Karl von Ergert

Karl von Ergert (* 1795 in Gabel , † July 16, 1865 in Prague ) was an Austrian officer and successful cavalry commander during the Risorgimento 1848–1849.

Life

Ergert was born into a wealthy family of councilors and manufacturers and initially studied philosophy at Charles University in Prague. There he was a member of the Prague Student Legion, which took part in the fight against Napoleon. His family's company was badly affected by the Napoleonic Wars (see Franz Ergert ), which probably promoted Ergert's decision to take part in the liberation struggle. He volunteered and became a cadet in the Chevauxlegers Regiment No. 4, the famous Windischgrätz Dragoons .

Ergert received his baptism of fire near Schlettstadt (1815). 1821 his regiment moved to Naples , where he was a brigade - adjutant of Major General Baron von Taxis acted. This was followed by long years of peace in various garrisons.

When the Piedmontese Revolution broke out in northern Italy in 1848 , Ergert, as the commander of a division of his regiment, made a significant contribution to the maintenance of the Mantua fortress and thus to the successful suppression of the revolution in the city and region of Mantua . Ergert led u. a. also for the fortress commander General Gorzkowski , who did not speak Italian, negotiations with the fanatical population. He then commanded his division with distinction in the battles for Castelnuovo and at the Battle of Santa Lucia .

At the victorious battle of Novara in 1849 Ergert was the commander of the 2nd majors division of his regiment, which formed the avant-garde of the 4th Austrian Army Corps . With this he secured the endangered passage of the corps over the Agogna Bridge through an unauthorized action against enemy artillery . During the attack, his horse was hit by a shrapnel from under his body . After crossing the Agogna, the corps successfully broke through the right flank of the Piedmontese. The day after the battle, Ergert had the honor of riding into the city of Novara with his Chevauxlegers at the head of the Austrian troops .

Ergert later commanded the Dragoon Regiment No. 6 "Count Ficquelmont" for a time . However, due to years of hip disease, he was no longer given his own regimental command and in 1856 said goodbye. His son was also a cavalry officer in the Austrian army.

literature

• Peter Frank-Doefering, Adelslexikon des Österreichischen Kaisertums , Herder 1989
• Anton Ernstberger , Bohemia's voluntary war effort against Napoleon 1809 , 1963
• Gustav Ritter Amon von Treuenfest, History of the Dragoon Regiment Field Marshal Alfred Fürst Windisch-Graetz No. 14 , Vienna 1886
• FJ Grüll, campaign of the kk Austrian army in Italy in 1848. According to kk field files , Vienna 1860
• Josef Strack, History of the Sixth Dragoon Regiment Carl Ludwig Graf Ficquelmont , Vienna 1856