Sigurd von Ilsemann

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Sigurd von Ilsemann
Sigurd von Ilsemann II.jpg
Von Ilsemann corresponded to the ideal of a German noble officer. He loved his Vaterland and the monarchy, and he was willing to die for it too. At headquarters, where the attack plans are prepared, he is relatively safe and has many friends, but deep in his heart he would like to be where an active officer can make a difference, namely at the front.
Birth name Sigurd Wilhelm Adolf Arnold Frank Christoph Ilsemann
Birth date 19 February 1884(1884-02-19)
Place of birth Lüneburg, Province of Hanover, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Death date 6 June 1952 (aged 68)
Place of death Haus Doorn, Utrechtse Heuvelrug, Netherlands
Allegiance  German Empire
Service/branch War and service flag of Prussia (1895–1918).png Prussian Army
Iron Cross of the Luftstreitkräfte.png Imperial German Army
Years of service 1903–1918/1941
Rank Hauptmann
Battles/wars World War I
Awards Iron Cross
Relations ∞ 1920 Elisabeth Mechtild Marie Sophie Louise Gräfin van Aldenburg-Bentinck

Sigurd Wilhelm Adolf Arnold Frank Christoph Ilsemann, since 1908 von Ilsemann (1884–1952), was a German officer of the Prussian Army and the Imperial German Army, finally Hauptmann as well as Flügeladjutant of Kaiser Wilhelm II from 1 August 1918 to 1941. Some sources state, he was promoted to an honorary colonel (Charakter als Oberst), but this cannot be verified with certainty. He knew the Ludendorffs well and was close friends with the German Crown Prince Wilhelm von Preußen (1882–1951), who's sudden death in 1951 led to severe depression in him and prompted him, also because of deterioration in health (cancer since 1950), to commit suicide in 1952 (with a pistol, sitting at his desk).

Life

Sigurd von Ilsemann married his Countess Elisabeth on 7 October 1920
The Kaiser, von Ilsemann (center) and others having tea at Haus Doorn
Sigurd von Ilsemann with his wife and their sons Wilhelm-Viktor and Siegfried
Elisabeth von Ilsemann riding Uranus
Ben Daniels as Sigurd von Ilsemann in the film "The Exception" (2016/2017), based on the "The Kaiser's Last Kiss" by Alan Judd

Sigurd joined the Prussian Army and was promoted to Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant) on 10 June 1904 serving with the 1. Großherzoglich Hessisches Infanterie-(Leibgarde-)Regiment Nr. 115 (on 26 November 1906 renamed Leibgarde-Infanterie-Regiment (1. Großherzoglich Hessisches) Nr. 115). During his time at the War Academy (Kriegsakademie), he was promoted to Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant) on 19 July 1913. In WWI, since 27. January 1915 as Hauptmann (B49b),[1] he experienced with his regiment and in the military staff of Crown Prince Wilhelm several major battles, e.g. 1916 in Champagne, also enduring a dysentery infection. His achievements and bravery there were so impressive that in 1918 (other sources state already in 1917) he was offered a position at Kaiser's headquarters (Großes Hauptquartier Seiner Majestät des Kaisers und Königs), being commissioned Flügeladjutant on 1 August 1918. He began his daily dairy on 12 September 1918 in Spa on the Western Front. Von Ilsemann made the last entry on 4 September 1939. On 22 October 1918, he wrote:

"Again and again you have to be amazed at what our troops achieve. Since weeks they have been fighting non-stop, without any recovery worth mentioning, with their things in tatters, and behind them in the homeland the terrible upheavals. It is a good thing they don't have time to read newspapers on the front. I read all directions, and I keep wondering how it's possible that in this time when we all have to stick together, all political directions work against each other and everything is criticized and condemned.”

On 9 November 1918, after the Kaiser asked him to come with him to Holland, von Ilsemann wrote:

"My conscience kept telling me: 'You must not desert your Emperor; now, in the extreme need, must you stay with him; who knows if you won't have to protect him with your life in the next few hours."

