Johann Georg, Chevalier de Saxe

Johann Georg, Chevalier de Saxe (21 August 1704 – 25 February 1774), also called Johann Georg of Saxony, was a Saxon Field Marshal and Governor of Dresden.

He was an illegitimate son of August the Strong, King of Poland and Elector of Saxony, and Ursula Katharina of Altenbockum, divorced Princess Lubomirska, since August 1704 Imperial Princess (Reichsfürstin) of Teschen.

Life
When he was legitimized, his father give him the title of Chevalier de Saxe. At the first moment, Johann Georg was chosen by the spiritual career and became a Knight of Malta, but later he entered, like all the illegitimate sons of August, into the Army. He firstly was ranked as General and on 27 July 1763, was appointed as Generalfeldmarschall.

On 27 November 1764 Johann Georg acquired the so-called Zinzendorfschen Garden -located out of the doors of Dresden's city- for 14,000 talers. In the middle of the possessions he can be established by the later garden-master builder Friedrich August Krubsacius magnificent palaces in a reserved rococo style. These were (after the Moszinskapalais and the Brühlschen Palais in Dresden-Friedrichstadt) the third "Maison de Plaisance" of the aristocracy out the city walls of Dresden. The interiors were not big excessively. With all royal elegance it was attached importance, according to the contemporary wish for intimacy, also to comfortable comfort. In the annexes subsequent in the palaces and side buildings the functional spaces were accommodated.

The garden was also extended by some fields belonging to the property and was reshaped profoundly. The arrangement was held severely architecturally according to the principles of the French baroque garden. The palaces determined the centerline of the whole arrangement, from the salon all essential parts were to be overlooked.

On the 30 January 1770 the Chevalier took his farewell of the army and left the city completely and moved to his garden property. However, in spite of his big seclusion, he didn't renounce the usual and big royal suite. After longer disease, the Chevalier de Saxe died four years later, aged sixty-nine.

In his will, the Chevalier declared his half-sister, Fredericka Alexandrine, Countess of Cosel (by marriage Countess Moszinska) his sole heir. For the separation of still more existing debts the obligation was imposed on her to offer the garden with the palace first to the Elector and then the prince Karl for 15,000 talers to the purchase. Only for the case of the refusal she should keep the garden, but against Erlegung of a capital of 10.000 talers for the separation of the debts.

Immediately after opening the will, this was contested by the Commander of the Knights of Malta, the Oberhofmeister Baron of Forell. Forell informed the Elector that the Chevalier since 1728 belonged to the Order and, for this, all his possession belonged to the Maltese Knights. The subsequent lawsuit was decided in 1776 in favour of the Order. But the Chevalier had misjudged with the height of his debts very much, they amounted actually to approximately 36,000 talers. Therefore, about the deduction the bankruptcy was covered, the creditors got 80% of the back sums. To the Order retained only 5,000 talers after the process and they were out of the property.

Johann Georg was buried in the Roman Catholic Churchyard (Innerer Katholischen Friedhof) in Dresden.