Lorenz von Wagenseil (ca. 1635 - 1692/93):

Blastenbrei, Stellung zum Judentum, 2004, S. 131, Anm. 138: "Das Leben Lorenz Wagenseils, des jüngeren Bruders Johann Christophs, ist nur in Umrissen bekannt. Lorenz schlug eine militärische Laufbahn ein und diente anfangs der Kurpfalz und dann beim Kaiser an der Grenze zum osmanischen Ungarn: Zeidler, Vitae, II, 131; Staudinger, Heer, 268. Ab (August (oder Oktober) 1673 ist er Oberleutnant, ab September 1676 als Oberst mit eigenem Infanterieregiment im kurbayerischen Dienst nachgewiesen, wo er den frühen Typ des wissenschaftlich gebildeten Offiziers verkörperte: A.a.O., 251, 262, 396, 442, und 72* Anl. 25. Um 1674 war er in Ingolstadt stationiert, wo ihn sein Bruder besuchte: A.a.O., 19* Anl. 5 und 54* Anl. 20; Wagenseil, Erziehung, 309. Nach der Auflösung seines Regiments im Oktober 1679 muß er in schwedischen Dienst gegangen sein, wo er, wiederum als Oberst, in Riga diente: AGR Bruxelles,Secrétairerie d`État et de Guerre, vol. 2693, p. 172. Im Mai 1682 ist er im Zug der spanischen Aufrüstung als coronel mit eigenem Infanterieregiment in die südlichen Niederlande gegangen; der Anwerbungsvertrag ist erhalten: A.a.O., p. 172-175. [...] Anfang 1692 warb ihn der venezianische Resident aus dem spanischen Dienst in Mailand auf fünf Jahre als Sergente generale di battaglia an (ab August 1692): AS di Venezia, Senato Mar 158, f. 79v-80r und 104v-105r. Bald darauf, wohl noch 1692 oder Anfang 1693, ist er im venezianischen Dienst an einer Krankheit gestorben: Wagenseil, De infundibulo, 123. Die Annahme der älteren Wagenseilbiographen, Lorenz sei bereits in der Endphase des großen Türkenkrieges um Kreta 1668/69 auf dieser Insel gestorben, beruht vielleicht darauf, daß er tatsächlich auf Kreta, nämlich während der gescheiterten venezianischen Landung in der Souda-Bucht 1692, sein Leben verlor."

"W a g e n s e i l, ein Freyherrl. Geschlecht, davon ein Baron Wagenseil in Venetianischen Diensten [...] als General-Major" stand; 1691 erhielt er den Titel eines Grafen "Muric", 1692 den des General-Majors. [Grosses Universal-Lexicon Aller Wissenschafften und Künste, 52. Band Wa, Zedler: Leipzig und Halle 1747, S. 622; gemeint ist Lorenz von Wagenseil, vgl. Karl Staudinger: "Vorgeschichte und Geschichte des Regiments unter Kurfürst Max Emanuel 1682-1726", Halbband 1, 1. und. 2 Lieferung, Berlin: Gruyter 2020, S. 37: "1676. [...] Oberstlieutenant Lorenz von Wagenseil, bisher schon Kommandant des Regiments Sulzbach, bekommt dasselbe als Oberst am 30. September"]

Edward Browne (1677): An Account of Several Travels through a Great Part of Germany, pp. 39-70: From Cologne to Vienna.

The first day we travelled near to the Neccar, in stony and rocky way; and it being dark before we came to Mospach, the Peasants conducted us from Village to village with bundles of lighted Straw.

