Donat John Count Heissler of Heitersheim was an Imperial and Royal Marshal of the

Habsburg The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...

empire. He was deeply involved in the conflict between the

Austrian Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ** Austria-Hungary ** Austria ...

and

Turkish Turkish may refer to: * Something related to Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities in the former Ottoman Empire * The w ...

empires. He was born in 1648 and died at

Szeged Szeged ( , ; see also #Etymology, other alternative names) is List of cities and towns of Hungary#Largest cities in Hungary, the third largest city of Hungary, the largest city and regional centre of the Southern Great Plain and the county seat ...

on 1 September 1696. Armoiries des Comte Heissler de Heitersheim

Biography

Donat John Heissler was born in the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

in about 1648, at the end of the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...

. He enlisted in the service of the

Habsburgs The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...

at a very young age, and as a cavalry captain, Heissler obtained the rank of

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

on 15 September 1678. His courage and exemplary behaviour led to his promotion to

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

and command over a regiment of

dragoons Dragoons were originally a class of mounted infantry, who used horses for mobility, but dismounted to fight on foot. From the early 17th century onward, dragoons were increasingly also employed as conventional cavalry and trained for combat wi ...

, which is named after him. He fought bravely in the

Battle of Vienna The Battle of Vienna took place at Kahlenberg Mountain near Vienna on 1683 after the city had been besieged by the Ottoman Empire for two months. The battle was fought by the Holy Roman Empire (led by the Habsburg monarchy) and the Polish–Li ...

in 1683 and continued to distinguish himself in battle over the following years. In 1684 he defeated rebels commanded by

Imre Thököly Imre () is a Hungarian masculine first name, which is also in Estonian use, where the corresponding name day is 10 April. It has been suggested that it relates to the name Emeric, Emmerich or Heinrich. Its English equivalents are Emery and He ...

, followed by a victory over a Turkish regiment at

Székesfehérvár Székesfehérvár (; ; ; ; Serbian language, Serbian: ''Стони Београд''; ), known colloquially as Fehérvár (), is a city in central Hungary, and the country's ninth-largest city. It is the Regions of Hungary, regional capital of C ...

. In 1684 he relieved

Vác Vác (; ; ; ) is a thousand-year old city in Pest county in Hungary with approximately 35,000 inhabitants. The archaic spelling of the name is ''Vácz''. Location Vác is located north of Budapest on the eastern bank of the Danube river, below t ...

, subjugated Arad and defeated Turkish forces, which were defending

Oradea Oradea (, , ; ; ) is a city in Romania, located in the Crișana region. It serves as the administrative county seat, seat of Bihor County and an economic, social, and cultural hub in northwestern Romania. The city lies between rolling hills on ...

and Gyula. On 16 September 1685, he was promoted to the rank of

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

and in his first expedition prevented the conquering of

Munkács Mukachevo (, ; , ; see name section) is a city in Zakarpattia Oblast, western Ukraine. It is situated in the valley of the Latorica River and serves as the administrative center of Mukachevo Raion. The city is a rail terminus and highway junctio ...

and Ofen, and defeated the Turks at

. In 1688 he crushed Imre Thökölu at

Körös The Körös () or Criș () ( German: ''Kreisch'') is a river in eastern Hungary and western Romania. Its length is from the confluence of its two source rivers Fehér-Körös ('' Crișul Alb'') and Fekete-Körös ('' Crișul Negru'') to its outf ...

, seized

Požarevac Požarevac ( sr-cyr, Пожаревац, ) is a list of cities in Serbia, city and the administrative centre of the Braničevo District in eastern Serbia. It is located between three rivers: Danube, Great Morava and Mlava and below the hill Čač ...

(Passarowitz) and distinguished himself at

Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...

. Having been appointed

Lieutenant-general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was normall ...

on 4 January 1689, his luck ran out in 1690. His imperial troops and the supporting

Transylvania Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...

n army were defeated by troops of Imre Thököly at the battle of Zernest (Zărneşti-Tohani) on 21 August 1690. His ally, count

Mihály Teleki Mihály Teleki (Oradea, Principality of Transylvania (1570–1711), Principality of Transylvania, 1634 - Zărnești, 21 August 1690), was Chancellor of Transylvania and adviser to Prince Michael I Apafi. Biography Michael Teleki (Hungarian: Tel ...

was killed in action. Heissler was captured by Thököly, and offered to the Emperor in exchange for countess

Ilona Zrínyi Countess Ilona Zrínyi (Croatian language, Croatian: ''Jelena Zrinska'', Hungarian language, Hungarian: ''Zrínyi Ilona'') (1643, Ozalj – 18 February 1703, Izmit) was a noblewoman and heroine. She was one of the last surviving members of th ...

, the wife of Imre Thököly, who was being kept in an imperial prison. It took two years to negotiate the exchange. In 1692, the deal was closed: Heissler was released, and the countess joined her husband in Turkey. On 9 February 1692, immediately after his release, he was promoted to the rank of General of the Cavalry and proved that his courage had not been affected by his imprisonment, by seizing the town of

on 5 June. From 1694 until 1695 he took command of the main Hungarian forces on an interim basis. On 12 May 1696, he obtained the supreme rank of

Marshal Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used fo ...

