Werner von Voigts-Rhetz

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Werner von Voigts-Rhetz
Werner Eugen von Voigts-Rhetz.jpg
During the First World War, the Grand Headquarters of His Majesty the Emperor and King, the mobile strategic command center of the German Army, was located in Charleville-Mézières at the Western Front from 25 September 1914. In April 1915, it moved to Pleß Castle in Upper Silesia at the Eastern Front. From February 1916 to August 1916, it was again located in Charleville-Mézières. It was at these headquarters that General von Voigts-Rhetz died of a heart attack.
Birth name Werner Eugen Paul Konstantin von Voigts-Rhetz[1]
Birth date 13 January 1863
Place of birth Jüterbog, Province of Brandenburg, Kingdom of Prussia, German Confederation
Death date 19 November 1914 (aged 51)
Place of death Charleville-Mézières, France
Allegiance Germany Prussian Eagle.jpg Kingdom of Prussia
 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 General of the Infantry
Battles/wars World War I
Awards Red Eagle Order
Iron Cross
Relations ∞ 1898 Magdalene Gräfin von Kielmannsegg
Other work Lord of the Manor
(Gut Waschow near Lassan)

Werner Eugen Paul Konstantin von Voigts-Rhetz (13 January 1863 – 19 November 1914), was a German officer of the Prussian Army and the Imperial German Army, finally Major General and acting Quartermaster General in World War I.

Life

Werner von Voigts-Rhetz, Großherzoglich Mecklenburgisches Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 89.jpg
Werner von Voigts-Rhetz im Gardekorps, Preußische Rangliste 1914, S. 47.png
Werner von Voigts-Rhetz, Bekanntmachung der OHL und des Kriegsministeriums zur Annahme und zum Versand von Liebesgaben und Weihnachtspaketen.jpg
Werner Eugen von Voigts-Rhetz (1863–1914) II.jpg
Werner Eugen von Voigts-Rhetz (1863–1914), marriage license and death certificate.jpg
Gutshaus Waschow bei Lassan des Generalmajors von Voigts-Rhetz mit Wappen derer von Hackewitz.jpg
  • (Kadett-)Portepee-Unteroffizier of the Cadet Corps
  • 16 April 1881 Joined the 11th Company/Großherzoglich Mecklenburgisches Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 89 in Schwerin
    • as of rank list 1883 in the 3rd Company
    • as of rank list 1887 adjutant of the I. Battalion
  • 1889 to 1892 Commanded to the War Academy in Berlin
  • 1893 Commanded to the General Staff in Berlin
  • 17 March 1894 Officially transferred to the General Staff in Berlin and commanded to the General Staff of the VII. Armeekorps in Münster
  • Rank list 1897 Appointed commander of the 5th Company/II. Battalion/7. Thüringisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 96 in Gera
  • Rank list 1899 Returned to the General Staff in Berlin and commanded to the General Staff of the 20. Division in Hannover under Lieutenant General Egon Freiherr von Gayl
  • Rank list 1902 Transferred to the General Staff of the XVII. Armeekorps in Danzig
  • Rank list 1905 Appointed commander of the I. Battalion/Infanterie-Regiment "von Voigts-Rhetz" (3. Hannoversches) Nr. 79 in Hildesheim
    • the 3. Hannoversches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 79 had been renamed in honour of General der Infanterie Konstantin (Konstanz) Bernhard von Voigts-Rhetz (1809–1877) on 27 January 1889
  • Rank list 1905 Appointed Chief of General Staff of the VIII. Armeekorps in Coblenz
  • Rank list 1909 Appointed department chief of the 1st Army Department (A 1) of the Prussian War Ministry
  • 19 December 1911 Appointed commander of the 5. Garde-Regiment zu Fuß in Spandau near Berlin
  • 13 September 1912 Appointed commander of the 49. Infanterie-Brigade in Darmstadt
  • 19 November 1912 Appointed Chief of General Staff of the Guard Corps (Gardekorps) in Berlin under Karl von Plettenberg

WWI

Family

Descent

Werner was the son of Prussian General of the Artillery Julius Werner Philipp von Voigts-Rhetz (1822–1904), a veteran of the German War of Brothers and the German-Franco War, and his wife Elvire Wolff (1827–1906). Werner had eight siblings:[2][3]

  • Konstans Werner Otto (1848–1893), Colonel and commander of the s Holsteinisches Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 24; ⚭ 1883 Ines Edler Herrin und Freiin von Plotho (1863–1909), 4 children
  • Gertrud Klara Agnes Ottilie (b. 12 May 1850 in Berlin); ⚭ 1888 Lord of the Manor (Papendorf) Major Carl Franz Jacob August von Le Fort (1833–1893)
    • this was Carl's/Karl's third marriage; on 5 July 1861, he had married Hilda Ottilie Sophie Constance von Voigts-Rhetz (1841–1862) and on 5 January 1865 her sister Agnes von Voigts-Rhetz (1843–1882), both daughters of Werner's uncle General of the Infantry Karl William Ferdinand von Voigts-Rhetz (1813–1902).[4]
  • Antonie Auguste Blanka (1852–1877); ⚭ 1876 Lord of the Manor (Rethmar) and Royal Prussian District Administrator Geheimer Regierungsrat Rafael von Uslar
  • Dorette Pauline Adolfine Klementine Mathilde (1858–1933); ⚭ 1883 Lord of the Manor (Rethmar) and Royal Prussian District Administrator Geheimer Regierungsrat Rafael von Uslar (brother-in-law)
  • Klara Pauline Auguste Henriette Karoline (1859–1937); ⚭ 1882 General of the Infantry Friedrich Bertram Sixt von Armin (1851–1936), 5 children
  • Friedrich-Karl Nikolaus Hans (1861–1916), Lieutenant Colonel, Lord of the Manor (Wendisch-Buckow) and Knight of Justice of the Johanniter-Orden; ⚭ 1893 Agnes Julia Edda von Kapff (1869–1914)
  • Alice Viktoria Anna Wilhelmine Konstanze Hedwig (b. 7 September 1866 in Berlin); ⚭ 1887 Royal Prussian District Administrator Maximilian "Max" von Frank (1831–1894)
  • Elvire Philippine Paula Albertine Ottilie Therese (b. 19 November 1868 in Berlin); ⚭ 1892 Geheimer Medizinalrat Dr. med. Erwin von Esmarch (1855–1915)
    • Erwin von Esmarch was a professor at the Georg-August University of Göttingen

