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Karl Heinrich Graf von Hoym or Count Karl Heinrich von Hoym (18 June 1694–22 April 1736) was a diplomat and cabinet minister of the Electorate of Saxony, who was later disgraced and imprisoned, and took his own life.
Life
Karl Heinrich was born in Dresden into the distinguished noble family von Hoym, the youngest son of Baron Ludwig Gebhard von Hoym and brother of Count Adolph Magnus von Hoym, and was baptised on 19 June 1694 in the chapel of the Residenz at Dresden.
He was born Freiherr ("Baron") von Hoym, and on 18 July 1711 together with his three brothers was raised to the rank of Count of the Empire (Reichsgraf).
He set out on the Grand Tour in 1713 and eventually settled in Paris, where after 3 years he had developed his reputation sufficiently to be appointed Saxon envoy to the Court of Versailles in 1720 after the death of the previous ambassador, Burkhard von Suhm, at the suggestion of the First Minister of Saxony, Jacob Heinrich von Flemming. While at Versailles he was close to the young Louis XV and his wife Maria Leszczyńska. He also succeeded, during the speculation of Law, in making himself a substantial forrtune.
In 1729 he returned to Saxony, where Augustus the Strong had appointed him cabinet minister of the Saxon Departement Domestique (Department of Internal Affairs).
From 1729 to 1731 he was First Minister of Saxony. However, his arrogant Frenchified behaviour made him many powerful enemies. Moreover, as the champion of an alliance of Saxony with France and the sea powers against the Holy Roman Empire he attracted the hostile attention of the cabinets of Berlin and Vienna, abetted by the ambitious chamberlain Heinrich von Brühl. Karl Heinrich's many enemies both domestic and external brought him several times into disfavour at court. In 1731 he was imprisoned, but in the absence of any evidence, was released again. In 1734 however another, apparently trumped-up, charge was brought against him, namely, of impregnating his own niece, the wife of Heinrich von Bünau. He was found guilty and sentenced to confiscation of all his estates and life imprisonment.
He committed suicide in his cell in Königstein Fortress (Festung Königstein) on 22 April 1736.
Notes
- formerly also spelt Carl
- Adolph Magnus, Carl Siegfried and Ludwig Gerhard
Sources and external links
- "Karl Heinrich von Hoym", Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (in German), vol. 13, Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot, 1881, p. 219
- Sächsische Biografie online: Karl Heinrich von Hoym Template:De icon
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