[Kreuz.net] Bishop Leopold Karl Kollinitsch traveled to besieged Vienna in 1683 and helped organize the defense. After the victory over the Turks he worried about hundreds of orphans.
Bishop Kollonitsch, who drove to strengthen the defense of morality on the approach of the Turkish hordes to Vienna, gathers his "war booty" from the Turkish camp: 500 orphans, whom he at his own expense a new home and comfort are [Photo: cross-net.info]Battle Hardened Knight of Malta
The son of Count Ernst von Kollonitsch, who was the commander of the fortress Kormorn - in contrast to most of today's bishops - was a man of courageous deeds.
As a member of the Order of Malta, he was tested by the turks: He fought in 1651 in Candia (Crete), and four years later at the Dardanelles against Turkish invaders.
Since 1670 the Bishop of Wiener Neustadt, previously Prior of the Order of the branch Commende Mailberg and subsequently of Eger.
Defensive struggle in Vienna
When the Turks besieged Vienna in 1683, he traveled to the city, while others fled from her.
He organized jointly with Starhemberg the defense of the city, provided for the pay of soldiers and set up medical care.In addition, he was responsible for the spiritual care of the besieged.
When Kara Mustafa Pasha, the besieger of Vienna, who learned of his presence in the city, he announced that the courageous bishop's head would be led through the city on a pole after the hoped for taking of the city.
It was not to be: Kara Mustafa's skull was found after the conquest of Belgrade, on the road to Vienna.
In 1685 Count Kollonitsch became Bishop of Raab in Hungary, Archbishop of Esztergom, Primate of Hungary.
His work was honored by the Church with the appointment of a cardinal.
After the victory over the Turks in Vienna, he collected several hundred orphans from the suburbs and provided for their advancement and education. The following is recounted in history and poetry.
Rescue of orphans after the liberation of Vienna
"While the whole army was "grabbing loot in the camp, the worthy Bishop Kollonitsch seeked out those helpless children whose-parents had fallen, were among the unfortunate prisoners as the victim of hostile rage, to find them foster parents and to represent them.
"He found about 500 abandoned orphans. They were in indescribable misery in some which he met.
Some were near the bodies of their murdered mothers, and suckling, near death from hunger, blood instead of milk from her breasts.
"Others were rooting around in the soil, and could scarcely breathe more from hunger and exhaustion.
The worthy priest clasped them in his arms, paid people so that they were carried in the city, provided with costs for board and lodging, and afterwards he also educated many of them to become useful citizens of the state.
Emperor Leopold was touched by the philanthropic self-sacrifice of this bishop so that he procured him the Cardinal's dignity as a reward from the pope."
Thus, were the descriptions of the actions of Bishop Kollonitsch in the "Patriotic Conversations" by Leopold Chimani, Vienna, 1815, He was also praised in the figure below poem by Johann N. Vogl [Another stab at translating poetry by the editor from the German]
"None Wanted From My Spoils of War ..."
It sits in Vienna in the Imperial Hall The princes and heroes richer withal You have horrified the town anxious Lusted after by the Turks.
.And now to the end of the hearty repast and happily emptied of victories, one Speaks: "Enough now with song and sound! Now tell who won the best booty abound?"
"Have I got myself Sultan's God, out of his tent," said the Pole bold.Then a Lorrainer: "I took his proud banner with my my bloody sword."
A Viennese then: " A rich robe I wrung
with this hand from one retreating". Another shouted: "Weapon helm, spear won I and more such gear"
A fifth: "I ran with all with art
Arab horses then for my part. "
All knew of his kind what to say,
what for him was his prey.
Only one victor sat silent in reverie
all else forgot his story
"How silent but the bishop. Confess your deeds! Methinks thou hast most poor!"
Herr Kollonitsch, who also bishop, replied with smile: "One thing certain: gained you whatever by the Turks flight, none
has looked after my loot.
"And yet it is the more dear in fact, than any has taken from the battlefield. "
He waved his servants, to unlatch door whence came a throng, an army of children poor.
From boy and maid so tender and hold,
Her cheeks like Rose, the curls as gold.
They fell on their knees before man
of God, and clung weeping to him
"This is my prize!" the bishop says,
"Not one of you sought such as these.
I found them left in harm and dread,
their mothers strangled their fathers dead.
I led them all to storied Vienna's gables.
And I will be a father to the fatherless!"
And as he told them these words, the others were to shamed
to silence, for what they all brought home, for none compared.
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