Officer in the Austro-Hungarian army
Alexander von Eis was born in Piesling, Moravia (now in the Czech Republic). At the age of 16 he joined the army and fought in several wars between 1848-1866. He was awarded many medals of heroism and was one of the first Jewish officers in the Austro-Hungarian army. He was proud of his Jewish background and fought in thirty two duels in order to defend his Jewish identity. Eis was awarded the Order of Iron Crown (1866) and the Order of Maria Theresia. He was promoted to the rank of major-general and retired from the army (1896).
All his life Alexandser von Eis was a proud Jew and rejected offers to convert to Christianity. He was active in the Zionist movement, where he held various positions, including head of the Vienna office of the Jewish National Fund.