(Vol. v., pp. 78. 115.)
A tragic destiny was that of most of the posterity of that John
Christopher Königsmark, who commanded at the storm of the suburbs of
Prague, the last deed of arms of the Thirty Years' War. John Christopher
himself was born at Kotzlin in the Mark on Feb. 25, 1600, and from his
brother descended the Königsmarks of the Mark. He fought first in the
imperial service and in Italy, but afterwards joined the Swedes, and
after the peace was Stadtholder of Bremen and Vredun, became Count and
Royal Councillor (Reichsrath), and left behind him at his death in 1663
property worth 130,000 thalers yearly. He had three sons; the second,
John Christopher, died in 1653 at Rottemburg, in Swabia, by a fall from
his horse. The youngest, Count Otto Wilhelm, was born at Minden on June
3, 1639; studied under Esaias Pufendorf, and in 1654 was Rector
Magnificus at Jena; served different powers as soldier and diplomatist;
distinguished himself as general of the Venetians in the Morea; and died
on September 16, 1688, of fever, when before Negropont. He was married
to a Countess de la Gardie, of the well-known Swedish family. He
probably was that Count Königsmark to whose protection John Leyser
(Theophilus Alethaus) fled when he forfeited his offices of preacher and
inspector at Pforta, which he had held since 1664, on account of,
although himself chaste and virtuous, having defended polygamy; was
pursued, taken, placed in prison, and died at Amsterdam in extreme
poverty in 1684. The eldest son, Konrad, was first in the Swedish, then
in the Dutch service, and fell a lieutenant-general at the siege of Bonn
in 1673. He had married Marie Christine, daughter of Marshal Hermann
Wrangel, and the Pfalzgravine Amalie Magdalene of Sulzbach, who bore him
three sons and two daughters; one son died young. Which of the two
others was the elder is doubtful. Certain it is that the one, Karl
Johann, who is generally, though on no sufficient grounds, held to be
the elder, was born in 1659, at Nieuburg on Fuhnen; studied till 1674 at
Hamburg and Stade; then travelled in Holland, England, France, and
Italy; fought so bravely on board the Maltese galleys, that on his
departure in 1678 he, although a protestant, received the grand cross of
the order. He then visited Rome, Florence, Genoa, Venice, Madrid, Paris,
Holland, Hamburg, Stockholm, Windsor; set out in all haste when Tangiers
was attacked, to take share in the battle; and, as the fleet was delayed
by contrary winds, made his journey to Tangiers through France and
Spain; from thence back again to Madrid and Paris; then again to
Gibraltar, and three times to Africa; was with the English before
Algiers; wandered round in Holland, England, and Germany; was with the
French before Courtrai; and in Catalonia fought bravely under his uncle
at Argos, and died in Greece on August 26, 1686.
The most mysterious episode of his life was brought on by his sueing for
England's richest and highest heiress, Elizabeth, daughter of Josceline,
second Earl of Northumberland.
The other brother, Count Philip Christopher, was involved in the
well-known tale of the unfortunate wife of George I., the unhappy Sophia
Dorothea of Zelle, afterwards Duchess of Ahlden, and met his death under
circumstances of much mystery. According to the Duchess's assertion, he
was the elder brother, as she states he was born in 1656.
The sisters were--Amalie Wilhelmina, and the well-known mistress of
Augustus II., Maria Aurora, the mother of Marshal Saxe. Amalie married
the Count Charles Gustavus of Löwenhaupt.
Extract from Von Bulau's _Geheime Geschichten_, vol. iii., article on
"Count Löwenhaupt."