Friedrich August von Graevenitz

Friedrich August von Graevenitz (born April 21, 1730 , † June 6, 1809 on Gut Rostersdorf in the district of Wohlau ) was a Prussian general of the infantry and chief of the infantry regiment of the same name .

Life

His parents were Hans Friedrich Wilhelm von Graevenitz (1689–1746), Prussian colonel and commander of the “Walrave” regiment and his wife Helene Maria, née Hochklimmern († 1744), whom he married in 1717. Major General Georg von Graevenitz was his brother.

Military career

In 1745 Graevenitz joined the "Borke" regiment as a flag boy . In the same year he took part in the battles of Groß-Jägersdorf and Hohenfriedberg and Thrush . After the first battle he became an ensign and after the second lieutenant. In 1752 he was sent to publicity as a lieutenant . He took the opportunity to undergo extensive further training. This included not only military literature, but also poetry, some of which he wrote himself.

At the beginning of the Seven Years' War he was transferred to the “Schulze” regiment. The regiment came to the army of Field Marshal Kurt Christoph von Schwerin in Bohemia . The field marshal used a few capable officers for special tasks, including Graevenitz. After completing his assignments, he became adjutant general to General Schulze . After the general was killed in the Battle of Breslau , he became General Knobloch's adjutant general . He was captured during the fighting in the Battle of Maxen . During his eight days in captivity, he was a regular guest at the table of the Duke of Zweibrücken , the commander of the imperial troops, who valued the good technical knowledge and manners of his unwilling guest. Prince Heinrich of Prussia sent the Duke of Zweibrücken a list of possible exchange candidates and Graevenitz was quickly released. Although he was only a lieutenant, he was sent to Dresden with a captain to accompany him . While the regiment was in winter quarters in 1758/59, he corresponded with the officer and poet Heinrich von Kleist .

In 1759 he fought near Saalfeld and in General Knobloch's advance near Lobenstein and Steinwiese. He was wounded in the battle of Kunersdorf . He came to Stettin with General Knobloch, who had lost an eye . Then he returns to the army. Then he came to the staff of Frederick II , King of Prussia, and received his promotion to captain. In January 1760 he received from the king the task of replenishing the regiment in Breslau with recovered and recruits. In the ensuing siege of Breslau, the regiment served well. After the Battle of Liegnitz (1760) the regiment went to winter quarters in the Silesian Mountains.

In the war year 1761 the regiment came to the corps of General Platen . In September of that year it made an advance to Poland to destroy supplies of the Russian army. Graevenitz fought at Gröstin Monastery, where a large Russian wagon castle could be captured. Then it marched via Landsberg on the Warta to the relief troops in the direction of Kolberg . It was in action at Spie and was placed in the fortified camp of Duke Friedrich Eugen von Württemberg's corps . From there, supplies were to come from Stettin to Kolberg. The Platen Corps was supposed to secure the way and the Knobloch Regiment was stationed in Neumühle and Treptow . The city was trapped by the Russians and had to surrender after running out of ammunition. It was interned in Prussia, but after the death of Tsarina Elisabeth it was released to Breslau . Shortly afterwards it was withdrawn for the siege of Schweidnitz . In 1763, after the Treaty of Hubertusburg , Graevenitz received his own company.

In 1775 he became a major. During the War of the Bavarian Succession he became the commandant of Troppau . He became a lieutenant colonel and, in 1785, was transferred to the "Prince Heinrich" regiment as commander . After the inspection of the regiment by King Frederick II in 1786, he was so satisfied that he gave Graevenitz 2000 thalers as a gift. In 1790 he was a colonel and commanded a corps of 6000 men in the Kłodzko Mountains. In 1791 he received the order Pour le Mérite from Friedrich Wilhelm II . The following year he became major general and received the "Eckartsberg" regiment , at the same time he received the Ansbach-Bayreuth inspection .

With the First Coalition War , the French General Custine invaded Germany. After the conquest of Frankfurt am Main by the Prussians, Mainz was also included. After their conquest, Graevenitz became the commandant of Mainz fortress. His request to be transferred back to the field army was refused by the king and he returned to Ansbach-Bayreuth . After the Peace of Basel in 1795, he received the newly established Regiment No. 57 in Glogau and the South Prussian inspection. He then trained his troops and took part in numerous maneuvers, where they did very well. The Prince of Hohenlohe was very impressed and so was the king. Graevenitz received the Red Eagle Order , became Lieutenant General and in 1804 also received the Black Eagle Order . In 1805 Graevenitz secured the Prussian borders against the Russians in South Prussia . When the French advanced to Thuringia and Saxony in 1805 , Graevenitz also wanted to advance against them, which was rejected by the king out of consideration for Graevenitz's age. He was released in May 1806 with a pension of 2000 Talers and the appointment of General of the Infantry .

He then retired to his Rostersdorf estate. When the Fourth Coalition War broke out, he turned to the commanding officer of Glogau to offer his help. But the king prevented him from going back to the army. So he died on his estate in 1809.

family

He was married to Juliane Friederike von Grawert († December 1807) since 1764. She was the sister of General Julius von Grawert . He had the following children with her:

• Ludwig (died young)
• Ferdinand (1766–1846), Member of the Government ⚭ 1797 Eleonore von Vietinghoff called Scheel (1773–1864)
• Heinrich (1771–1823), Prussian second lieutenant
• Julie (1778–1816) ⚭ 1801 Meckel von Hemsbach, chamber councilor
• Wilhelm (1780–1849), Prussian major general

⚭ March 12, 1804 Friederike von Falkenhausen from the Wald house (1783–1823)

⚭ May 31, 1825 Bertha Schmeling (1804–1882)

• Friederike (1783-1820)

⚭ April 24, 1799 Julius Graf von Nayhaus and Cormons († 1814)

⚭ von Montowt, Prussian major

• Sophie (1786–1837) ⚭ Ernst von Bieberstein , Prussian colonel
• Gustav (1782–1815), Prussian second lieutenant

literature

• Deutsche Adelsgenossenschaft (Hrsg.): Yearbook of the German nobility . First volume, WT Bruer, Berlin 1896, p. 729 f.
• Schlesische Provinizial Blätter July 1810. pp. 43–59 ( digitized version ).
• Gothaisches genealogical pocket book of the noble houses. 1901. Justus Perthes , Gotha 1900. First year, p. 350.