Jakob Eltz
Encyclopedia
Jakob Graf und Edler Herr von und zu Eltz-Kempenich genannt Faust von Stromberg (which translates to: Jakob, Count and Noble Lord of Eltz-Kempenich, called Faust of Stromberg), known as Jakob von und zu Eltz, also referred to as Count Johann Jakob Eltz (Croatian: Jakov grof Eltz-Vukovarski) (September 22, 1921 – February 10, 2006) was a Knight of Malta, and a Croatian politician who became a key figure in Croatian politics during the 1990s. In Croatia, he is often styled as the count
of Vukovar
(vukovarski grof). He was President of the Association of Winemakers in Rheingau
from 1964 to 1976. Jakob von und zu Eltz is the maternal grandfather of Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg
, a former German Minister of Defence.
The son of Count Karl von und zu Eltz-Kempenich (1896–1922) and Her Serene Highness Princess Sophie of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg (1900–1982), Jakob von und zu Eltz was born in Kleinheubach
, Bavaria
, Germany
to the eminent Eltz
family, Roman Catholic nobles with ties to Croatia
since 1736, when his ancestor Philipp Karl zu Eltz (Prince Elector and Archbishop of Mainz
) bought the Lordship of Vukovar. The family owned several estates in Slavonia
, including the Eltz castle in Vukovar. When Eltz was seven months old, his father died in a car crash, and his mother then decided to move to Vukovar, where Eltz spent his childhood and attended private schools.
He decided to study agronomics and went to the study at Zagreb
and then Tetschen. Following the end of the Second World War, when the communists seized power, all of the Eltz property was seized by the communists. He then went to live in West Germany
, where he studied law, took over the family's winery estate in Eltville
and became a professor of viticulture at Mainz University. He was a member of the Souvereign Council of the Order of Malta and the representative of the order, with the rank as an ambassador, in Germany. He was further known for his charity work and pilgrimages to Lourdes during this time.
In 1946, he married Ladislaja Mayr von Melnhof in Salzburg
(1920–). She had previously been married to Prince Konrad of Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen (1919–1943). Her mother was a Countess of Meran and belonged to a line of the Habsburg-Lothringen dynasty. They had five daughters and four sons, who married into families like Preysing-Lichtenegg-Moos, Mensdorff-Pouilly and Guttenberg
.
In 1991, he was appointed by Croatian President Franjo Tudjman as honorary representative of the Republic of Croatia in Bonn.
He inherited the 800-year old family seat, Burg Eltz
in Rheinland-Pfalz, as the 32nd generation, which he made available to the public.
where he began working with political leaders to help reconstruct the government. That same year, war broke out
and Vukovar became the prime target of shelling by the heavily armed Serbs. He was present during the beginning of the Battle of Vukovar
helping with the city's defence and even took up arms to defend it, despite being 70 years old (the Eltz Manor was destroyed during the battle and the tomb and bodies of the Eltz family desecrated). Due to his popularity, he was persuaded to run for office, and was elected by a large majority to the Croatian parliament in 1992 as an independent candidate for Vukovar. He also became a member of the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe
where he promoted Croatia's case to joining the European Union.
He continued serving in the parliament until his retirement in 1999, and was so highly regarded that he was asked to continue as an honorary member in his own right. He also spoke six languages: Croatian
, German
, English
, French
, Italian
, and Latin
. He died in 2006 in Eltville
, Germany.
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
of Vukovar
Vukovar
Vukovar is a city in eastern Croatia, and the biggest river port in Croatia located at the confluence of the Vuka river and the Danube. Vukovar is the center of the Vukovar-Syrmia County...
(vukovarski grof). He was President of the Association of Winemakers in Rheingau
Rheingau
The Rheingau is the hill country on the north side of the Rhine River between Wiesbaden and Lorch near Frankfurt, reaching from the western Taunus to the Rhine. It lies in the state of Hesse and is part of the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis administrative district...
from 1964 to 1976. Jakob von und zu Eltz is the maternal grandfather of Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg
Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg
Karl-Theodor Freiherr zu Guttenberg is a German politician of the Christian Social Union ....
, a former German Minister of Defence.
Early life
Kleinheubach
Kleinheubach is a market community in the Miltenberg district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany and the seat of the like-named Verwaltungsgemeinschaft .- Location :...
, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, 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...
to the eminent Eltz
Eltz
The House of Eltz is a noted German noble family of the Uradel. The Rhenish dynasty has had close ties to the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia since 1736.-History:...
family, Roman Catholic nobles with ties to Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
since 1736, when his ancestor Philipp Karl zu Eltz (Prince Elector and Archbishop of Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
) bought the Lordship of Vukovar. The family owned several estates in Slavonia
Slavonia
Slavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia...
, including the Eltz castle in Vukovar. When Eltz was seven months old, his father died in a car crash, and his mother then decided to move to Vukovar, where Eltz spent his childhood and attended private schools.
He decided to study agronomics and went to the study at Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
and then Tetschen. Following the end of the Second World War, when the communists seized power, all of the Eltz property was seized by the communists. He then went to live in West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
, where he studied law, took over the family's winery estate in Eltville
Eltville
Eltville am Rhein is a town in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany. It is located on the German Half-Timbered House Road ....
and became a professor of viticulture at Mainz University. He was a member of the Souvereign Council of the Order of Malta and the representative of the order, with the rank as an ambassador, in Germany. He was further known for his charity work and pilgrimages to Lourdes during this time.
In 1946, he married Ladislaja Mayr von Melnhof in Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
(1920–). She had previously been married to Prince Konrad of Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen (1919–1943). Her mother was a Countess of Meran and belonged to a line of the Habsburg-Lothringen dynasty. They had five daughters and four sons, who married into families like Preysing-Lichtenegg-Moos, Mensdorff-Pouilly and Guttenberg
House of Guttenberg
The House of Guttenberg is a prominent Franconian family which traces its origins back to 1149 with a Gundeloh v. Blassenberg . Though, the first mention in a document is dated 1158. The name Guttenberg is derived from Guttenberg and was adopted by a Heinrich von Blassenberg around 1310...
.
In 1991, he was appointed by Croatian President Franjo Tudjman as honorary representative of the Republic of Croatia in Bonn.
He inherited the 800-year old family seat, Burg Eltz
Burg Eltz
Burg Eltz is a medieval castle nestled in the hills above the Moselle River between Koblenz and Trier, Germany. It is still owned by a branch of the same family that lived there in the 12th century, 33 generations ago. The Rübenach and Rodendorf families' homes in the castle are open to the...
in Rheinland-Pfalz, as the 32nd generation, which he made available to the public.
Politician in Croatia
Eltz returned to Vukovar in 1991 after Croatia declared independence from YugoslaviaYugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
where he began working with political leaders to help reconstruct the government. That same year, war broke out
Croatian War of Independence
The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between forces loyal to the government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia —and the Serb-controlled Yugoslav People's Army and local Serb forces, with the JNA ending its combat...
and Vukovar became the prime target of shelling by the heavily armed Serbs. He was present during the beginning of the Battle of Vukovar
Battle of Vukovar
The Battle of Vukovar was an 87-day siege of Vukovar in eastern Croatia by the Yugoslav People's Army , supported by various paramilitary forces from Serbia, between August and November 1991. Before the Croatian War of Independence the Baroque town was a prosperous, mixed community of Croats,...
helping with the city's defence and even took up arms to defend it, despite being 70 years old (the Eltz Manor was destroyed during the battle and the tomb and bodies of the Eltz family desecrated). Due to his popularity, he was persuaded to run for office, and was elected by a large majority to the Croatian parliament in 1992 as an independent candidate for Vukovar. He also became a member of the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
where he promoted Croatia's case to joining the European Union.
He continued serving in the parliament until his retirement in 1999, and was so highly regarded that he was asked to continue as an honorary member in his own right. He also spoke six languages: Croatian
Croatian language
Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, and Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
. He died in 2006 in Eltville
Eltville
Eltville am Rhein is a town in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany. It is located on the German Half-Timbered House Road ....
, Germany.
Honours and awards
- Freeman of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
- Knight of the Order of the Golden FleeceOrder of the Golden FleeceThe Order of the Golden Fleece is an order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip III, Duke of Burgundy in 1430, to celebrate his marriage to the Portuguese princess Infanta Isabella of Portugal, daughter of King John I of Portugal. It evolved as one of the most prestigious orders in Europe...
- Maltese National Order of Merit