Ferdinand von Hompesch zu Bolheim (November 9, 1744 Bolheim (Württemberg, Germany) – May 12, 1805 in Montpellier (France))
He was the 71st, the first German, Grand Master of the Order of Saint John. He was elected on July 6, 1797 and resigned on July 17, 1799.
He had to surrender Malta to then General Napoléon Bonaparte, when he landed on Malta with many soldiers and ships in July 1798. Malta had been the home of the Order since 1530. One rule of the Order forbade to fight against christians. Ferdinand von Hompesch zu Bolheim left the island with all knights and no fighting. The new headquarter of the Order was Triest in Italy and two months later Ljubljana in today Slovenia.
After his resignation in 1799 he went to Austria and Italy. In 1804 he went to Montpellier in France where he died one year later as a poor man of 60 years.
Portraits
Grandmaster Fra Ferdiand Hompesch
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