Friedrich Ludwig von Witzleben

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Portrait of Friedrich Ludwig von Witzleben (steel engraving, c. 1845).

Friedrich Ludwig von Witzleben (born May 9, 1755 in Wohlmirstedt , † March 16, 1830 in Cassel ) was a German forester , state councilor and general director of the domains, forests and waters in Hesse and the Kingdom of Westphalia , author of specialist forest literature and founder of the forestry school Waldau .

origin

Friedrich Ludwig von Witzleben comes from the Thuringian noble family von Witzleben and was the eldest son from the second marriage of the landowner Friedrich Wilhelm von Witzleben (1714–1791) with Christiane Amalie Countess von der Schulenburg (1732–1781) from the Wolfsburg family.

Live and act

education

Friedrich Ludwig received his first preschool lessons in his parents' house from a tutor , first in Langensalza , then on a father's estate. In his autobiography, he describes his behavior during these years as unsteady and that he preferred to focus on the art of hunting, fishing and bird trapping than learning the Latin language. At the age of 14 he was sent to the city school in Naumburg to learn the “old languages” such as Latin. The “strict school system” aroused a certain skepticism in his father, whereupon Friedrich Ludwig was sent to the royal pedagogy in Halle after 1¼ years . The focus of this school facility was on the natural sciences. Here he could also learn Latin.

In 1774, Friedrich Ludwig enrolled at the University of Jena to there jurisprudence to study. According to their own statements, the course in the first two semesters was characterized by “idleness” and preoccupation with aestheticism. In the third semester, however, Friedrich Ludwig found the “eagerness” to study and also dealt with camera science and building studies . In 1776 he was awarded a doctorate with the legal dissertation “ De portione statutaria in legitimam computanda ”. iur. did his doctorate and graduated in 1778. After completing his studies, he requested employment at various Saxon courts, which he did not succeed.

In Nassau service

At the beginning of 1779 he went to Dillenburg on the recommendation of relatives and applied to the Prince of Orange-Nassau , who was in The Hague . In December 1779, the decision came that he would find employment as a forester and that after the current boss, the chief hunter v. Röder is promoted. The basic requirement for this, however, was a one-year practical forestry training in Karlsruhe and in the Harz Mountains . In his autobiography, he describes this training as "not very instructive" with regard to forestry issues, but found the opportunity to familiarize himself with the management of mining and metallurgy.

At the end of 1780 he returned to Dillenburg and soon after began his journey to the court of his future sovereigns in The Hague. He was transferred to the "Chamber and Mining Commission" division, but only on probation and without binding powers or salary.

Due to his good performance in administration, he was promoted to forester on September 1, 1782 . A short time later he was given - in addition to his general official business - the administration of the forests of the sub-principality of Nassau-Siegen, which was united with Orange-Nassau . In 1785 he was promoted to chief forester , and - after the death of his predecessor, chief hunter v. Röder - in 1795 he received his post and at the same time the presidium of the mining commission.

Change to Hessen

After the French occupation of the Principality of Nassau, Witzleben went to the Landgraviate of Hessen-Kassel in 1796 . In 1806 Hesse-Kassel was conquered by Napoleon . Friedrich Ludwig von Witzleben was left in his post in the course of the administrative reform and the establishment of the Kingdom of Westphalia with the capital Kassel in 1807, because the French saw the local officials as best suited for the forestry departments. Under the French administration, he was promoted to Council of State and General Director of Domains, Forests and Waters. At his request, he was released from the domain management soon afterwards. However, he retained the supervision of the General Directorate of Forests until the end of the French occupation until 1814 .

After the occupation, Friedrich Ludwig von Witzleben was reinstated in his previous post as head hunter and head of forestry in the re-established Electorate of Hesse and he was appointed secret minister of state.

The forestry focus was now on promoting the training of young forest applicants . This was particularly evident in 1798 when the Waldau Forestry School was founded, which was closed again as a result of the turmoil of the war in 1815 .