. Although it is unknown when he was awarded the title of

Baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often Hereditary title, hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than ...

, it is known that he used it in official documents in which he bought the

Písečné Písečné may refer to places in the Czech Republic: *Písečné (Jindřichův Hradec District), a municipality and village in the South Bohemian Region *Písečné (Žďár nad Sázavou District) Písečné is a municipality and village in Žď� ...

property and Uherčice castle. He was elevated to the rank of

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: ...

, a title he kept until he died on 1 September 1696 from the consequences of a wound he received 5 days before in the

Battle of Ulaş The Battle of Olasch (also Ólas, Ulaş, Olaschin) took place after a Habsburg Imperial army led by Saxon Elector General, Augustus II the Strong, laid siege to Turkish held Temesvár. On 26 August 1696, after learning that Sultan Mustafa II ...

near

Timișoara Timișoara (, , ; , also or ; ; ; see #Etymology, other names) is the capital city of Timiș County, Banat, and the main economic, social and cultural center in Western Romania. Located on the Bega (Tisza), Bega River, Timișoara is consider ...

. The ''"Register of Generals of the Imperial and Royal Army died on the Field of Honor"'' lists him as "Donat John Count Heissler of Heitersheim, Marshal Imperial and Royal".

A lover of castles

Uherčice

GuentherZ 2009-08-15 0857 Uhercice u Znojma Statni zamek Uhercice

Heissler of Heitersheim acquired the castle of Uherčice and added to its embellishment. His modifications gave a more

baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

aspect to the castle, thanks to the involvement of the architect

Francesco Martinelli Franz Martinelli (or Italian: Francesco Martinelli; 1651 – 28 October 1708) was an Austrian architect. In 1684 he was in charge of the restoration work of the Servitenkirche in Vienna. In 1687 he also participated in the construction of the H ...

. Under the aegis of the Count, Baldassarre Fontana created the very beautiful decoration in

stucco Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and ...

in the chapel and several rooms.

Písečné

He also acquired the Písečné Castle at the same time.

Descent

Donat John, Count Heissler of Heitersheim married Barbara Maria Countess of Rotthal (becoming Barbara Maria Countess Heissler of Heitersheim). They had two sons together:

Francis Joseph Count Heissler of Heitersheim

He married May 29, 1713 in Prague, Maria Anna Countess of Mittrowitz, Member of the

Order of the Starry Cross The Order of the Starry Cross (also known as Order of the Star Cross or Star Cross Order; German: ''Sternkreuz-Orden'') is an imperial Austrian dynastic order for Catholic noble ladies, founded in 1668. The order still exists under the House of Ha ...

. They had four daughters: * Maria Theresia Carolina Maximiliana Countess Heissler of Heitersheim († 14.08.1759) married (30.05.1709) Count Maximilian Joseph Mittrovsky of Mitrowitz Baron of Nemyssl (* 30.05.1709 - † 01.18.1782). From this union was born Johann Nepomuk Count Mittrowsky of Mittrowitz (* 20.01. 1757 Brno - † 05.20.1799 in Brno). He is a direct ancestor of the conductor

Nikolaus Harnoncourt Johann Nikolaus Harnoncourt (6 December 1929 – 5 March 2016) was an Austrian conductor, known for his historically informed performances. He specialized in music of the Baroque period, but later extended his repertoire to include Classical ...

(Nikolaus of LaFontaine Count of Harnoncourt-Unverzagt) * Johanna Countess Heissler of Heitersheim married (1741) Charles-Gabriel Baron of Canon and of the Holy Roman Empire, called Marquess of Ville, Lord of Brick in Silesia, Chamberlain of his Imperial and Royal Majesty, general Major commanding Debretchin. * Anna Maria Countess Heissler of Heitersheim * Maria Judith Countess Heissler of Heitersheim married Jean-Baptiste Joyeuse (* 11.25.1699 - † 18.09 1765) - Field Marshal. Francis Joseph Count Heissler of Heitersheimacquires Qualkowitz in 1702 which he resells in 1718. He also sells the Píesling property to Count Anton von Hartig. Francis Joseph had also a brilliant career as a member of the

Geheimrat was the title of the highest advising officials at the imperial, royal, or princely courts of the Holy Roman Empire, who jointly formed the ''Geheimer Rat'' reporting to the ruler. The term remained in use during subsequent monarchic reigns in Ge ...

then as royal judge of the Land from 1732, to finally become governor of Moravia in 1740.

Bernard of Heissler

second son of the count, led from 1705 the Regiment founded by Donat John.

Sources

*
''Mährischer Adel''
p. 44 * François-Alexandre Aubert de La Chesnaye Des Bois
''Dictionnaire généalogique, héraldique, chronologique et historique''
p. 383 (in French)

References

External links

- page 44 of http://www.historie.hranet.cz/heraldika/pdf/kadich-blazek1899-041-050.pdf
- http://daten.digitale-sammlungen.de/bsb00008369/images/index.html?seite=673 {{DEFAULTSORT:Heissler Of Heitersheim, Donat John 1640s births 1696 deaths Counts of the Holy Roman Empire Counts of Austria Field marshals of Austria Austrian generals 17th century in Hungary People of the Great Turkish War Austrian military personnel killed in action Generals of the Holy Roman Empire 17th-century Austrian military personnel