Ezechiel du Mas, Comte de Melac (about 1630 - May 10, 1704) was a career soldier in the French army under King Louis XIV and war minister Louvain, where he rose to the rank of a General. He became notorious for mercilessly and brutally executing the French policy of destroying the enemy's lands rather than seeking major military engagements, especially in the Palatinate and in the Margraviate of Baden. Under his command, numerous towns and villages were put on fire and the livelihood of the population was destroyed. In present southwestern Germany, Melac's name became a synonym for "murderer and arsonist". Events February 22 - Native American Quadequine introduces Popcorn to English colonists. ... Events Building of the Students Monument in Aiud, Romania. ... Louis XIV (Louis-Dieudonné) (September 5, 1638 – September 1, 1715), reigned as King of France and of Navarre from May 14, 1643 until his death at 77 years old. ... Leuven in 2004 Leuven (Louvain in French, Löwen in German) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant, of which it is the capital. ... General is a high military rank, used by nearly every country in the world. ... A palatinate is a territory administered by a count palatine, originally the direct representative of the sovereign, but later the hereditary ruler of the territory subject to the crowns overlordship. ... Graf is a German noble title equal in rank to a count or an earl. ... For other uses, see Baden (disambiguation). ... Categories: Crimes | Stub ...

Melac's curriculum vitae:

About 1630: Born in Saint-Radegonde, about 15 Kilometer southeast of Libourne in nowadays Departement Gironde. He must have joined the military at an early age. ... Events February 22 - Native American Quadequine introduces Popcorn to English colonists. ... Libourne, the wine-making capital of northern Gironde, is a French commune in the Aquitaine region. ... Gironde is a département in the southwest of France named after the Gironde Estuary. ...

1664: Promoted to the rank of Lieutenant with a cavalry regiment in Portugal. Events March 12 - New Jersey becomes a colony of England. ... A Lieutenant is a military, paramilitary or police officer. ... Cavalry is also a common misspelling of the Biblical hill Calvary. ... A regiment is a military unit, larger than a company and smaller than a division. ...

1666: Entrusted with the leadership of a company (military unit). Events September 2 - Great Fire of London: A large fire breaks out in London in the house of Charles IIs baker on Pudding Lane near London Bridge. ... // US Army In the United States military, infantry companies are usually made up of three rifle platoons and a heavy weapons platoon; tank companies are usually made up of three tank platoons and a command element. ...

1672: Served in Flanders at the start of the Franco-Dutch War. Events England, France, Munster and Cologne invade the United Provinces, therefore this name is know as ´het rampjaar´ (the disaster year) in the Netherlands. ... Flanders (Flemish, Fleming) (Dutch: Vlaanderen (Vlaams, Vlaming)) has two main designations: a geographical region in the north of Belgium, corresponding to the Flemish Region, a consituent part of the federal Belgian state. ... The Dutch War (1672–1678) was a war fought between France and a quadruple alliance consisting of Brandenburg, the Holy Roman Empire, Spain, and the United Provinces. ...

1675: Promoted to the rank of Maitre de Camp de Cavalerie. Events January 5 - The Battle of Turckeim June 18 - Battle of Fehrbellin August 10 - King Charles II of England places the foundation stone of the Royal Greenwich Observatory in London - construction begins November 11 - Guru Gobind Singh becomes the Tenth Guru of the Sikhs. ...

1679: Promotion to the rank of Brigadier; he became Governor of Schleiden (40 km southeast of Aachen). Events January 24 - King Charles II of England disbands Parliament August 7 - The brigantine Le Griffon, which was commissioned by René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, is towed to the southern end of the Niagara River, to become the first ship to sail the upper Great Lakes. ... Brigadier is a rank in the British Army, Royal Marines, Australian Army, New Zealand Army, and several other armies, ranking above Colonel and immediately below Major-General. ... HI A governor is also, a monkey who is smart and can fly like a penguin is a device that regulates the speed of a machine. ... Schleiden is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. ... Aachen (French Aix-la-Chapelle, Dutch Aken, Latin Aquisgranum, Ripuarian Oche) is a spa city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, on the border with Belgium and the Netherlands, 65 km to the west of Cologne, and the westernmost city in Germany. ...

1686: Began service in the army of Marschal Catinat in Savoy. Events The League of Augsburg is founded. ... The Marshal of France (maréchal de France) was one of the Great Officers of the Crown of France. ... Nicolas Catinat (1637 - 1712), marshal of France, entered the Gardes Françaises at an early age and distinguished himself at the siege of Lille in 1667. ... This article is about the historical region of Savoy. ...

1688: In April, Melac joined the Rhine army under the command of Marschal Jacques-Henri de Duras. // Events A high-powered conspiracy of notables, the Immortal Seven, invite William and Mary to depose James II of England. ... The Marshal of France (maréchal de France) was one of the Great Officers of the Crown of France. ... Duras may refer to: Duras, in Star Trek, was a formerly important House in the Klingon Empire Duras is a commune of the Lot-et-Garonne département, in France Oldřich Duras was a Czech chess international grandmaster Marguerite Duras was the pseudonym (after the town) of Marguerite Donnadieu...

