Kardinal Andreas von Österreich - Schreiben an Jakob Hannibal von Raitenau - 1598

A remarkable letter from the immediate circle of the House of Habsburg: Cardinal Andreas of Austria, son of Archduke Ferdinand II of Tyrol, thanks Jakob Hannibal von Raitenau in 1598 for providing quarters for soldiers and couples his gratitude with an explicit assurance of future reciprocity.

Andreas of Austria (1558–1600), Cardinal, Bishop of Konstanz and Brixen, son of Archduke Ferdinand II of Tyrol and his first wife Philippine Welser. A letter in German, dated at the Bishop’s Castle of Konstanz, 30 April 1598. A double leaf written on rag paper, ca. 34 × 40 cm, watermark of two towers. With his own signature by the cardinal and on the address side a very well preserved paper-sealed impression.
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The letter is addressed to Jakob Hannibal von Raitenau (1563–1611), a member of the prominent South German-Austrian noble family and brother of the Salzburg archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau. The address refers to him as “von Langenstein,” thereby naming his possession, Burg Langenstein in the Hegau, not far from Konstanz.

The occasion of the letter was the quartering of soldiers, i.e., musketeers, in the lordship of Raitenaus. Cardinal Andreas expressly thanks the addressee for, during the bishop’s journey, taking in and provisioning a large number of soldiers / musketeers at the castle and in the town of Angltingen. For the resulting expenses, Andreas promises compensation or a corresponding counter-performance and assures Raitenau of his special favor.

The letter was written only two years before the cardinal’s early death in Rome. Andreas of Austria belonged as son of Fer dinand II and Philippine Welser directly to the House of Habsburg. Since 1589 he had been Bishop of Konstanz, since 1591 additionally Prince-Bishop of Brixen; he had already been created Cardinal by Pope Gregory XIII in 1576. The document thus links the history of the Habsburgs with that of the Raitenau family, which, especially through Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau, was among the most important South German noble families of the time.

Particularly appealing is the completely preserved historical seal and address side. The seal impressed on paper bears Cardinal Andreas’s personal coat of arms, with Habsburg and episcopal heraldic elements and the cardinal’s hat arranged above. The original folding, addressing, and sealing trace allow immediate understanding of the original use of this more than 425-year-old document.
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Overall, an attractive and remarkably well-preserved Habsburg autograph from the late 16th century with his own signature, complete historical addressing, and a very nicely preserved paper-sealed impression; only the usual folding and minor aging signs.