1561 Onophrius Sockh, a Marxbruder and veteran of war of Vienna

Onoferus Sockh was the owner of a house in the Krämergässchen in Vienna in 15644, later owned by Adam Forberg. And he was a member of a well-known fencing guild as we can see from his coat of arms. This coat of arms is to find in 1561 and in 1571 in the List of the captains of the Vienna burgers at the wedding of Maria von Bayern with Carl von Steiermark.

He took part in the game of weapons, below the Vienna castle. They had bad weather conditions but made the best of it. But they looked great in their brand new harnesses still to see in the Wiener Bürgerliches Zeughaus – Wien Museum.

Onoferus Sockh recieved is letter of arms in Prague (probably by Ferdinand I) at the 2nd November 1561. His merits had been more than 30 years  of service in at least two wars, against the followers of the Luther’s Reformation since 1525 against the troops of Michael Gaismair, and the army of the Ottoman Empire under the leadership of Sultan Süleyman starting in 1529. After at least ten years of wars Onosferus took his place in the veteran guard of the Trabanten, a personal unit to Ferdinand I.

What happened to Sockh after 1571 is unknown to us.

Interesting to note is, that Sockh and other Vienna Marxbrüder were not enlisted in the Frankfurt Marxbrüder list. There seems to be a strong relationship to Prague, another office of the Marxbrüder.

Sockh, Onophrius, kais. Trabant, Wappen m. Lehenart., Dienstbrief, Prag 2. XI. 1561:

Auch die annemen aufrichtigen getrewen Dienste. So er unns. Erstlich wider unnser und dess H. Rchs. Widerwertige und Rebelln, dann wid‘ des Christlichen namen und glaubens Erbfeindt, den Türckhen In Etlichen kriegs und Veldtzügen ungespart seines leibs und vermögens:; Und nun ettlich Jar heer an unserm Kay: Haus In unnserer Trabandten Guardien, alss ein Trabant, gehorsamblich gelaist‘ etc.

Onoferus Sockh was a member of the Fencers of St. Marcus, the Marxbrüder. So his coat of arms contain two parts. In the upper part was the winged Lion of St. Marcus holding a fencing sword on a black background. In the lower part on gold background a blue beam, interrupted by with a peak and in that peak a golden acorn. On top of the crest was a tournament helmet with the St. Marcus lion holding a sword on the top.

Books used for this article:

(1) Archiv für österreichische Geschichte, Band 49, Verlag der Österr. Akad. der Wiss., 1872

(2) Standeserhebungen und Gnadenakte für das Deutsche Reich: i.e. für das Heilige Römische Reich und die Österreichischen Erblande bis 1806, sowie kaiserlich österreichische bis 1823, mit einigen Nachträgen zum “Alt-Österreichischen Adels-Lexikon” 1823-1918, Band 5, , Schloss Senftenegg, Niederösterreich, 1974

(3) UB Freiburg, H 5569,Wirri, Heinrich, Ordenliche Beschreibung des Christlichen, Hochloeblichen vnd Fuerstlichen Beylags oder Hochzeit: so da gehalten ist worden durch den Durchleuchtigisten … Herrn Carolen, Ertzhertzog zu Osterreich, Burgund, Steyr, … mit dem Hochgebornen Fraewlein Maria, geborne Hertzogin zu Bayrn, den XXVI.Augusti in der Kayserlichen Statt Wienn … in Teutsche Carmina gestelt$d… Durch Heinrichen Wirrich, Wien, 1571 [VD16 W 3587]