Anton von Froben

Anton Franz Christoph Leopold Georg von Froben , since 1905 Freiherr von Froben (born October 31, 1839 in Karlsruhe , † April 13, 1910 ibid) was a Prussian general of the artillery and governor of Metz , as well as lord of the Weiherhof and legal knight of the Order of St. John .

Life

origin

Anton was a son of the Baden Privy Councilor and War Councilor August von Froben (1800–1871) and his first wife Maria Antonie, née Göhringer (1810–1850).

Military career

Froben joined the Baden Army in Karlsruhe as a cadet on July 1, 1855 and was promoted to lieutenant in the field artillery regiment by the end of July 1858 . From December 22nd, 1859 to April 1st, 1860 he was in command of the 2nd 6-pound battery , on October 7th, 1863 he became a fireworks officer in Rastatt and in this capacity in mid-December 1863 a first lieutenant . In 1866 Froben took part in the war against Prussia . After the war he graduated from the War Academy in Berlin on October 1, 1867 and was commanded on foot from July 1 to September 30, 1868 for the 2nd Guards Regiment . After his return, on February 27, 1869, he was appointed to the board of the Munitionsanstalt in Karlsruhe and on April 27, 1869, he was appointed battery boss . From September 22, 1869, he continued his studies at the War Academy in Berlin, which he had to break off with the beginning of the war against France . He then returned to his regiment, with which he took part in the battles near Wörth , the Lisaine , the Ognon , Châtillon-le-Duc , Pasques , Nuits , Villersexel and Clairegoutte , as well as the siege of Strasbourg . For his work, Froben received both classes of the Iron Cross and the Knight's Cross of the Military Karl Friedrich Order of Merit .

Due to the military convention between Baden and Prussia, Froben was taken over on July 15, 1871 with a patent from December 15, 1869 as captain and battery chief in the field artillery regiment No. 14 in the Association of the Prussian Army . With a patent from April 12, 1872, he was transferred to the 1st Guards Field Artillery Regiment on February 11, 1873. On February 18, 1875, Grand Duke Friedrich I appointed him his wing adjutant. In this position Froben rose to major in early July 1875 . After being employed from June 1878 to May 1880 as commander of the 2nd division in the Nassau Field Artillery Regiment No. 27 in Wiesbaden , Froben was the commander of the mounted division in the Hessian Field Artillery Regiment No. 11 in Kassel . He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in mid-September 1882 , was initially charged with commanding the 1st Baden Field Artillery Regiment No. 14 on December 19, 1882, and was appointed regiment commander on September 27, 1883. Froben was promoted to colonel on July 6, 1886 , and on June 17, 1889, under position à la suite of his regiment, charged with the command of the 14th field artillery brigade in Karlsruhe. On August 13, 1889, as major general, he was appointed commander of this brigade . As commander of the 3rd Division , Froben was transferred to Stettin on July 28, 1892, when he was promoted to Lieutenant General and was awarded the Order of the Crown, 1st Class, in mid-September 1895 .

He was appointed governor of Metz on July 18, 1896, and on January 21, 1897 received the character of General of the Artillery and in mid-May 1900 the Grand Cross of the Red Eagle Order with Oak Leaves. Grand Duke Friedrich I honored him on January 21, 1901 with the Grand Cross of the Order of Berthold the First . During his time as governor, Froben played a decisive role in the structural changes to the fortress by razing the inner fortress belt and building new fortifications. Due to illness he said goodbye and on May 3, 1901, was put up for disposition à la suite of the 1st Baden Field Artillery Regiment No. 14 with a pension . In recognition of his many years of service, Grand Duke Friedrich I elevated Froben to the rank of baron in Baden on June 27, 1905. He died in Karlsruhe on April 13, 1910.

In his assessment of 1887, his brigade commander, Colonel von Rheinbarben, wrote: “A fresh soldier nature, full of self-confidence, quick to understand, independent in judging and acting decisively in the form of a benevolent nature. A good general military and artillery education is combined with practical sense and skill. He guides the training of his regime with proper understanding. His endeavor to make the respective exercises as war-like as possible is clearly evident and is just as worthy of recognition, as is his desire to gain more and more acceptance of correct principles in the handling of punitive power on the part of his subordinates. He strives for a suitable replacement of the officer corps with good success. According to the judgment of the generals in question, Colonel von Froben was right in the management of a detachment during detachment exercises, as he had in previous years, was in charge of the development of the battle as well as the individual moments of the battle and was clear and precise in the issuing of orders. In leading a detachment during division exercises, he showed quick and good decision-making as well as caution in design and firmness in execution. He directs his own weapon promptly and appropriately. "

family

Froben married Mathilde Deimling (1842–1911) on September 11, 1871 in Karlsruhe. The couple had several children:

• Mathilde (* 1872)
• Antonie (* 1874) ⚭ 1891 Joachim von Schlichtig (1866–1952), Prussian Rittmeister, son of General Sigismund von Schlichting
• Werner (1876–1949), with him the line ends again

literature

• Kurt von Priesdorff : Soldier leadership . Volume 8, Hanseatische Verlagsanstalt Hamburg, undated [Hamburg], undated [1939], DNB 367632829 , pp. 453-455, no. 2688.
• Gothaisches Genealogisches Taschenbuch der Briefadeligen houses. 1907. First year, Justus Perthes, Gotha 1906, pp. 191 ff. , Older genealogy
• Gothaisches Genealogisches Taschenbuch der Freiherrliche Häuser. 1909. Fifty-ninth year, Justus Perthes, Gotha 1908, p. 221.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Staats-Anzeiger for the Grand Duchy of Baden. No. II of February 14, 1901, p. 20.