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Note: Governorial counsel and police director in Lemberg, Franz Anton was a Knight of the Order of Leopold and was raised at the age of 82, upon petition, to Knighthood of the Austrian Empire; granted title of Knight of Brezany. The title was given in 1817 for himself and for his legitimate posterity of both sexes by order of the last of the Holy Roman Emperors, Franz the First, Emperor of Austria, King of Jerusalem, of Hungary, etc., etc.
Text of the award:
Notarized Copy of the original Certificate of Nobility of Franz Anton, Knight of Brezany December 18, 1817
I, Franz the First, by the Grace of God, Emperor of Austria, King of Jerusalem, of Hungary, Bohemia, Lombardy and Venice, of Dalmatia, Slavonia, Galicia, Lodameria, Arch-Duke of Austria, Duke of Lorraine, Salzbourg, Steyer, Duernten, Carniola, Upper and Lower Silesia, Grand-duke in Transylvania, Margrave in Moravia, exalted Count of Habsburg and Tirol, etc. etc., in the manner of the Austrian sovereigns of my most serene forefathers, have always considered as one of my most essential duties, as well as also one of the most lovely privileges of my sovereign power, to recognize by an open sign those, who excel in loyalty and service to the state, the throne, to my self and family, and who have risen in reputation in good customs and service in war, in offices of public administration, in sciences, or in some other ways have contributed to the furtherance of the general welfare, and chiefly, to reward them by lifting them to higher positions of honor, so that others are incited to the life's zeal to earn their place in the realm of things, but especially one's posterity, who inherit the praisworthy wage of the earnings of their forefathers, to always be reminded of the duty, to by example of these, show themselves worthy of the noble origin. My own notice is therefore without fail directed to never overlook meritorious services, and I have made it a duty of all my offices and their officials to bring to our notice the persons or deeds worthy of our rewarding grace, whereby I will find myself no less inclined to give counsel to the ideas of these who support this noble consideration to my delivered petition by sifficient proofs of their merits. Now it has come to my notice, that the governorial counsel and police director in Lemberg, Franz Anton Brezany, who I note has served important functions for thirty-four years in this and other countries, and who therein has always shown loyalty, sincerity, dependability, and has been taken in as Knight of the Austrian Order of Leopold, has petitioned for promotion into Knighthood. Thus we promote the Knight of the Order of Leopold, governorial counsel and police director in Lemberg Franz Anton Brezany, together with his legitimate posterity of both sexes for all future times to the Knighthood of the Austrian Empire, to use now and forever the title Knight of Brezany by my authority for himself and his legitimate posterity. I wish and order to this, that Franz Anton Knight of Brezany and his legitimate posterity of both sexes be in the furure regarded by all having all the rights and noble's deeds and affairs for true knights of the Austrian Empire, to be honored and participate in all the rights and privileges due the knighthood. As a lasting proof of our blessing and the promotion to knighthood of the Austrian Empire I have conferred upon him Franz Anton Knight of Brezany the coat of arms following in the middle of this decree shown in actual colors, namely an upward reaching, rounding to a point below, silver shield, in which on a green background a high-reaching birch tree stands, with a blue star with eight rays on either side in the upper corners. On the shield rest two jousting helmets turned toward each other, on the right with a green and silver, left with blue and silver shaded blanket hanging down over it, the helmets open with their golden neck jewels, the right helmet has two green buffalo horns, between which a white dove is flying leftward, which has a green branch in its beak, and the left with the star of the shield between a silver open wing. We decree therefore that Franz Anton Ritter of Brezany and his legitimate posterity of both sexes can carry the coat of arms described above, observing the rights of others who might have a similar coat of arms, without harm, and can use same in all lawful and noble transactions, wherever they consider it necessary in their business. Here I am ordering each and all, the religious and worldly subjects of our empire, that they hold Franz Anton Knight of Brezany and his legitimate posterity to be true knights, to honor them as such, to let them use this title undistrubed and in peace, and not to hinder them in this, nor let this be caused by other, which should be honored, in that I would know to view whoever would handle contrary to this order, with sovereign displeasure and appropriate penalty. Officially I have empowered this my diploma by my own signature and affixed confidential great majesty's seal, which I use as Emperor of Austria, and have ordered to be given to Franz Anton Ritter of Brezany and his legitimate posterity. Given on the eighteenth of December in eighteen hundred and seventeen in the twenty-sixth year of our empire, and prepared by my dear and true Count Franz Sanran, our true president of the exchequer, confidential counsel, state and conference minister, highest chancelor and minister of the interior, then grand crusader of the Hungarian Order of St. Stefan and Knight of the 1st class of the Austrian order of the iron crown, and honored with the golden cross of honor in our emperial capital and residence city Vienna on the twenty ninth day of December of the year after Christ's birth one thousand eight hundred and seventeen of our twenty-sixth year of our empire.
'-Frnnz mp. - Franz Count Lanran mp. Prokoy Count Lazanaky mp. Joh. Nep. Baron of Geisslerm mp. According to emperial kings majesty's highest own order Karl of Widmann mp. Registrar Sebastian Engelbrachtmuellner mp. (Latin: recording of book and date, payment of tax) Lemberg on 10 December 1829 signature tax collector Jaworsky mp controller.
This copy is the same as that before this notary, considting of three sheets with seven gulden on the first and thirty kreuzer on the second and third, stamped original Title of Nobility, Vienna, 18th November 1903. Regarding the contents of the original on the first page ninth line from top the words: " my most essential duties, as well as one of the most lovely privileges" was inserted and on the second page seventeenth line from the bottom the word "state" struck through and the word "empire" inserted. Vienna, the 28th of November 1903. (fees) (signature)
This is a translation, to the best of my ability, of the document provided me by Eugene Brezany. I have changed the use of the word "we" to indicate the emperor's elevated status, to "I" where I have found it, and have changed wording where necessary to make the English version understandable or somewhat less archaic.
Sarah C.H. Hartwig, M.A. November 2, 1982 (signature)
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