Balthasar (II.) Freiherr von Campenhausen

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Balthasar Freiherr von Campenhausen

Balthasar Freiherr von Campenhausen (born November 28, 1745 in Gut Orellen , † July 12, 1800 in Peddast ) was a Russian Senator , Privy Councilor and Civil Governor of Livonia .

family

Coat of arms of the Barons of Campenhausen

Balthasar Freiherr von Campenhaussen came from the Livonian noble family of the von Campenhausen ; he was the son of the Russian Lieutenant General Balthasar Freiherr von Campenhausen and his second wife Helene Juliane von Straelborn. On March 1, 1767, von Campenhausen married Sophie Eleonore Woldeck von Arneburg ; the marriage had seven children. His eldest son Balthasar (1772–1823) became the Imperial Controller of Russia, a member of the Russian Imperial Council and Russian Finance and Interior Minister . His son Hermann (1773–1836) took over the Orellen estate and married Countess Keyserling . His son Christoph (1780–1841) became a member of the Russian consistory in St. Petersburg . His eldest daughter Leocadie married Magnus Barclay de Tolly, the only son of the Russian Field Marshal and Minister of War Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly . His daughter Sophie became the Russian lady-in-waiting of the Hereditary Princess Helene Paulowna of Mecklenburg [-Schwerin] , Chief Chamberlain of the Hereditary Grand Duchess Alexandrine of Mecklenburg [-Schwerin] and wife of the Mecklenburg (first) Minister Leopold von Plessen . His daughter Charlotte (1778-1831) married the Russian governor of Estonia , Gotthard Wilhelm von Budberg-Bönninghausen . Balthasar Freiherr von Campenhausen died on July 12, 1800 during a business trip to Ösel on the Peddast estate; he was buried in the family grave chapel on his Orellen estate.

  • Father Balthasar (I.)

  • Mother Helene

  • Wife Sophie Eleonore

  • Son Balthasar (III.)

  • Daughter Sophie

Life and professional history

Memorial plaque at the former residence of Balthasar Freiherr von Campenhausen in Kuressaare on Saaremaa (Ösel)
Senator Balthasar von Campenhausen (1797)

Campenhausen initially received private tuition and then studied from 1761 to 1767 at the universities of Helmstedt, Halle and Leipzig, camera sciences, law and mathematics; then he traveled to Holland, England and France. In 1767 he took up the officer's career with the Duke of Gotha and took his leave there as a colonel in 1777 . From 1777 to 1783 Campenhausen was a Livonian district administrator; then head of the Wenden district (1778) and assessor of the court court (1779).

Services to the infrastructure on the island of Ösel

In 1783 Campenhausen on Ösel was appointed lieutenant governor of Livonia and director of the Livonian Kameralhof, a position he held until 1797. During this time he had the island measured, checked for the quality of the soil and began with a thorough land consolidation ("regulation"). In addition, he took care of extensive drainage projects, had swamps drained, pines reforested against silting, roads paved, founded a farmers' bank, ensured a regular postal service and reorganized the authorities. Campenhausen's zeal owed the then backward and underdeveloped Ösel a comparatively modern infrastructure. The baron also gave the social life in the remote province unusual impulses: "He formed a small court where there was no lack of intrigues. With the glaring French language, which he loved and promoted, glitzy French customs and Morality in this country, in which until then strict respectability had prevailed. " Ladies had to appear in a "blue and white uniform" designed by the baron. From October 2, 1785, Campenhausen held a "men's club" every Thursday in his property, which was decorated with Dutch tiles and statues, followed by a "dance club" every Wednesday in 1786. In 1787 he set up a "school theater" in the town hall, the performances of which, including pieces by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing , began at 5 pm all year round. At the beginning of each month, a "musical lovers' society" scheduled concerts. After a reading circle was founded in 1785, the first lending library followed in 1791.

In Arensburg, Campenhausen had entire streets demolished and modernized, took care of street signs and cleaning, ordered the removal of garbage dumps, abolished the flammable thatched roofs that were customary up to that time and suggested the establishment of the Arensburg Weekly or Intelligence Gazette . "He was always restless on his bikes or in the saddle," said contemporary witnesses, and it was not uncommon for the baron to visit his auditors without prior notice.

In 1796 Campenhausen became a privy councilor. In 1797 he became civil governor of Livonia for seven weeks; then Campenhausen was appointed senator and accepted as a member of the codification commission. During this time he only traveled to Ösel occasionally. His dream of being appointed governor of a newly created province from "all (Russian) Baltic Sea islands" did not come true.

In a letter from 1799 to his son Hermann , Balthasar Freiherr von Campenhausen listed his full title as follows:

Soot. Kaiserl. Privy councilor, senator, member of the commission for the preparation of imperial laws, supreme director of the Banque des Erziehungs-Hauß (ie the cadet institute) and the like. Honorary member of the council of the same, Grand Cross of the St. Anne and St. Volodimir Order .

Orders and decorations

Estates

Gut Orellen (painting by Eugen Dücker , 1862)
Wesselshof, 2009

Balthasar Freiherr von Campenhausen was the owner of the following goods:

  • Orelles
  • Kudum
  • Lenzenhof
  • Ermes Castle (1795–1797)
  • Wesselshof (since 1797)
  • Aula and Dubinsky (since 1798, imperial gift)
  • Uhla (1799–1800, imperial gift)
  • Bremen side (1799–1800, imperial gift)
  • Waimastfer (1796–1799, lien).
  • Kikerina
  • Rakulitz
  • Laskowitz

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Genealogical manual of the Baltic knighthoods, part 1,1 ,: Livland , Bd.:1 , Görlitz, 1929, s. 25th
  2. ^ Olavi Pesti: Balthasar Freiherr von Campenhausen and Saaremaa . In: www.aai.ee ( accessed June 30, 2013)
  3. ↑ Martin Körber: Oesel once and now , Arensburg 1887, vol. 1, p. 122
  4. ↑ Martin Körber: Oesel once and now , Arensburg 1887, vol. 1, p. 135
  5. ↑ Martin Körber: Oesel once and now , Arensburg 1887, vol. 1, p. 168
  6. ↑ Martin Körber: Oesel once and now , Arensburg 1887, vol. 1, p. 185
  7. ^ Baltic Historical Commission (ed.): Entry on Balthasar von Campenhausen. In: BBLD - Baltic Biographical Lexicon digital
personal data
SURNAME Campenhausen, Balthasar Freiherr von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES without
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Russian Senator, Privy Councilor and Civil Governor of Livonia
DATE OF BIRTH November 28, 1745
PLACE OF BIRTH Good orelles
DATE OF DEATH July 12, 1800
Place of death Peddast