Václav Eusebius František, Prince of Lobkowicz (; 30 January 1609 – 22 April 1677) was a Bohemian nobleman, military leader and diplomat. He was member of the

Lobkowicz family The House of Lobkowicz (''Lobkovicové'' in modern Czech, sg. ''z Lobkovic''; ''Lobkowitz'' in German) is an important Bohemian noble family that dates back to the 14th century and is one of the oldest noble families of the region. Over the cent ...

and after 1646, he was Duke of Sagan.

Life

Born in

Roudnice Roudnice is a municipality and village in Hradec Králové District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 800 inhabitants. Etymology The name is derived from the red shades of colour (in Czech ''rudá'') of the water ...

in the noble

, he was the son of Bohemian Chancellor Zdeněk Vojtěch Popel of Lobkowicz and Polyxena of Pernštejn. He was a passionate advocate of Catholic doctrine and succeeded, with clever tactics, in amassing a considerable fortune for the Roudnice branch of the family. After a thorough training, he joined the Imperial Army in 1631, where he raised his own regiment to fight in the Thirty Years' War and reached the rank of field marshal. He later made a name as a politician and diplomat, holding the titles of President of the Imperial War Council (from 1652) and President of the Imperial Privy Council (from 1669). In 1646 he purchased the Silesian Duchy of Sagan which Emperor Ferdinand III had confiscated in 1634 after the death of the imperial commander

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 ...

. He extensively renovated his family's properties, overseeing the remodeling of the Lobkowicz Palace by Italian Baroque architects and the transformation of Roudnice Castle from a ruin to the family seat. As a confidant of Emperor Leopold I, he was appointed President of the ''Hofrat'' in 1657, and

Obersthofmeister Oberhofmeister of the Austrian King and Emperor (''Grand Master of the Court'') was the most important function at the court of the Holy Roman Emperor (until 1806) and the Emperor of Austria in Vienna (1804–1918). The Oberhofmeister acted as the ...

in 1665. Although his parents - especially his mother, the daughter of a Spanish noblewoman - were pro-Spanish, he sought allies at the French court, thus creating many enemies amongst the Spanish supporters at the Habsburg court in Vienna. Because of their intervention, he fell out of favor with the Emperor in 1674. He was arrested and imprisoned in

, where he died 3 years later.

Marriage and children

Václav Eusebius married Johana Myšková of Žlunice (1600–1650) on 3 November 1638. They had no children. His second marriage was on 6 February 1653 with Auguste Sophie von Pfalz-Sulzbach (1624–1682), daughter of Duke Augustus, Count Palatine of Sulzbach. They had 5 children: *

Stillborn Stillbirth is typically defined as fetal death at or after 20 or 28 weeks of pregnancy, depending on the source. It results in a baby born without signs of life. A stillbirth can often result in the feeling of guilt or grief in the mother. T ...

son (1654) * Ferdinand August (1655–1715), 3rd Prince of Lobkowicz, Duke of Sagan * Philipp Ferdinand Adalbert (1656–1659) * Marie Hedwig Sophie (1658–1660) * Franz Wilhelm (1659–1698)

External links

Article in ADB

Austria-Forum
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lobkowicz, Vaclav Eusebius Frantisek Diplomats of the Habsburg monarchy Knights of the Golden Fleece 1609 births 1677 deaths Austrian princes Vaclav 17th-century diplomats from the Holy Roman Empire Field marshals of the Holy Roman Empire Dukes of Żagań Obersthofmeister