Barthélémi de Stürmer

Barthélémi de Stürmer (born in Péra on December 26, 1787, died in Venice on July 8, 1863) was an Austrian diplomat.

Barthelemi was the son of the Baron Ignace de Stürmer, internonce d' Austria in Istanbul, and of the Baroness Elisabeth de Testa.

In order to ensure a quality education, he was registered with the Eastern academy of Vienna, where he entered in 1796. He joined his father in Istanbul in 1806. He was soon sent to the embassy in Saint-Petersburg where he appeared as secretary of legation in 1811. He met Karl Philipp de Schwarzenberg which involved his displacements on more than 8000 places. He accompany in particular with the congress by Châtillon in 1814. C' is in spring of this same year he met his future wife, a Frenchwoman, Ermance de Boutet.

After the convention of August 2, 1815, he requests at Metternich the place of Austrian police chief with Saint-Helena. The Emperor of Austria accepted his candidature. He went to Saint-Helena where he arrived on June 17, 1816 with his young wife on board The Oronte. The arrival of the police chiefs was not appreciated British. Stürmer soon saw impossibility of fulfilling the mission entrusted by Metternich and which was to ensure of his own eyes of the presence of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte on the island, to denounce any attempt to escape and to write every month a report/ratio in agreement with the other police chiefs. The British files and the bibliography on the life of Napoleon with Sainte-Hélène and his entourage are so important they would certainly make it possible to recall the life of the Austrian police chief and his wife week per week if this day per day. Detailed examination would certainly emphasize it could not occupy that “trifles” to which Hudson Lowe gave exaggeratedly; importance. In his letters, Stürmer returns on several occasions to the 'uselessness' of his mission. During the two years he was on the island, he could never directly see Emperor. The situation of the Austrian police chief and his wife was not pleasant. They were sought by the entourage of Napoleon whereas Metternich had ordered to them to push back any attempt at contact. Stürmer was blamed in spite of him by Hudson Lowe in Welle business. His wife, who knew the family of mow Cases, was to be held constantly on her guard not to harm the career of her husband. Stürmer finally was recalled and named Ambassador plenipotentiary in Philadelphia at the United States. Before their to return in station, he obtained for his wife “after two years and half of exile, of dislikes and sacrifices”, the right to see their parents in France. He was then sent to Rio de Janeiro. He remained without particular assignment until 1832, remaining in Austria where they attended the good company. They were close to Léontine de Metternich, the daughter of the chancellor. Stürmer was then ambassador of Austria in Istanbul (1832-1850). His eminent services got its reward in 1842 with the title of Count.

He retired to Italy and died in Venice in 1863.

References

*cite book|author=Gautier, Antoine|title=Un drogman à Sainte-Hélène, le baron Barthélémi de Stürmer (1787–1863)|publisher=Le Bulletin, Association des anciens élèves, Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales |month=October|year=2003|pages=pp. 39–48