Georg Jenatsch

Georg (or Jörg or Jürg) Jenatsch (born in 1596 and deceased on January 24th, 1639 with Coire) is a Pasteur and politician Suisse. An uncertainty remains about its birthplace, Samedan in Engadine or Lohn. Credit during the War Thirty Year old, it is regarded as the saver of the Grisons.

Biography

After having passed its youth with Silvaplana, it follows studies of theology to Zurich of 1612 to 1616, then with Basle until in 1617. Its finished studies, it takes its functions of Pasteur with Scharans of 1617 with 1618, then with Berbenno of 1618 with 1620.

Since 1618, it engages actively in the policy of the Grison leagues. It sits at the criminal court of Thusis where it fights the Spanish catholic parties firmly and decides for the death sentence of Nicolò Rusca, archpriest of Sondrio, and Johann Baptist Prevost of Vicosoprano.

In 1620, he escapes from accuracy from dead at the time of the massacre of the Protestants (Sacro Macello) in the Valteline. He affiliates himself then with the Venetian party of Salis and takes part in the assassination of the person in charge of the Spanish catholic party of the Grison leagues, Pompée Planted, in his castle of Domleschg.

Consecutively to the invasion of the Grison leagues by Spanish and the Austrians in 1620, the area enters the thirty year old war. Jenatsch then begins a military career, first of all as a commander of the partisans, then as of 1622, as a captain of cavalry in the army of the general Ernst von Mansfeld. In 1627, it is promoted commander. It accepts a duel with its superior, colonel Jacob von Ruinelli and stabs it.

In 1631, it goes to Paris to give its support for the reconquest campaign of Valteline by the Cardinal of Richelieu. In 1634, it becomes the right-hand man of the Duc Henri II of Rohan holder of the Grisons on mandate of Richelieu. Noting that Richelieu is long in returning Valteline and its countries prone to the Grisons, Jenatsch converts with the Catholicisme with the monastery of Rapperswil SG into 1635 and takes part in the secrecy in negotiations with the Habsbourg. He becomes general of the Grison leagues then. May 5th 1637, with the support of the Spanish , it expels the Duke of Rohan and the French troops of the territory of the Grisons. In parallel, he manages to obtain Spaniards the restitution of Valteline to the Grisons.

Jenatsch becomes then the political director and soldier of his country. It is then filled richnesses and anobli by Philippe IV of Spain.

He is assassinated on January 24th, 1639 in an inn of Coire. The circumstances of the murder remain not very clear. Powerful interests being concerned, the investigation was voluntarily led in a very surface way. The body was buried the very same day in the cathedral of Coire and the murderers never could be identified.

Piz Jenatsch (3250 m) and cants it Jenatsch mountain on the Chaîne of Albula bear its name.

Jenatsch is the hero of the novel of Conrad Ferdinand Meyer Jürg Jenatsch (1876)

References

Random links: