Friedrich Wilhelm Bernhard von Prittwitz

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Friedrich Wilhelm Bernhard von Prittwitz (born December 10, 1764 in Berlin , † October 2, 1843 in Casimir, Silesia) represented the Lubusz aristocratic opposition in the years 1808–1811, mediating against the reform forces in Prussia under Karl August von Hardenberg . He initiated and financed the renovation of Quilitz / Neuhardenberg , for which he was able to win Karl Friedrich Schinkel as the architect for representative buildings.

Life

Friedrich Wilhelm Bernhard was born in Berlin in 1764 as the eldest son of the king's savior Joachim Bernhard von Prittwitz . Kronsohn , baptized in the presence of the King of Prussia, Friedrich II. , Did not embark on a military career, but studied law and Camarilia (finance) at the University of Frankfurt / Oder and began his professional career as a finance advisor in the 1st department of the Wroclaw chamber districts. After the death of his father in 1793 and the takeover of the inherited goods together with his brother Carl Heinrich, he bought the entire inherited property in 1797 and thus became the new landlord in Quilitz (today Neuhardenberg). From 1798 he was employed as a secret finance councilor in the Royal Ministry of Finance in Berlin, he developed a great deal of activity as a planning builder in Quilitz, as a promoter of local primary education and as a political mediator between the Lubusz aristocratic opposition and Berlin. Under the impression of financial bottlenecks after a village fire in 1801 and the resulting conflicts with parts of the village population, he gave the property back to the crown in 1811 and moved to his ancestral home Silesia, where he lived until his death in 1843 (on Gut Casimir, Leobschütz / Silesia) lived.

Activity as builder

From 1798 to 1811 Prittwitz initiated and financed the reconstruction of the Quilitz (Neuhardenberg). In addition, he was able to win the - at that time completely unknown - Gilly student Karl Friedrich Schinkel as an inspiring architect for representative buildings, such as the dairy house in the Bärwinkel Vorwerk, the schoolhouse, the estate and the castle church. This is how early Schinkel architecture of cultural and historical importance was created in Neuhardenberg.

Promoters of primary education

When he took over the estate, Prittwitz was confronted with the fact that most of his subjects could not even write their names. Since he saw the inadequate school education as a cause of conflicts between rulers and subjects, he strongly advocated better primary education, above all for better staffing with teachers and better training. He did this successfully against resistance from the communities.

Political mediator

Prittwitz was particularly active from 1808 to 1811 in the dispute between the reform forces surrounding the Prussian minister and (from 1810) state chancellor Karl August von Hardenberg on the one hand and the conservative forces surrounding Friedrich August Ludwig von der Marwitz on the other hand as a moderate mediator of the interests of the nobility. In this dispute, the Kurmark Junkers were concerned with maintaining their noble privileges, especially in the financial field. The struggle broke out over a higher burden due to a tax reform to be implemented by Hardenberg as well as a higher contribution of the nobility to the settlement of the costs of the Napoleonic occupation and the contributions to France. Thanks to his knowledge of financial policy and his networking in Berlin, Prittwitz was able to represent the interests of the Lebuser landed aristocracy most knowledgeably and effectively. On February 17, 1809, he received a special power of attorney from the estates of the Lubusz district for an extraordinary meeting of all estates in the Kurmark. Conversely, State Chancellor Hardenberg called Prittwitz as the most important and influential representative in the state parliament of the Kurmark estates on October 27, 1810, in the assembly of notables of selected representatives to enforce his reform October edicts. Between February 25, 1809 and April 15, 1810 alone, Hardenberg noted eleven meetings with Prittwitz.

Prittwitz was characterized as the politically most active, skilful and influential Lebuser in Berlin during the struggle between the reformers around Stein and Hardenberg with their conservative opponents around Marwitz from neighboring Friedersdorf and Finckenstein from Madlitz. He negotiated with both sides and was a man of compromises.

Documents / sources

Hundreds of written evidence are available for Prittwitz's committed work as a landlord, builder, promoter of primary education and political mediator. However, there is no picture of him - and even his grave site is unknown.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Fred Nespethal 2003, The Prittwitz era 1763–1811 in Quilitz / Neuhardenberg, Schloss Neuhardenberg, p. 6
  2. ↑ Fred Nespethal 2003, The Prittwitz era 1763–1811 in Quilitz / Neuhardenberg, Schloss Neuhardenberg, p. 8
  3. ↑ Eckart Rüsch: On the history of building and settlement from Quilitz to 1814, in: Quilitz - Marxwalde - Neuhardenberg 1348–1998. Testimony to German History and European Architecture, ed. from the Ostdeutsche Sparkassenstiftung im Land Brandenburg, Michael Sandstein Verlagsgesellschaft mbH Dresden, pp. 48–72
  4. ↑ Eckart Rüsch: On the history of building and settlement from Quilitz to 1814, in: Quilitz - Marxwalde - Neuhardenberg 1348–1998. Testimony to German History and European Architecture, ed. from the Ostdeutsche Sparkassenstiftung im Land Brandenburg, Michael Sandstein Verlagsgesellschaft mbH Dresden, pp. 48–72
  5. ↑ Fred Nespethal 2003: The Prittwitz era 1763–1811 in Quilitz / Neuhardenberg, Neuhardenberg Castle, pp. 14–17, reference to BLHA Rep. 3B 1 St. 56/1.
  6. ↑ Fred Nespethal 2003: The Prittwitz era 1763–1811 in Quilitz / Neuhardenberg, Schloss Neuhardenberg, p. 15
  7. ↑ Fred Nespethal 2003: The Prittwitz era 1763-1811 in Quilitz / Neuhardenberg, Schloss Neuhardenberg, pp. 17-22
  8. ↑ Fred Nespethal 2003: The Prittwitz era 1763–1811 in Quilitz / Neuhardenberg, Schloss Neuhardenberg, p. 17, reference to Annex 31
  9. ↑ Fred Nespethal 2003: The Prittwitz era 1763–1811 in Quilitz / Neuhardenberg, Schloss Neuhardenberg, p. 19
  10. ↑ Fred Nespethal 2003: The Prittwitz era in Quilitz / Neuhardenberg 1763–1811, Neuhardenberg Castle, Annex 14, p. 16
  11. ↑ Fred Nespethal 2003: The Prittwitz era in Quilitz / Neuhardenberg 1763–1811, Schloss Neuhardenberg, Annex 14, p. 15
personal data
SURNAME Prittwitz, Friedrich Wilhelm Bernhard von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Prussian landlord
DATE OF BIRTH December 10, 1764
PLACE OF BIRTH Berlin
DATE OF DEATH October 2, 1843
Place of death Casimir, Silesia