Bernhard Freiherr von Humboldt-Dachroeden

Bernhard Freiherr von Humboldt-Dachroeden
Birth name	Bernhard Wilhelm Alexander Constantin von Humboldt-Dachroeden
Birth date	3 April 1863(1863-04-03)
Place of birth	Gut Ottmachau, Kreis Grottkau, Province of Silesia, Kingdom of Prussia
Death date	15 June 1934 (aged 71)
Place of death	Arnsdorf, Riesengebirge, Province of Lower Silesia, Free State of Prussia
Allegiance	German Empire
Service/branch	Prussian Army Imperial German Army
Years of service	1882–1919
Rank	Generalmajor
Battles/wars	World War I
Awards	Iron Cross
Relations	∞ 1910 Agnes Gabriele Adelheid Priscilla Freiin von Loën; 2 children

Bernhard Wilhelm Alexander Constantin von Humboldt-Dachroeden, since 1875 Freiherr von Humboldt-Dachroeden (3 April 1863 – 15 June 1934), was a German officer of the Prussian Army and of the Imperial German Army, finally Generalmajor and Brigadekommandeur during World War I.

Chronology

• 1882 Abitur at the Klosterschule zu Roßleben (Kyffhäuserkreis)
• 1 October 1882 Joined the 1. Garde-Regiment zu Fuß des Garde-Korps
• 2 May 1889 bis 1. Mai 1892 Adjutant of the I. Bataillon
• 16 September with effect from 1 October 1895 military escort of the Hereditary Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
• 27 September with effect from 30 September 1898 Transferred to the Garde-Jäger-Bataillon
• 8 October 1898 Commander of the 4. Kompanie
• 24 April 1904 Commander of the 1. Kompanie/Jäger-Bataillon „von Neumann“ (1. Schlesisches) Nr. 5
• Adjutant of the Inspektion der Jäger und Schützen
• 22 March 1910 Commander of the Füsilier-Bataillon/1. Garde-Regiment zu Fuß
• September/October 1912 Commander of the Lehr-Infanterie-Bataillon (1. Garde-Infanterie-Brigade/1. Garde-Division/Garde-Korps), which would become the foundation of the Lehr-Infanterie-Regiment, formed on mobilisation of the German Army in August 1914:
  • "A regiment! How small it was compared to the old army! However, the value of the Lehr-Infanterie-Regiment, which consisted of the elite of the army when it was formed, should be proven by its history. The book is about the life and death of 25,000 German men who loved their fatherland more than their lives. 5,600 sealed their loyalty to him with death, 10,800 bled for it, 4,800 sacrificed their health, 3,800 met the bitter fate of imprisonment [...] As the only regiment in the army, the training infantry regiment moved out with two machine gun companies when mobilized . Only later, in the course of the war, were three machine gun companies created for all infantry regiments. Thus the newly formed Lehr-Infanterie-Regiment went to war in a composition and constitution that was bound to make it one of the most outstanding regiments in the army. It seems justified to think that this excellent guide material might have been better used as a 'substitute guide'." — in: „Geschichte des Lehr-Infanterie-Regiments und seiner Stammformationen“ (1935), from the foreword by Generalmajor z. D. Freiherr von Humboldt-Dachroeden
• 20 November 1914 badly wounded on the Eastern Front near Lodz
• 30 October 1915 Inspekteur des Maschinengewehr-Wesens
• 27 May 1917 Wounded again
• 12 April 1919 with the statutory pension placed at disposal (zur Disposition; z. D.)
• 13 to 15 June 1924 Participation in the dedication of the monument (Semper Talis Monument) for the 1st Guard Regiment on foot in Potsdam

Promotions

Prussian Army

• 1 October 1882 Fahnenjunker
• 15 May 1883 Portepee-Fähnrich
• 12 February 1884 Sekonde-Leutnant
• 29 March 1892 Premier-Leutnant
• 27 January 1898 Hauptmann
• 13 February 1906 Major (überzähliger)
• 13 September Oberstleutnant with effect from 1 October 1912

Imperial German Army

• 5 September 1914 Oberst
  • 2 January 1917 Oberst with rank as Brigadekommandeur
• 22 March 1918 Generalmajor