The next day we came to Poxberg, where there is an old Castle, and in the afternoon reached Morkenthal, or Mergetheim, ¹¹ the Seat of the Grand Master of the Herrhn Deutchern, or the Teutonick Order. The Town is well-built, hath a fair Piazza, with a large Fountain in it, and a Statue of one of the Grand Masters, with a long Corridore from his Palace. This Order hath been of great Fame, and hath had large Possessions, as may be seen in the exact Account of the Teutonick Knights of Prussia, in his Noble Description of the Order of the Garter; and as Lewis du May, Counsellor unto the Duke of Wirtenburg, hath set it down. For the Knights Templars and of St. John, having fought prosperously against the Infidels, raised an Emulation in some German Gentlemen, who waited upon the Emperour Frederick the First, in his Expedition to the Holy Land, to take the Croisado. And because they were installed in the Church and Hospital of St. Mary at Jerusalem, they were called Marianites. Their Order differed nothing from those above-mentioned, but in the form and colour of their Croß, and was approved by Pope Celestin the Third. Afterwards when Jerusalem was taken by Saladin, those Knights betook themselves to Ptolemais, from whence the Emperour Frederick the second, sent them back into Germany, and employed them against the Prussians and Livonians, who at that time were still Pagans. But by the Valour and Piety of those Knights, their Souls were brought into subjection to Christ, and their Bodies to the Order which began that war in the year 1220. a little while after these Knights found themselves masters of a Country of very large Extent, which obeyed the Order, till the year 1525. at which time Sigismond, King of Poland, gave the investiture of Prussia unto Albert Marquiß of Brandenburg. In the year 1563. the Great Master became Secular again, and took a part of the Lands subject to the Order, with the name of Duke of Curland. And Livonia having been the Subject and Theatre of many wars between the Polanders, Muscovites, and Swedes; these last did at length become Masters of it, and have it in possession still. So that there is no more remaining of the Teutonick Order, but some Commanderies scattered here and there in Germany. And the Great Master hath his Seat and Residence at Mergenthal.

They wear on a white Mantle a plain black Cross. The Dignity of Grand Master is generally held by some Great and Honorable Person; and in the Great Assembly he taketh place of all Bishops. The present is the Baron of Amring; and the Grand Master before him was Leopold William, only Brother to the Emperor Ferdinand the Third.

From hence we travelled to Leuterbach, near which we passed through a Wood, and found a Noble Church upon the top of a high Hill, which being much frequented by Pilgrims, they have made handsome stone Stairs from the bottom to the top: then to Rotenburg, and lodged at Burgperner, and the next day by Schantzbach we came to Nurenberg. Rotenburg is an Imperial City, which some have likened unto Jerusalem for its Situation upon hilly places, and many Turrets in it. It is Situated near the head of the River Tauber, which may be accounted the second river of Franconia, passing by Rottingen, Landen, and Werthaim, where it runneth into the Main.

Nurenberg is the fairest City that I saw in Germany; the Houses most of them Free-stone, very high; and divers of them painted on the outside, and adorned with gilded Balls on the top; many are of five or seven Stories high. Der Herr Peller hath one of the fairest. The City is very populous and full of Trade, although it stands in a barren Country, and wants a Navigable River. The three best Churches are the Hospital Church, lately built very fair; St. Laurence, which is very large, with two high Steeples in the front; and St. Sebald the best of the three. The Body of St. Sebald being laid upon a Cart drawn with Oxen, in that place where the Oxen stood still, they buried the Body, and erected this Church in his memory. In this Church is a Crucifix of Wood, very well carved, and esteemed at a high rate. The Crucifix without the Church is very great, and of a black colour: and some fancy that the Raht Herrn, or Magistrates of the town, have reposited a Treasure within it. The Pulpit is well carved and gilded, and the whole Church so stately, that it may pass in the first rank of Lutheran Churches; that Religion being here practised in its splendour. The Priest every morning reads the Scripture to the people for half an hour, or preacheth a Sermon. The Town-house is well worth the seeing: In it the Hall is spacious, as also the Chambers, and furnished with good Pictures, and Stones well gilded and painted with white and gold, green and gold, dark coloured and gold, and the like. There is one Picture of most of the Great Persons in Germany entertained in the Great Hall; another of the three Brothers of Saxony; one of an Elephant as big as the life; a piece of St. John and St. Mark, and another of St. Peter and St. Paul, both by Albert Durer: but the most rare piece is that of Adam and Eve, by the same Master, with this Inscription:

Albertus Durer Almang faciebat post Virginis partum, 1507.

Another excellent one is that of St. Luke drawing the Picture of our Saviour and the blessed Virgin. Over the Gate at the entrance of the Shambles is a large Oxe carved in Wood, and painted over, with this inscription:

Omnia habent ortus suaque incrementa, sed ecce
Quem cernis, nunquam Bos fuit hic, Vitulus.

The Castle standeth upon a high Hill, from whence the Town makes a handsome show: In it are observable a very deep well, the Emperors Chappel, his Picture, and the Pictures of the Electors; good Night pieces; and one of a man behind a white Curtain transparent, very well expressed. The Armour of Hebbele van Gailinghen the great Sorcerer is here shown; and in the Wall of the Castle the marks of his Horses feet, when he leaped from thence over the Town ditch.

