CHARLES V OF LORRAINE- EXPULSION OF THE TURKS FROM HUNGARY

ST URBAIN, Ferdinand de: Lorraine, ca.1686, Bronze, 58 mm
Obv: Bust of Charles V wearing armor and the Collar and Badge of the Golden Fleece    CARLOS . V. D. G. DVX. LOT. MAR. D.C.B.G.
Rev: German eagle flying with fulmens clutched in its claws, releasing lightning bolts at mosques in the Hungarian landscape below.     VIRTVS. GERMANORVM
Exergue:  PANN. VINDICATA (Pannonia Protected)
Signed: SV
Ref: Domanig DM 485; Forrer V p. 309 #8; Wurz 4462;  Weiss BW200

Charles V (Leopold-Nicholas-Sixte) (1643-1690), Duke of Lorraine and Bar (Barrois), was born in Vienna, the son of Charles IV's brother Nicolas Francis. In 1678 he married Eleanora Maria, sister of Holy Roman emperor Leopold I. Emperor Leopold I gave him a regiment with which he distinguished himself at the battle of Saint Gotthard. He was promoted field marshal by the emperor in 1675. In 1683, with a weak imperial army, he opposed the Turkish advance on Vienna. Fortunately, John Sobieski's Poles and Bavarian and Saxon contingents arrived to reinforce Charles, and together these Christian forces routed the enemy and raised the siege. Advancing into Hungary, Charles stormed Neuhausel, took Buda and in 1687 won the great victory of Mohacs, a city situated on the Danube River at the southern part of Hungary. Besides being a military genius that made him one of Louis XIV's most respected adversaries, Charles V evidenced good qualities of statesmanship. However, because of France's opposition, he never ruled his duchies. At the peace of Ryswick (1697), Lorraine and Bar were assigned to his son Leopold Joseph Charles, the future Leopold I, Duke of Lorraine and Bar.

The medal commemorates the protection of Pannonia from the Turks and their expulsion from Hungry. Pannonia, to which the medal refers, is an ancient district on the Danube and is now part of modern Hungary and Yugoslavia.

Lorraine is a former province and geographical region of France which covers the independent duchy of Lorraine and Bar and other smaller areas. Its original name Lotharingia, which appears first in the 9th century, was derived from King Lothair (825-869). In the 10th century Lorraine was a German duchy but in the 13th century the Duke of Lorraine and Count of Bar became vassals of the king of France.

LINK to Portrait and brief Biography of Charles V (from wikipedia)

LINK to History of Lorraine (from Proceedings of the Friesian School. Edited by Kelley L. Ross, Ph.D.)

LINK to Portrait Gallery of Medals by Saint-Urbain (from Croatian Scientific Bibliography)

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