Johann Georg, Chevalier de Saxe (21 August 1704 – 25 February 1774), also called ''Johann Georg of Saxony'', was a

Saxon The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...

Field Marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...

and Governor of

Dresden Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...

. He was an illegitimate son of

August the Strong Augustus II the Strong (12 May 1670 – 1 February 1733), was Elector of Saxony from 1694 as well as King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1697 to 1706 and from 1709 until his death in 1733. He belonged to the Albertine branch of the H ...

, King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania and Elector of Saxony, and

Ursula Katharina of Altenbockum Ursula Katharina of Altenbockum, divorced Princess Lubomirska, married Duchess von Württemberg-Winnental (; 25 November 1680 – 4 May 1743), later Imperial Princess of Teschen (), was a Polish-German noblewoman and mistress of Augustus II ...

, divorced Princess Lubomirska, since August 1704 Imperial Princess (Reichsfürstin) of Teschen.

Life

When he was legitimized, his father gave him the title of ''Chevalier de Saxe''. Initially, Johann Georg chose a spiritual path and became a

Knight of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, and commonly known as the Order of Malta or the Knights of Malta, is a Catholic lay religious ...

, but later, like all of August's illegitimate sons, he joined the army, starting at the top (as a general). On July 27, 1763, he was appointed field marshal

Generalfeldmarschall ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (; from Old High German ''marahscalc'', "marshal, stable master, groom"; ; often abbreviated to ''Feldmarschall'') was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire, (''Reichsgeneralfeldmarsch ...

. On 27 November 1764 Johann Georg acquired, for 14,000 thalers, the so-called ''Zinzendorfschen Garden'', located outside Dresden's city gates. In the middle of the property, the building and landscape architect

Friedrich August Krubsacius Friedrich August Krubsacius (21 March 1718 - 28 November 1789) was a German architect, teacher, and architectural theoretician. He was born at Dresden. In 1755 he was made court architect to the Electorate of Saxony, in 1764 professor of archit ...

built magnificent palaces in a reserved form of the

Rococo Rococo, less commonly Roccoco ( , ; or ), also known as Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and dramatic style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpte ...

style. These were (after the ''Moszinskapalais'' and the ''Brühlschen Palais'' in Dresden-Friedrichstadt) the third "Maison de Plaisance" of the aristocracy outside the

city walls. The interiors were not excessively large, emphasis being on the contemporary inclination towards elegance, intimacy and comfort. The palace annexes provided for functional spaces. The garden was also extended into some fields on the property, being reshaped significantly. According to the principles of the French

Baroque garden The Baroque garden was a style of garden based upon symmetry and the principle of imposing order on nature. The style originated in the late-16th century in Italy, in the gardens of the Vatican and the Villa Borghese gardens in Rome and in the ...

, it was severe in design. The palaces determined the centerline of the whole arrangement, with the salon overlooking all the garden's essential parts. On 30 January 1770, the Chevalier took leave of the army and moved to his garden property, without however renouncing his right to the large urban royal suite. Four years later, aged sixty-nine, after a prolonged illness, he died. In his will, the Chevalier declared his half-sister, Fredericka Alexandrine, Countess of Cosel (by marriage Countess Moszinska) his sole heir. For the separation of still more existing debts the obligation was imposed on her to offer the garden with the palace first to the Elector and then the prince Karl for 15,000 talers to the purchase. Only for the case of the refusal she should keep the garden, but against Erlegung of a capital of 10.000 talers for the separation of the debts. Immediately after the reading of the will, it was contested by the Commander of the Knights of Malta, the ''Oberhofmeister'' Baron of Forell. He informed the Elector that the Chevalier had been a member of the Order since 1728, and that consequently his estate belonged to the Knights of Malta. In 1776, the lawsuit brought by the Order was decided in its favour. As the deceased had badly underestimated his debts, amounting to c. 36,000 talers, the estate was liquidated, with creditors realizing 80% of the debts owed them and the Order receiving only 5,000 talers. Johann Georg was buried in the Roman Catholic Churchyard (''Innerer Katholischen Friedhof'') in

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Johann Georg Of Saxe, Chevalier Field marshals of Saxony German knights House of Wettin Illegitimate children of Augustus II the Strong 1704 births 1774 deaths Albertine branch Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Poland) Sons of kings Sons of prince-electors