Justus Siebein

General Justus von Siebein

Justus Ritter von Siebein (* July 1750 in Iggelheim , Palatinate , † August 24, 1812 in Polotsk , Russian Empire , today Belarus ) was a Bavarian general, commander of the Military Max Joseph Order and knight of the French Legion of Honor .

Life

origin

Grave slabs of General Siebein's parents, Iggelheim cemetery

He was the son of kurpfälzisch Reformed Church Council and pastor Johann Nikolaus Siebein and its from Hassloch originating wife Anna Maria, née Müller. Siebein was the second of eight children. The boy was given the baptismal name Justus Heinrich, the last name of which refers to the godfather Johann Heinrich Morèe, Reformed pastor in Mutterstadt . Father Siebein, born in Mannheim as the son of an electoral castle baker and oat knife, officiated as a reformed pastor in Iggelheim from 1746. In 1755/56 he had the still existing Reformed church of the village rebuilt (while retaining the historic tower), in 1764 the rectory (Hasslocher Str. 6) and in 1769 a new reformed schoolhouse. After the early death of his wife in 1765, the clergyman remarried in 1769. The second woman was called Susanna Piscator, the pastor's daughter from Annweiler . The gravestones of both of the general's parents have been preserved to this day and are located in the outer area of ​​the church mentioned. Characterizations noted on the tombs of the mother read: "... lived in a good marriage ... walked before God with a sincere heart ..." ; with the father (Pastor Siebein): "... the world as a philanthropist, your community as a loyal shepherd, your children as the most tender father ..." . The exact date of birth of General Siebein is no longer known due to damage to the church register in the French Wars. As early as 1810, during his lifetime, investigations showed that “the protocol (= church book) had been hidden by the war riots and had thus become extremely corrupt (= bad, spoiled)” .

Military career

General Justus von Siebein

Siebein joined the Electoral Palatinate Army on March 4, 1766, at the age of 15, as a cadet in the infantry regiment "Pfalzgraf Karl August" . Apparently, the young man's military talent was soon recognized, as he rose rapidly up the career ladder. On April 30, 1771 he was promoted to ensign and on January 8, 1776 to adjutant . In 1777 the Electoral Palatinate and Bavaria were united under Elector Carl Theodor . In the new Palatinate Bavarian Army (from 1803 Bavarian Army ) Siebein received on July 1, 1778, was promoted to second lieutenant , on March 8, 1781 Lieutenant , January 13, 1787 Captain and finally on 20 November 1788 Major . In 1792 he was used in the newly established General Staff, before he became lieutenant colonel on December 24, 1792 and served in this batch in various infantry regiments ( fusiliers and grenadiers ) until 1799 . On May 7, 1799, a company of the 3rd Fusilier Regiment, a company of the 12th Fusilier Regiment and two companies of the Zweibrücker Guard Regiment were set up to form an independent battalion and Siebein was appointed its commander. The battalion was initially called "Combined Battalion Siebein", later only "Battalion Siebein". With this formation, Siebein joined the Palatinate Bavarian contingent in August 1799, which was subordinate to General Korsakov's Russian army under the command of General Freiherr von Bartel as a subsidiary force financed by England. Here he made the campaign against the French revolutionary troops, namely the battle of October 17, 1799 at the Paradies monastery . At the end of March 1800 Siebein became the commander of a combined grenadier battalion, with which he took part in the fighting against France, which was now starting again under Colonel Carl Philipp von Wrede . Here he distinguished himself particularly in the battles of Mößkirch (May 5, 1800), as well as at Biberach and Memmingen (May 9 and 10, 1800). Wrede, who was promoted to major general, wrote to Elector Max IV Joseph (later King of Bavaria) on May 17, 1800:

" " .... because of the staff officers the excellent Lieutenant Colonel Siebein, Major Count Pompei, Major Delamotte ... have distinguished themselves excellently and your electoral Serene Highness acts of bravery, determination and zeal for the highest interest, in that Lieutenant Colonel Siebein, Major Count Pompei and Major Delamotte, what On foot, led their battalions with rare persistence into the strongest cannon, grapefruit and small rifle fire and attracted the admiration of the whole army, certainly willing to reward, so I, Lieutenant Colonel Siebein, undertake to become the colonel of the two battalions "Wrede "And" Delamotte "to propose." "

