Zbožnost a rodová reprezentace na šporkovském panství Heřmanův Městec v 1. polovině 18. století

This paper is focused on piousness and the family representation of the Counts of Sporck on the Heřmanův Městec estate (East Bohemia) in the 1st half of the 18th century. The founder of this noble clan, Johann of Sporck (approximately 1600–1679), was born as a member of a peasant family near Paderborn, Germany and began the social rise of the Sporcks. He was under military duty with the Duke of Bavaria and consequently (as of 1647) served Emperor Ferdinand III. Sporck became a general and a rich and powerful magnate during the Thirty Years’ War war and the consequent struggles. The public fame of this new noble family was harmed, however, by the General’s son Ferdinand Leopold (1664–1711), who murdered his own butler, attacked his wife and other persons, and caused public commotion as well as conflicts with the elder brother Franz Anton (1662–1738). Ferdinand’s sons Johann Joseph (1693–1749) and Johann Rudolf (1695–1759), Bishop (in partibus) of Adriathea and suffragan Bishop of Prague as well, worked at improving the damaged public reputation of the Sporcks through devout acts and care for the spiritual lives of their subjects on the Heřmanův Městec estate. Noble family representation was connected with Baroque piousness in this case and point.