Awards and decorations

Career and Family (in German); Bernhard was a grandson of Friedrich Wilhelm Christian Carl Ferdinand Freiherr von Humboldt who in turn was the brother of Dr. phil. Dr. phil. h. c. Alexander Freiherr von Humboldt. Bernhard's eldest brother was the lawyer and diplomat Hans Paul Wilhelm Alexander Freiherr von Humboldt-Dachroeden (b. 26 March 1857 at Gut Ottmachau; d. 2 February 1940 in Wünsdorf). After passing the assessor exam in 1886, he pursued a diplomatic career in the Foreign Office. In 1887, he became Vice Consul in London, 1893 Consul in Moscow, 1901 Consul in Alexandria, 1905 Consul General in Cape Town and 1915 Deputy Consul General in Amsterdam. From 1920 to 1923 von Humboldt-Dachroeden was the German envoy in Lima. Another brother was Generalleutnant Franz Günther Wilhelm Alexander Freiherr von Humboldt-Dachroeden, father of Alexander Wilhelm Ernst Bernhard Freiherr von Humboldt-Dachroeden, Rittmeister and SA-Brigadeführer.

Major Freiherr von Humboldt-Dachroeden married on 29 September 1910 Agnes Gabriele Adelheid Priscilla, née Freiin von Loën, divorced von Hochwächter. She brought three children from her first marriage with her: Viktoria Agnes Therese Leonor Elisabeth (b. 11 February 1901 in Potsdam), Erika Elisabeth Agnes (b. 11 May 1902 in Potsdam) und Hans-Jürgen Gustav Hermann Emil Karl (b. 15 June 1905 in Kassel). A son and a daughter came from the marriage with Bernhard, including: Bernhard Wilhelm Alexander Heinrich Ernst von Humboldt-Dachröden (b. 1 September 1918 in Groß-Biesnitz bei Görlitz).

Until 1914

Preußische Rangliste 1914

• Princely House Order of Hohenzollern (Fürstlich Hohenzollern'sches Ehrenzeichen), Cross of Honour III. Class (HEK3)
  • received the crown of the Honor Cross around 1910 (HEK3mKr)
• Franz-Joseph-Orden, Ritterkreuz (ÖFJ3/ÖFJ3a/ÖFJ4)
• Christus-Orden, Ritterkreuz (PC3)
• Belgian Leopold-Orden, Ritterkreuz (BL4)
• Stern von Rumänien, Ritterkreuz (StvRum3b/RumSt3b/RumSt5)
• Order of the Crown (Preußischer Kronenorden), IV. Class
• Herzoglich Sachsen-Ernestinischer Hausorden, Ritterkreuz II. Klasse (HSEH3b/HSH3b)
• Russian Sankt-Annen-Orden, III. Klasse (RA3)
• Prussian Centenary Medal 1897 (Zentenarmedaille)
• Mecklenburg Greifen-Orden, Knight's Cross (MGrO3/MG3)
• Swedish Royal Order of the Sword (Schwertorden), Knight II. Class (SS4b) on 20 September 1897 (as 48th person to receive the 2nd Class Knight)
  • later, after reclassification, abbreviated as SS3b
• Saxon Albert Order (Albrechts-Orden), Knight 1st Class (SA3a)
• Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar Order of the White Falcon (Hausorden vom Weißen Falken), Knight's Cross 1st Class (GSF3a)
• Dutch Orden von Oranien-Nassau, Offizierkreuz (NN4)
• Austrian Order of the Iron Crown, Knight III. Class (ÖEK3)
• Red Eagle Order (Roter Adlerorden), 4th Class with the Crown (mit der Krone)
• Orden der Krone von Italien, Offizierkreuz (JK4)
• Schaumburg-Lippe House Order (Fürstlich Schaumburg-Lippischer Hausorden), Ehrenkreuz III. Klasse (SLH.EK3/SLH3)
• Ehrenritter des Johanniter-Ordens am 11. März 1907
• Lippischer Hausorden, Offizier-Ehrenkreuz (SLH.O)
• Prussian Long Service Cross for 25 years (Königlich Preußisches Dienstauszeichnungskreuz)
• Reussian Cross of Honor, 2nd Class (REK2/REKj2)
• Order of the Crown of Romania (Orden der Krone von Rumänien), Commander (RumK3)
• Order of the Crown (Preußischer Kronenorden), III. Klasse
• Herzoglich Sachsen-Ernestinischer Hausorden, Komtur II. Klasse (HSEH2b/HSH2b)

WWI (excerpt)

• Iron Cross (1914), 2nd and 1st Class
• Wound Badge (Verwundetenabzeichen 1918) in Black (maybe also in Silver)