Lazarus Balkronn

Lazarus Balkronn (1667-1737) was a Braslander statesman and the younger brother of King Frederick I of Brasland.

Public life

He was born in 1667, the youngest son of Hercules Balkronn and Maria von Reitzenstein. The Balkronns were one of those rare noble families who did not have the prefix "von" before their family name.

During the years of war against the empire, Lazarus fought along his older brothers, Frederick and Adam. When the Braslanders defeated the imperial forces, Frederick was crowned King of Brasland. He gave Lazarus the title Prince von Hohenburg and decreed that if his legitimate descendants died out, the Crown would pass to Lazarus' line.

Lazarus was the King's closest advisor and served as Minister of Interior. Frederick relied heavily on his advice and this made the Prince a divisive figure: some admired him and helped him to win his favor, while others hated him and wanted to bring him down. He was very unpopular among the high nobility, who saw the Balkronns as parvenus. His unpopularity increased after he executed one of the most prominent members of the aristocracy, Count Hieronymus von Meissenfeld, for his involvement in an attempt to depose the King. However, his strict government was successful and he helped to secure the permanency of the Balkronns on the throne.

When Frederick I died in 1724, Lazarus remained as a minister for his nephew, King Frederick II. However, the young monarch listened less to his uncle and actively undermined his ower, viewing him as a threat to his own plans. Lazarus retired in 1732.

The Prince von Hohenburg lived his remaining years in the countryside, where he owned a large estate. He died in 1737.

Family

In 1701 he married his cousin Johanna von Reitzenstein. They had eight children: Maria (born 1702), Adam (born 1703), Franziskus (born and died 1705), Wilhelm (born and died 1707), Elisabeth (born 1708), Maria Anna (born 1710), Karl (born 1712) and Margarethe (born 1714).