Marriage

On 13 January 1898 in Naumburg an der Saale, Captain von Voigts-Rhetz married his fiancée Magdalene Felicitas Luise Malwine Johanne Gräfin von Kielmannsegg (1876–1936). They would have two sons:[5]

  • Konstans Julius Lothar (b. 13 October 1898 in Gera); ⚭ Marie Bettinger
  • Hans-Werner (b. 28 November 1902 in Danzig); ⚭ 1922 Margarete Rüdel
    • Hans Joachim Wilhelm Hugo (b. 12 March 1924; KIA 1945 near Ostrowice)
    • Heinz-Dieter (b. 14 December 1929)

Gut Waschow

Werner von Voigts-Rhetz received Gut Waschow from his aunt Blanka von Hackwitz, née von Voigts-Rhetz (1820–1898), who had married lord of the manor Carl Gustav Ernst von Hackewitz (d. 1864), Knight of Honour of the Johanniter-Orden since 1860.

Promotions

  • 16 April 1881 Sekonde-Lieutenant (2nd Lieutenant)
  • 24 March 1890 Premier-Lieutenant (1st Lieutenant)
  • 17 March 1894 Hauptmann (Captain)
  • 29 March 1900 Major
  • 21 May 1906 Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel)
  • 19 June 1909 Oberst (Colonel)
  • 27 January 1913 Generalmajor (Major General)

Awards and decorations

  • House Order of the Wendish Crown (Hausorden der Wendischen Krone), Knight's Cross (MWK3/MK3)
  • Saxe-Ernestine House Order (Herzoglich Sachsen-Ernestinischer Hausorden), Knights Cross 1st Class (HSEH3a/HSH3a/EH3a)
  • Prussian Centenary Medal 1897 (Zentenarmedaille)
  • Princely Reussian Cross of Honor, 3rd Class (REK3/REKj3)
  • Mecklenburg Order of the Griffon (Großherzoglich Mecklenburgischer Greifenorden), Honour Cross (MG2c)
  • Red Eagle Order (Roter Adlerorden), 4th Class (PRAO4/PrA4)
  • Knight of Honour (Ehrenritter) of the Johanniter-Orden on 18 February 1901
  • Order of Henry the Lion (Herzoglich Braunschweigischer Orden Heinrichs des Löwen), Knight's Cross 1st Class (BrHL3a/BrH3a)
  • Order of the Crown of Romania (Orden der Krone von Rumänien), Commander (RumK3)
  • Prussian Order of the Crown (Kronenorden), 3rd Class (PKrO3)
  • Prussian Long Service Cross for 25 years (Königlich Preußisches Dienstauszeichnungskreuz; DA/PDK)
  • Red Eagle Order, 3rd Class with the Bow (mit der Schleife)
  • Baden Order of the Zähringer Lion (Orden vom Zähringer Löwen), Commander 2nd Class (BZL2b/BZ2b)
  • Bavarian Military Merit Order, Officer's Cross (BMVO/BMV.O)
  • Knight of Justice (Rechtsritter) of the Johanniter-Orden
  • Mecklenburg Order of the Griffon (Großherzoglich Mecklenburgischer Greifenorden), Commander's Cross (MG2b)
  • Saxon Albert Order (Albrechts-Orden), Commander 2nd Class (SA2b)
  • Friedrichs-Orden, Commander's Cross (Kommenturkreuz) 2nd Class (WF2b)
  • Prussian Order of the Crown, 2nd Class (PKrO2)
  • Imperial Russian Sankt-Stanislaus-Orden, I. Class (RSt1)
  • Princely Reussian Cross of Honor (Fürstlich Reußisches Ehrenkreuz), 1st Class (REK1/REKj1)
  • Red Eagle Order, 2nd Class with Oak Leaves on 29 May 1914
  • Iron Cross (1914), 2nd Class on 16 November 1914

Writings

References

  1. ↑ The marriage license and death certificate have him documented as Eugen Paul Konstantin Werner.
  2. ↑ Gothaisches Genealogisches Taschenbuch der Briefadeligen Häuser, 1907, pp. 793–794
  3. ↑ Gothaisches Genealogisches Taschenbuch der Briefadeligen Häuser, 1918, pp. 927–928
  4. ↑ Gothaisches Genealogisches Taschenbuch der Freiherrlichen Häuser, 1878, p. 221
  5. ↑ Gothaisches Genealogisches Taschenbuch der Briefadeligen Häuser, 1942, p. 551
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