Franz, Freiherr von Mirbach - Brest-Litovsk talks

[JWK]

Many moons ago I bought a Hungarian fieldpost card (a Täbori Postai Levellzölap ) on that well-known worldwide auction-site.

Cost me a Euro or two.

It caught my attention because of the beautiful handwriting (And I can sériously appreciate a good hand in writing!)

Once it was delivered to my door (from Austria I think) I got to look at it in more detail.

 

It’s adressed to “Ihrer Excellenz Frau Gräfin Huyn-Lützow, IV Goldeggasse 29, Wien”

(“Her Excellency the Countess Huyn-Lützow, IV Goldeggasse 29, Wien”)

And the sender was

“Major Freiherr von Mirbach, 1 Ktd Feldpost 62” 

(Major Baron von Mirbach, 1. Kavallerie Truppen Divisions Kommando, fieldpost 62 [Based at Timisoara/Romania])

 

The message on the back:

 

4/1 1917

Herzlichen dank für Karte vom 23/12.

Unser Weihnachten und Neujahr steht im zeichen ernsthafter und schwerer Kämpfe; bis jetzt geht er aber Gott sei Dank güt vorwärts – Undere braven Husaren finden sich im Gebirge ebenso zurecht wie in de wolhynischer Sümpfen; aber sie haben hierzulande noch weniger Comfort als in Russland –

Alles Herzliche Euch allen und nochmals beste wünsche für  1917.

Franzi

 

4th January 1917

Many thanks for your card dated 23rd December.

Our Christmas and New-Years were marked by serious and heavy battles. But untill now, thank God, we’re making good progress. Our brave Hussars find themselves as much at home in the mountains as in the Wolhynian marches [Volhynia]. But they have even less comfort here than in Russia.

All the best to you all, and again the best wishes for 1917

Franzi

 

Her Excellency Countess Huyn-Lützow = Ignatia Karoline Maria Auguste Huberta Gräfin von Lútzow (1871-1956), was married to Carl Georg Otto Maria Graf Huyn (1857 -1938) who, it seems, had a rather colourful career in the KuK army. http://archive.today/BHrQ1

 

What exactly Franzi’s relation is to the countess I don’t know.  Her husband, the colourful count, isn’t mentioned so perhaps she was his aunt/great-aunt? The tone of the postcard *suggests* it's close.

 

Delving into Franz’s history it *looks* like he was part of the Austria-Hungarian delegation to the Peace-talks at Brest-Litovsk!

Or was there another Franz von Mirbach?

 

And if Franzi is the man then here he is (encircled in orange)

 

 

Whether or not our Franzi was the von Mirbach at Brest-Litovsk I honestly don’t know.

Mirbachs are a dime a dozen, or so it seems (“13 in a dozen” as we’d say in the Netherlands), so chances are another Franz von Mirbach (who also happened to be a Major...) was at Brest-Litovsk.

Maybe someone more versed in Eastern Front affairs can shed some light on that?

 

Whatever the outcome: it was fun researching this card, and I now know a lot more about Brest-Litovsk!

[James A Pratt III]

MG Hoffman's memoirs "The War of Lost Opportuneties" is online at allworldwars.com