Count Wilhelm Kinsky von Wchinitz (; ; 1574 – 25 February 1634) was a landowner and a statesman. By birth, he was member of the

House of Kinsky The House of Kinsky (formerly Vchynští, sg. ''Vchynský'' in Czech; later (in modern Czech) Kinští, sg. ''Kinský''; ) is a prominent Bohemian noble family originating in the Kingdom of Bohemia. During the Thirty Years' War, the Kinsky fa ...

, which belonged to the highest circle of Bohemian aristocracy.

Early life

Wilhelm was born as the younger son of Johann Kinsky von Wchinitz, Burggraf of

Karlštejn Karlštejn Castle (; ) is a castle in the Czech Republic. It is a large Gothic architecture, Gothic castle founded in 1348 by King Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, Charles IV. The castle served as a place for safekeeping the Imperial Regalia as ...

(1540-1590) and his wife, Anna Pauzar von Michnic (d. 1598), daughter of Johann Pauzar von Michnic.

Biography

In 1628, Wilhelm Kinsky 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: ...

in the Bohemian nobility when Wallenstein was elevated to

Duchy of Friedland Duchy of Friedland (Czech: ''Frýdlantské vévodství'', German: ''Herzogtum Friedland'') was a de facto sovereign duchy in Bohemia. It was created in 1627 and disappeared in 1634 after death of the ruler Albrecht von Wallenstein (1582 - 16 ...

. As a rich landowner in Bohemia, Kinsky lived in exile at

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 ...

after the

Battle of White Mountain The Battle of White Mountain (; ) was an important battle in the early stages of the Thirty Years' War. It led to the defeat of the Bohemian Revolt and ensured Habsburg control for the next three hundred years. It was fought on 8 November 16 ...

, because he was a

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

and, unlike the members of the Trčka family, had refused to convert to the Catholic faith but was allowed to regularly visit his Bohemian estates. Subsequently, together with his brother-in-law Adam Erdmann Trčka, he attempted to pull Wallenstein over to the Protestant and Swedish side. Kinsky was assassinated during 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 ...

, on 25 February 1634 at

Cheb Cheb (; ) is a town in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 33,000 inhabitants. It lies on the Ohře River. Before the Expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia, expulsion of Germans in 1945, the town was the centre of the G ...

, together with Trčka and other officers loyal to the general and the

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 ...

himself, during the so-called Eger Bloodbath, a plot to purge the Imperial Army from

Albrecht von Wallenstein Albrecht Wenzel Eusebius von Wallenstein, Duke of Friedland (; 24 September 1583 – 25 February 1634), also von Waldstein (), was a Bohemian military leader and statesman who fought on the Catholic side during the Thirty Years' War (1618–16 ...

's supporters. Kinsky's estates, among them

Teplice Teplice (, until 1948 Teplice-Šanov; , ''Teplitz-Schönau'') is a city in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 51,000 inhabitants. It is the most populous Czech spa town, followed by Karlovy Vary. The historic city cen ...

, were confiscated by Emperor Ferdinand II.

Personal life

Wilhelm Kinsky married Countess Elisabeth Magdalena Trčka von Lípa, whose brother

Adam Erdmann Trčka von Lípa Adam is the name given in Genesis 1–5 to the first human. Adam is the first human-being aware of God, and features as such in various belief systems (including Judaism, Christianity, Gnosticism and Islam). According to Christianity, Adam sin ...

was married with Countess Maximiliane von

Harrach The House of Harrach is the name of an old and influential German nobility, Austro-German noble family, which was also part of the Bohemian nobility. The ''Grafen'' (Counts) of Harrach were among the most prominent families in the Habsburg Empire ...

, a sister of

's second wife. They had: * Count Adolf Ernst Kinsky von Wchinitz (d. after 1648); married Elisabeth Killgrew. They had: ** Count Wilhelm Leopold Kinsky von Wchinitz (d. 1709); married Franziska Rosalie

Berka of Dubá Berka of Dubá () was a cadet branch of a Bohemian noble family of Lords of Dubá established by Hynek Berka of Dubá (1249–1306). It held estates in what is today the Czech Republic and Saxony in Germany throughout the Middle Ages. Ancestors ...

. They had no issue * Count Ulrich Kinsky von Wchinitz (d. after 1648) * Count Philipp Moritz Kinsky von Wchinitz (d. after 1648)

References

Bibliography

* Otto's encyclopedia a

*
Official pages of the family Kinsky: ''Vilém Kinský a Albrecht Václav Eusebius z Valdštejna''

Joachim Whaley: ''Germany and the Holy Roman Empire:Volume I: Maximilian I to the Peace of Westphalia, 1493-1648'',Oxford University Press 2011

Hamish M. Scott: ''The European nobilities in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries'', Volume 2, Longman, 1995
1574 births 1634 deaths Habsburg Bohemian nobility Wilhelm Kinsky People from Cheb People murdered in the 1630s Assassinated nobility People assassinated in the 17th century {{Noble-stub