Wilhelm von Thümen

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Wilhelm von Thümen
Wilhelm Hermann Heinrich von Thümen.jpg
Wilhelm von Thümen was Flügeladjutant of the Prussian Kings Friedrich Wilhelm III and and Friedrich Wilhelm IV as well as the 1st commander of the new Guard NCO Company, which was renamed Schloß-Garde-Kompanie in 1861.[1]
Birth name Wilhelm Hermann Heinrich von Thümen
Birth date 25 July 1792(1792-07-25)
Place of birth Heilsberg, Kingdom of Prussia, Holy Roman Empire
Death date 3 April 1856 (aged 63)
Place of death Mainz, Grand Duchy of Hesse, German Confederation
Allegiance Germany Prussian Eagle.jpg Kingdom of Prussia
Banner of the Holy Roman Emperor with haloes (1400-1806).png Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation (until 6 August 1806)
Wappen des Deutschen Bundes.jpg German Confederation (1815–1856)
Service/branch War and service flag of Prussia (1895–1918).png Prussian Army
Years of service 1806/1813–1856
Rank Generalleutnant z. D.
Commands held Deputy Governor of the Fortress Mainz
Battles/wars German campaign of 1813
Awards Iron Cross (1813)
Red Eagle Order
Relations ∞ 1822 Philippine von Zschock

Wilhelm Hermann Heinrich von Thümen (25 July 1792 – 3 April 1856) was a German officer of the Prussian Army, finally Generalleutnant zur Disposition (Lieutenant General at disposal) as well as lord of the manor (Gut Caputh[2] and Gut Neu-Langerwisch).

Life

The grave of the von Thümen family in the cemetery of the Caputh village church

Wilhelm von Thümen was born on 25 July 1792, only 24 days after his later role model Carl von Clausewitz (1780–1831) had entered the Prussian Army as a very young Gefreiter-Corporal (like the Fahnenjunker later an Officer Candidate). He was initially taught by his parents in Memel and from 1805 he attended the Gymnasium zum Grauen Kloster in Berlin. In January 1806, he joined the in 1615 founded traditional Infanterie-Regiment "Graf Kunheim" No. 1 (named after Generalleutnant Johann Ernst Graf von Kunheim) of the Prussian Army. After the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, the defeat of regiment in the Battle of Lübeck and the dissolution of the regiment in Ratekau in the same year, von Thümen retired from military service, continued to attend school and after his Abitur, from 1811, took up studies at the University of Breslau.

With the beginning of the Wars of Liberation (Befreiungskriege), von Thümen joined on 19 February 1813 as a fusilier the 1st Guard Regiment on Foot in Potsdam and was promoted to second lieutenant by mid-May 1813. He took part in the battles of Großgörschen (de), Dresden and Leipzig (de) and was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class for his accomplishments in the Battle of Bautzen (de). In 1814, he fell ill in France and was therefore unable to continue to participate in the campaign of the Seventh Coalition (Siebte Koalition).

On 25 February 1818, von Thümen, by now adjutant of his regiment, was promoted to first lieutenant and commanded to thie Russian Empire in the same year because of his excellent knowledge of French. He spent four months in Saint Petersburg with two horn players to introduce the Prussian horn signals to the Russian army. In 1820, his father Generalleutnant August von Thümen received a leasehold on the estate and castle Caputh. The palace park from the 17th century was redesigned by Peter Joseph Lenné immediately after ownership was transferred to the von Thümen family in 1820. Also in 1820, Wilhelm von Thümen accompanied Charlotte, the king's daughter and wife of Russian Emperor Nicholas I, to Bad Ems.

After his return, he was promoted to captain in 1821 and at the same time Flügeladjutant to King Friedrich Wilhelm III. In 1822, he accompanied the king to Italy to the Veronese Congress. In 1826, he accompanied Prince Karl to the coronation celebrations in Saint Petersburg. In the same year his father died and as the oldest son he inherited all the lands. On 25 September 1826, he was awarded the Order of Saint Anne II class with diamonds. On 25 February 1828, he became a major and on 30 March 1829, he came as commander of the non-commissioned officer company. In mid-January 1830, von Thümen received the Order of St. John, was sent back to Russia and in 1834 was present at the unveiling of the monument to Alexander I.

