Franz Friedrich Wilhelm von Fürstenberg (7 August 1729 in Schloss Herdringen16 September 1810 in Münster) was a German politician and the most important statesman in the Principality of Münster in the second half of the 18th century. Fürstenberg was committed to a cautious and enlightened course of reform. Life Franz Friedrich Wilhelm von Furstenberg was born 7 August 1729, at Herdringen in Westphalia. He was the son of Christian Franz Dietrich von Fürstenberg from the Westphalian noble family of Furstenberg, and Helene von Galen, daughter of Wilhelm Goswin Anton von Galen. His sister Maria Anna (1732–1788) was abbess in Fröndenberg Abbey. After receiving his early education from private tutors, Franz studied from 1746 to 1748 at the Jesuit School in Cologne. In 1748 he became cathedral capitular in Münster and Paderborn. The cathedral chapter of Münster at that time traditionally consisted of sons of the Westphalian nobility. He received minor orders and the subdeaconship, though he had no intention of entering the priesthood. From 1750 to 1751, he studied jurisprudence at the University of Salzburg, which he completed at the Sapienza in Rome in 1753. During the Seven Years' War (1756–1763) he rendered signal services to his country as intermediary between the opposing camps, and through his influence warded off many a calamity from the city and principality of Münster. After the death of Clemens August, Elector of Cologne and Prince-Bishop of Münster, on 6 February 1761, it was chiefly through the influence of Fürstenberg that Maximilian Friedrich von Königsegg-Rothenfels, who had succeeded Clemens August at Cologne (6 April 1761), was also elected Prince-Bishop of Münster in September, 1762. In recognition for these services the new prince-bishop entrusted Fürstenberg with the temporal and spiritual administration of the Prince-Bishopric of Münster. In 1762 he appointed him privy councilor and minister and, in 1770, vicar-general and curator of educational institutions. No better man could have been found to manage the temporal and spiritual affairs of the Prince-Bishopric of Münster which had suffered severely during the Seven Years' War. Everybody was deep in debt and all trade and commerce was at a standstill. To restore prosperity to the people he improved agricultural conditions by dividing the land into marks, draining marshes and reclaiming much soil which hitherto had lain idle or in pasturage. He ameliorated the condition of the serfs and gave an impulse to the entire abolition of serfdom. In order to