1688: Married Marschal de Duras's daughter. // Events A high-powered conspiracy of notables, the Immortal Seven, invite William and Mary to depose James II of England. ... The Marshal of France (maréchal de France) was one of the Great Officers of the Crown of France. ... Duras may refer to: Duras, in Star Trek, was a formerly important House in the Klingon Empire Duras is a commune of the Lot-et-Garonne département, in France Oldřich Duras was a Czech chess international grandmaster Marguerite Duras was the pseudonym (after the town) of Marguerite Donnadieu...

1688: In September, the Rhine army moved into the territory of the Palatinate without formal declaration of war; they also moved into the territory east of the Rhine river and conquered the cities of Heilbronn, Heidelberg and Mannheim (November 10) and the stronghold Philippsburg; Pforzheim had been occupied since October 10. Melac was stationed at the Imperial Town of Heilbronn under the command of Marschal Joseph de Montclar. Using Heilbronn as his base, Melac devastated the surrounding area, including the Imperial Town of Donauwoerth, Marbach and Schorndorf. At the year's end he attacked Heidelberg, the capital of the Palatinate, and many villages along the Neckar river, including Ladenburg. // Events A high-powered conspiracy of notables, the Immortal Seven, invite William and Mary to depose James II of England. ... A palatinate is a territory administered by a count palatine, originally the direct representative of the sovereign, but later the hereditary ruler of the territory subject to the crowns overlordship. ... It has been suggested that police action be merged into this article or section. ... At 1,320 kilometres (820 miles) and an average discharge of more than 2,000 cubic meters per second, the Rhine (German Rhein, French Rhin, Dutch Rijn, Romansch: Rein, Italian: Reno) is one of the longest and most important rivers in Europe. ... Heilbronn is a city in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, near Stuttgart. ... Heidelberg (halfway between Stuttgart and Frankfurt) is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. ... Basic information Country: Germany Federal state: Land Baden-Württemberg Regions: Rhein-Neckar District: Independent municipality Population: 324,787 (Mai 2005) Additional information Area: 144. ... Philippsburg is a small town in Germany, in the district of Karlsruhe in Baden-Württemberg. ... Pforzheim is a town of 119,000 inhabitants in the state of Baden-Württemberg, south-west Germany at the gate to the Black Forest. ... The Marshal of France (maréchal de France) was one of the Great Officers of the Crown of France. ... Known as Nordschwabens freundliche Mitte (North Swabias Frendly Center), Donauwörth is a city in the German State of Bavaria (Bayern), in the region of Swabia (Schwaben). ... The following places are called Marbach: in Germany the town Marbach am Neckar, Conurbation Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg a part-City of Erbach (Odenwald) in Hessen a part-City of Gomadingen, Baden-Württemberg (Marbach an der Lauter) in Austria the town Marbach an der Donau in Niederösterreich Marbach... Schorndorf is a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, near Stuttgart. ... Heidelberg (halfway between Stuttgart and Frankfurt) is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. ... The Neckar is a river in Germany, a major tributary of the River Rhine, which it joins at Mannheim. ...

1689: On February 16th, executing a command of war minister Louvois, the French army under the command of de Melac and Comte de Tesse blew up Heidelberg Palais, on March 2nd they put Heidelberg on fire (but the fires could be extinguished by the citizens). On March 8, Mannheim was put on fire. Later on, Frankenthal, Worms, Speyer and numerous villages west of the Rhine river were devastated. East of the Rhine river, Bretten, Maulbronn, Pforzheim, Baden-Baden and numerous other towns and villages met the same fate, but it is not known in detail how heavily Melac was involved in all these cases. In Pforzheim's case, Melac was reportedly the commanding officer und thus directly responsible for the shelling of the town on August 10th and the devastating fire a few days later. There are also reports that he raped the young daughter of a pastor in Esslingen. Events Louis XIV of France passed the Code Noir, allowing the full use of slaves in the French colonies. ... Louvois is the name or part of the name of: François-Michel le Tellier, marquis de Louvois The commune of Louvois, in the Marne département of France. ... Basic information Country: Germany Federal state: Land Baden-Württemberg Regions: Rhein-Neckar District: Independent municipality Population: 324,787 (Mai 2005) Additional information Area: 144. ... Political status Country: Germany Federal state: Rhineland-Palatinate Region: Rhine Neckar Area District: Independent municipality Facts Population: 47,564 (December 2003) Area: 43. ... Worm can refer to: The worm, a collection of animal phyla. ... Speyer (English formerly Spires) is a city in Germany (Rhineland-Palatinate) with approx. ... Bretten is a city in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. ... Maulbronn is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. ... Pforzheim is a town of 119,000 inhabitants in the state of Baden-Württemberg, south-west Germany at the gate to the Black Forest. ... Baden-Baden, Baden-Württemberg, Germany Baden-Baden is a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. ... Alternate use: Esslingen, Switzerland Esslingen is a city in the Stuttgart Region of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, capital of the district of Esslingen. ...