On May 26, 1800, Siebein was promoted to colonel and commander of both battalions, which he led in the further course of the campaign and met on June 5 at the Weidenbühler Höhe, but especially on June 27 at the meeting near Neuburg the Danube , so distinguished that it was awarded the Electoral Palatinate-Bavarian Military Badge of Honor , at that time the highest order of bravery in the electorate, with a cabinet order of August 20, 1800 . Before the fighting against the French ended, Siebein and his battalion defended the bridgehead at Wasserburg am Inn on November 28, 1800, and held their own there successfully.

When a commission met after the war to improve the Bavarian army in general, Siebein was also appointed. In June 1801 he returned to active field service. From August 28, 1802, he commanded the troop contingent which the previous duchy of Bamberg took possession of for Bavaria, whereby the prince-bishop's agent, Commissioner Anton Joseph Martin, stated that Siebein showed himself to be both a statesman and a soldier; "As a statesman because of his extensive political knowledge, as a soldier because of his serious behavior that brings everyone to respect" .

At the side of France

On September 28, 1804, Siebein advanced to major general and almost exactly one year later, on September 27, 1805, he became chief of the 6th Bavarian Brigade, which he led in the war against Austria. Here he and his troops were only stationed near Ingolstadt , operated from October 14th to 17th against the Austrian general Franz Freiherr von Werneck, stayed on the Ilm to cover the back of the French army against the Austrians and was finally forced to march sent to Tyrol to strengthen the Bavarian corps there under General Wrede. The army order of January 6, 1806 transferred Siebein the supreme command of the Bavarian troops in Tyrol. Bavaria, three times caught between the fronts of the warring parties, had broken away from the anti-French coalition, had been allied with the overpowering France since September 1805 and, in order to consolidate this alliance, at Napoleon's request, entered into relatives with his family. After the elector's daughter Auguste consented to her marriage to Napoleon's stepson (later adopted) Eugen Beauharnais , Viceroy of Italy, on New Year's Eve 1805 , the imperial herald was able to announce in the streets of Munich on New Year's Day 1806 that Elector Maximilian IV Joseph had the title " King of Bavaria " accepted; from then on he called himself King Maximilian I Joseph . The new king immediately donated the Military Max Joseph Order named after him on March 1, 1806, as the highest honor for bravery of the now kingdom, which was awarded until 1918. Siebein was one of the first knights of this renowned order, because as the bearer of the Palatinate-Bavarian Military Decoration, the highest decoration of bravery to date, he was automatically accepted into the foundation of the new Military Max Joseph Order, combined with the personal nobility title of " Knight of “. Siebein even received the 2nd class of the order, the Commander's Cross.

Together with France was the 1806/07 campaign against Prussia place where Siebein the 1st Brigade of the 1st Bavarian Division "Deroy" commanded and particularly in November 1806 before Glogau , in December 1806 before Breslau and in June 1807 before Glatz excelled . His bravery is expressly mentioned in the various army orders. In 1809 the French and Bavarians marched together against Austria, with their armies becoming involved in legendary skirmishes with the rebellious Tyroleans under Andreas Hofer . Siebein initially commands the 3rd Bavarian Division here. He gave this to the higher-ranking General Erasmus von Deroy when Crown Prince Ludwig (later King Ludwig I ) appeared on the theater of war and took over a division himself. As now to leaders of the 1st Infantry Brigade of the 3rd Bavarian Division "Deroy" makes Knights of Siebein the rest of the campaign in Austria and Tyrol with and is finally on June 15, 1809 with the highest French bravery, the Cross of the Legion of Honor decorated . Towards the end of the campaign, on June 9, 1810, the man from Palatinate was promoted to commander-in-chief of all Bavarian troops in Tyrol. After the fighting was over, on February 11, 1811, he took over a brief peacetime position as chief of the Nuremberg General Command , before he went to that terrible war against Russia at the age of 61 , which he and so many of his comrades were supposed to pay with their lives.

