Jean Pierre Barthélemy Rouanet

Rouanet's grave in Beeskow, Breitscheidstrasse

Jean Pierre Barthélemy Rouanet (born March 31, 1747 on the Septfaux estate in Languedoc ; † October 8, 1837 in Beeskow ) was a Franco-German soldier, educator, civil servant and writer.

Life

Rouanet was born in the diocese of St. Pons de Thomières, Hérault , the youngest of eleven children and destined for a spiritual career by his parents. However, he secretly left the University of Toulouse and became a soldier, but was not happy even in this capacity. After an interruption in his career as a soldier, several stays in prison and a desertion , he fled to Switzerland , where he was picked up by Prussian soldier recruits and taken to Breslau . In 1769 he became a member of the Potsdam Guard, but soon afterwards a teacher at the royal Pageschool . In 1781, after the intercession of his patron and sponsor Rhodich, he was given a position as senator and clerk in Beeskow. Although the population against the occupation of this place by a French and Catholics fought, Rouanet remained for decades in this office. His reputation increased during the Napoleonic Wars and the War of Liberation , as he was able to communicate with the French commanders and occupiers. In 1813 he prevented a battle between French army members and Prussian recruits in Beeskow, which, due to the superiority of the French, would certainly have ended with a defeat for the Prussians. Rouanet did not retire until 1828.

A descendant of Jean Pierre Barthélemy Rouanet was Emilie Rouanet-Kummer, who later became the wife of Theodor Fontane . His daughter Martha published the memoirs of her great-grandfather under the title From Toulouse to Beeskow . The Rouanet-Gymnasium Beeskow is named after Rouanet .

Web links

Commons : Jean Pierre Barthélemy Rouanet  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Literature by and about Jean Pierre Barthélemy Rouanet in the catalog of the German National Library