Franz von Walsegg

Franz de Paula Anton Count von Walsegg (also Wallsegg ) ( born January 16, 1763 in Stuppach at Gloggnitz / Lower Austria, † November 11, 1827 in Stuppach ) was an Austrian nobleman.

He owned several palaces and castles in southern Lower Austria today. For his headquarters he chose Castle Stuppach am Semmering.

Nowadays Walsegg is mainly known because he was the anonymous client who commissioned Mozart to compose the Requiem ( K. 626 ). His wife Anna ( Maria Theresa) Noble of Flamberge had died at the age of 20 years on 14 February 1791 and Walsegg - according to current knowledge, both an enthusiastic music lovers (who also tried his hand as a composer ) - commissioned anonymously through an intermediary, the composition of the Requiem to output it as his own work. According to the report of the former teacher at the school patronage of Count in the gorge (Schott Vienna) and later choirmaster in Wiener Neustadt, Anton Herzog, led Walsegg the Requiem under his name on December 14, 1793 New Monastery in Wiener Neustadt on. Previously, the Requiem had experienced without the knowledge of the Count on 2 January 1793 Jahn'schen hall in Vienna premiered.

Walsegg is often referred to in the Mozart literature as Walsegg - Stuppach, but Stuppach is merely a place name ( "on Stuppach " ) and no part of their name. This is not a good name might be based on a confusion with the name of Wurmbrand - Stuppach.