Campaign against Russia

It is known that King Max Joseph was reluctant to take part in this campaign. In the event of a victorious outcome, he would be even less important compared to the overpowering France and would become even more dependent. A defeat could easily degenerate into a catastrophe, perhaps even cost the land and the throne, because the victors would be harmed by him as Napoleon's comrade in arms. Moreover, the tsarina was a sister of his wife; his son, Crown Prince Ludwig (later King Ludwig I), was already hostile to the company and - after seeing how the French dealt with the Tyroleans - refused any active participation. The approximately 30,000 Bavarians ordered to campaign against Russia formed (apart from six regiments of cavalry and the 13th infantry regiment, which were later used separately) under the French Colonel General Laurent de Gouvion Saint-Cyr , the VI. Army corps of the "Great Army", which in turn was divided into the 19th (Bavarian) and 20th (Bavarian) divisions under the commanding Bavarian generals Erasmus von Deroy and Carl Philipp von Wrede . Siebein led the 1st Infantry Brigade of the 19th (Bavarian) Division under General Deroy. The Bavarians marched through Görlitz , Glogau and Lissa to Poland , crossed the Vistula in May 1812 and reached Lyck on June 22nd . A few days later they crossed the Niemen , to July 13, 1812 - so far without a fight - in Vilnius engage. On July 14, between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., Emperor Napoleon took over the march of the Bavarian troops southwest of this city. It was a bleak day, the sky was gray and overcast with clouds, it was pouring rain. Nevertheless, the two Bavarian divisions - among them General Siebein - marched through with tinkling games and flying colors, everything in perfect order and impeccable posture. The two Bavarian commanders Deroy and Wrede took a few steps to the right and left behind the emperor on their horses and were happy about his praise and recognition. The march was continued without further delay, via Asinski (July 14th), Trokiniki (July 15th), Glubokoje (July 21st) and Uschatz (July 25th) to Beschenko. There the persecution of the Tsar's army , which was evading inland, was stopped and the troops were given a few days of rest. As early as August 5th, Napoleon ordered the march to continue at a rapid pace in order to rush to the aid of the II Army Corps under Marshal Charles Nicolas Oudinot, which was involved in hard fighting near Polotsk / Belarus .

