Franz Egon of Fürstenberg
| Franz Egon of Fürstenberg | |
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Coat of arms of the House of Fürstenberg
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| Noble family | Fürstenberg |
| Father | Egon VIII of Fürstenberg-Heiligenberg |
| Mother | Anna Maria of Hohenzollern-Hechingen |
| Born | 10 April 1626 |
| Died | 1 April 1682 |
Franz Egon of Fürstenberg (10 April 1626, Heiligenberg – 1 April 1682) was a German count in the Holy Roman Empire. He was prime minister for the Archbishop-Elector of Cologne, and at the same time worked for Louis XIV of France influencing affairs in the Empire. Franz eventually became Archbishop of Strasbourg.
Franz was an elder son of Egon VIII of Fürstenberg-Heiligenberg (1588–1635), who served with distinction as a Bavarian general in the Thirty Years' War.
Around 1640, Franz attended the Gymnasium Tricoronatum with his younger brother William. There they met Maximilian Henry of Bavaria, forming a friendship which would guide all three careers.
His religious career started early, joining the cathedral chapter at Cologne at age nine. By 1644 he was a member of the privy council of the Archbishop-Elector.
On the elevation of his friend Maximilian Henry to the position of Archbishop-Elector of Cologne in 1650, he went to his court and embraced the ecclesiastical career. Franz was made prime minister for Maximilian. He soon gained strong influence over the elector, and Franz and his brother William were instrumental in guiding the Archbishop-Elector as a tool of the aggressive policy of Louis XIV of France.
In 1651, Cardinal Mazarin stayed in Cologne as a safe haven during the Fronde. During that time, he got to know Franz and William, and to see the influence they had in Cologne and other lands within the Empire. He began to cultivate them as supporters of French aims within the Empire, supporting their interest in developing Rhineland defensive alliances.
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