund von und zu Trauttmansdorff (1638-1708); married Countess Eleonora Cäcilia Renata von Wildenstein (1643-1708); had issue

References

Sources

* *

External links

* * http://www.aeiou.at/aeiou.encyclop.t/t730941.htm {{DEFAULTSORT:Trautmansdorff 1584 births 1650 deaths Austrian people of the Thirty Years' War Diplomats of the Habsburg monarchy Politicians from Graz Counts of Austria 17th-century diplomats Knights of the Golden Fleece Obersthofmeister