Theodor von Wernitz

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Theodor von Wernitz
Generalmajor Theodor von Wernitz, Kommandeur der Division von Wernitz, später 86. Infanterie-Division.jpg
Generalleutnant z. D. von Wernitz
Birth name August Friedrich Anton Ernst Louis Theodor Wernitz
Birth date 17 January 1848
Place of birth Gut Thymau near Mühlen, Kreis Osterode, East Prussia, Province of Prussia, Kingdom of Prussia, German Confederation
Death date 3 April 1922 (aged 74)
Place of death Gut Thymau near Mühlen, Kreis Osterode, Province of East Prussia, German Reich
Allegiance Germany Prussian Eagle.jpg Kingdom of Prussia
Coat of arms of North German Confederation.png North German Confederation
 German Empire
Service/branch War and service flag of Prussia (1895–1918).png Prussian Army
Iron Cross of the Luftstreitkräfte.png Imperial German Army
Rank Lieutenant General z. D.
Battles/wars Franco-German War
World War I
Awards Iron Cross
Red Eagle Order
Relations ∞ 1873 Friederike Louise Ida Schütte
Other work Lord of the manor (estates Thymau and Seythen)

August Friedrich Anton Ernst Louis Theodor Wernitz, as of 1913 von Wernitz (1848–1922), was a German officer of the Prussian Army and the Imperial German Army, finally Lieutenant General and divisional leader in World War I. He was raised to Prussian hereditary nobility in Königsberg on 5 February 1913 together with his cousin lord of the manor (Fideikommiß Seewalde) Rittmeister (ret.) Anton Wernitz (b. 1848; ∞ 13 October 1876 Erna Marie von Holtz).

Military career (chronology)

  • 1867/68 Joined the cavalry (hussars) of the Prussian Army
  • 10 November 1868 Promoted to Portepee-Fähnrich (Officer Cadet)[1]
  • 1870/71 Took part in the Franco-German War as Seconde-Lieutenant (2nd Lieutenant) in the 3rd Squadron/2. Rheinisches Husaren-Regiment Nr. 9
  • Rank List 1872 Officer in the 2nd Squadron/2. Rheinisches Husaren-Regiment Nr. 9 in Trier
  • Rank List 1874 Commanded as a student to the Military Riding Institute (Militair-Reit-Institut) in Hanover
  • Rank List 1875 Officer in the 2nd Squadron/2. Rheinisches Husaren-Regiment Nr. 9
  • Rank List 1876 Adjutant of the 2. Rheinisches Husaren-Regiment Nr. 9
  • Rank List 1879 Premier-Lieutenant (1st Lieutenant) Wernitz was appointed adjutant of the 18th Cavalry Brigade in Flensburg under Major General von Lüderitz, later Major General von Unger and Major General von Gottberg
  • Rank List 1883 Transferred to the Dragoner-Regiment „Prinz Albrecht von Preußen“ (Litthauisches) Nr. 1 in Tilsit, East Prussia
  • Rank List 1884 Rittmeister Wernitz was appointed commander of the 2nd Squadron/Dragoner-Regiment „Prinz Albrecht von Preußen“ (Litthauisches) Nr. 1
  • Rank List 1886 Commanded (à la suite his regiment) as an instructor to the Military Riding Institute (Militair-Reit-Institut) in Hanover
    • He would stay there for many years and finally become the director of the Cavalry NCO School (Kavallerie-Unteroffiziersschule)
  • 29 March 1892 Promoted to Major
  • 14 December 1897 to 17 July 1902 Commander of the Litthauisches Ulanen-Regiment Nr. 12 in Insterburg
  • 18 August 1898 Promoted to Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel)
  • 23 March 1901 Promoted to Oberst (Colonel)
  • 18 July 1902 to 22 March 1907 Commander of the 35. Kavallerie-Brigade in Graudenz
  • 14 June 1904 Promoted to Generalmajor (Major General)
  • 22 March 1907 Placed at disposal as Generalleutnant z. D. (Lieutenant General) and de facto retired

WWI

Generalleutnant z. D. von Wernitz was reactivated for WWI. He commanded the "von Wernitz" division, which had existed since the beginning of the First World War (other sources state since 19 November 1914) and was renamed to 86th Infantry Division in March (other sources state August) 1915. It fought on the Eastern Front until the armistice there in January 1918 (then transferred to the Western Front until November 1918). Many sources state, Max Carl Erdmann Gronau became commander of the 86th Infantry Division on 21 March 1915, although he was still commanding the 22. Feldartillerie-Brigade. Other reliable sources still have Lieutenant General Theodor von Wernitz as commander of the division in 1916 and even early 1917.

Family

Theodor was the son of lord of the manor Theodor Wernitz (b. 11 May 1818 in Wahldorf; d. 12 December 1883 at Gut Thymau). His sister Anna Elise Wally Wernitz (b. 1854) married lord of the manor (Gut Deutschendorf near Schlodien) 2nd Lieutenant (ret.) Rudolf Emil von Kunheim (b. 14 September 1837 in Spanden) on 17 January 1874 with whom she had two daughters.[2]

Marriage

On 29 May 1873 in Trier, 2nd Lieutenant Wernitz married his fiancée Friederike Louise Ida Schütte (b. 23 April 1854 in Trier). They had two children:[3]

  • Fritz Theodor Alexander (b. 27 June 1874 in Hanover), Lieutenant Colonel, inherited Gut Seythen; ∞ Parchim 25 May 1921 Käthe Frieda Wilhelmine Lock (b. 11 January 1897 in Parchim), 3 children
  • Ernestine Friederike Martha Ida (b. 11 October 1876 in Trier), inherited Gut Thymau; ∞ Insterburg 16 April 1901 Julius Walzer, Rittmeister in WWI, later Major, then Lieutenant Colonel, from 1932 to 1935 mayor of the Thymau community

Awards and decorations

WWI (excerpt)

  • Repetition Clasp 1914 to the Iron Cross 1870, 2nd Class
  • Iron Cross (1914), 1st Class
  • Swords to his Red Eagle Order 2nd Class with Oak Leaves on 26 August 1915
  • Star to his Red Eagle Order 2nd Class with Oak Leaves and Swords on 13 March 1918

Further reading

  • Frank Ehrhardt: Die 86. Infanterie-Division im Kriege – Zur 20jährigen Wiederkehr des Gründungstages der Division von Wernitz, 1934

References

  1. ↑ Geschichte des 2. Rheinischen Husaren-Regiments Nr. 9, p. 352
  2. ↑ Jahrbuch des Deutschen Adels, Volume 3, 1899, p. 193
  3. ↑ Gothaisches genealogisches Taschenbuch der adeligen Häuser, Teil B, 1941, pp. 557 f.
  4. ↑ Deutscher Ordens-Almanach, 1908, p. 1655
  5. ↑ Rangliste der Königlich Preußischen Armee, 1906, p. 98
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