Gottlieb Wilhelm Christian von Platen

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Family arms of the Lords and Counts of Platen

Gottlieb Wilhelm Christian Graf von Platen (born April 15, 1765 in Krimvitz on Rügen , † February 20, 1819 in Königsberg ) was a Prussian major general .

Life

The manor house in Krimvitz, where Gottlieb von Platen was born
The great Platen u. his trumpeter on April 5, 1813 in d. Battle of Möckern, painting v. Richard Knötel (1857-1914)

He came from the Pomeranian noble family Platen and was a son of Bogislaw von Platen († 1768) on Krimvitz. His mother was Marie Katharina Christine von Usedom (* 1747, † 1825). After the death of her husband, she married Heinrich Rickmann von der Lancken (* 1753; † 1817), Herr auf Mattchow.

He must have entered Prussian service around 1780, but in 1786 he was still a cornet. In October 1787 he was transferred to the 6th Dragoon Regiment as a second lieutenant. On October 7, 1797 he was promoted to Premier-Lieutenant there, on March 4, 1801 to Staff Captain and on January 2, 1802 to the real captain (Rittmeister). In 1807 he acquired the Pour le Mérite as a cavalry master in the Auer's Dragoon Regiment in the battle of Heilsberg during an attack on French cuirassiers . Promoted to major on November 19, 1807, he was transferred to the 1st Battalion of the 1st West Prussian Dragoon Regiment on December 1, 1807. There he got into an argument with Major von Unruh and was transferred to the Litthau Dragoons on August 8, 1810 . Nevertheless, the brawlers arranged a duel on February 11th on the battlefield of Preussisch Eylau. Major von Unruh, however, had written to his sister about the duel, she was a lady-in-waiting, and so the king found out about the matter and sent his wing adjutant, Major Henkel von Donnersmark, to arrest the two of them. End of September 1811 court martial was held and the duelists for one year each imprisonment convicted. Platen came to Pillau , where he was pardoned in February 1812.

From 1813 he took part in the wars of freedom against Napoleon I with the rank of major , belonged to the Corps of Yorcks von Wartenburg and earned his respect and affection through his audacity. Wounded on April 5th in the battle near Möckern , his trumpeter saved him; he took part in the battle of Großgörschen on May 2 and in the battle of Königswartha-Weißig on May 19. On June 13, 1813 he received the Russian Order of St. Anne, 2nd class . On August 15, 1813 he rose to lieutenant colonel. For the Battle of the Katzbach that took place on August 26th, he was awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class on September 12th . In the battle of Château-Thierry in 1814 he was briefly imprisoned in Reims after he was wounded in the face by a saber blow. But he managed to escape the same day. He came to Rheims to treat his wounds and was taken prisoner again. He came to Limoges until the end of the war. On May 31, 1814 he was promoted to colonel and returned with his regiment to West Prussia.

On January 2, 1816, von Platen took his leave, received a pension of 1000 thalers and the rank of major general. He died on February 20, 1819 at a dance ball .

As a daring rider and original, he was known as the great Platen and became the hero of many anecdotes from the time of the wars of freedom. A life sketch was published in the 6th supplements to the military weekly paper for 1882.

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personal data
SURNAME Platen, Gottlieb Wilhelm Christian von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Prussian officer, most recently major general
DATE OF BIRTH April 15, 1765
PLACE OF BIRTH Krimvitz on Rügen
DATE OF DEATH February 20, 1819
Place of death Königsberg (Prussia)