Johann Nepomuk of Appel

Johann Nepomuk Freiherr von Appel (1900)

Johann Nepomuk Martin Appel (* 11. November 1826 in Sikirevci , Empire of Austria ; † 7. September 1906 in Gradisca , Austria-Hungary ) was an imperial privy councilor , Teresienstadt Knights , Cavalry General , Commanding General in Banat , then state leader of Bosnia -Herzegovina and Colonel of Infantry Regiment No. 60.

Life and family

Johann Nepomuk von Appel came from a family with an old military tradition. His father Joseph Ritter von Appel (1785–1855) was a Lieutenant Field Marshal and Brigadier in Caransebesch , his mother was Baroness Rzikowsky von Dobrzitz.

The paternal grandfather, Franz Seraph Appel, was Chief War Commissioner and Lieutenant Field Marshal, Uncle Christian Freiherr von Appel (1787–1854), Adjutant General of Emperor Franz I and Emperor Ferdinand I , while Uncle Ludwig Appel (1809–1875) was Lieutenant Field Marshal. His brothers were Christian Ritter von Appel (1831-1859), captain in the general quartermaster staff, and Josef Freiherr von Appel (1823-1888), lieutenant field marshal.

Johann Nepomuk von Appel was married to Johanna Körtvelyessy, daughter of the Imperial and Royal Higher Regional Court Council and landowner of Temesrekas .

career

Carlo Bossoli: Battle of Solferino

Battle of Podol near Langenbruck 1866

The fortifications in front of the Temeswar State Theater around 1900

On September 1, Johann Nepomuk joined the Infantry Regiment Ludwig Grand Duke of Baden No. 59 as a volunteer, came from the cadet academy in Graz to the Uhlan Regiment of Emperor Ferdinand IV on November 2, 1843 , and made the campaigns against Piedmont in 1848 as a first lieutenant and Hungary in 1849 with distinction and was honored with the Military Merit Cross with war decoration. On March 1, 1854, he was assigned to the newly established Uhlan Regiment No. 12, "Emperor Ferdinand II., King of the Two Sicilies" as Rittmeister 1st class.

After he was promoted to major on November 28, 1858 , he went with his unit, the Uhlan Regiment No. 12, in 1859 in the campaign against France and Piedmont. Here he proved himself first by exploring the hilly terrain as the head of an independent patrol unit south of Lake Garda, but especially by several intrepid attacks to cover the retreat in the battle of Solferino on June 24th of that year. He lost his left eye, severely wounded by a gunshot in the face. For his achievements he received the Order of the Iron Crown 3rd Class and the Knight's Cross of the Austrian-Imperial Leopold Order, both with the war decoration (KD.). In a spontaneous decision, Emperor Franz Joseph I decided to elevate him to the baron status on January 28, 1860 and, as a further recognition of his bravery, the Knight's Cross of the Maria Theresa Order on May 21 of that year.

On October 29, 1863, the baron became colonel and commander of the Uhlan regiment Emperor Franz Joseph No. 4. He fought against the Prussians as the commander of a brigade of the 1st Light Cavalry Troop Division under Feldmarschalleutnant Freiherr von Edelheim great care and courage in Langenbruck , Sichrow , Gitschin and Königgrätz . For his exemplary behavior in the German War , he was awarded the Order of the Iron Crown, 2nd Class with the War Decoration, and on November 16, 1866, was appointed Commander of the Central Cavalry Course, and was promoted to this post on November 9, 1867 (rank of May 9th 1870) Major general, from January 28, 1874 also commander of the 25th Infantry Troop Division. (After the central cavalry course was closed in 1875, he was honored with the Commander's Cross of the Austrian-Imperial Leopold Order, and in 1881 with the title of a Secret Council).

Only a few years later, on November 1, 1874 (rank of October 27 of the year), Appel was promoted to Lieutenant Field Marshal . In this rank he held the post of commanding general of the Temescher Banat and that of the fortress commander of Timisoara from August 2, 1881 to April 8, 1882 . From 1872 the commanding general of the Temescher Banat was also the fortress commander of Timisoara.

