Ulrich of Hardegg
Encyclopedia
Ulrich of Hardegg was an Austrian nobleman from the Prüschenk family of Count of Hardegg. He was "Cup-bearer" of Austria, which, by this time, was a title of nobility and no longer involved looking after the arch-duke's wine cellar. He was also Steward
Steward
The term steward may refer to:- Titles and positions :* Arch-Steward, a seneschal, prince elector of the Holy Roman Empire* Steward, a flight attendant* Wine steward, a sommelier* Butler, the steward of a household...

 in Styria.

Origin and family

Ulrich's father, Count Henry of Hardegg (formerly: Henry Prüschenk, Baron zu Stettenberg; ; died: 1513) served in the imperial army, and was temporarily Imperial Captain in Italy. Since 1495, he held the title of Count of Hardegg, and in 1499 he was elevated to the imperial count
Imperial Count
Imperial Count was a title in the Holy Roman Empire. On the one hand, it was used to designate the holders of a imperial county, that is, a county that was a fief directly from the emperor, rather than from a duke; on the other hand, the owner of the title of "Count" could be elevated to...

 as Count Hardegg and in the Marches . Ulrich's mother was Elizabeth (b. 1466), a daughter of the Bohemian noble and Governor of Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...

 John II of Rosenberg
John II of Rosenberg
John II of Rosenberg was a member of the House of Rosenberg. He was Landeshauptmann of Silesia, and High Chamberlain in Bohemia.- Life :...

. Ulrich had two brothers: Julius I (d. 1557) and John (d. 1539?).

In 1515 Ulrich married Sidonie , the youngest daughter of Henry I, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels
Henry I, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels
Henry the Elder of Münsterberg was an Imperial Count and Count of Kladsko. He was also Duke of Silesian duchies Münsterberg and Oels and 1465–1472 Duke of Opava...

 and granddaughter of King George of Poděbrady
George of Podebrady
George of Kunštát and Poděbrady , also known as Poděbrad or Podiebrad , was King of Bohemia...

 of Bohemia.

Life

In 1501 Ulrich bought for the County of Glatz from his future brothers-in-law Albert I
Albert I, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels
Albert I of Münsterberg-Oels was a member of the House of Poděbrady and a Duke of the Silesian duchies of Münsterberg and Oleśnica and Count of Kladsko.- Life :Albert was a grandson of the King George of Podebrady of Bohemia...

, George I
George I of Ziębice
George I of Münsterberg was a member of the House of Poděbrady and a Duke of the Silesian Duchies of Münsterberg and Oels and Count of Glatz....

 and Charles I
Charles I, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels
Charles I, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels was a member of the House of Poděbrady. He was Duke of Münsterberg and Duke of Oels as well as Count of Kladsko...

 which at the time was an immediate fief of Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...

. It had been raised to county status by George of Poděbrady, with the intention that it would serve as a territory for his descendants. George's son Henry the Elder
Henry I, Duke of Münsterberg-Oels
Henry the Elder of Münsterberg was an Imperial Count and Count of Kladsko. He was also Duke of Silesian duchies Münsterberg and Oels and 1465–1472 Duke of Opava...

 had lived on Glatz Castle as the first Count of Glatz. At his death, however, he left huge debts to his sons and they saw themselves forced to sell the county to Ulrich.

On behalf of the peasants, the Knights Hans von Pannwitz, Melchior Donig, Georg von Bischofsheim and Heinrich von Kauffung agreed to the sale, as did the Estates of Glatz. The Free Judges personally paid hommage to Ulrich. Henry the Elder's widow, Ursula of Brandenburg, who had received the county as her dower
Dower
Dower or morning gift was a provision accorded by law to a wife for her support in the event that she should survive her husband...

 on the occasion of her marriage, also agreed. In return, Ulrich confirmed the former privileges of the nobilty of Glatz and the royal cities. Thereafter, Ulrich lived in Glatz. He donated a baptismal font, with his coat of arms, to the church in Glatz.

In 1507 Emperor Maximilian I
Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian I , the son of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor and Eleanor of Portugal, was King of the Romans from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1493 until his death, though he was never in fact crowned by the Pope, the journey to Rome always being too risky...

, in his capacity as king of Bohemia, granted Ulrich the right to mint money
Mint (coin)
A mint is an industrial facility which manufactures coins for currency.The history of mints correlates closely with the history of coins. One difference is that the history of the mint is usually closely tied to the political situation of an era...

. Beside the county's coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...

, the Hardegg family crest was embossed into coins minted at the Mint at Glatz. During his reign, a meeting of the general diet of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown
Lands of the Bohemian Crown
The Lands of the Bohemian Crown , also called the Lands of the Crown of Saint Wenceslas or simply the Bohemian Crown or Czech Crown lands , refers to the area connected by feudal relations under the joint rule of the Bohemian kings...

 was held in Glatz in 1512. At this meeting, the authorities decided to fight against robber barons
Robber barons
Robber baron may mean:*Robber baron, German nobles who levied illegal tolls in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries*Robber baron , a pejorative term for certain 19th to early 20th century American industrialists...

. Ulrich also possessed the mining rights in his county. In 1524, he issued new mining regulations.

On 29 December 1524, Ulrich sold the county to his brother John of Hardegg. John lived mostly on Greinburg Castle in the Lower Mühlviertel
Mühlviertel
The Mühlviertel is an Austrian region belonging to the state of Upper Austria: it is one of four "quarters" of Upper Austria, the others being Hausruckviertel, Traunviertel, and Innviertel. It is named for the two rivers and .-Region:...

 area of Upper Austria
Upper Austria
Upper Austria is one of the nine states or Bundesländer of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders on Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as on the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, and Salzburg...

.

External links

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