August von Thümen

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Portrait of an unknown painter, Caputh Castle , early 19th century
Obelisk in Niedergörsdorf

Heinrich Ludwig August von Thümen (born December 30, 1757 at Gut Stücken , † March 15, 1826 at Schloss Caputh ) was a Prussian lieutenant general and wing adjutant of King Friedrich Wilhelm III.

Life

origin

He came from an old Brandenburg aristocratic family , which was first mentioned in 1281. His father was the heir to Stücken, Kerzendorf and Radach, Christian Joachim Heinrich von Thümen (1732-1810) and his wife Anna Dorothea Sophie, born von der Lippe († 1786) from the Blankenfelde family .

Military career

Thümen began his military career in the Prussian Army on June 24, 1769 as a private corporal in the infantry regiment "Prince of Prussia" . There he rose to ensign in September 1775 and took part in the battles near Trautenau , Schnellenwalde and Neustadt during the War of the Bavarian Succession in 1778/79 . In May 1787 Thümen, meanwhile a staff captain , came to the fusilier battalion "von Dessaunière" of the 1st East Prussian Fusilier Brigade and there two years later became captain and company commander . In 1794 Thümen took part in the campaign in Poland . After further assignments in various associations, he received the order Pour le Mérite on June 15, 1802 on the occasion of the review in Memel . On January 17, 1805 Thümen was commander of the infantry regiment "von Kunheim" and on June 20, 1805 was promoted to lieutenant colonel. He led his regiment during the 1806 campaign near Lübeck . In view of the overwhelming power of the French troops, Thümen had to surrender and was soon released on his word of honor. Due to the defeat of Prussia , he was initially inactive. It was not until April 7, 1809, that Thümen received from King Friedrich Wilhelm III. a new use. He appointed him commandant of the Spandau Citadel with a salary of 2500 thalers. In addition, Thümen was promoted to colonel on May 20, 1809 . In 1812 the French occupied the strategically important citadel.

At the end of the year Thümen was appointed brigadier on the Vistula , based in Marienwerder . There he was given the task of setting up a reserve battalion and making this available to General von Bülow . Despite a lack of boots and coats, Thümen was able to form seven associations within a very short time. After his promotion to major general, Thümen moved into Berlin on March 31, 1813 and besieged the Spandau Citadel. On April 26th, he managed to force the French commandant, General Bruny, to surrender.

Memorial plaque Thuemen Citadel Spandau

A plaque on the citadel reminds of this today. On payment of a few silver groschen, the population was allowed to look at the damaged fortress on the following days. The money raised should be used to rebuild their homes.

In the further course of the Wars of Liberation , Thümen joined the Bülow Corps and distinguished himself at Kalau and Luckau . For this he received the Iron Cross 2nd class. He also proved himself again in the Battle of Großbeeren by storming the Windmühlenberg west of Großbeeren . In September 1813, his division pushed the French, who were under the command of Marshal Michel Ney , back in heavy fighting in the battle of Dennewitz, which had already been believed to be lost , thereby enabling victory. An obelisk designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel and erected in 1817 on a hill between Niedergörsdorf and Dennewitz , from which Thümen decided the battle, still commemorates the fallen in the battle. In recognition of his services, he was awarded the Iron Cross First Class and on October 21, 1813 with the Oak Leaves for the Order Pour le Mérite.

In February 1814 Thümen became Lieutenant General and finally in 1815 Commanding General in Posen, where he a. a. the Landwehr had to organize. On June 24, 1819, he celebrated his 50th anniversary with the company and on January 26, 1820, he was given an annual pension of 3,000 thalers.

Thümen was the master of the two estates Schloss Caputh , which he bought in 1820, and Neu-Langerwisch , both in what is now the Potsdam-Mittelmark district . He was also a legal knight of the Order of St. John .

family

Thümen married Karoline Fischer (1762-1856) on March 26, 1787 in Potsdam . She was the daughter of Wilhelm Friedrich Fischer and Madelaine Le Cointe. The following children were born from the marriage:

  • Angelika (1787–1845) ⚭ June 24, 1819 in Posen Ernst Ewald von Steinmann, Prussian Rittmeister and adjutant of the 5th Army Corps
  • Wilhelmine (1789–1845) ⚭ April 19, 1816 in Posen Karl von Winterfeldt, Privy High Tribunal Councilor
  • Wilhelm (1792–1856), Prussian lieutenant general ⚭ 1822 Philippine von Zschock (1801–1872)
  • Agnes (1794–1853), canon in the monastery of the Holy Sepulcher
  • August (1797–1868), Prussian lieutenant colonel
⚭ September 29, 1829 Auguste Wißmann (1806–1864)
⚭ September 15, 1867 Klara von Paczenski-Tenczin (1829–1884)
  • Karl (1803-1805)
  • Davida (1806-1883). She was engaged to the poet Hoffmann von Fallersleben , who dedicated numerous poems to her.

Thümen, his daughter Davida and other family members are buried in a family grave site in Kirchpark Caputh, which was heavily neglected and partially destroyed during the GDR era. Two great-grandchildren of the general had the tomb repaired in 2002.

literature

Web links

Commons : August von Thümen  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Kurd Wolfgang von Schöning: The generals of the Chur-Brandenburg and royal Prussian army from 1640-1840. Verlag CG Lüderitz, 1840, p. 222, No. 1165 ( digitized version )
  2. ^ Monthly issues for politics and armed forces. Organ of the Society for Heereskunde, Verlag Schneider, 1916, p. 75f. ( Extracts )
personal data
SURNAME Thümen, August von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Thümen, Heinrich Ludwig August von (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Prussian lieutenant general
DATE OF BIRTH December 30, 1757
PLACE OF BIRTH Good pieces
DATE OF DEATH March 15, 1826
Place of death Caputh Castle