Hermann von Dresler and Scharfenstein

Hermann von Dresler and Scharfenstein (around 1918)

Wilhelm Ernst Hermann von Dresler and Scharfenstein (born July 9, 1857 in Liegnitz , † April 13, 1942 in Göttingen ) was a German infantry general .

Life

origin

Hermann was the son of the Prussian Higher Government Council and department director in the government in Wiesbaden , Otto von Dresler and Scharfenstein (1805-1880) and his wife Emilie, née von Schachtmeyer (1824-1901). An older brother of the father was the Prussian Lieutenant General Eduard von Dresler and Scharfenstein (1801–1871).

Military career

Dresler and Scharfenstein kicked his upbringing as a commissioned officer with sword knot in the cadet corps on 15 April 1876 as a second lieutenant in the Hessian Fusilier Regiment. 80 in Wiesbaden one. From October 1, 1881 to September 30, 1884 he was adjutant of the Frankfurt am Main district command . With his promotion to Prime Lieutenant on December 11, 1886, he was transferred to the 4th Brandenburg Infantry Regiment No. 24 (Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin) in Neuruppin . On May 28, 1888, he was briefly assigned to the Danzig rifle factory for a month. To captain , he was promoted on November 17, 1891 Chief of a company of the 6th Pomeranian Infantry Regiment. 49 in Gniezno appointed. On December 15, 1900, Dresler and Scharfenstein were appointed commanders of the non-commissioned preschool in Greifenberg / Pomerania. There he became major on September 12, 1902 . As such, he took over the III. Battalion of the 6th Rhenish Infantry Regiment No. 68 in Koblenz . For five years from January 27, 1907, he acted as commander of the Biebrich NCO School, in the meantime became a lieutenant colonel on March 24, 1909 and then, at the same time as his promotion to colonel, on March 22, 1912, commander of the 3rd Magdeburg Infantry Regiment No. 66 in Magdeburg .

First World War

With the beginning of the First World War he was appointed commander of the 13th Reserve Infantry Brigade, which was subsequently used on the Western Front . On August 19, 1918, Dresler and Scharfenstein were promoted to major general . From March 2, 1915, Dresler and Scharfenstein led the 26th Reserve Infantry Brigade, which was subordinate to the XIV Army Corps . The unit was under him on July 1, 1916 in the fighting of Gommecourt as part of the Battle of the Somme .

On September 4, 1916, he replaced Viktor Kühne as commander of the Grand Ducal Hessian (25th) division during the Battle of the Somme . The division distinguished itself under his leadership in heavy fighting in France. On November 8, 1917, Dresler and Scharfenstein were awarded the order Pour le Mérite and on May 18, 1918 promoted to lieutenant general.

After the armistice of Compiègne , Dresler and Scharfenstein led his division back to the Hessian garrisons and after their demobilization was leader of the Hesse Free Corps . On 20 May 1919 he was at his own request to the disposition made and retires.

On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Battle of Tannenberg on August 27, 1939, he was given the character of a general of the infantry.

family

Dresler and Scharfenstein's sister was Franziska von Thaer, b. von Dresler and Scharfenstein (1843–1918). So he was an uncle of Albrecht and Georg von Thaer . He married Elfriede Elisabeth Müller (1868–1950) on September 23, 1889, and the couple had five children. The daughter Gerda (1896–1981), herself a PhD in economics, married on November 8, 1924 the later university professor and State Secretary Gerhard Weisser . Another daughter, Dorothea (1907–1982), married Heinrich Dannenberg , who later became a professor of biochemistry and researcher at the Max Planck Society , on October 26, 1951 .

literature

• Hanns Möller: History of the knights of the order pour le mérite in the world war. Volume I: A-L. Verlag Bernard & Graefe, Berlin 1935, pp. 240–242.
• Dermot Bradley (ed.), Karl-Friedrich Hildebrand, Markus Rövekamp: The Generals of the Army 1921–1945. The military careers of the generals, as well as the doctors, veterinarians, intendants, judges and ministerial officials with the rank of general. Volume 3: Dahlmann – Fitzlaff. Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück 1994, ISBN 3-7648-2443-3 , pp. 213-214.

Web links

Commons : Hermann von Dresler and Scharfenstein  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ^ Baron Marschall von Bieberstein: Genealogical paperback. 1888.
2. ↑ ^{a b} Peter von Brackel: Various pictures, articles, family tables and other things about the Thaer families (v. Thaer), especially the Pantener and Possible tribe, v. Dresler et al. Scharfenstein and Cruse (Kruse) as well as some ancestors and relatives of these families. without publisher, Bad Honnef 2005.
3. ↑ Ministry of War 322/11. A.1.a. dated November 7, 1867 published in Army Ordinance Gazette No. 19 of November 19, 1867.
4. ↑ Hans Dechend : History of the Fusilier Regiment von Gersdorff (Hess.) No. 80: and his main regiment of the Kurhessischer Leibgarde Regiment from 1632 to 1900. ES Mittler & Sohn, Berlin 1901.
5. ^ Alan MacDonald: A Lack of Offensive Spirit? The 46th (North Midland) Division at Gommecourt, 1st July 1916. 2008, GoogleBooks, p. 602.
6. ^ Alan MacDonald: The Order of battle, German, XIV Corps. Gommecourt.co.uk
7. ↑ Niemieckie Dywizje Piechoty i i Dowódcy 1914–1918. Armianiemiecka.tpf.pl (in Polish)
8. ↑ Casimir Hermann Baer: The war of nations. A chronicle of the events since July 1, 1914. Volume 19, Hoffmann, 1922, GoogleBooks p. 40.
9. ↑ Pourlemerite.org ( Memento of the original from November 24, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
10. ^ Georg Tessin : German associations and troops 1918–1939. Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück 1974, p. 82.
11. ^ Research Institute for War and Army History, German Army (ed.): The fighting in Southwest Germany 1919–1923. Volume 5: Representations from the post-war battles of German troops and Freikorps. ES Mittler & Sohn, 1939, GoogleBooks p. 124.