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Maximilian Karl Lamoral O'Donnell

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Maximilian Karl Lamoral O'Donnell
Maximilian Karl Lamoral O'Donnell in 1860
Born29 October 1812
Goldegg, Kingdom of Bavaria
Died14 July 1895(1895-07-14) (aged 82)
Salzburg, Austria-Hungary
Noble familyO'Donnell
Spouse(s)Franziska Wagner
FatherMaurice O'Donnell

Maximilian Karl Lamoral Graf[a] O’Donnell von Tyrconnell (29 October 1812 — 14 July 1895) was an Austrian officer and civil servant who became famous when he helped save the life of Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria. O'Donnell was a descendant of the Irish noble dynasty of O'Donnell of Tyrconnell.[1]

Family background

He was born in Goldegg, son of Count Maurice O'Donnell (Moritz Graf O'Donnell) (1780–1843), the 7th generation descendant of Conn Oge O'Donnell, and Christine (4 January 1788 – 19 May 1867), the legitimate daughter of Charles Joseph, Prince de Ligne. He married Franziska Wagner, who was not of noble birth, and the marriage was frowned upon. He died in his home in Salzburg and is buried in the Salzburg Cemetery.

Military career

He was educated in Dresden, then joined the military and served in several engagements in Europe, including in Italy in 1848, and Hungary in 1849, resulting in many awards and promotions. He became aide-de-camp to the Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria. He later served as Governor of Lombardy briefly from 18–22 March 1848.

Fame as life-saver

The attempt on Franz Joseph I, painted by J.Reiner. O'Donnell is on the left.

On 18 February 1853, Maximilian helped save the life of the young Emperor, foiling an assassination attempt by a tailor and former Hussar, János Libényi, a Hungarian nationalist.[2] The Emperor was taking a stroll with Count Maximilian O’Donnell on a bastion inside Vienna. About 1 pm, as he looked over a parapet to review an exercise of troops,[3] Libényi approached and struck the Emperor in the neck from behind with a knife. Even though the Emperor was wounded and bleeding, his collar may have helped save his life. Maximilian Graf O'Donnell struck Libényi down with his sabre.[4] Another witness who happened to be nearby, the butcher Joseph Ettenreich, quickly overwhelmed Libényi. For this deed, he was later elevated to nobility by the Emperor and became Joseph von Ettenreich. Libényi was subsequently put on trial and condemned to death for attempted regicide. He was executed near the Spinnerin am Kreuz in the Favoriten district.

After the unsuccessful attack the Emperor's brother Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph, the later Emperor of Mexico, called upon the royal families of Europe for donations to construct a new church on the site of the attack. The church was to be a votive offering for the rescue of the Emperor. It is located on Ringstraße in the district of Alsergrund close to the University of Vienna, and is known as the Votivkirche.

Titles, honours and awards

Maximilian Karl Lamoral Graf O'Donnell von Tyrconnell (portrait by Prinzhofer, 1853)
Maximilian Karl Lamoral Graf O'Donell von Tyrconnell coat of arms

Titles

Maximilian O’Donnell already held a German Habsburg title of Count, granted to his great-grandfather.[b] However, after successfully rescuing the Emperor, he was additionally honoured and made a Count of the Habsburg Austrian Empire (Reichsgraf), but an error occurred in the Letters Patent, omitting one “n” from the family name, and the Austrian O’Donnells have since then usually used “O’Donell” as the standard version.

Orders and decorations

Honours

Arms

His customary O'Donnell arms were augmented by the initials and shield of the ducal House of Austria, with additionally the double-headed eagle of the Empire. These arms can still be seen emblazoned on the portico of no. 2 Mirabellplatz in Salzburg, where O'Donnell built his residence thereafter in the former gardens of Schloss Mirabell.[1]

Descent from Niall of the Nine Hostages[17]

In the 43rd generation of ancestors, there are 8.7 billion places on the family tree for direct ancestors, so Count O'Donnell could be sure that at least 1/8.7B of his genetic makeup went back to his distinguished ancestor.

Notes

  1. ^ Regarding personal names: Until 1919, Graf was a title, translated as 'Count', not a first or middle name. The female form is Gräfin. In Germany, it has formed part of family names since 1919.
  2. ^ Maximilian’s great-grandfather was Major General Count Henry O’Donnell (1726-1789), Commander of the O’Donnell No.5 Cuirassier Regiment who married Princess Leopoldine Cantacuzino, a descendant of the Byzantine Emperors through the Russian branch of the Moldavian Cantacuzinos, in Pressburg (Bratislava)

References

  1. ^ a b O'Domhnaill Abu (Spring 1987) O'Donnell Clan Newsletter no.7, (ISSN 0790-7389)
  2. ^ The Wild Geese in Austria - Irish Soldiers and Civilians in the Habsburg Service (1618-1918), published by the National Museum of Ireland, with foreword by H.E. Dr. Paul Leifer, Ambassador of Austria to Ireland
  3. ^ Extract from the Prussian Gazette of 18 February 1853, Periodical in Bibliotheque Nationale de Luxembourg [1]
  4. ^ "Attentat auf Kaiser Franz Joseph I". Wo in Wein (in German). Archived from the original on 5 February 2013. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Adjutantur Seiner Kais. Kön. Apost. Majestat", Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Kaiserthumes Österreich, Vienna: Druck und Verlag der K.K. Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, 1856, p. 24
  6. ^ "Leopolds-orden", Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Kaiserthumes Österreich, Vienna: Druck und Verlag der K.K. Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, 1856, p. 59
  7. ^ Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Herzogtum Anhalt (1867) "Herzoglicher Haus-orden Albrecht des Bären" p. 27
  8. ^ "Großherzogliche Orden", Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Großherzogtum Baden (in German), Karlsruhe, 1857, p. 72{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  9. ^ "Königliche Orden". Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreichs Bayern (in German). Königl. Oberpostamt. 1867. pp. 32, 72. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  10. ^ "Herzogliche Sachsen-Ernestinischer Hausorden", Staatshandbücher für das Herzogtums Sachsen-Altenburg, 1869, p. 29
  11. ^ Staat Hannover (1865). Hof- und Staatshandbuch für das Königreich Hannover: 1865. Berenberg. p. 89.
  12. ^ Kurfürstlich Hessisches Hof- und Staatshandbuch: 1866. Waisenhaus. 1866. p. 26.
  13. ^ "Großherzogliche Orden und Ehrenzeichen", Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Grossherzogtums Hessen, Darmstadt, 1881, p. 27{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  14. ^ Almanacco di corte (in Italian). 1858. p. 263. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
  15. ^ Königlich Preussische Ordensliste (in German), vol. 1, Berlin: Gedruckt in der Reichsdruckerei, 1886, pp. 66, 938 – via hathitrust.org
  16. ^ "Königliche Ritter-orden", Staatshandbuch für den Freistaat Sachsen (1873) (in German), Dresden, 1873, pp. 74, 119{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  17. ^ John O'Hart, "Irish Pedigrees or the Origin and Stem of the Irish Nation", Volume 1, 1892, p.649, https://archive.org/details/irishpedigreesor_01ohar/page/648
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