Jörg Jenatsch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jörg Jenatsch
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1636 portrait of Jenatsch
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| Born | 1596 Samedan, Free State of the Three Leagues
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| Died | 24 January 1639 (aged 42–43) Chur, Free State of the Three Leagues
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| Occupation | Political leader |
| Years active | 1617–1639 |
Jörg Jenatsch, also known as Jürg or Georg Jenatsch (1596 – 24 January 1639), was an important Swiss political leader. He lived during the Thirty Years' War, a big conflict in Europe. Jenatsch was a key figure in the history of the Grisons region in the 1600s.
Contents
Early Life and Political Beginnings
Jörg Jenatsch was likely born in Lohn or Samedan. He spent his childhood in Silvaplana. Later, he studied theology in Zürich and Basel. In 1617, he became a Protestant pastor in Scharans. This town was on the border between Protestant and Catholic areas.
Jenatsch quickly became involved in politics. He supported the group that sided with Venice and the Protestants. This group was often linked to the Salis family. They were against the Habsburgs, who were pro-Spanish and Catholic. The rival group was led by the Planta family.
Jenatsch became a leader of the anti-Spanish group. In 1618, he was part of a court that made decisions against the Spanish supporters. Many important people from the Spanish side, like Rudolf von Planta and Pompeius von Planta, were declared outlaws. Another court in Chur, the capital, disagreed with these decisions. This led to a period of great confusion and conflict in the Grisons, known as the Bündner Wirren.
In 1620, there was an uprising in the Valtellina valley. This uprising was supported by the Spanish governor in Milan. Many Protestants in Valtellina were killed. The Valtellina was a rich valley and very important for travel. It allowed the Spanish in Milan to connect with the Austrians in Tirol. From 1620 to 1639, Spain, Venice, and France fought for control of Valtellina. The Grisons region could not get it back.
A Soldier's Path
Jenatsch was involved in the death of Pompeius von Planta, a leader of the rival group, at his castle, Rietberg, in 1621. After this event, Jenatsch and many others had to leave the country. Jenatsch also lost his job as a pastor. From then on, he became a soldier and military leader.
He took part in a revolt against the Austrians in 1622. He also joined a French army that invaded the Valtellina in 1624. However, a peace agreement between France and Spain in 1626 left the Valtellina under the control of the pope. This meant the Grisons did not get their land back. Jenatsch, however, was good at military life. He quickly rose through the ranks to become a major and then a colonel.
In 1626, Jenatsch was involved in a conflict with his colonel, Giacomo Ruinelli, in Chur. He was later cleared of any wrongdoing by a city court. He then started recruiting soldiers. As Spanish and Austrian influence grew in the Grisons, he raised a company to serve with the Venetians from 1629 to 1630. He was briefly held in Venice. He later said that reading religious texts while there helped him change his beliefs.
In 1631, Jenatsch was hired for a French plan by Cardinal Richelieu. The goal was to drive the Spanish out of the Valtellina. This led to a successful campaign by Henri, duc de Rohan in 1635. But Jenatsch and other Grisons leaders soon realized that the French did not want to give the Valtellina back to the Grisons either.
Changing Sides: Conversion to Catholicism
In 1635, Jenatsch publicly became a Catholic. His family, however, remained Protestant. Jenatsch became a leader of a secret group called the Kettenbund. This group included both Catholic and Protestant leaders from the Grisons. They secretly talked with the Spanish and Austrians.
In 1637, the Kettenbund launched a surprise action. This led to Rohan and the French being forced out of the Grisons. For the next two years, Jenatsch worked hard to get the Valtellina back for the Grisons. He also wanted a noble title for himself. He became one of the most powerful men in the region. He took control of Chiavenna, an important area, and got involved in the affairs of the Planta family.
His Final Days
On January 24, 1639, Jenatsch was killed in Chur. A group of men attacked him during Carnival. Their leader was dressed as a bear. The attackers were never caught or put on trial. Many believe Rudolf von Planta, the son of the earlier Pompeius von Planta, was responsible. Historians and writers have suggested other people too.
Later in 1639, Spain finally gave the Valtellina back to the Grisons. The Grisons kept it until 1797. Jenatsch's life is important because it shows a part of the long conflict between France and Spain for control of the Valtellina. This was a very wild time during the Thirty Years' War.
Jenatsch in Stories and Books
After Jenatsch was buried in Chur cathedral, people didn't talk about him much for a while. But later, historians and writers became interested in his story again. In the 1800s, he became the subject of many plays and biographies. These stories often showed him as a strong and passionate person who deeply loved his homeland.
One famous book about him is the novel Jürg Jenatsch by Conrad Ferdinand Meyer (1876). This book changed his name in popular culture from Giorgio or Georg to 'Jürg.' A key part of Meyer's novel is that Jenatsch's killer was 'Lucrecia' von Planta. In the story, she was Pompeius's daughter and Jenatsch's lover. Meyer wrote that Lucrecia killed Jenatsch with the same axe he had used on her father. She did this because his ambition became too strong. In real life, Meyer changed Jenatsch's birthdate to make this relationship possible. Also, earlier writers had already changed the real Katherina von Planta's name to 'Lucrecia,' which has no historical basis. However, the story about the same axe being used is found in old writings from 1639.
Since Meyer's novel, other books and a film (Jenatsch, 1987) have told his story. He also appears in the 1632 series of alternate history novels. There are also two main biographies about him. In 2012, Jenatsch's body was dug up from Chur cathedral. A team wanted to get DNA to confirm it was really him.
