Vilem Slavata of Chlum
Wilhelm Slavata of Chlum and Košumberk ( Wilhelm Slawata of Chlum and Košumberk; Czech Vilém z Slavata Chlumu a Košumberka; born December 1, 1572 Čestín in Kutna Hora, † January 19, 1652 in Jindřichův Hradec ) was from 1623 to 1625 Colonel Chamberlain country, then Lord Chamberlain of Bohemia and 1628-1652 High Chancellor of Bohemia. In 1621 he was raised to the imperial counts and inducted into the Order of the Golden Fleece in 1643. In historiography, he became known as one of the victims of the Second Prague defenestration.
Life
Wilhelm Slavata came from a noble family Slavata. His parents were Adam Slavata of Chlum and Koschumburg († 1616) and Dorothea Kurzbach of Trachenberg († 1586). He was educated in the spirit of the Bohemian Brethren and studied with the financial support of his relatives Adam II von Neuhaus in Italy. Then he traveled through Germany and the Netherlands in 1597 and converted to Catholicism, whose strong advocate he was. He then entered the service of the Emperor Rudolf II. When his favorite, he held from 1600 to 1604, the Office of the Czech colonel marshal, after he was county judge and Viscount of Karlstejn. From 1611 to 1617 he was Hofrichter and 1612-1618 also President of the Czech chamber. Already in 1617 Slavata was named after the coronation of Ferdinand II as King of Bohemia by this governor in Bohemia.
On May 23, 1618 uprising led to the Second Defenestration of Prague, invaded in which armed the Bohemian estates in the Vladislav Hall of Prague Castle. They threw Wilhelm Slavata together with the imperial governor Earl of Martinitz and the scribe Philip Fabricius Magister out the window. Despite a significant drop height they escaped with their lives, because under the window, a pile of brushwood to have found. Slavata and Martinitz were able to flee to the nearby house of the upper Chancellor Lobkowitz under attack. Slavata had hurt his head, so that a further escape was not possible.
After extensive concessions to the insurgents Slavata was released on May 28, 1618. After a year of house arrest, he took advantage of a break here in Teplice to make off to Saxony. The residence permit in the city of Meissen was confirmed for his family though, but Elector Johann Georg did not seek a confrontation with the Bohemian estates, so that Slavata had to travel further to Passau.
After the Battle of White Mountain in 1621 Wilhelm Slavata returned back to Bohemia and followed in his domain recatholicisation the population. Also in 1621 he was raised to the imperial counts and entrusted by Emperor Ferdinand II to the implementation of numerous missions. From 1623 to 1625 he held the office of Colonel Chamberlain country. Then he was Lord Chamberlain and from 1628 until his death in 1652 Colonel Chancellor of Bohemia. Already in 1643 he was inducted into the Order of the Golden Fleece.
In memory of the happy outcome of the Prague defenestration Slavata had built on the eastern side of Hradcany a memorial stone in the form of an obelisk.
Family and possessions
Wilhelm Slavata was married to Lucie Otilie of Neuhaus since 1602. Since William's grandmother Elizabeth was a sister of Lucie Otilies grandfather Joachim von Neuhaus, they needed a marriage license from the Pope. After the death of Joachim Ulrich in 1604, who was the last male descendant of the Lords of Hradec, his sister Lucie Otilie inherited his possessions left behind. There were the great lords Neuhaus and Telc, which went to Lucie Otilies death 1633 William Slavata. Already in 1602 received from his brother- Joachim Wilhelm Slavata Ulrich and his wife Maria of Hohenzollern Maximiliane given dominion Straz, and acquired by them for sale Prague palace of the Lords of Hradec. From 1616 he was allowed to call himself Regent of the House of Neuhaus. 1641, he expanded his possessions by the purchase of the adjacent dominion Cervena Lhota.
The marriage of William Slavata with Lucie Otilie of Neuhaus came from the children:
- Adam Paul / Pavel Adam, ( born January 25, 1603), died early
- Adam Paul / Pavel Adam, (1604-1657), was a student at the Munich Jesuit College, ∞ 1626 Maria Margarete Theresia von Eggenberg ( 1617-1657 ). The marriage was annulled in 1632.
- Franz Veit / František Vít ( born July 15, 1605), who died early
- Franz Veit / Vít František (1608-1645)
- Joachim Ulrich / Jáchym Oldrich (1606-1645), was, like his brother, a student at the Munich Jesuit College; ∞ 1627 Maria Franziska Theresia of Meggau ( 1609-1676 ). their son Johann Karl Joachim / Jan Karel Jáchym (1641-1712) was General of the Carmelite Order and the last male descendant of the Slavata.