Franz von Ballestrem


Franz von Ballestrem was a German entrepreneur, manager and politician for Centre Party.

Early life

Franz was born on 5 September 1834 in Plawniowitz into the House of Ballerstrem, which belonged to an old German nobility. He was the son of Carl Wolfgang von Ballestrem and his wife, Betha von Leithold.

Biography

He went to Adelskonvikt in Lviv. Between 1848 and 1851, he went to school in Głogów and Namur. He studied at Berg Academy in Liège. Ballestrem was in Prussian Army in 1855. In 1857, he became a Prussian Army Officer in 1st (Silesian) Life Cuirassiers "Great Elector". He was soldier in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 and the Franco-Prussian War of 1870/71. From 1867, he was Rittmeister. After the death of his father, he owned majorat in Plawniowitz in Silesia.
From 1872 to 1893 and from 1898 to 1907, Ballestrem was a member of the Reichstag of the German Empire. From 1898 to 1907, Ballestrem was president of the Reichstag. From 1891 Ballestrem was also member of the Prussian House of Representatives, serving as such until in 1903 he was granted an hereditary seat in the Prussian House of Lords by the Emperor.
In 1872, he was vice president of Katholikentag in Breslau. In 1890, he was founder and president of People's Association for Catholic Germany in Silesia. In 1873, Ballestrem was Papal gentleman. He was member of Order of the Holy Sepulchre and of Sovereign Military Order of Malta.

Marriage and issue

On 21 June 1858, he married Countess Hedwig von Saurma, Freiin von und zu der Jeltsch. Together they had nine children:

Death

Franz von Ballestrem died on 23 December 1910 in Plawniowitz, at the age of 76. His wife Hedwig outlived him for 5 years.

Literature

  • Eckhard Hansen, Florian Tennstedt u. a.: Biographisches Lexikon zur Geschichte der deutschen Sozialpolitik 1871 bis 1945. Band 1: Sozialpolitiker im Deutschen Kaiserreich 1871 bis 1918. Kassel University Press, Kassel 2010, ISBN 978-3-86219-038-6, p. 7 f..
  • Gothaisches genealogisches Taschenbuch der gräflichen Häuser auf das Jahr 1876,