Draft:Joseph von Csekonics

Josif Čekonić also Čekonjić (Serbian Cyrillic: Јосиф Чеконић; Güns in Lower Hungary, Habsburg Monarchy, 22 February 1757 - Pest, Hungary, Habsburg Monarchy, 26 April 1824) was an Austrian major general and founder of Austrian horse breeding.

Origin

His parents were the district court attorney Pál Csekonics and his wife Mária Kanicsár. His brother Imre (1759–1830) became a judge.

Life

Josif Čekonić attended the royal grammar school in Güns and later went to the Piarists higher school of learning at Löwenburg Convent for noble Austrian and Hungarian youths in Vienna. He then joined the Cuirassier Regiment d’Ayasassa as a cadet in 1774. There he became a lieutenant in 1777, joined the Cuirassier Regiment Modena as a first lieutenant in 1778 and became second captain there in 1783. He was involved in horse breeding; particularly at the already famous Baron Hunyad stud farm in Ürmeny (Slavic: Mojmirovce). Due to his profound knowledge of the subject, he was also assigned to purchase and train horses (remount) in 1783. Here he continued his observations and drew up a plan for the development of Austrian horse breeding. He sent his plan to Emperor Joseph II who had it examined by a commission. This recommended acceptance and so it was ordered that a Pepinier stud farm with 500 mother horses be built. All of the Bukovina mother horses were immediately brought to Hungary, 150 of the best cuirassier mares were selected and where suitable horses could be found, they were also to be purchased. The then Hungarian Court Chamber Administrator von Lovász and several staff and engineering officers were commissioned to find suitable pastures. They were also to draw up the necessary plans for accommodation and care. Čekonić was given the task of selecting the stallions and making all arrangements for improving the horse breeding. This is how the Pepinier stud farm in Mezőhegyes was created under Čekonić's supervision. When the emperor travelled to Cherson, he also visited this stud farm. The results must have been good, because he was given a reinstatement in Hungary and Transylvania. He became the first captain in the army with the title of Hungarian stud and reinstatement commander. Later he was also given responsibility for the army's food supply and meat management in Vienna. In 1787 he became a major and in 1789 a lieutenant colonel. As the 8th Turkish War approached, the need for horses increased and the stud farm was expanded. In 1789 the Babolna manor near Raab was purchased. Josif Čekonić was also commissioned to supply the army with wine (wine management). In 1790 he was promoted to colonel and was given a 20-year lease on the Hatzfeld estate in Banat. He later bought the estate with the help of Field Marshal Maurice Lacy who advanced him the money interest-free. Documents from 23 November 1795 show Čekonić with a noble predicate of "de Hatzfeld".

During the Coalition Wars in 1798 he was commissioned to supply all the armies in Italy and on the Lech, as well as the royal capital Vienna, with cattle for slaughter. For that reason he settled Hungarian colonists in the Banat region in 1798. He brought gardeners from Čanad and Čongrad counties and had them settle in Itebej and Srpska Crnja where they lived in scattered communities and hamlets. For three years he was able to supply the meat at the same price and received the Knight's Cross of the Order of St. Stephen from Emperor franz II. Under his leadership, the Mezőhegyes stud farm developed into one of the largest European stud farms. In 1806 he was promoted to general. In 1824, Čekonić moved more colonists from his property to Chestereg in Torontál County.