Julius von Plänckner
Julius von Plänckner (born February 9, 1791 in Penig ; † March 12, 1858 in Gotha ) was a German soldier and cartographer . In 1829 he undertook the first continuous hike on the Rennsteig and defined the course of today's hiking trail for the first time.
Life
Youth and military career
Plänckner, born the son of a pastor, developed an interest in the military at an early age. At the age of thirteen he joined Altenburg in 1804 as a cadet in the Saxon-Gothic "Regiment Hereditary Prince" stationed there . In the autumn of 1804 he was made an ensign and in the spring of 1805 a lieutenant . In 1807, his regiment belonging to the troops of the Rhine Confederation took part on Napoleon's side in the siege of Kolberg against the troops around August Neidhardt von Gneisenau . In 1809 he participated in the suppression of the Tyrolean uprising , in 1810 his regiment was sent to Spain . During this campaign he was promoted to Prime Lieutenant , but fell seriously ill and returned home in June 1811.
In July 1811 he was appointed captain and in February 1812 he had to leave for Russia with his company, where his company formed part of the rearguard of the retreating French army. In 1813 the Gotha troops were assigned to the occupation of the besieged Danzig . During an outpost battle on March 5, 1813, Plänckner distinguished himself in such a way that he was awarded the Cross of the Legion of Honor . After the Battle of Leipzig , the Saxon princes joined their allies, and now Julius von Plänckner took part in the 1814 and 1815 campaigns against France .
Through the Congress of Vienna , Duke Ernst III. received the small principality of Lichtenberg from Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and took over the duchy of Saxe-Gotha in 1826 . Plänckner was entrusted with the order of the military situation in the Principality of Lichtenberg, which the Duke sold to Prussia in 1834. In 1834 he took over the leadership of the Coburg battalion as a major , in 1840 he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and in 1842 he returned to Gotha as colonel and regimental commander.
Work as a cartographer
Plänckner used the peace years after 1815 to study geography , and turned to cartographic drawing and meteorology . He first appeared in public with a view and description of the eastern part of the Thuringian Forest . 1830-1832 it was with the direction of the road construction by Gotha about Ohrdruf and Oberhof according Suhl entrusted. His work in the Thuringian Forest prompted von Plänckner to deal with the Rennsteig . In 1829 he hiked in five days (43.5 hours in total) over the Rennsteig from Blankenstein an der Saale to Hörschel an der Werra , to the points that he had previously determined as the start and end of the high trail due to the topographical conditions. He described his hike in 1830 as a commentary on his view of the northwestern part of the Thuringian Forest . On the basis of Plänckner's travel report, Karl Herzog's Magdeburg pocket book for travelers recorded a map engraving in which the Rennsteig was drawn for the first time in its entire length of 168.3 km and through which the route was introduced into cartography. Plänckner later mapped the Rhineland and the Fichtel Mountains .
Later life and death
In 1842 Plänckner became a colonel and regimental commander in Gotha. In 1848 the Gotha battalion was mobilized and moved to Erfurt under Plänckner's leadership . When his regiment marched on the Anger in Erfurt, he suffered a stroke . He remained a nursing case for ten years until he died on March 12, 1858. The Duke gave him an escort of honor at his funeral on March 16, 1858 .
Works
Works by Julius von Plänckner:
- 1839, Piniferus: Pocket book for travelers in the Fichtelgebirge digitized
- 1841, Franconian Switzerland , digitized
Honors
- An obelisk with an inscription near Oberhof honors his contribution to the construction of the road from Gotha to Suhl.
- A vantage point at the highest point of the Rennsteig, south of the summit of the Großer Beerberg, is called "Plänckner's View". The Rennsteig Association dedicated a memorial plaque to Plänckner at this location on November 13, 1898 .
- A memorial stone was erected in his honor near the start of the Rennsteig in Hörschel .
literature
- Max Berbig: Plänckner, Julius von . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 53, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1907, p. 72 f.
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Plänckner, Julius von |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German soldier and cartographer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 9, 1791 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Penig , Kingdom of Saxony |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 12, 1858 |
| Place of death | Gotha |