Ruprecht von Eggenberg

Ruprecht von Eggenberg (* 1546, † February 7, 1611 in Graz, Styria ) was an Austrian military commander from the family of Eggenberg.

He decided at an early stage for a military career. In 1572 he became a captain in the Spanish service, and served in the Netherlands under the great generals of Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma and Piacenza. Eggenberg gained great experience here. From Archduke Charles II Ruprecht von Eggenberg was appointed Archducal Council and captain of the main lock Graz. Due to the growing Turkish threat, he was appointed in 1592 as a troop leader. On June 22, 1593 Eggenberg defeated at the Battle of Sissek a Turkish supremacy under Hassan Pasha. In 1594 Eggenberg was given command of the Austrian troops on the border with Croatia and conquered in 1595 the Turkish fortress Petrinia. For field colonels in Upper Hungary Eggenberg was appointed in 1596 and in 1597 he was appointed General-Field -Obrist - Feldzeugmeister. For his services Ruprecht von Eggenberg was finally charged by the Emperor to the baron. He resigned in 1606 to service and retired to Graz, where he died in 1611.

In his will of 1609 Ruprecht von Eggenberg had determined that he should be buried in the mausoleum at Castle Hill to honor living. According to his last will, he was buried in the mausoleum was inaugurated in 1693. Furthermore, Ruprecht von Eggenberg had determined in his will that in his mausoleum only male catholic family members may be buried in the general or colonel rank. The designs of the building came from the Graz court architect Giovanni Pietro de Pomis.