First battle of Polotsk

Battle of Polotsk, August 18, 1812

The Bavarians arrived in Polotsk on August 16, 1812, with just under 10,000 combat-ready soldiers (less than half of the army corps) and a few thousand sick people. The first battle of Polotsk was fought here and the fate of Siebein was to come true. Polotsk is not entirely unknown in the West today because of its famous Archbishop Josaphat Kunzewitsch , who was murdered in 1623 and canonized in 1867, and now rests in a glass coffin in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. At the beginning of the 19th century, it was a town built mostly from wooden houses, with a mighty Jesuit monastery (French-Bavarian headquarters) and around 12,000 inhabitants, located on the right bank of the Daugava, connected to the opposite suburb of Little Polotsk by a bridge. The Polota a deeply excavated river with spiral run, opens on the west side of the city into the Daugava . From August 17th, the Bavarians intervened in the fighting, initially mainly associations of the 20th (Bavarian) division "Wrede". On this day massive attacks by Russian troops followed; The Bavarians and the French, however, were able to maintain their positions. Commander-in-chief Marshal Charles Nicolas Oudinot was wounded by a cannonball, and General Laurent de Gouvion Saint-Cyr took his place. On August 18th at four in the morning, the heavily decimated 20th (Bavarian) Division “Wrede” was replaced by the 19th (Bavarian) Division “Deroy”. Your 1st Brigade commands Siebein. At 4 p.m., 34 Bavarian guns fired from the left Polotaufer at the Edelhof Primenitza on the other side of the river, giving the signal for an assault on this Russian headquarters. To ring the monastery bells (later the theme of an ode), the warriors wade through the Polota River and with the enthusiastic cry “Long live the King!” The Bavarians rush to their opponents. During the storming of the Russian headquarters, the 68-year-old General Erasmus von Deroy from Mannheim led his division personally in the heaviest fire and received a shot in the stomach, from which he died five days later. While still on the stretcher, the seriously injured general encourages his men to fight. In the murderous grape fire, the French begin to flee, almost dragging the Bavarians, confused by the loss of their commander, with them. This is where General Siebein intervenes and becomes the hero of the day alongside the unfortunate Deroy. Despite the fact that large numbers of the retreating French break through the Bavarian lines backwards, he storms on undeterred with his troops and conquers Primenitza Castle in a stroke of a hand. The Russians, who believe they are victorious, either flee wildly or are massacred. The tsarist army was also in distress in other places and had to back down. Then their commander, General Wittgenstein , decided to retreat; it was already getting dark. In order to be able to withdraw without further losses, the Russian let loose his entire cavalry on the enemy. With wild cries the Russian squadrons chased just outside the walls of Polotsk. The mist rising from the swampy ground and mixed with powder vapor, as well as the onset of dusk, favored the attack. Twenty French cannons had just been captured and General St. Cyr was threatened with capture when Siebein and his brigade rescued the situation. They had just captured Primenitza, but he immediately put his batteries in position against the Russian cavalry. This fled, leaving behind its prey, because of the unexpectedly strong Bavarian counterattack. That happened around 9:30 pm; the battle of Polotsk was finally decided. Not least thanks to the courageous commitment of Ritter von Siebein, the Bavarians and the French had triumphed and General Wrede consequently appointed him on August 19th in place of Deroy, who was struggling with death, as commander of the 19th (Bavarian) division.

Sieben's end

Laurent de Gouvion Saint-Cyr failed to pursue the defeated enemy immediately, which is why he was able to establish himself again near the city. It was not until August 22nd that a reconnaissance attempt was made after the withdrawn Russians, and the Bavarians, three hours away from Polotsk, encountered the first enemy vanguard in the forest near Gamzelowo on St. Petersburg Street. As the battle broke out, Siebein and his troops unexpectedly got into terrible cannon and grape fire, with the Palatinate being shot in the abdomen and having to be brought back to Polotzk. The Bavarian Army Daily Order of August 24, 1812 praised the "Oberfeldspitalmedicus Dreßler, who the day before yesterday under the greatest bullet and grape fire, not only helped carry General von Siebein away from the battlefield, but also when he himself received a graze on the cheeks, has not left him [...] ” and then reports: “ The brave Major General von Siebein just died this morning from the wound he received the day before yesterday. ” Often times, August 24, 2 am, is given as the time of death, while other sources - including the eyewitness, staff auditor Max von Stubenrauch, in his diary - name August 25, 2 a.m., as the time of death. On August 25th, at 5 p.m., the solemn burial of the highest-ranking Bavarians who fell at Polotsk took place. These were General Justus Ritter von Siebein and his compatriot from the Palatinate, General Erasmus von Deroy , as well as the officers Colonel Dominik Wreden, Colonel Friedrich Graf von Preysing, and Lieutenant Colonel Joseph von Gedoni. Their corpses were brought to rest with military honors on five black-draped wagons. The burial took place on the battlefield not far from the city, near the village of Spas, in the Jesuit chapel of St. Xaveri in a churchyard. In total, the Bavarians and the French counted 4,000 men killed in the dead and unable to fight.

Another fate of the Bavarian Army Corps near Polotsk

Bonaparte's soldiers had to endure another two months in the more and more fortified position near Polotsk, amid unspeakable privations. The onset of winter sealed their fate and that of the whole "Great Army". On the night of October 19-20, they evacuated the city, leaving the wounded and sick behind. This began the terrible retreat through the Russian ice desert for the Bavarian army corps, which had melted down to around 3800 men, in which hunger, cold, exhaustion and costly battles consumed the last strength of the troops. Walking skeletons wrapped in rags and horse blankets, their feet wrapped in straw or knapsack skins, strove for their homeland, which in the end only a few of them reached. The corps was almost completely destroyed; all Bavarian flags were lost, only to be laid at the feet of the Madonna of Kazan as a Russian war trophy in the Moscow church of the same name

