Gundaker Thomas Starhemberg

Gundaker Thomas Starhemberg (Vienna, December 14, 1663 – Prague, July 8, 1745) was an Austrian economist and politician. Early life His parents were Konrad Balthasar von Starhemberg (1612–1687) and Countess Franziska Katharina Cavriani 91640-1716). His half-brothers were Ernst Rüdiger von Starhemberg (1638–1701), the defender of Vienna against the Turks in 1683 and Maximilian Lorenz von Starhemberg (1640–1689). Field Marshal Guido von Starhemberg was his cousin. Biography Gundakar was designated early for an ecclesiastical career, but after studying a while at the Collegium Germanicum et Hungaricum, he returned to Vienna and entered in the service of the Austrian Emperor. He was quickly noticed for his financial talents and became a protégé of Prince Eugene of Savoy, who urged for financial reforms to finance the many wars the Empire was waging. Gundakar became vice-president of the Court Chamber in 1698 and its president in 1703, and was president of the Ministerial Bank Deputation from 1706 until his death. In 1712 he also became a member of the Privy Conference, and in 1716 a member of the Privy Financial Conference.