Friedrich Hensel (captain)
Friedrich Hensel (born August 13, 1781 in Kronstadt , † May 17, 1809 in Malborgeth ) was an engineer captain in the Austrian Imperial and Royal Army and builder and commander of Fort Malborgeth, which he heroically defended against the Napoleonic army in 1809 .
Life
Archduke Johann of Austria as general director of genius and fortification (today: pioneer and fortress construction group) placed the order for the construction of a fortification in Malborgeth (Kanaltal) in mid-1808 and appointed the 27-year-old engineer captain Friedrich Hensel as construction manager. The Canal Valley and the Predil Pass were the key areas on the southern border of the Imperial and Royal Monarchy, and Archduke Johann am Isonzo deployed to protect it against the French army.
In the winter of 1808/1809 the construction work had to be interrupted; they were only resumed at the end of April 1809, when the defeat in the Battle of Eggmühl had suddenly changed the strategic situation of the Danube Monarchy and the southern army immediately had to withdraw to Inner Austria. The fortifications in Malborgeth thus became extremely important overnight for securing the retreat and for hindering the advancement of the Napoleonic army.
Hensel, who had been back in Malborgeth since May 11, 1809, continued to build the facility and asked Archduke Johann personally to take charge of the defense. The French troops under Viceroy Eugène de Beauharnais tried in vain from 14 to 17 May 1809 with 15,000 men to conquer the fort, which was defended by 390 Austrians with 10 howitzers and one cannon. When the French army finally succeeded with enormous casualties (1,300 French soldiers died on May 17 alone), 350 men were killed on the Austrian side, including Captain Hensel and four other officers.
The next day, Hensel's friend and comrade, engineer Captain Johann Hermann von Hermannsdorf , fell at the Predil Pass . Emperor Ferdinand I dedicated a hero monument to each of them (which is still looked after by the Italian state today), as their heroic efforts made possible the victory of Archduke Charles over Napoleon in the Battle of Aspern .
Honors
- The fortress built in Malborgeth from 1866 was called Fort Hensel .
- At the Theresian Military Academy a plaque commemorates Captain Hensel and Captain von Hermannsdorf
- Hensel sponsored the 1970 class at the Theresian Military Academy
- In 1911 the Malborghetgasse in Vienna- Favoriten (10th district) was named in memory of the battle.
- The Hensel barracks of the armed forces in Villach is named after him.
literature
- Constantin von Wurzbach : Hensel, Friedrich . In: Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich . 8th part. Kaiserlich-Königliche Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, Vienna 1862, pp. 309–312 ( digitized version ).
- Oscar Criste: Hensel, Friedrich . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 50, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1905, pp. 205 f.
- Karl Neuhofer: Malborghet 1809 . Österreichischer Milizverlag, Salzburg 1997, ISBN 3-901185-10-0 .
- Ulrike Weiss: Malborgeth 1881–1916 Fort Hensel. Pallasch special print 2, Österreichischer Milizverlag, Salzburg 2004.
Web links
- Hensel or Malborgeth works
- Fallen memorials online
- Tradition day of the traditional association
- Hensel, Friedrich . In: East German Biography (Kulturportal West-Ost)
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Digby Smith: The Greenhill Napoleonic Wars Data Book , p. 304. London 1998. ISBN 1-85367-276-9
- ↑ Karl Migglautsch, Ingomar Pust: The Canal Valley and its history , edition k3, Annenheim 1995, Publisher: Channel Taler Cultural Association; ISBN 3-901088-04-0 , p. 71
- ↑ Karl Migglautsch, Ingomar Pust: The Canal Valley and its history , edition k3, Annenheim 1995, Publisher: Channel Taler Cultural Association; ISBN 3-901088-04-0 , p. 72
- ↑ Ulrike Weiss: Malborgeth 1881-1916 Fort Hensel. Pallasch special print 2, Österreichischer Milizverlag, Salzburg 2004
- ↑ MilAk Jg. Hensel
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Hensel, Friedrich |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Austrian officer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | August 13, 1781 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Kronstadt |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 17, 1809 |
| Place of death | Malborgeth |