François-Charles de Velbrück
Karl Franz Count von Velbrück (also Francois Charles de Velbrück ) (* June 11, 1719 at Schloss Garath in Dusseldorf, † April 30, 1784 at Castle Interchurch Aid (municipality Borgloon ) near Tongeren ) was from 1772 to 1784 Prince-Bishop of Liège.
His parents were Imperial Count Maximilian Heinrich von Velbrück and his wife Marie- Anne of Wachtendonck to Germenseel. Already in 1735 the then 16 -year-old Earl the office of a canon of St. Lambert 's Cathedral was offered to Liege, which he accepted in place of his brother Adam, who had refused to accept this office before. He then studied canon law at Douai and Reims, was recalled after the death of Georg Ludwig von Berghes to Liege to enter into the service of the new Prince-Bishop Johann Theodor of Bavaria in 1743.
In 1746, was Minister of Velbrück the Liège state government. After the death of Charles of Oultremont it was proposed on January 16, 1772 for the office of the Prince Bishop and herein confirmed on March 30 of the same year. It was followed on April 26, 1772 his ordination as Catholic priests, and on May 5, episcopal ordination.
The reign of the Prince Bishop of Velbrück was strongly influenced by the Age of Enlightenment, and shaped by the liberal ethos throughout the diocese of Liege. So it's no surprise that of Velbrück not only a mistress - Mary Christine Josephine de Bouget, called " la belle Stinette " - had, but with it also begat two sons. Although this relationship has been accepted by the Liège society at that time extremely tolerant quite married Christine on November 30, 1758, at the urging Velbrücks the Liège lawyer and later mayor Baron Nicolas Mathieu de Graillet et d' Oupeye.
Franz Karl, who used to reside at his hunting lodge Heks near Borgloon in spring and autumn, suffered on April 29, 1784 there a stroke and died the next day in the afternoon in the arms of his hurrying from Liege eldest son Charles -François Graillet who came from the mistresses ratio Velbrücks with Madame de Graillet. Velbrücks corpse was transferred to Liege and buried there in the cathedral. His nephew and heir, built for him a Prachtmausoleum, which was destroyed after the French Revolution, when, under the supervision of the "Commission de la Cathédrale destructive " of the demolition of the cathedral Lambertus was taken as a symbol of the reign of the Prince-Bishop in attack. The remains were taken to Velbrücks the Chapel of the Carmelite convent in Potay in Liege, where they remained until 1937. From there, they were then transferred to Interchurch Aid and buried in the parish church of Interchurch Aid.
From Velbrück was a member of the Liège Illuminati order Société d' Emulation, and supposedly, but not proven, Freemasons and Worshipful Master of the Lodge La Parfaite Intelligence.