Albrecht Eugen of Württemberg

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Albrecht Eugen von Württemberg (second from right) with his siblings in 1903

Albrecht Eugen Maria Philipp Carl Joseph Fortunatus Duke of Württemberg (born January 8, 1895 in Stuttgart , † June 24, 1954 in Schwäbisch Gmünd ) was a German officer and prince of the royal house of Württemberg .

Life

Duke Albrecht Eugen was the second son of Duke Albrecht of Württemberg and his wife Margarete Sophie nee. Archduchess of Austria. Duke Albrecht Eugen thus belonged to the Catholic line of the House of Württemberg. His older brother Philipp Albrecht was later the boss of the house. As prince of the royal house of Württemberg, Duke Albrecht Eugen had a mandate in the Württemberg chamber of noblemen from 1916 until the end of the monarchy in 1918 , but could never be present because of his service in the First World War . Albrecht Eugen, who lost his mother at an early age, grew up in Stuttgart, Kassel, Potsdam and at times also in Austria. He attended high school in Stuttgart and passed his Abitur there in 1914. With the beginning of the First World War he was drafted into the Württemberg Army and did four years of military service. He fought in Flanders, France and Italy. Most recently he was a captain in the 1st Württemberg Grenadier Regiment . After the death of the former king Wilhelm II. Albrecht Eugen inherited the rule of Carlsruhe in Silesia from him in 1921 . In Carlsruhe he now worked as a farmer and forester. He was also interested in architecture, fine arts and history.

During the Second World War , Albrecht Eugen Herzog von Württemberg had to do military service again in the Wehrmacht , but not at the front, but in staff service, without a rank as general staff officer. Since the members of the House of Württemberg were known to be opponents of the Nazi regime, Albrecht Eugen remained in the rank of captain and was not promoted. He has been on missions in France, Romania and the Soviet Union. In 1943 he had to leave the armed forces due to the prince's decree . In January 1945 he was on the run from Carlsruhe. His castle there with the extensive library of around 30,000 volumes was destroyed by the troops of the Red Army .

Marriage and offspring

On January 24, 1924, Albrecht Eugen Herzog von Württemberg married the Bulgarian Princess Nadeshda (born January 30, 1899 in Sofia , † February 15, 1958 in Stuttgart), a daughter of King Ferdinand I of Bulgaria, in Bad Mergentheim . The marriage resulted in three sons and two daughters. In the years 1929 to 1930, the couple chose Lindach Castle as another place of residence in Württemberg. Lindach Castle was confiscated by the US Army as general quarters from 1945 to 1946 , but was then used as a residence by Albrecht Eugen and Nadeshda.

See also

literature