Karl Emil of Brandenburg
Karl Emil Prince Elector of Brandenburg (born February 16, 1655 in Berlin , † December 7, 1674 in Strasbourg ) was the second son of the Great Elector .
Life
Karl Emil was the second son of the Great Elector Friedrich Wilhelm of Brandenburg and his first wife Luise Henriette of Orange . After the first son Wilhelm Heinrich died in the second year of life and the Electress had to endure several unfortunate pregnancies, the long-awaited heir to the throne was finally born in Karl Emil.
The electoral prince was in every respect, not only with regard to the succession to the throne, a gift for the father, he grew almost to be his own image. That was not only true for the appearance, Karl Emil was strong and well-built, but even more for the spirited, quick-tempered character and the pronounced tendency to act manly: the military and the hunt came first. The most effective means of taming him was to take the prince's sword for a few days.
In 1670 Karl Emil became head of the Radziwiłł on foot regiment . In 1674 the Brandenburg army set out for Alsace to take part in the Imperial War against France - headed by Elector Friedrich Wilhelm and the young Prince Elector Karl Emil, who was enthusiastic about the war. The campaign was exhausted in a tough maneuvering about, the imperial commander-in-chief Bournonville seemed - for whatever reason - to shy away from a military conflict rather than seek it.
A cold, wet autumn came, followed by a lack of supplies and hygienic problems, and muddy water increased the sick leave of the elector's troops every day. A chamberlain, Dietrich von Buch, wrote in his diary that the Prince Elector
"He took on his service with so much diligence early and late, constantly visited the camp, especially the sick, led the people to work on the entrenchments and did everything with ... much zeal and good manners."
Karl Emil fell ill at the end of November and was brought to Strasbourg at the beginning of December . After seven days of rising fever, he died of dysentery .
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Karl Emil of Brandenburg |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Karl Emil Prince Elector of Brandenburg |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Son of the great elector |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 16, 1655 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Berlin |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 7, 1674 |
| Place of death | Strasbourg |