He flourished under the Emperor Dezong, and distinguished himself by his skilful operations against the rebels of that period. He rose to be a Minister of State, and so completely gained the confidence of the Emperor that at his last audience the latter presented him with his own riding-whip, saying, "In your fidelity and devotion, adversity works no change." His favourite concubine 盼盼 P'an-p'an, was so overcome by the news of his death that on hearing a poem in which reference was made to his grave, she threw herself out of the window and was killed.

張玠之子。生于開元二十三年，寓居兗州（今山東嵫陽）。喜歡讀書，能辯論，代宗時，李光弼進討蘇常盜匪，建封自請前去招安，一日降數千人。德宗時，官至壽州刺史，李希烈反叛，派部下楊峰賞賜淮南節度使陳少游和張建封，張建封卻腰斬之。李希烈又派部將杜少誠攻打壽州，建封令其將賀蘭元均、邵怡等守霍丘秋柵，叛軍無所克獲而去。建封因抗敵有功，宰相李泌建議擢升建封為徐、泗、濠節度使，鎮守徐州，以保護運道咽喉汴水甬橋（今安徽宿縣北），與馬燧友善。貞元四年建封開始鎮守徐州，前後長達十餘年。唐德宗有《送徐州張建封還鎮》詩。

建封能「禮賢下士」，貞元九年孟郊考試落第，韓愈嘗薦孟郊于張建封，貞元十五年秋，又聘韓愈入幕。貞元十六年卒于徐州任上，年六十六歲。墓位于河南省孟州市西8公里西虢鎮西窯村北。

子張愔，為徐州燕子樓女主人公關盼盼的夫君。元白唱和時，白居易云：「燕子樓中霜月夜，秋來只為一人長」。北宋蘇軾對其有「燕子樓空，佳人何在」的演繹。

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