After the Kaiser's abdication, he was one of his entourage in exile in the Netherlands. Initially, the Kaiser was taken in by Count Bentinck at Amerongen Castle. Instead of six days, the Emperor was to stay on Amerongen for a year and a half, which was not easy for the Bentinck family. The earl's only daughter, Elisabeth, had taken over the household after her mother's death. At the end of 1919, Wilhelm II had acquired the little palace in neighboring Doorn from Baroness Heemstra de Beaufort and had it renovated for himself and his family until 1920. He now lives separate from his family whose fate the Emperor asks about only once. On 12 May 1919, the peace terms are announced, and Sigurd weeps as he tells Wilhelm II. “Germany at the edge of its grave!” he writes about it in his diary, and continues with the Emperor's reaction:

“The roles under the nut tree were reversed. Instead of me consoling the Kaiser, he padded me on the shoulder: 'Ilsemann, it won't come all that bad as it looks today!’.”

Von Ilsemann describes several times in his diary how journalists and photographers try to get onto the site for the latest news or a good photo of the imperial couple. The Kaiser may not, without the consent of Dutch government, travel further than 30 km from the castle. On 28 Apri 1920, shortly after it was announced that the Netherlands would not extradite the German Kaiser to an international court, he wrote:

“I have kept the individual episodes in my diary for later historiography to have a truthful record of this sad time."

The Kaisers last Generaladjutant was Konteradmiral of the Kaiserliche Marine a. D. (retired) Theodor Eschenburg. Von Ilsemann shared his task as Flügeladjutant (a kind of private secretary, a liaison officer between the outside world and Wilhelm II) with others, but was obliged to dine with the Kaiser every other evening in addition to his daily work. After supper, all the men accompanied Wilhelm II to the smoking room, where the Kaiser spoke for a long time. An important part of von Ilsemann's activities was the daily presentation of the newspaper news. Von Ilsemann considered it his duty not to withhold unpleasant news from the Kaiser. In addition, he had to help the Emperor with his daily work in the garden. Von Ilsemann was one of the few members of the staff who remained employed without interruption until Wilhelm's death in 1941.

On the eve of World War II, von Ilsemann had been ordered, in the event of a mobilization, to report to the German military attaché in The Hague, where he was to serve as an assistant. Wilhelm II was outraged, but he had no more say in the matter. After the Kaiser's death in 1941, Ilsemann remained in the Netherlands and was later asked by his friend, the Crown Prince, to take over the administration of the House of Doorn. After the Second World War, the Dutch government confiscated Haus Doorn, and even then Sigurd continued to function for a few years as administrator. He did that until an official commission suggested to the Dutch government in 1952 that the entire estate should be put into a foundation and to become a museum.

His diaries clearly show love of his country, honour, manly courage and self control. We also know from the oral history studies that he believed that a man's life should be based on the same values. As children, for example, his sons should have a good day for every day off have a plan. Idleness was not an option. He also expressed himself in conversations with friends and his sons very critical of the male English relatives of his wife: they were too feminine for him; they lacked discipline, hardness and perseverance. Discipline is the most important factor in keeping a diary conscientiously. It is also interesting in this context that Sigurd advised his son Siegfried to keep his own diary when he was a little boy respectively, which was published in May 2013.[2]

Family

Sigurd was born the son of Generalleutnant Karl Georg Hartwig Richard von Ilsemann, who had been nobilized on 14 September 1908. His mother was Thekla Marie Georgine Julie, née Freiin von Hammerstein-Equord (1858–1920). He had three brothers:[3]

