In front of the old Fortress in Corfu town stands the Statue of Marshal Schulenburg. Proud and with a victorious glance, he looks like he never stopped protecting the island in the past 300 years. Tourists who pass by stop to read the information given about him underneath his statue. The funniest thing is that all of them, apart the German-speaking tourist, cannot pronounce his name right. A hero whose name only a few can pronounce had a statue made for him during his lifetime! What an honor! So, who was he and why is he a such important personality?
Marshal Johann Matthias von der Schulenburg was born in Emden, near Magdeburg, on August 8, 1661. He was a Brandenburg-Prussian nobleman and general who served in the Saxon and Venetian armies in the early 18th century.
He was a key figure during the Turkish siege of Corfu in 1716, which was headed by the allied forces protecting Corfu, and he was basically the one who inspired people to fight, so that the island wouldn’t fall to the Turks – which would have totally changed European history.
The invasion of Corfu in 1716 was part of the Seventh Venetian-Turkish War, and the conquest of this strategically important island would pave the way for the conquest of Venice and subsequently the rest of Europe. The Turkish troops had 30,000 men and 71 ships, while the defenders of Corfu numbered just 2,500 soldiers, including hundreds of Venetians, Germans, and Dalmatians, as well as several Greeks and local volunteers. Prior to the siege’s conclusion, Malta, the Papal States, Genoa, Tuscany, Spain, and Portugal all sent naval forces to help.
Marshal Johann Mattias von der Schulenburg, who was in charge of Corfu’s defense, initially succeeded in dealing with the chaos that erupted among the local inhabitants, who were attempting to flee the island or seek safety in the mountains in any manner they could. He promptly ordered the recruitment of individuals who could fight, securing numerous reservists in the process, and reviving the morale of the besieged.
Marshal Johann Mattias von der Schulenburg
The siege began on July 8th, when the Turks arrived at Ipsos and Dassia, and ended on Saturday, August 22nd, after many terrible and devastating fights. Meanwhile, on August 20th, an enormous storm shattered the Ottoman ships and drowned a large number of Turkish troops and sailors.
This storm and the salvation of the city were attributed by the common people to a miraculous intervention by St. Spyridon, and ever since then, there has been a litany and a procession of Saint Spyridon on 11th August. The defenders suffered roughly 800 deaths and 700 injuries, while the Turks suffered a significant loss of 6,500 men.
The Ottomans’ failure in Corfu was a breakthrough event in history, a watershed moment that shaped the direction of European history and especially of Greece. Few people realize that if it weren’t for the courage of the Corfiots and many Europeans, the Turks’ march would have continued, and the Ottoman Empire would have expanded instead of collapsing, with clear consequences for the Greek country and Europe as a whole. This was the last effort by the Turks to extend their dominion into Europe.
Marshal Schulenburg was awarded a life pension of 5000 ducats per year by the Senate of Venice for his determination and bravery, and his Carrara marble statue, made by sculptor Antonio Corradini, can still be seen at the gate of the Old Fortress of Corfu.
The defense of Corfu against the Turks commanded by him from 25th July to 20th August 1716 is one of the most renowned feats in modern war history, and it was a pivotal event for Western Europe at the time. It was commemorated throughout Europe with spectacular festivities, including Antonio Vivaldi’s oratorio “Juditha triumphans,” which was created in response to this event and performed in all of the continent’s main theaters for many years. It includes a narrative from the Old Testament inspired the Italian composer, with Judith as the major protagonist, who defended her nation from the Assyrians by her bravery. The siege of Corfu in 1716, however, provided the inspiration for the piece.
Schulenburg became an enthusiastic art collector throughout his almost thirty-year residence in Venice. His paintings were mostly sixteenth and seventeenth-century Italian masterpieces, with a few Flemish and Dutch works. His collection was delivered to Berlin in thirteen consignments starting in 1736/37. It was one of the greatest, if not the most significant, non-ruling house collections in Germany, and the most important art collection in Prussia after the royal collection.
Johann Matthias von der Schulenburg died on 14th March 1747 in Verona at the age of 86. Schulenburg had no offspring, and his collection was distributed after his death. Frederick II of Prussia was a notable buyer. In April 1775, a set of 150 items was auctioned in London.
Photo credits:Public Domain-Wikimedia Commons
