Karl Heinrich Stephan von Block

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Karl Heinrich Stephan von Block (born July 1, 1781 in Berlin ; † January 18, 1839 there ) was a Prussian lieutenant general and most recently commanding general of the II Army Corps ad interim.

Life

origin

His parents were the Prussian colonel , head of the 2nd artillery regiment and knight of the order Pour le Mérite Johann Carl Friedrich von Block (1735–1797) and his wife Charlotte Magdalene Amalie, born von Forestier (* 1756; † August 3, 1808) ).

Military career

As a child, Block followed his father onto the battlefield in 1792. General Ludwig Karl von Kalckstein wanted him to join his regiment as a Junker . But he should stay with his parents for the time being. On April 2, 1794 Block came as a private corporal in the infantry regiment "von Kalckstein" , for which a special permit from the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm II was necessary. He was actually supposed to stay at home now, but he prevailed and during the First Coalition War he stood on the Rhine in 1794/95 . Block became portepee ensign on July 12, 1794 and ensign on October 10, 1795. On February 2, 1801, he was transferred to the Duke of Braunschweig's infantry regiment as a second lieutenant . During his free time, Block studied a lot and also took classes with Scharnhorst . On September 26, 1805, he came to the Duke of Braunschweig as adjutant general . During the Fourth Coalition War he became the Duke's adjutant. Block fought in the battle near Sandau and was captured near Lübeck . He was released on his word of honor and went to Prenzlau , where he bought a country house in Annenwalde in the Uckermark and tried his hand at farming. The duke found him there and sent him as a courier to the king in Konigsberg .

After the Peace of Tilsit , Block was aggregated on foot to the Guards Regiment on February 5, 1808 . There he was on March 21, 1808 Premier Lieutenant and on November 12, 1808. In the meantime he wrote the article Reproduction of the previously customary shotgun shots and received a letter of thanks from the King on July 9, 1808. On June 12, 1809 he was promoted to staff captain , on April 29, 1811 he became captain and company commander in the fusilier battalion of the Guard. On April 3, 1812 he was promoted to major and on May 19, 1812 he was appointed commander of the Fusilier Battalion. During the Wars of Liberation , Block fought near Großgörschen , Leipzig and Paris . At Großgörschen he was seriously injured in the thigh, on December 8, 1813, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel with a patent from December 2, 1813. In addition, he received the Iron Cross 2nd class for Großgörschen on May 19, 1813 . On April 1, 1814, he was appointed commander of the 1st Foot Guards Regiment and for Paris he was awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class. On May 31, 1815 he was promoted to colonel (patent from July 3, 1815).

After the war, Block became inspector of the Guards and Grenadier Landwehr on February 7, 1816, and on March 13, 1816, he received an allowance of 900 thalers. On April 18, 1817 he was aggregated into the 1st Guards Regiment. For his achievements he received the Order of the Red Eagle  III on January 18, 1818 . Class and in the same year the Knight's Cross of the Military Maria Theresa Order and the Military Karl Friedrich Order of Merit . On April 3, 1820, he was promoted to major general with a patent from April 22, 1820. Shortly thereafter, on May 1, 1820, he became commander of the 1st Guard Landwehr Brigade. On January 18, 1828 he received the Order of the Red Eagle, 2nd class with oak leaves. From December 8, 1830, Block was in charge of the 11th Division . On March 30, 1832, he was appointed division commander. On January 18, 1833, he received the star for the Order of the Red Eagle, Second Class with Oak Leaves, and on March 30, 1835, he was promoted to Lieutenant General. On September 9, 1835 he received the Order of the Red Eagle First Class with Oak Leaves and on September 30, 1835 also the Russian White Eagle Order, Second Class. On March 30, 1838 he was appointed commanding general of the II Army Corps ad interim, before he died in Berlin on January 18, 1839 and was buried in the garrison cemetery on January 21, 1839 .

family

Block married Karoline Wilhelmine Henriette von Ahlimb on February 14, 1803 in Ringenwalde (* February 4, 1781, † October 16, 1823). The couple had several children:

  • Karoline Amalie Ottilie Adolfine Auguste (born July 5, 1803), lady-in-waiting to Princess Karl of Prussia
  • Amalie Christiane Wilhelmine Leopoldine (May 5, 1805 - July 18, 1830)
  • Wilhelm Karl August Otto (January 9, 1807 - January 13, 1808)
  • Egmont (born July 7, 1810), Major a. D. ⚭ Wilhelmine Marie von Werder (born September 14, 1817 - † October 20, 1849)
  • August (1812--13 July 1816)
  • Friedrich (born August 1, 1813)
  • Friedrich (born August 13, 1816 - † October 15, 1838), second lieutenant in the 1st Guard Regiment
  • Hugo (1818–1897), Prussian major general ⚭ Luise von Bülow (born November 27, 1827)
  • Emma (born October 11, 1819)
  • Karl (September 12, 1821 - May 6, 1827)

After the death of his first wife, he married Baron Juliane Wilhelmine von Seckendorff (* 1783 - April 4, 1857), widow of Lieutenant General Count Heinrich von der Goltz in Zepernick on November 1, 1825 . She was also buried in the garrison cemetery.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Jaromir Hirtenfeld : The Military Maria Theresa Order and its members. Edited from authentic sources. On the first secular celebration in 1857. Volume 2, Staatsdruckerei, Vienna 1857, p. 1312.
personal data
SURNAME Block, Karl Heinrich Stephan von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Prussian lieutenant general
DATE OF BIRTH July 1, 1781
PLACE OF BIRTH Berlin
DATE OF DEATH January 18, 1839
Place of death Berlin