Honors

family

He married Sophie Margarete Luise Freiin von Preuschen von und zu Liebenstein (1761–1863) in Dillenburg on December 31, 1782. This marriage gave birth to the following five children:

  • Annette (1783–1857), married to Anton von Hardenberg , younger brother of Novalis , since 1808
  • Ernestine (1784–1863), married to Karl Hartwig Gregor von Meusebach († 1847) since 1804
  • Caroline (1787–1860), married to Hartmann von Witzleben (1766–1841) since 1820
  • Friedrich (1790–1858), gentleman at Weidelshof, Hessian chief forest manager, married to Charlotte von Baumbach (1788–1847)
  • Karl (1794–1825), chamberlain and senior judge, married to Sophie Freiin Schenk zu Schweinsberg (1796–1873)

Witzleben was buried in the old Cassel cemetery next to the Luther Church. In the Kaufunger Wald above the Oberkaufungen hospital there is still a memorial stone that was erected there in 1818 for the 63rd birthday of Witzleben by his colleague, Johann Caspar Harnickell. Not far from there, an information board points out his work and his services to forestry.

Personality and Memberships

Gravestone of Friedrich Ludwig von Witzleben in the old Kassler cemetery next to the Luther Church.

The autobiography characterizes Witzleben as a cheerful and cheerful person with a personal affinity for nature.

In the course of his life he became a member of numerous learned societies:

  • Society of Friends of Natural Scientists in Berlin (since 1796). His monograph on the red beech forest is dedicated to her.
  • Since 1778 an active member of the Freemasons Association .
  • Latin Society of Jena
  • Forest and hunting law firm in Waltershausen
  • Wetterau Society for all natural history (since 1808)
  • Marburg Society (since 1817)

Works as a writer

  • Witzleben's main work is the one that appeared in 1795: About the right treatment of the red beech-high or Saamen forest, especially about the management of carefully educated, well and closed, previously regularly treated book forests , which appeared in the 2nd edition in 1805.
  • The direction of forestry requires political knowledge and appropriate regional studies; Explained from the Siegen coal-burning constitution (printed in Volume VII, 1791, of the Moser Forest Archives):
  • On nurseries and plantings (1796);
  • Contributions to wood culture (1797; 2nd ed. 1800);
  • Not yet recognized treatise on some enough and heeded causes of the shortage of wood (1800)
  • He also wrote essays that focus on practical forestry. These were printed in the volumes 1794–1806 of Ludwig von Wildungen's paperback for forest and hunting friends .

Sources and literature

  • FW Strieder's basis for a Hessian scholar and writer story. 17th volume, 1819. Edited by Justi , p. 197.
  • General Forst- und Jagd-Zeitung, 1847, p. 195 (biography).
  • Fraas , History of Agriculture and Forestry Science, pp. 557 and 566.
  • Bernhardt, Geschichte des Waldeigenthums etc., II, p. 271, remark 70, p. 292, 295, 330, 386, 397; III, p. 89, remark 112.
  • Richard Hess :  Witzleben, Friedrich Ludwig Freiherr von . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 43, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1898, pp. 671-675.
  • Adolf Tilmann, Statistical Description of the Wiesbaden Government District, Volume II, 1876, p. 18.
  • Roth, Geschichte des Forst- und Jagdwesens in Deutschland., P. 620. - Heß, Lebensbildender Outstanding Foresters etc., 1885, p. 417.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Friedrich Ludwig Freiherr von Witzleben, a pioneer of forestry Web site of memories on the net. Retrieved on April 1st, 2020.
personal data
SURNAME Witzleben, Friedrich Ludwig von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German forester, State Councilor and General Director
DATE OF BIRTH May 9, 1755
PLACE OF BIRTH Wohlmirstedt
DATE OF DEATH March 16, 1830
Place of death Cassel