  • Iwan Clodwig Karl Anatol Adolf Georg (1882–1964), Hauptmann of the Imperial Army, Major of the Reichswehr and Generalmajor of the Wehrmacht as well as Militärattaché in Switzerland 1937/44; ∞ 5 November 1908 Lili Maria Vera Stein[4]
  • Erwin Bernhard Reinhold Friedrich Georg (1886–1952), Hauptmann of the Imperial Army and Reichswehr, Oberst of the Wehrmacht; ∞ 1 January 1919 Maria Hedwig Eleonore Gertrud Carla Buderus von Carlshausen; their son Carl-Gero Alfred Helmuth Kurt von Ilsemann (1920–1991) was a Hauptmann of the Wehrmacht in WWII and Generalleutnant of the Bundeswehr
  • Helmut Fritz Georg (1891–1957), Oberleutnant of the Imperial Army, Major of the Reichswehr and Generalmajor of the Wehrmacht; German Cross in Gold on 17 September 1944

Marriage

During his stay at Amerongen Castle, Sigurd von Ilsemann fell in love with the count's daughter Elisabeth Mechtild Marie Sophie Louise Gräfin van Aldenburg-Bentinck (b. 31 May 1892 in Amerongen; d. 15 February 1971 in Hamburg, West Germany). They were engaged in May 1920 and married on 7 October 1920. They had three sons:

  • Wilhelm-Viktor (15 August 1921 – 28. Juni 2015), Chemist (Dr. rer. nat.), Industrial Manager and 1979-1982 Chairman of the German branch of the Royal Dutch Shell Group; Honorary Senator of the University of Karlsruhe and chairman (later honorary chairman) of the German Society for Sustainable Energy Carriers, Mobility and Carbon Cycles; ∞ 1949 Marie-Luise von Stülpnagel (b. 1923),[5] daughter of General der Infanterie Carl-Heinrich Rudolf Wilhelm von Stülpnagel (1886–1944); 2 children: Andrea von Ilsemann (1952-2015) and Godard von Ilsemann (b. 1956; ∞ 1986 Alexandra von Pentz)
  • Siegfried (1923–2016), Merchant; after his immigration to Great Britain, he changed his surname to Bentinck in 1957; ∞ 1958 Christina Elisabeth Beaumont[6] (1926–2016)
  • Rüdiger "Rudi" Wilhelm Bernhard Hermann Ulrich (19 August 1929 – 8 February 1993); ∞ 15 October 1960 in Amerongen Anne Marie Elsabé zu Biezebeek (b. 24 June 1939 in Losser, Netherlands); 2 children: Johanna Marie Elsabé von Ilsemann (b. 20 January 1962) and Sigurd Frederik von Ilsemann (b. 11 November 1965 in Amerongen).

Awards and decorations (excerpt)

Gallery

  • Sigurd von Ilsemann

  • Sigurd and Elisabeth von Ilsemann with their two older sons, painted by Adolf Pirsch (1858–1929)

  • Sigurd von Ilsemann loved motor sports and tennis

  • Elisabeth von Ilsemann with her three sons

  • Painting by Elisabeth von Ilsemann

  • EI

  • Sigurd von Ilsemann at the funeral of Kaiser Wilhelm II on 9 June 1941

  • Der Kaiser in Holland

Writings

  • Der Kaiser in Holland. Aufzeichnungen des letzten Flügeladjutanten Kaiser Wilhelms II.
    • Volume 1: Amerongen und Doorn. 1918-1923. Biederstein, München 1967; 2. durchgesehene Auflage Biederstein, München 1968
    • Volume 2: Monarchie und Nationalsozialismus. 1924-1941. Biederstein, München 1968

Further reading

References

  1. ↑ Prussian Rangliste 1918, p. 47
  2. ↑ Adelige über sich selbst
  3. ↑ Gothaisches genealogisches Taschenbuch der briefadeligen Häuser (1910), p. 338
  4. ↑ Gothaisches genealogisches Taschenbuch der briefadeligen Häuser (1921), p. 379–380
  5. ↑ Descendants of Willem Bentinck and Charlotte Sophie of Aldenburg
  6. ↑ Blois 9
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