Franz Trenck

Talented Student Turned Professional Soldier

The most famous "resident" of the Brno tomb, whose name has become a legend, was apparently born on January 1, 1711, in Reggio in Calabria to Anna Maria, nee Ketteler, of Hargvatten (?–1726) and Jan Jindřich Trenck (1664–1743), an imperial lieutenant colonel. Their family name is derived from Trenckburg, a now extinct residence in Prussia.

František studied at a Jesuit Grammar School in Šopron (present-day Hungary) and then in Požega (present-day Croatia); he completed his education in Vienna. He was among the gifted students, spoke several languages fluently, became a connoisseur of English literature, and could even sing and play the violin well. In 1727, he joined the Hungarian 8th Infantry Regiment of Count Pálffy, where he rose to the rank of lieutenant. Among other things, he stood out for his eccentric behavior and lack of discipline.

In 1731, Franz married Josephine, daughter of Jan František Baron Tillier, commander of the Petrovaradin fortress (present-day Serbia). The young couple moved to the Brestovac estate in Slavonia (part of the territory of present-day Croatia and Serbia), which was purchased for them by Trenck's father. However, happiness eluded them; they had several children who died shortly after birth, and not long after, Josephine also passed away. Trenck never remarried and devoted all his energy to his military career.

Feared Commander of Pandurs

On December 16, 1740, King Frederick II of Prussia occupied Austrian Silesia, marking the beginning of the eight-year period of conflicts that engulfed all of Europe and became known as the "War of the Austrian Succession." Empress Maria Theresa of Austria found Trenck's offer to create a military corps of volunteers, also known as pandurs, opportune.

The pandurs, whom their leader considered his property and treated accordingly, were recruited primarily from the ranks of criminals who, by joining the Austrian military, were exempted from their sentences. They differed from regular infantry in their guerrilla-style warfare: infiltrating enemy lines, ambushing supply convoys, destroying bridges, inciting panic and confusion. They funded their expenses through plundering enemy territory. They were infamous for their cruelty.

Trenck served Maria Theresa with his pandurs in numerous battles, narrowly escaping death several times himself. He was an excellent soldier, known for his bravery, while deliberately cultivating his reputation as a hero. Exploiting war spoils, the quantity of which was the subject of numerous legends, he systematically expanded his domain in Slavonia.

Sentenced to Death

In 1744, Trenck was promoted to the rank of colonel for his merits. However, his corps, which numbered around three thousand men, began to arouse concerns even at the Imperial court in Vienna. It was seen as too large a "private" force concentrated in the hands of one man. The choleric, ambitious, and unpredictable Trenck also managed to make many enemies in influential positions.

After a military debacle at Žďár, dark clouds began to gather over him definitively. He was accused of missing a crucial part of the battle due to plundering the Prussian camp, causing the Austrians defeat. Further accusations soon followed (such as cruel treatment of his men, looting, and embezzlement).

The trial, held in Vienna, lasted several months, during which Trenck's property was seized, and all expenses fell on his account. In December 1746, the verdict was handed down - the death penalty. However, at the order of Empress Maria Theresa, the trial was reopened, and a new panel of judges was convened.

Most of the accusations were refuted – except for the rape of a young woman, which Trenck denied. In the verdict issued by the court on August 28, 1748, it was stated: "He shall be transported to Špilberk Fortress, where he shall be imprisoned for life."

The Penitent at Špilberk

Empress Maria Theresa expressed her wish for Trenck's imprisonment to be made as comfortable as possible, which the deputy commander of the fortress, Franz Joseph Kottulinsky, accommodated. Trenck inhabited two rooms on the first floor of the building located in the western part of Špilberk, and he could freely move around the entire area. Regarding food, he was provided with a very solid livelihood.

Nevertheless, Trenck's health began to deteriorate. Several factors likely contributed to this. Firstly, his mental state — living passively for the third year in some form of imprisonment. Secondly, old battle injuries and overall bodily wear and tear began to take their toll on him, a body whose owner, in addition to danger, indulged in food, alcohol, and tobacco. The empress even allowed him to find suitable accommodation in the city where he could spend his last days. Trenck considered the Capuchin monastery, where the Capuchin friar Koloman visited him as a priest and philosophy lecturer. Perhaps it was through him that Trenck, at the end of his life, became a penitent, regretting all the wrongs he had ever done and begging God for mercy.

However, the relocation never happened. Franz Trenck writes his will at the end of September, in which, among other things, he remembers the Capuchin brothers — leaving them four thousand gold coins. He dies on October 4, 1749, on the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, and according to his wishes, he is buried beside the Capuchin brothers — without a coffin, directly in the ground.

Trenck in Literature, Theatre, and Film

František Trenck took care of his posthumous life even during his lifetime. The first edition of his memoirs, which he wrote himself, was published as early as 1745. In response to this celebratory work, an anonymous pamphlet appeared in public in 1747, leaving no stone unturned in its criticism of Trenck.

Trenck's memoirs were translated into several languages, and the life of the author himself has been the subject of numerous literary portrayals, ranging from serious biographies to fictional novels. Some writers drew inspiration from the biography of his Prussian cousin, published in 1787. Friedrich wrote about Franz as his "worst enemy" and described his death at Špilberk as a staged drama, through which his cousin sought to gain "many short-sighted followers" who would believe that he died as a saint.

Trenck's story appeared on domestic stages as a play as early as 1870 in Brno; as an operetta, it was performed in 1909 at the Royal Vineyards Theatre in Prague. Fans could also follow the pandur's tale in cinemas. In 1922, a film produced by Lloyd Film was screened, and in 1940, a film by the German director Herbert Selpin was released. Eventually, Trenck found his way to television as well; he appeared in a four-part co-production series depicting the life of the Habsburg ruler Maria Theresa (2017, 2019).