1690: Promoted to Marechal de Camp. Events Giovanni Domenico Cassini observes differential rotation within Jupiters atmosphere. ...

1691: Melac's wife died. Events March 5 - French troops under Marshal Louis-Francois de Boufflers besiege the Spanish-held town of Mons March 20 - Leislers Rebellion - New governor arrives in New York - Jacob Leisler surrenders after standoff of several hours March 29 - Siege of Mons ends to the city’s surrender May 6...

1693: Promoted to Lieutenant General. In spring, Melac became the commander of the strategically important stronghold of Landau. From this base, he again brought terror to the surrounding areas, as far as the Rhine-Hesse and Württemberg areas. In May, he participated in the second and final destruction of Heidelberg. While in Landau, his brutality did not subside. On one occasion, he reportedly displayed six naked prostitutes on the market square of Landau for two days, for which he received an exhortation from the royal court. Events January 11 - Eruption of Mt. ... Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. ... Map of Germany showing Landau Coat of Arms of Landau, 1291 – 1955 Landau or Landau in der Pfalz is an autonomous (Kreisfrei) city surrounded by the Südliche Weinstraße (southern wineroute) district of southern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. ... Württemberg (often spelled Wurttemberg in English) refers to an area and a former state in Swabia, a region in south-western Germany. ... Heidelberg (halfway between Stuttgart and Frankfurt) is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. ...

1697: The Nine Years War was concluded with the Treaty of Ryswick. Melac stayed on as stronghold commander of Landau. Events September 20 - The Treaty of Ryswick December 2 – St Pauls Cathedral opened in London Peter the Great travels in Europe officially incognito as artilleryman Pjotr Mikhailov Use of palanquins increases in Europe Christopher Polhem starts Swedens first technical school. ... The Nine Years War (also known as the War of the League of Augsburg, the War of the Grand Alliance, the Orleans War, the War of the Palatinian Succession, and the War of the English Succession) was a major war fought in Europe and America from 1688 to 1697, between... The Treaty of Ryswick was signed on 20 September 1697 and named after Ryswick (also known as Rijswijk) in the United Provinces (now the Netherlands). ...

1702: As part of the next major conflict France was involved in, the War of the Spanish Succession, the Landau stronghold was besieged by an army under the command of Baden Margrave Max. For four months, Melac and his soldiers were able to resist. In order to keep his soldiers in a good mood, he had gold and silver items from his personal possessions processed and turned into coins as salary for his men. However, in September he was forced to surrender. He was allowed to withdraw with his garrison and part of his artillery. He left the Rhine army and travelled to the royal court in Fontainebleau, were he received 30.000 Livres as a pension, but he would not receive a final promotion to a higher military rank. Events March 8 - William III died; Princess Anne Stuart becomes Queen Anne of England, Scotland and Ireland. ... Charles II was the last Habsburg King of Spain. ... For other uses, see Baden (disambiguation). ... Margrave is the English and French form of the German title Markgraf (from Mark march and Graf count) and certain equivalent nobiliary (princely) titles in other languages. ... A Max/MSP patch written and used by Autechre Max is a graphical development environment for music and multimedia developed and maintained by San Francisco-based software company Cycling74. ... Garrison House, built 1675, Dover, NH, USA In the military, garrison is the collective term for the body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base. ... Historically, artillery refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. ... Royal court (as distinguished from a court of law) may refer to a number of institutions: A noble court - the household or entourage of a monarch or other ruler The Royal Court of Jersey - the main court of justice of Jersey The Royal Court of Guernsey - the main court of... Location within France Fontainebleau is a town and commune in France. ... The livre tournois (or Tournoise pound) was a currency used in France, named after the town of Tours, in which it was minted. ... A pension is a steady income paid to a person (usually after retirement). ...

1703: Now living a secluded life in a house in the Rue des Tournelles in nowadays 4th Arrondissement in Paris with a few servants, at the end of August he wrote his last will. Events February 2 - Earthquake in Aquila, Italy February 4 - In Japan, the 47 samurai commit seppuku (ritual suicide) February 14 - Earthquake in Norcia, Italy April 21 - Company of Quenching of Fire (ie. ... The Eiffel Tower, the tallest structure in Paris, is an international symbol of the city. ...

1704: Melac died on May 10. Events Building of the Students Monument in Aiud, Romania. ...

(Remark: The Melac's former residence in Landau was turned into an inn, the "Melac". In 1851, the name of the inn was changed to "Zur Krone" (The Crown), and the inn has been operating until this day.)

References

This article represents a summary of an article that appeared in the German weekly newspaper "Die Zeit" on May 6, 2005, in the German language. The original article was written by historian Michael Martin, who heads the Landau city archives.

• Michael Martin (2005). "Melac!"