Heinrich Bartelsen

Johann Heinrich Bartelsen (born April 9, 1806 in Schleswig , † August 27, 1866 in Kappeln ) was a German captain.

family

Heinrich Bartelsen came from a family whose relatives worked as boatmen and farmers on Maasholm . His father Johann Heinrich Bartelsen (born June 16, 1776 in Maasholm; December 25, 1814 in Schleswig) was a captain and married to Maria Dorothea, née Bruhn (born June 12, 1781 in Maasholm; August 29, 1870 in Schleswig). He himself married Dorothea ( Doris ) Johanna Faßmann on May 17, 1830 (born February 28, 1811 in Kiel ; February 26, 1896 in Schleswig). Her father Johann Christian Faßmann (1781–1814) was married to Maria Sophia Friederica, née Brauer (1787–1852). The Bartelsen couple had 16 children. Ten of these daughters died after their father died.

Live and act

Bartelsen's youth are not documented. Like many members of his family, he took up the profession of skipper. As a 22-year-old he owned the freighter “The 6th Insulaner”. With this, and then from 1833 with the yacht “Dorothea”, he drove to the southern and western Baltic Sea and to Lübeck for trading purposes . Here he came into contact with democratic and liberal currents in the 1840s. During the Schleswig-Holstein uprising he stood up for the Germans. He did not fight in the army, but helped the soldiers where he could.

Bartelsen's approach in the battle near Eckernförde made him known nationwide. Together with Ludwig Theodor Preusser , who was in command of the south hill in Eckernförde, he crossed over to Christian VIII . A fire had broken out inside the ship; the boat is unable to maneuver. He informed the Danes to hand over the ship. Preusser and Bartelsen initiated rescue measures for the Danish seafarers. Bartelsen drove the arrested captain Frederik August Paludan ashore and then set a course for the frigate "Gefion" with four volunteers, in order to also request its crew to hand over. Bartelsen brought the commanding officer, an officer and 25 people ashore. After the "Christian VIII." Had exploded, he secured the Gefion with volunteers and transferred it to the Eckernförde bridge.

After the Schleswig-Holsteiners had lost the battle near Idstedt, Bartelsen drove to Kiel on July 25, 1850 with the "Dorothea" to avoid possible imprisonment. Here he hid with relatives of his wife. He applied to be allowed to return to Schleswig and received a corresponding promise on March 1, 1851. He had to go under police supervision, but was allowed to go on trading trips again. In 1852 he made a toast to Schleswig-Holstein in an inn, which the Danish government saw as a political protest. Bartelsen was sentenced to 40 days in prison for this reason.

When troops of the German Confederation marched into Holstein at the end of 1863, Bartelsen offered his help. Due to his detailed local knowledge, he was supposed to serve as a naval officer in the Prussian General Command. The army administration gave him the order to ship all usable boats and ships that were to be used in planned maneuvers. When the troops crossed the Schlei near Arnis in a strategically significant way in February 1864 , Bartelsen marched along on the front line. Then he helped build a pontoon bridge over the Ekensund to Broacker . This made it possible to supply the troops during a siege of the Düppeler Schanzen that lasted several weeks . He also supported efforts to keep the Danish Rolf Krake away. He achieved his most important achievement on June 29, 1864. On this day there was again fighting in which the troops crossed the Alsensund. Bartelsen procured the 160 transport ships required for this. He also helped significantly with the design of the attack plans. The officers in charge of him gave him the highest recognition for his achievements. Bartelsen was also extremely popular and well-known among the population.

Bartelsen died a little later of the cholera from which he fell ill during a stay in Hamburg.

Honors

In 1864 Bartelsen was awarded the Royal Prussian Order of the Crown and the Order of the Red Eagle . In 1865, the city of Schleswig had a silver cup made in his honor, which is now in the Schleswig-Holstein State Library .

literature

• Rudolf Frercks: Bartelsen, Heinrich . in: Biographical Lexicon for Schleswig-Holstein and Lübeck . Volume 8. Wachholtz Verlag, Neumünster 1987, pp. 27-28.