Friedrich von Keßler (General)

Friedrich Wilhelm Alexander Franz Keßler , from 1864 von Keßler (born March 10, 1814 in Berlin , † November 9, 1891 in Wiesbaden ) was a Prussian lieutenant general .

Life

origin

Friedrich was a son of the Prussian court doctor Heinrich Keßler (1768–1842) and his wife Marie, née Krause (1782–1859).

Military career

Keßler joined the 12th Infantry Regiment of the Prussian Army on November 18, 1832 and was promoted to second lieutenant by mid-February 1835 . In 1841/44 he worked as a teacher at the division school of the 5th division and then until the end of August 1846 as a teacher at the Knight's Academy in Liegnitz . In 1847 he returned as a teacher at the division school of the 5th Division and in March 1848 took part in the suppression of street fighting in Berlin . He was then used in the campaign against Denmark in the battles near Schleswig , Düppel , Viuf , Alminde and Vejle as well as the bombardment of Fredericia in 1848/49 .

Keßler was promoted to captain at the end of June 1852, was in command as a company commander in the 2nd Battalion in the 12th Landwehr Regiment in Spremberg in 1853/54 and was appointed company commander in his main regiment on June 6, 1854 . This was followed by a position as major and commander of the 2nd battalion from March 6, 1858 to May 7, 1860 in the 25th Landwehr Regiment in Jülich . Subsequently, while being transferred to the 28th Infantry Regiment, he was commanded as the leader of the 2nd Battalion in the 25th Combined Infantry Regiment. The 5th Rhenish Infantry Regiment No. 65 emerged from this association on July 1, 1860 and Keßler was appointed commander of the 2nd Battalion on this date. In this capacity, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel on October 18, 1861, and in mid-April 1862 he was transferred to the 4th Brandenburg Infantry Regiment No. 24 in Havelberg as commander of the 2nd battalion . Keßler led his battalion in 1864 during the war against Denmark in the battle near Rackebüll , the siege and the assault on the Düppeler Schanzen as well as the transition to Alsen .

For his brave behavior in front of the enemy, King Wilhelm I paid tribute to him on April 9, 1864 by elevating him to hereditary Prussian nobility . He was also awarded the Mecklenburg Military Merit Cross and the Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords. On April 18, 1865, Keßler was transferred to Rendsburg as commander of the 4th Posenen Infantry Regiment No. 59 and was promoted to colonel on June 18, 1865 . At the same time he was in command of the port of Kiel from September 8 to December 31, 1865 . In 1866 Keßler led his regiment during the German War in the Main Campaign in the battles near Hausen, Uettingen and Roßbrunn as well as in front of Würzburg . After the peace agreement he received the Order of the Red Eagle III for his work . Class with swords. Transferred to officers from the army, he was promoted to major general on July 22, 1868 with a patent from July 3, 1868 . He was appointed commander of the 15th Infantry Brigade in Erfurt on October 18, 1868 and took part in the battles near Beaumont and Sedan and the siege of Paris with his large unit in the war against France in 1870/71 . Keßler was awarded both classes of the Iron Cross and the Schwarzburg Cross of Honor, 1st Class with Swords.

On the occasion of the religious festival he received in January 1873 Red Eagle II. Class with oak leaves and swords on rings before it on March 11, 1873 presentation of the character as a lieutenant general with board for disposition was made.

family

Keßler married Erne von Roëll (1843–1922) on September 29, 1863 in Havelberg . The following children were born from the marriage:

• Ernina (* 1864) ⚭ Paul von Roëll (1850–1917), Prussian district administrator of the Meseritz district
• Harry (* 1866), Prussian major

⚭ 1895 Else Rückfort (* July 14, 1876; † June 26, 1903)

⚭ 1905 Käthe Rathiens (born November 17, 1881)

• Viktorin (* 1874), Prussian lieutenant colonel, Knight of Honor of the Order of St. John ⚭ 1901 Elfriede Magarethe Ottilie Kreßmann (* July 12, 1881)

literature

• Kurt von Priesdorff : Soldier leadership . Volume 8, Hanseatische Verlagsanstalt Hamburg, undated [Hamburg], undated [1941], DNB 367632837 , pp. 14-15.
• Königliches Herolds-Amt (Ed.): Handbook of the Prussian nobility. First volume, ES Mittler & Sohn, Berlin 1892, p. 260.
• Gothaisches genealogisches Taschenbuch der Briefadeligen houses, 1913, seventh year, p.404f