From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Angelo Soliman in 1750

Angelo Soliman (born c. 1721, probably in present-day North-Eastern Nigeria; died 21 November, 1796 in Vienna) was the first valet and royal tutor of Aloys I, Prince of Liechtenstein.

Life

Angelo Soliman probably belonged to the Kanuri ethnic group. He was taken captive as a child arriving in Marseilles as a slave, eventually transferring to the household of a marchioness in Messina who oversaw his education. Out of affection for another servant in household, Angelina, he adopted the name of Angelo and chose to celebrate his birthday at his baptimal day, September 11th. After repeated requests, he was gifted in 1734 to Prince Georg Christian, Fürst von Lobkowitz, the imperial governor of Sicily, becoming the Prince's valet and traveling companion. He accompanied the Prince in military campaigns throughout Europe, reportedly saving the Prince's live in one occasion, a pivotal event, responsible for his social ascension. After the death of Prince Lobkowicz, Soliman was taken into the Vienna household of Joseph Wenzel I, Prince of Liechtenstein, eventually rising to chief servant. Later, Soliman became royal tutor of the heir to the Prince, Aloys I. ^{[1] [2]}

Soliman was a cultured man, highly regarded in the intellectual circles of Vienna, counted as a valued friend by Austrian Emperor Joseph II and Count Franz Moritz von Lacy. He joined the Masonic lodge "True Harmony" in 1783, whose membership included many of Vienna's influential artists and scholars of the time, including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Josef Haydn. The lodge records indicate Soliman met Mozart on several occasions. It is plausible that the character of Bassa Selim in the opera "The Abduction from the Seraglio" be based on Soliman.^[3]

Sources

1. ^ Geschichte der Afrikanistik in Österreich: Angelo Soliman (English Translation)
2. ^ Angelo Soliman und seine Freunde im Adel und in der geistigen Elite (in German)
3. ^ Virtuelles Learning Center | Mozarthaus Vienna