After his return, he was appointed commander of the Garde-Reserve-Gendarmerie-Kommando (later: Leib-Gendarmerie) on 30 October 1834. By the end of March 1840, von Thümen had risen to the rank of colonel and was commanded to serve in the 2nd Guard Regiment on Foot on 22 April 1840, while retaining his position as Flügeladjutant and commander of the Guard NCO Company. From 7 September 1840 to 14 December 1841, he was commander of the Kaiser Alexander Grenadier Regiment, on 10 September 1840, his successor Carl Philipp August Graf von Schlieffen (1798–1845) took over the Guard NCO Company. On 30 March 1844, von Thümen became commander of the 12th Infantry Regiment. This command was followed on 22 March 1845 as commander of the 10th Infantry Brigade in Posen. During the unrest there, on 3 March 1846, he routed the insurgents and captured many weapons. On 31 March 1846, he was promoted to major general. This is when his service as Flügeladjutant ended.[3]

On 9 March 1848, he was appointed commander of the 5th Infantry Brigade in Frankfurt (Oder) and made available to Lieutenant General von Colomb in May 1848 on the occasion of the Greater Polish Uprising. He sent him with a command to Gostyn. During the March Revolution of 1848, Thümen succeeded General of the Infantry Wilhelm von Ditfurth as the city commander of Berlin. He took part in the attack on the barricade on Leipziger Straße. On 20 March 1850, he was transferred to the 9th Division in Glogau as commander and at the same time served as commander of the Glogau Fortress until 19 November 1850.

From 2 February 1851 to 1 March 1852, he was Prussian Federal Commissioner and in this capacity, together with his Austrian colleague, Major General Count Alexander von Mensdorff-Pouilly (1813–1871), commanded the Prussian-Austrian intervention troops of the federal government of the German Confederation in 1850 in the Schleswig-Holstein War (1848-1851). From 4 November 1851 to 9 February 1852, von Thümen was commander of the 11th Division and then in the same capacity in the 6th Division in Brandenburg an der Havel. On 14 September 1854, he was appointed Deputy Governor of the Federal Fortress (Bundesfestung) Mainz.[4]

Death

Wilhelm von Thümen had fallen severly ill and was de facto retired on 20 March 1856 and put to disposal (z. D.). He died on 3 April 1856 in Mainz and was buried on 12 April 1856 in the cemetery of the village church of Caputh near Schwielowsee. After being neglected, devastated and partially destroyed in the preceding decades of the GDR under communist control, his grave, like that of his father, his wife and other relatives, was able to be restored in 2002 on the initiative of two granddaughters.[5]

Family

Wilhelm came from the old noble family von Thümen in Brandenburg. He was the son of the Prussian Lieutenant General Heinrich Ludwig August von Thümen (1757–1826), Knight of the Order Pour le Mérite, and his wife Karoline Luise, née Fischer (1762–1856). King of Prussia Friedrich Wilhelm II was his godfather. He had six siblings, his younger brother August Friedrich Theodor (1797–1868) was Oberstleutnant of the Prussian Army and Knight of Justice (Rechtsritter) of the Johanniterorden, his second brother Karl Eduard (1803–1805) died very young.[6]

Marriage

Capitän von Thümen married on 13 April 1822 in Berlin his fiancée Philippine von Zschock (1801–1872), the daughter of the Prussian Privy Council of Accounts (Geheimer Rechnungsrat) Johann Gottlieb von Zschock and his wife Pauline, née Gürpen. Four children were born of this marriage:[7]

  • Pauline Hermine Luise Marie (1823–1905); ⚭ 3 March 1853 Ernst Friedrich Christlieb von Willich (1820–1892), Herr auf Gorzyn und Neu-Görtzig
  • Marie (1824–1899); ⚭ 22 June 1865 Albert von Sellin (b. 18 February 1825), Major and battalion commander, ⚔ near Vionville on 16 August 1870 during the Franco-German War
  • Heinrich Hermann (1826–1883), Imperial Russian Colonel and Knight of Honour (Ehrenritter) of the Johanniter-Orden; ⚭ February 1859 Adeladide Paulowna von Rabalow (d. October 1909), 2 children (Barbara and Wilhelm)
  • Hans August (1829–1908), 2nd Lieutenant a. D., landlord and heir to both paternal estates; ⚭ 29 January 1897 Anna, née Eckert, widowed Depener (b. 1 January 1856)

Promotions

  • January 1806 Gefreiter-Corporal (later known as Fahnenjunker or Officer Candidate)
  • 19 February 1813 Füsilier
  • 6 April 1813 Portepée-Fähnrich (Officer Cadet)
  • 15 May 1813 Secondlieutenant (2nd Lieutenant)
  • 28 February 1818 Premierlieutenant (1st Lieutenant)
  • 1 September 1821 Capitän (Captain)
  • 25 February 1828 Major
  • 30 March 1838 Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel)
  • 30 March 1840 Oberst (Colonel)
  • 31 March 1846 Generalmajor
  • 19 April 1851 Generalleutnant