Later keepsakes and memories

At the time of Emperor Napoleon, his "friendship", especially for the smaller countries within his sphere of influence, offered a certain guarantee of maintaining the greatest possible independence from him. Many German states - including Bavaria - therefore sought the favor of the French emperor instead of confrontation and accepted the fact that, as allies, they also had to set up their own army contingents for his campaigns of conquest. Only from this position of relative independence in connection with the intact, independent army structures, however, could the lightning-like uprising of the German states and the overthrow of the usurper succeed in 1813, when Bonaparte's star sank.

Obelisk on Karolinenplatz Munich

Probably in this sense, King Ludwig I of Bavaria had the motto: "They died for the liberation of the fatherland" written on the obelisk on Karolinenplatz in Munich , which he erected in 1833 as a memorial to the 30,000 Bavarian soldiers, who in 1812 fell under Napoleon's exile perished on the battlefields of Russia and the retreat. The lawyer and writer Sebastian Franz von Daxenberger wrote an ode to unveil this obelisk . General Siebein is mentioned by name and it says:

" " This is where Polotsk's overturned walls rest, on their blood-spattered weaponry, ... Oh, that monastery bell that gave the signal for the thunder of the guns must reach your heart with the sound that rings at the grave. You have to fill your eyes with hot tears and turn to those wounds that Siebein's and the old Deroy's coffin hid from the glowing, wide open gaze. " "

According to the city tradition in Polotsk, after the battle one of the polota bridges was literally covered with the blood of the warriors and was therefore called the "Red Bridge" from that point on. This bridge - which has since been renewed several times - still bears that name today and is always painted red in memory of the Napoleonic battles. There is also the St. Xaveri cemetery in Polotsk. The chapel with the grave of the Bavarian generals, which was once there, has disappeared; a condition that Field Marshal Prince Leopold of Bavaria , brother of the last Bavarian king and German Commander-in-Chief East, complained about during World War I (communication from the Bavarian War Archives to the author). Since nothing at all in the historical place reminded of his compatriots, who had fallen barely 100 years earlier, he wanted at least to have a memorial erected for them in July 1918, which unfortunately did not happen due to the unfavorable development of the war.

The only public memory of Siebein in Germersheim was the “Siebeinstrasse” , in the area of ​​today's port industrial area, where the “Vorwerk Siebein” named after him was located until large parts of the Germersheim Fortress were razed in 1920.

In 1991, a chapter in the book “1000 Years of Iggelheim” was dedicated to the probably most important son of the community and his family. In the Heimatjahrbuch Nr. 24 (2007/2008) of the Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis (to which Iggelheim belongs) a commemorative article was published by Joachim Specht on the 195th anniversary of Siebein's death with the title: “Here rest Polotsk's fallen walls” .

literature

• Karl Gemminger: Bavarian Thatenbuch. 1830.
• Baptist Schrettinger: The Kgl. Bay. Military Max Joseph Order and its members. Munich 1882. pp. 812-818.
• Ludwig Bencker, Friedrich Sixt: Bavaria in the war since 1800. 1911.
• Peter Leuschner: Only a few came back. 30,000 Bavarians with Napoleon in Russia. 1980.
• Norbert Hierl-Deronco: With very strange fame and Eyfer. CVs Bay. Soldiers. 1984.
• Reinhold Schneider: Iggelheim, a village and its history. 1991.
• Joachim Specht: This is where Polotsk's fallen walls rest. Heimatjahrbuch Nr. 24 (2007/2008) of the Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis.

Web links

Commons : Justus Siebein  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ^ Hasso Dormann: Field Marshal Prince Wrede. The adventurous life of a Bavarian military leader , Süddeutscher Verlag, Munich 1982, p. 89f. Quote with reference to: Max Leyh: The campaigns of the Bavarian Army under Max I. (IV.) Joseph from 1805 to 1815. Volume VI. Part 2 , Max Schick Verlag, Munich 1935, Annex 11.