Johann Rudolf von Merian

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Johann Rudolf von Merian (* 1717 in Basel ; † March 31, 1784 in Groß Salza ) was a Prussian major general , chief of the body cuirassier regiment and governor of Dreyleben and Sommerschenburg .

Life

origin

Johann Rudolf comes from the Swiss Gender Merian , which is the nobility in the French service purchased has. His father was Johann Rudolf Merian , his mother Abela, née Tiedemann. He was stationed in Itzehoe - therefore Merian was brought up in Holstein .

Military career

Merian studied in Basel from 1729 to 1732 and then went into Danish service. From 1733 to 1737 he was a Danish cadet , after which he took his leave. He took part in the Rhine campaign in 1735 and was wounded in the fighting at Clausen Monastery. After leaving, he traveled to England, among other places. In 1741 he went into Prussian service , joined the Dragoon Regiment No. 9 as a flag junior and in the same year he became an ensign and second lieutenant . During the First Silesian War he covered the retreat from Moravia with the troops . He led a dangerous patrol from Polsnowitz to Cremsic.

In 1747 he became a prime lieutenant . During the Seven Years' War he became a staff captain , captain and shortly afterwards major . In 1757 he fought in the Battle of Prague . In 1758, Lieutenant Colonel Zastrow defended a convoy with 400 horses against the Loudon Corps . Merian received the order to cover the artillery and the pontoons and to bring them to safety behind Goldberg. In the battle of Kunersdorf he was in the reserve when his squadron was sent to the rescue of 3,000 infantrymen. The regiment had many dead and wounded to mourn. The squadron, attacked by three Russian grenadier squadrons, lost 50 horses. Merian himself was seriously injured and was believed to be dead.

At Meuro he was there at the capture of the Lieutenant Field Marshal Gemmingen. Because of his bravery he was awarded the Pour le Mérite order . In 1759 he was captured in the battle of Maxen , from which he was exchanged in 1762. In the battle of Freiberg he led the attack on the enemy cavalry with eight squadrons. In 1769 Merian became commander of the regiment, in 1771 a lieutenant colonel and on May 22, 1772 a colonel. On January 16, 1779 he became major general and chief of the body cuirassier regiment. But he got weaker and weaker and was therefore released in 1782 with a pension of 1,500 thalers. He then retired to Grossen-Salza, where he died on March 31, 1784.

family

Merian had married Anna von Minckwitz in 1757 or 1759 . She was a daughter of Caspar Wilhelm von Minckwitz auf Dammelwitz in Silesia and Susanna Eleonore von Minckwitz, born von Minckwitz from the house of Rehnsdorf. The marriage remained childless.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Markus Lutz: Nekrologiger memorable Swiss from the eighteenth century. P. 339.
  2. ↑ Daniel Burchhardt- Werthemann: Ritter Johann Rudolf Merian. Retrieved May 24, 2020 .
personal data
SURNAME Merian, Johann Rudolf von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Merian, Johann Rudolph von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Prussian major general, chief of the body cuirassier regiment
DATE OF BIRTH 1717
PLACE OF BIRTH Basel
DATE OF DEATH March 31, 1784
Place of death Great Salza