Awards and decorations

  • Iron Cross (1813), 2nd Class
  • Prussian War Commemorative Medal for the Wars of Liberation (Kriegsdenkmünze für die Befreiungskriege)
  • Order of Saint Vladimir, 4th Class (RW4)
  • Baden Order of the Zähringer Lion (Orden vom Zähringer Löwen), Commander's Cross (GBZL2/BZL2) in 1822[8]
    • later reclassified as Commander's Cross II. Class without Star[9]
  • Russian Order of Saint Anna (Sankt-Annen-Orden), 2nd Class with Diamonds (RA2m.Br/RA2mBr) on 25 September 1826
  • Knight of the Johanniter-Orden in January 1830
    • On 15 October 1852, the Knight's were named Knight of Honour (Ehrenritter).
  • Imperial Russian Sankt-Stanislaus-Orden, III. Class (RSt3)
  • Order of Saint Vladimir, 3rd Class (RW3) on 30 September 1835
  • Red Eagle Order (Roter Adlerorden), 4th Class (PRAO4/PrA4)
  • Prussian Long Service Cross for 25 years (Königlich Preußisches Dienstauszeichnungskreuz; DA) on 9 February 1838
  • Red Eagle Order, 3rd Class with the Bow
  • Imperial Russian Sankt-Stanislaus-Orden, II. Class (RSt2)[10]
  • Grand Duchy of Hesse Ludwig Order, Commander's Cross 1st Class (GHL2a/HL2a)
  • Red Eagle Order, 2nd Class with Oak Leaves and the Star
  • Danish Order of Dannebrog, Grand Cross (DD1) in February 1852
  • Russian Order of Saint Anna, I. Class with the Crown and with Diamonds (RA1mKruBr/RA1mKuBr) in December 1852
  • Red Eagle Order, 1st Class with Oak Leaves in January 1854

References

  1. ↑ Leo von Pfannenberg: Geschichte der Schloß-Garde-Kompanie Seiner Majestät des Kaisers und Königs 1829–1909, Verlag von Georg Stilke, Berlin 1909, p. 143
  2. ↑ From 1928 to 1932, Caputh was Albert Einstein's summer residence. In 1929, he had Konrad Wachsmann build a summer house right on the edge of the forest.
  3. ↑ Rangliste der Königlich Preußischen Armee, 1846, p. 21
  4. ↑ Section C. "Defensive System of the Germanic Confederation" of the protocol drawn up at Paris on 3 November 1815, declared Mainz, Luxemburg, and Landau to be fortresses belonging to the Confederation of Germany, and stipulated that a fourth should be constructed on the Upper Rhine. An additional article to the Federal War Constitution (Bundeskriegsverfassung) on 11 July 1822 enacted the Confederation's obligations under the treaty. The takeover of the fortresses by the Confederation took place after a significant delay. Control over Federal Fortress of Mainz was acquired on 15 December 1825, the Federal Fortress of Luxembourg on 13 March 1826 and the Federal Fortress of Landau on 27 January 1831. These older forts were supplemented by two new ones Federal Fortress of Rastatt in 1841 and the Federal Fortress of Ulm in 1842. It was agreed at the Gastein Convention in 1865 that Rendsburg would become a federal fortress but due to the dissolution of the Confederation in 1866 that never happened. The fortresses were directly subject to the Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung) of the Confederation and the Federal Military Commission (Bundesmilitärkommission). The Fortress of Koblenz was the role model for the fortification, being a system of fortress works designed as a polygonal system and developed by Prussia. The fortresses were at the beginning of the Confederation the only effective sign of competence by central federal authorities. The double-headed eagle, symbol of the Confederation, was embossed on all artillery.
  5. ↑ Caputh (alter Friedhof: 1. Weltkrieg), Gemeinde Schwielowsee, Landkreis Potsdam-Mittelmark, Brandenburg
  6. ↑ Gothaisches Genealogisches Taschenbuch der Adeligen Häuser, 1902, pp. 823–824
  7. ↑ Gothaisches Genealogisches Taschenbuch der Adeligen Häuser, 1918, pp. 847–848
  8. ↑ Badische Gesetz- und Verordnungsblätter (1822)
  9. ↑ Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Grossherzogthums Baden (1853)
  10. ↑ Rangliste der Königlich Preußischen Armee, 1840, p. 4
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