Melchior Klesl

Melchior Klesl (sometimes Khlesl, rarely Cleselius) (February 19, 1552 - September 18, 1630) was an Austrian statesman and cardinal of the Roman Catholic church during the time of the Counter-Reformation. Klesl was appointed Bishop of Vienna in 1598 and elevated to cardinal in 1616.

Further reading

• Joseph Freiherr von Hammer-Purgstall: Khlesl's, des Cardinals, Directors des geheimen Cabinetes Kaiser Mathias, Leben. Mit der Sammlung von Khlesl's Briefen und anderen Urkunden (4 vols., Vienna, 1847-1851).
• Anton Kerschbaumer: Kardinal Klesl (Vienna, 1865; 2nd ed., 1905).
• Klesls Briefe an Rudolfs II. Obersthofmeister A. Freiherr von Dietrichstein, edited by Viktor Bibl (Vienna, 1900).