Christian Carl zu Stolberg-Gedern

Christian Karl

Christian Carl Prince zu Stolberg-Gedern (born July 14, 1725 in Gedern ; † July 21, 1764 ibid) was a general field master of the German Imperial Army, major general of the Upper Rhine District , and from 1761 governor of the Philippsburg fortress .

Life

He was the son of Prince Friedrich Carl zu Stolberg-Gedern (1693–1767) and Luise Henriette (* December 6, 1705; † October 28, 1766), daughter of Count Ludwig Kraft of Nassau-Saarbrücken . Prince Christian Carl was chosen to succeed his father, but died before both parents.

Military career

Under the influence of Prince Karl von Waldeck , he received a company in the service of the States General in 1742 . From 1745 to 1748 he led his own infantry regiment against the French in the War of the Austrian Succession and was wounded in a battle on August 12, 1745. In 1747 he was wounded again while defending Bergen op Zoom . After the Peace of Aachen (October 1748), he said goodbye and in 1751 joined the Austrian army.

In the Seven Years War

On January 21, 1758 he received the position of lieutenant general in the Imperial Army under Prince Christian von Pfalz-Zweibrücken , which was in the winter quarters in Franconia . He took part in the war in Saxony , where he had preceded the advance of the Imperial Army with a corps; during the winter his troops were in the Kulmbach area . At the beginning of the campaign of 1759 he was raised in rank to Imperial Field Marshal Lieutenant . When the imperial troops under General Kleefeld besieged Torgau in the summer , reinforcements were sent to him under Stolberg. On August 18, 1759, the Prussian garrison under General von Wolffersdorf had to capitulate after handover negotiations. On September 5, Stolberg's troops took part in the capture of Dresden and on the 21st the meeting at Colditz . He then supported the Austrian army under Count von Daun and took part in the siege near Maxen . The Austrian attack began on November 19, 1759, with Croatian infantry and two Austrian hussar regiments being subordinate to Stolberg east of Maxen. This column had to block the withdrawal of the Prussians through the Müglitztal . During the next campaign, troops took part in the meeting at Strehla on August 18, 1761 . In the spring of 1761, he replaced the Duke of Zweibrücken as commander of the Imperial Army and on May 9th he was promoted to General Feldzeugmeister . In November 1761 he was appointed governor of the Philippsburg Fortress. In May 1762 his troops moved from the Thuringian winter quarters to Saxony, but had to retreat to Franconia after the unification of the imperial troops with the Austrians under General Serbelloni had not succeeded. The campaign to Saxony was repeated and failed again, until the end of August the Austrian commander was replaced by General Hadik . Stolberg united with the Austrians near Dresden on September 6 and led on October 29, 1762 in the battle of Freiberg against the army of Prince Heinrich of Prussia . Although the united troops of the Austrians and the Reich attacked by the Prussians numbered 49 battalions and 68 squadrons, i.e. around 31,000 men, they were defeated by around 20,000 Prussians after a brief resistance, and an orderly retreat prevented further losses. Stolberg's troops returned through Bohemia to Nuremberg , where on November 27, 1762 the convention on the end of hostilities with the Prussians became known. After the Treaty of Hubertusburg (February 15, 1763) he went to Vienna to justify himself and resigned from his command. He died in his native town in 1764.

family

In June 1760 Christian Karl married Countess Eleonore Reuss zu Lobenstein (1736–1782), regent of Stolberg-Gedern (1767–1782), descended from the marriage:

• Carl Heinrich (1761–1804), last Prince of Stolberg-Gedern (1767–1804)
• Luise (1764-1834)

⚭ 1780 Duke Karl of Saxe-Meiningen

⚭ 1787 Duke Eugene of Württemberg

literature

• Bernhard von Poten :  Stolberg-Gedern, Karl Prinz zu . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 36, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1893, p. 347 f.