The new Fountain was not then finished; but the Statua's in Brass made for it were excellent; the Sea-Horses large, the Sea-Nymphs much bigger than the life; and Neptune, who was to stand on the top, is above three yards and a half high. When I came first into this place, I was not a little surprized to behold the fairness of the Houses, handsome Streets, different Habits, industrious People, and neatness in all things, more than I had observed in German Cities before; and no place hath greater number of curious Artificers in Steel, Brass, Ivory, Wood, wherein they work at an extraordinary cheap rate; and there are Officers to inspect and enquire into the works of Artificers, that they be true, perfect, and without fraud: they make strong and handsome Clock-work. The King of Poland presented the Grand Signior with a very noble Clock, who took so much delight in it, that when it required some mending (the Turks being ignorant in Clock-work) he sent it from Adrianople as far as Nurenberg, to be set in order again.

Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden, was more magnificently received and entertained in this City, than in any other part of Germany; which so incensed Wallensteyn, that he afterwards encamped before their Town, and did great spoil upon their Territories: But the King of Sweden marched thither towards their Relief, and from thence towards Lutzen, where in a bloody Battel he lost his life.¹²

The River Pegnitz runneth through Nurnberg, and hath divers Stone Bridges over it; and below the Town, joyning with the River Rednitz, runneth into the River Main at Bamberg; and the Main runs at last into the Rhine. The Rednitz ariseth at Weißenberg, and is not far from the River Altmul, which runneth into the Danube, towards Regensburg. Upon this convenience, Charles the Great designed to make a Communication of passage between the Danube and the Rhine; and made a Canale thirty paces broad between the Rednitz and the Altmul, to joyn those Streams for the commodity of Passage by Boat; but after he had proceeded two German miles in this work, Boggs, Rains, and his warlike Diversions made him give over that noble Design, whereby there might have been a Commerce by water, from the Low Countries to Vienna, and even unto the Euxine Sea.

The Roman Lieutenant in Nero's time, had a desire to unite the River Soane and the Mosella; and to make a passage between the Mediterranean and the German Ocean; having been at the Mouth of the Mosella by Coblentz, and passed from Chaalon upon the soft and noble River Araris or Soane unto Lyon, I cannot but think these very good Streams, and fit for such a purpose. The present King of France hath a design to unite the River Aude with the Garonne, and so to have a passage by Boat from the Mediterranean Sea by Tholouse and Bourdeaux, into the Ocean. When I travelled in those parts, viewing the Country well, I thought it would be a difficult work, and so it proveth: but the King hath proceeded already very far therein.¹³

About four leagues from Nurnberg lyeth Altdorff, belonging unto it, and made an University in the year 1623. containing, when I was there, about 150 Scholars. The Physick Garden is handsome, and well stocked with Plants, to the number of two thousand. Dr. Hoffman the Botanick and Anatomick Professour, shew'd me many of the most rare of them; and presented me with divers. The Anatomy School is not large; yet the only one in those parts of Germany: And they have divers Curiosities preserved in it, as the Skeleton of a Hart, of a Horse, of a Man, of a Bear bigger than a Horse: And some Pictures, as one of a Ninivite, and another of Moses, which they take to be Ancient. Dr. Wagenseyl, Professour of Law and History, brother to Captain Wagenseyl, who travelled with me from Heidelberg, invited us to lodge at his House, and shew'd me his Library, and all his Rarities and Coyns, whereof he hath a good Collection, having lived in most places of Europe, and speaks many Languages as well; he gave me a piece of the first mony that was coined in Germany. In the University Library I saw a fair Hortus Eystetensis, and Youngerman's Collection of Plants by his own hand.

At Nurnberg I met with the Son and Secretary to the Holland Ambassador in Turky, who had travelled hither over-land from Constantinople, in their return into the Low-Countries, travelling in Greek Habits.

From hence I went to Newmarkt, a good Town in the upper Palatinate belonging to the Duke of Bavaria, and the next day through Heinmaw, subject to the Duke of Newburg, to Regensburg.

11. Sc. Mergentheim, where the order resided from the time of its fall in Prussia (1526) until the Napoleonic wars, when it was removed to Vienna (1809).

12. On November 6, 1632. The Swedes won the battle despite (or, less charitably but with more apparent accuracy, because of) the death of the king.