Heinrich von Bünau
Encyclopedia
Count Heinrich von Bünau (2 June 1697 – 7 April 1762) was a statesman and historian from the Kingdom of Saxony
, now part of Germany
.
he entered the service of the Electors of Saxony and became an assessor in the Upper Court at Leipzig
. Later he became Senior Consistorial President and Privy Councillor (Wirklicher Geheimrat).
He received advancement through the good offices of the Cabinet Minister of the Electors of Saxony, Count von Hoym, the uncle of his second wife. After Hoym had been ousted by Count Brühl
, Heinrich von Bünau was relegated in 1734 to the position of Senior Overseer of the County of Mansfeld in Eisleben
.
In 1741 however he entered the service of the Emperor Charles VII
, who made him an Imperial Privy Councillor (Reichshofrat), the first Protestant to fill that role, and employed him as an ambassador in the area of Upper and Lower Saxony. After the death of the emperor, he withdrew (in 1745) to his estate at Nöthnitz near Dresden
to pursue his scientific and historical studies.
Between 1744 and 1751 he had Dahlen Castle built, on the Dahlen
estate he had acquired by marriage, and for the decoration of which he commissioned Adam Friedrich Oeser
in 1756.
In 1751 he was appointed Guardian Governor of the Duchy of Saxe-Eisenach
during the minority of Duke Constantin, for whom in 1756 he became Prime Minister in Weimar
. In 1759, after the death of the Duke, he entered on his retirement and spent the evening of his life on his estate at Ossmannstedt near Weimar, where he died on 7 April 1762.
from Stendal
worked there between 1748 and 1754 as secretary.
Kingdom of Saxony
The Kingdom of Saxony , lasting between 1806 and 1918, was an independent member of a number of historical confederacies in Napoleonic through post-Napoleonic Germany. From 1871 it was part of the German Empire. It became a Free state in the era of Weimar Republic in 1918 after the end of World War...
, now part of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Life
Born in Weissenfels, he was the son of the Chancellor of the Elector of Saxony, Heinrich von Bünau (1665–1745), who was created an Imperial Count on 24 March 1742. After studying at the University of LeipzigUniversity of Leipzig
The University of Leipzig , located in Leipzig in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, is one of the oldest universities in the world and the second-oldest university in Germany...
he entered the service of the Electors of Saxony and became an assessor in the Upper Court at Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
. Later he became Senior Consistorial President and Privy Councillor (Wirklicher Geheimrat).
He received advancement through the good offices of the Cabinet Minister of the Electors of Saxony, Count von Hoym, the uncle of his second wife. After Hoym had been ousted by Count Brühl
Heinrich von Brühl
Heinrich, count von Brühl , was a German statesman at the court of Saxony and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth...
, Heinrich von Bünau was relegated in 1734 to the position of Senior Overseer of the County of Mansfeld in Eisleben
Eisleben
Eisleben is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is famous as the hometown of Martin Luther, hence its official name is Lutherstadt Eisleben. As of 2005, Eisleben had a population of 24,552...
.
In 1741 however he entered the service of the Emperor Charles VII
Charles VII, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles VII Albert a member of the Wittelsbach family, was Prince-elector of Bavaria from 1726 and Holy Roman Emperor from 24 January 1742 until his death in 1745...
, who made him an Imperial Privy Councillor (Reichshofrat), the first Protestant to fill that role, and employed him as an ambassador in the area of Upper and Lower Saxony. After the death of the emperor, he withdrew (in 1745) to his estate at Nöthnitz near Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
to pursue his scientific and historical studies.
Between 1744 and 1751 he had Dahlen Castle built, on the Dahlen
Dahlen, Saxony
Dahlen is a town in the district Nordsachsen, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany.- Geography :The town is the gateway to the Dahlener Forest. The neighbouring towns are Wermsdorf , Oschatz and Torgau. Dahlen is located 22 km south of Torgau and 44 km east of Leipzig.The Bundesstraße 6...
estate he had acquired by marriage, and for the decoration of which he commissioned Adam Friedrich Oeser
Adam Friedrich Oeser
Adam Friedrich Oeser was a German etcher, painter and sculptor.- Biography :Oeser worked and studied in Pressburg and Vienna at the Vienna Academy...
in 1756.
In 1751 he was appointed Guardian Governor of the Duchy of Saxe-Eisenach
Saxe-Eisenach
Saxe-Eisenach was the name of an Ernestine duchy ruled by the Saxon House of Wettin. The State intermittendly existed at three different times in the Thuringian region of the Holy Roman Empire...
during the minority of Duke Constantin, for whom in 1756 he became Prime Minister in Weimar
Weimar
Weimar is a city in Germany famous for its cultural heritage. It is located in the federal state of Thuringia , north of the Thüringer Wald, east of Erfurt, and southwest of Halle and Leipzig. Its current population is approximately 65,000. The oldest record of the city dates from the year 899...
. In 1759, after the death of the Duke, he entered on his retirement and spent the evening of his life on his estate at Ossmannstedt near Weimar, where he died on 7 April 1762.
Library
Von Bünau's private library comprised some 42,000 volumes. It was housed at first in Dresden, then on his estate at Nöthnitz, and was publicly accessible. The archaeologist Johann Joachim WinckelmannJohann Joachim Winckelmann
Johann Joachim Winckelmann was a German art historian and archaeologist. He was a pioneering Hellenist who first articulated the difference between Greek, Greco-Roman and Roman art...
from Stendal
Stendal
Stendal is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is the capital of Stendal District and unofficial capital of the Altmark. Its population in 2001 was 38,900. It is located some west of Berlin and around east of Hanover...
worked there between 1748 and 1754 as secretary.
Works
- "Probe einer genauer und umständlichen Teutschen Kayser- und Reichshistorie oder Leben und Thaten Friedrichs I. Römischen Kaysers" (1722) (Attempt at a Comprehensive History of the German Emperor and Empire, or, The Life and Deeds of Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor)
- "Genaue und umständliche teutsche Kayser- und Reichshistorie aus den bewährtesten Geschichtsschreibern und Urkunden zusammengetragen" in 4 volumes (1728–1743) (Exact and Comprehensive History of the German Emperor and Empire compiled from the Most Valued Historians and Documents)
- "Historie des Kriegs zwischen Frankreich, England und Teutschland" in 4 volumes (1763–1767) (History of the War between France, England and Germany)