Gundaker Thomas Starhemberg
Gundaker Thomas Starhemberg (Vienna, December 14, 1663 – Prague, July 8, 1745) was an Austrian economist and politician.
Life
His parents were Konrad Balthasar von Starhemberg (1612–1687) and Franziska Katharina Gräfin Cavriani. His half-brothers were Ernst Rüdiger von Starhemberg (1638–1701), the defender of Vienna against the Turks in 1683 and Maximilian Lorenz Starhemberg (1640-1689). Field Marshal Guido Starhemberg was his cousin.
Gundakar was designated early for an ecclesiastical career, but after studying a while at the Collegium Germanicum et Hungaricum, he returned to Vienna and entered in the service of the Austrian Emperor.
He was quickly noticed for his financial talents and became a protégé of Prince Eugene of Savoy, who urged for financial reforms to finance the many wars the Empire was waging. Gundakar became in 1698 Vice-President and in 1703 President of the Court Chamber, and was from 1706 until his death President of the Ministerial Bank Deputation. From 1712 he was also a member of the Privy Conference and from 1716 of the Privy Financial Conference.
He returned to service in the crisis period after the death of Charles VI and prevented the financial collapse of the Empire.
Marriage and Children
he married first on 13 January 1688 with Countess Beatrix Franziska von Daun, daughter of Field Marshal Wirich Philipp von Daun. They had
- Maria Josepha (1689-1767)
- Franz (1691-1743), whose daughter would marry Wenzel Anton, Prince of Kaunitz-Rietberg
- Maria Theresia (1694-1752)
After the death of his wife, he remarried on 3 February 1707 with Maria Josepha Irene Jorger zu Tollet, and had 2 more daughters:
- Marie Gabrielle (1707-1793), married Rudolph Joseph von Colloredo-Waldsee
- Maria Dominika (1710-1736)
Sources
- This article incorporates information from the equivalent article on the Italian Wikipedia.
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