Leopold Karl von Kollonitsch
Hungarian cardinal
Leopold Karl von Kollonitsch (also spelt Collonicz, Colonitz, Kollonitz, Kolonits and Kolonić; 26 October 1631 – 20 January 1707) or Lipót Kollonich was a cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, Archbishop of Kalocsa and later of Esztergom, and Primate of Hungary. Also a count of the Holy Roman Empire, he was a leading figure of the Hungarian Counter-Reformation.
As an imperial minister, Kollonitsch was responsible for reorganizing the new Hungarian territories won from the Ottoman Empire and later ceded at the Treaty of Karlowitz. He was said to have gained over one hundred thousand converts to Rome from Orthodox Christianity.
Early life and military career
Born at the Hungarian castle of Komárom (now Komárno, on the northern shore), Leopold Karl von Kollonitsch was the son of Count Ernst von Kollonitsch, Governor of the castle, by his marriage to Anne Elizabeth von Kueffstein. He became a candidate officer of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, first seeing action in the Cretan War, when the Knights of Malta supported Venice against the Turks.
In 1650 he was knighted at Vienna. In 1654 he took part in the defence of Crete, and in 1655 he fought at the Battle of the Dardanelles, a victory for Venice. He became a Knight Hospitaller in 1658 and was next appointed as Prior and Castellan of the Order of Mailberg, based at Schloss Mailberg. Soon he was also in command of Eger in Bohemia.
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