Adam Franz Zu Schwarzenberg - Tumblr Posts

Speaking of the hunt, I would love to share one more Schwarzenberg-related story before I go on a small break, tied to the New Year celebrations which are incredibly festive in Russia. :)

This time it will be about grand-grand-parents of field marshal Schwarzenberg: Adam Franz zu Schwarzenberg (1680 - 1732) and Eleonore von Schwarzenberg (nee Lobkowicz) (1682 - 1741). Next to Eleonore you can see a little boy: that’s actually Karl’s grand-father Joseph I zu Schwarzenberg (in whose honour his elder brother was named) (1722 - 1782).

Since I promised to speak more about one particular topic, you can already guess: field marshal’s grand-grand-parents were incredibly passionate hunters (I guess, it actually ran in Karl’s blood)! In the paintings presented below you can see Eleonore in her illustrious attire holding a hunting rifle while her husband Adam wears the ceremonial robes of the Order of the Golden Fleece. 🎖

They were so passionate actually that prince Adam himself once hunted a deer with such immense antlers that his record was clogged in the 21st century only! Also those deer antlers have been preserved to this day in a very curious form: they are actually presented on the back side of the facade of Palais Schwarzenberg in Prague.

That’s extremely original, in my opinion! 🦌

Unfortunately, the hunt became the main reason of prince Adam’s death as well: he was shot dead in 1732… by the emperor of Holy Roman Empire, Charles VI. There he is, the man, the legend *aggressive yelling*!

(Was it some kind of a special entertainment for some emperors in the past, I wonder? Can you say something about that, emperor Napoleon? :/)

During that disastrous hunt, they happened to track down the exact same animal and were accidentally placed on the opposite sides of a field. When a deer jumped out of the bushes, emperor took a shot and hit prince in the stomach. Emperor’s physician tried to save his life but it didn’t work out. After 12 hours of agony prince Adam passed away... 😔

Feeling somewhat guilty, the emperor made his 10-year-old son a knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece as well. He grew to become one of empress Maria Theresa’s councillors and earned the rank of imperial prince for his House.

But the main question remains: does the life of a devoted nobleman equal to the most prestigious order in the Empire only…

(As a small finishing touch I bring you today the portrait of Johann I zu Schwarzenberg, prince Joseph’s son and field marshal Karl’s father 🤲🇦🇹)