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Joseph Freiherr von Spaun (11 November 1788 – 25 November 1865) was an Austrian nobleman, an Imperial and Royal Councillor, lottery director, and honorary citizen of Vienna and Cieszyn. He is best known for his friendship with the composer Franz Schubert.
Family
Joseph von Spaun came from the Spaun family, originally of Swabian origin first mentioned in documents from 1583-1593 among farmers and yarn spinners Bartholomäus Spaun. The family, originally from Deisenhausen (Günzburg) became wealthy in Linz. He was the son of Franz Xaver Ritter von Spaun (1756-1804) a royal councillor and Imperial State Syndic in Upper Austria and the widow Josepha Steyrer von Riedenburg (1757-1835). His brother was the historian and folklorist Anton Ritter von Spaun (1790-1849).
Spaun married Franziska Roner Edle von Ehrenwert (17 July 1795 - 31 January 1890), daughter of landholder and military captain Joseph Roner Edler von Ehrenwert on 14 April 1828 in Vienna. The son of this union became Admiral Hermann von Spaun.
He was raised to the Austrian nobility on 25 August 1859 (Adelsbrief on 2 November 1859) and assumed the title Freiherr (baron).
Life
Spaun studied law from 1806 to 1809 at Vienna University and entered the civil service. At the Vienna seminary he met Franz Schubert, eight years younger than himself, and they developed a lifelong friendship. Spaun supported Schubert financially, enabling the young composer to attend the opera and theater, and providing him with a supply of music paper. The patronage lasted to the end of Schubert's life, and Spaun hosted the final Schubertiade on 28 January 1828.
Spaun was made an honorary citizen of Vienna on 18 May 1841.
References
- Ch. Fastl: "Spaun Josef Frh. von". In: Österreichisches Biographisches Lexikon 1815–1950 (ÖBL). Vol. 13, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 2010, ISBN 978-3-7001-6963-5, p. 7.
- Karl Glossy: From the memoirs of Joseph Freiherrn von Spaun, in "Grillparzer-Jahrbuch", viii, (Vienna: 1898), pp. 275-303.
- Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Adelige Häuser B Band XVIII, Seite 443, Band 95 der Gesamtreihe, C. A. Starke Verlag, Limburg (Lahn) 1989, ISSN 0435-2408
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