Clemens August von Kleist

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Clemens August von Kleist (* 1720 ; † 1797 ) was a lieutenant general from the Electorate of Cologne .

Origin and family environment

Clemens August Freiherr von Kleist came from the branch of the old Pomeranian noble family von Kleist , who had converted to Catholicism , and was the fifth son of Elector General Ewald von Kleist and Maria Anna Freiin von Manteuffel. He was born in 1720 and baptized on May 2, 1720.

Military career

Following the family tradition, he became a soldier and instead of the Prussian, as is usual with the Protestant branches, entered the electoral Cologne military service. He quickly made a career there, having initially served the Elector and Archbishop of Cologne as treasurer in 1744 . At the beginning of the Seven Years' War in 1756, as major general , he commanded part of the imperial army under Lieutenant General Field Marshal Michael Gottfried von Rosenfeld . So he took part with his cavalry from the electoral Cologne contingent in the action against Meißen on September 21, 1757 with such great success that his and his unit's bravery was particularly emphasized in the additions to the new state and war history. In the battle of Saalfeld on April 2, 1761, however, the Prussian supremacy had to von Kleist with his unit soft that not only his baggage captured, but also many prisoners did, including his younger brother Ferdinand Caspar von Kleist , later Electoral Cologne General Wachtmeister .

After the Seven Years' War, Clemens August remained in the service of the Cologne Elector. He was a secretary and war councilor and was not only promoted to lieutenant general on September 20, 1774, but was also appointed governor of the electoral residence in Bonn . In addition, the elector honored him by accepting him as Grand Cross in the high aristocratic order of St. Michaelis .

Because of the knight seat Buschdorf that belonged to him, he was sworn up to the electoral knighthood of Cologne on February 15, 1789. Clemens August von Kleist died unmarried in 1797.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Gustav Kratz : History of the von Kleist family, Volume III, No. 356, page 270.
  2. ^ A b Gustav Kratz, History of the von Kleist family, Volume III, No. 447, page 238.
  3. ↑ Contributions to the new state and war history, Danzig, 1760, 9th part, pages 119/20.
  4. ^ Gustav Kratz, History of the von Kleist sex, Volume III, No. 451, page 241.
personal data
SURNAME Kleist, Clemens August von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Elector General of Cologne
DATE OF BIRTH 1720
DATE OF DEATH 1797