After he was promoted to general of the cavalry on May 1, 1882 (with rank of April 27 of the year) , he was appointed commanding general in Sarajevo and head of the provincial government in Bosnia and Herzegovina on August 9, 1882 . During this time, the general enabled good economic development, among other things by building an efficient school and medical system as well as an agrarian reform and thus contributed to the flourishing of the occupied territories.

Further declarations of honor followed: On the occasion of the emperor's jubilee in government, the diamonds for the Military Merit Cross (December 2, 1898), the Grand Cross of the Royal Hungarian Order of Saint Stephen (October 1, 1900) and on his departure as officer and head of Bosnia-Herzegovina on December 1. December 1893 the diamonds for the Maria Theresa Order and a personal letter of thanks from the emperor for services rendered. The retirement came into effect on January 1, 1904 after 63 years of service.

Johann Nepomuk Freiherr von Appel was an honorary citizen of Sarajevo , Mostar , Dolni-Tuzla , Travnik , Bihać and Zenica . According to him, the Appel Quay was in Sarajevo until 1919 (now Obala Kulina Bana) named on which on 28 June 1914 posted seven assassin to Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria to murder.

Awards (selection)

Knight's Cross of the Military Maria Theresa Order

• K. k. Military Merit Cross (KD.) With diamonds , 1849/1898 (diamonds)
• Order of the Iron Crown 3rd Class (KD.) , 1859
• Knight's Cross of the Austrian Imperial Leopold Order (KD.) , 1859
• Knight's Cross of the Maria Theresa Order with diamonds , 1860/1903 (diamonds)
• Order of the Iron Crown 2. (KD.) , 1866
• Commander of the Austrian-Imperial Leopold Order , 1875
• Grand Cross of the Royal Hungarian Order of Saint Stephen , 1900

literature

• Jan Lukés: Military Maria Theresa Order: Drafted and arranged through the authorization of the Order based on authentic sources. Imperial-Royal Court and State Printing House, Vienna 1890, p. OA
• Anton Peter Petri : Biographical Lexicon of the Banat Germans. Th. Breit Verlag, Marquartstein 1992, ISBN 3-922046-76-2 , p. OA

Web links

• German biography , Appel, Johann Nepomuk Martin Freiherr von
• Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon , Appel, Johann Nepomuk, Freiherr von
• Austrian State Archives , Antonio Schmidt-Brentano: The kuk generals 1816–1918.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Anton Peter Petri: Biographical Lexicon of the Banater Deutschtums. Th. Breit Verlag, Marquartstein 1992, ISBN 3-922046-76-2 .
2. ↑ ^{a b c} German biography , Appel, Johann Nepomuk Martin Freiherr von
3. ^ Books.google.de , Alfred Anthony von Siegenfeld : Genealogical paperback of the noble houses of Austria
4. ↑ Jan Lukés: "Military Maria Theresa Order: Drafted and arranged on the authorization of the order according to authentic sources", Kaiserlich-Königliche Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, Vienna 1890, p. 139 ff.
5. ↑ austro-hungarian-army.co.uk , military Maria-Theresien-Orden 1859-1914
6. ↑ V. Streffleur: Austrian military magazine, Volume IV, Volume 4, Supplement No. 22 of November 15, 1863, Druck- und Kommissionsverlag Carl Gerold's Sohn, Vienna 1863, p. 163
7. ^ Alfred Anton von Siegenfeld: "Genealogical pocket book of the noble houses of Austria", Verlag O. Maass' Sons, Vienna 1905, p. 38 f.
8. ^ ^{A b} Antonio Schmidt-Brentano: The kk or kuk Generalität 1816–1918, Austrian State Archives, 1907, p. 5
9. ^ Anton Peter Petri: The fortress commanders of Temeschburg and Arad. New Banat Library, No. 31, Mühldorf am Inn 1988.
10. ^ Ordinance sheet for the Imperial and Royal Army: Personnel Affairs, Volume 53, No. 48, of December 5, 1893, KK Hof- und Staatsdruckerei., Vienna 1904, p. 693
11. ^ Alfred Anton von Siegenfeld: Genealogical pocket book of the noble houses of Austria. Verlag O. Maass' Sons, Vienna 1905, p. 43.