| Count Theodor von Strattman |
| Count Theodor von Strattman came from a distinguished historical family. Initially he served the Elector of Brandenburg, and later was at the court of the Elector Wilhelm von der Pfalz-Neuburg, (Palatinate) where he held the position of vice chancellor (Vicekanzler). There he distinguished himself in dealing with disputes between Brandenburg and the Palatinate. Wishing to advance his career beyond the confines of the court at Düsseldorf he entered the service of the Imperial Court where he came to the attention of Leopold I (1658 – 1705). He was sent as a representative to the peace negotiations at Nijmegen in 1676. Following this he worked to bring about the third marriage of the Emperor to Eleonor Magdalene of Neuburg in 1676. He enjoyed the favours of his new Empress. From 1680–1683 he was the Austrian ambassador at Regensburg, and on March 1, 1683 became Hofkanzler following the death of his predecessor (Johann Paul Freiherr von Hocher 1663-1683), until his death in 1693. In that role he arranged the marriage of Leopold's daughter Maria Antonia of Austria to Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria in 1685, and settled the dispute between Lorraine and Hungary. On September 30, 1685 he raised to the nobility as Count. He worked on the Habsburg succession culminating in the coronation of Joseph I In 1690 as King of the Romans. Theodor Heinrich von Strattmann was married twice, first to Mechtilde v. Mollard, and secondly to Eleonore Therese, Countess Schellard. His daughter Eleonore Batthyány-Strattmann (1677–1741) was famous for her "liaison" with Prince Eugene of Savoy [Source: Strattmann, Theodor Heinrich, von Hanns Schlitter in: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie, herausgegeben von der Historischen Kommission bei der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Band 36 (1893), S. 518–520] |