Hermann Riedesel zu Eisenbach (1682–1751)

Hermann Riedesel zu Eisenbach

Hermann XX. Riedesel Freiherr zu Eisenbach (born November 22, 1682 at Eisenbach Castle ; † January 26, 1751 there ) was general and hereditary marshal of the Hessian landgraves .

family

Hermann came from the Altenburg branch of the Riedesel family . He was the son of Hermann XVI. Riedesel zu Eisenbach (1648–1690) and his wife Juliane Catharine nee von Langen (1622–1711). His eldest brother Johann Georg (1680–1731) became a Dutch officer and died on January 30, 1731. His second oldest brother, Johann Volprecht (1681–1707), became an officer (in Holstein) and died early. His sister Hedwig (1684–1741) married Johann Löw von Steinfurth († 1710) in 1709 .

Hermann remained unmarried throughout his life and had no children. With him, the Altenburg branch of the family died out in the male line. On March 26, 1746, he signed an inheritance contract with his Eisenbach cousin Hans (Johann) Volpert Riedesel von Eisenbach , according to which he should inherit the Altenburg Castle and his share in the Riedeselschen velvet trees and slopes.

However, Hans Volpert had a choleric temper and suffered from a nervous problem. Conflicts arose between the cousins ​​and on June 3, Hermann therefore made a will in favor of the two nephews of Hans Volpert, Hermann (1712–1773) and Georg Ludwig (1725–1800). There was then a legal dispute between Hans Volpert and his nephews of several years before the Imperial Court of Justice over the inheritance and the imperial order obtained by the family to exclude the sick Hans Volpert from succeeding as Hereditary Marshal of the Hessian Landgraves.

Life

When Hermann was born in 1692, his father was in the service of the Duke of Saxony-Eisenach . After the father's death, the duke's mother took care of the half-orphan and had Rector Zeitler teach him in Eisenach. In 1697 his mother sent him to continue his education at the higher school in Idstein . In the following year he was involved in disputes between students and officers of the local garrison and fled the consequences to Mainz , where he appeared under the name of Heinrich Rausch from Eisenbach. He was advertised as a cadet in General von Thüngen's regiment in order to earn a living. After a few months he was recognized by one of his uncle's servants and returned to his mother in Altenburg at the beginning of 1698.

In Altenburg he received private lessons from a theology student. From 1700 he studied for three semesters at the University of Giessen . For lack of money he had to drop out of this course. Under the guidance of a candidate in law, he then continued his studies in Altenburg for another year and a half.

Military career

In 1703 he joined the regiment on foot of Landgrave Friedrich I of Hessen-Kassel in Rheinfels as an ensign . He fought in the War of the Spanish Succession in the Battle of Donauwörth on July 2, 1704 and on August 13, 1704 in the Battle of Höchstedt and took part in the siege of Ulm .

He was promoted to lieutenant in 1705 and took part in campaigns in northern Italy and Brabant in 1706 and 1707. As part of these battles, the promotion to captain and later to major took place . As such, he performed garrison service from 1714 to 1717. From 1717 to 1723 he was a colonel in the Crown Guard in Polish service.

If he had survived all battles unharmed up to then, several accidents in peacetime led to serious injuries. During a foot operation, a field shearer treated his leg with alcohol, which became infected and caused severe burns that only healed after eight months. A powder keg exploded on a ship on the Vistula , causing a serious arm injury. In Elbing a shot from his pistol went off and he almost shot himself. All of these accidents happened on Sundays. From then on he only left the house on Sundays for church services. To cure the injuries, he took a cure in Wiesbaden .

In 1723 he moved as a colonel of a regiment on foot in the Electoral Saxon services, where he was promoted to major general in 1732 . In 1733 he succeeded General Friedrich Wilhelm von Kyaw in command of the Königstein Fortress , and in 1741 became Lieutenant General .

In 1745 his cousin Hermann XVIII died. Riedesel zu Eisenbach from the Eisenbach branch of the family and, as the eldest of the house, inherited the office of Hessian Hereditary Marshal. In 1747 he took his leave as a soldier and from then on lived at Altenburg Castle . In Altenburg he donated a church and a rectory from 1748 to 1750.

literature

• Karl Siegmar von Galéra: The Riedesel zu Eisenbach. From the Empire to the Rhine Confederation 1713–1806. 1961, p. 171 (family tree) and p. 177-185

Web links

Commons : Hermann Riedesel Freiherr zu Eisenbach (1682-1751)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Riedesel zu Eisenbach, Hermann XIX. Baron. Hessian biography. (As of February 27, 2013). In: Landesgeschichtliches Informationssystem Hessen (LAGIS).

Remarks

1. ↑ The numbering is inconsistent. Galéra speaks of Hermann XX., LAGIS of Hermann XIX.