Karl von Kerner

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Karl Friedrich Kerner

Karl Friedrich Kerner , von Kerner since 1806 , Baron von Kerner since 1812 , (* March 7, 1775 in Ludwigsburg , † April 12, 1840 in Stuttgart ) was a major general , landowner, metallurgical specialist, Bergrat and briefly Minister of the Interior of the Kingdom of Württemberg .

Grave of Karl von Kerner in the Hoppenlaufriedhof in Stuttgart

Military career

Karl Kerner was the son of Ludwigsburg Oberamtmann Christoph Ludwig Kerner , younger brother of the chronicler of the French Revolution Johann Georg Kerner and older brother of the poet Justinus Kerner . Until his confirmation , Kerner attended the Latin school in Ludwigsburg.

In 1789 he entered the High Charles School to study military affairs. After the death of Duke Carl Eugen and the dissolution of the Karlsschule, Kerner began his career in the Württemberg army in January 1794 as a lieutenant in the artillery of the new land militia . In the course of the coalition wars, Kerner came frequently to combat missions. The first temporary use of artillery occurred in the war year 1796. Since August 1799 Kerner belonged to the artillery corps under Lieutenant Colonel von Cammrer and fought against the French in the battles near Bietigheim , as well as during the campaign from 1800 to 1801 on the Danube. In 1802, the year of peace, he took part in the reorganization of the iron works near Freudenstadt . In 1803, Kerner moved to the riding battery in Esslingen am Neckar as a first lieutenant . During the campaign of 1805 on France's side against Austria , Kerner's promotion to staff captain and commander of an artillery company took place. In the war of Napoleon against the Kingdom of Prussia in 1806 and 1807, he distinguished himself as head of the Riding Battery so successfully that on December 10, 1806 he was made a Knight of the Order of Military Merit . This was associated with the personal and non-heritable Württemberg nobility .

Kerner's promotion to captain took place on January 5, 1807, that to major on April 17, 1807. In May 1807 Kerner became a staff officer in the field division and in December 1807 returned to Württemberg from the victorious campaign against Prussia. In the meantime, as a lieutenant colonel, he had been appointed commander of the Second Riding Battery. During 1808, Kerner was the Sousintendant of Roads. On November 5, 1808, King Friedrich promoted him to colonel . In the war against Austria in 1809, Kerner was Chief of the General Staff of the Field Division. After the successful use of Kerner's batteries in the Battle of Abensberg , he became commander of the Order of Military Merit and an officer of the French Legion of Honor . In January 1810, Kerner returned to the Württemberg garrison from the war against Austria.

He acquired the large Schnaitberg estate near Essingen from the funds of a royal donation , which he quickly converted into a model business thanks to good management. He also took on the position of director of the mining and steel works in Christophstal , Ludwigstal , Zizenhausen , Harras and Bärental. On November 6, 1811 he was promoted to major general and on March 11, 1812 appointed quartermaster general. In the Russian campaign in 1812 he was wounded in the battle of Borodino and on October 24, 1812 he was made hereditary baron. For his services he was awarded the Commentary Cross of the Order of the Württemberg Crown in 1818 and was knighted by the Order of Frederick in 1830 .

Director of the iron works

In the spring of 1813, Kerner left active military service and became director of the mining, smelting and ironworks section in the Württemberg finance department. In addition to this function, he briefly came from February 26, 1817 to November 10, 1817 as a member of the Secret Council at the head of the Department of the Interior. In 1824 Kerner became President of the Bergratskollegium. He succeeded in working with Wilhelm von Faber du Faur to improve the fresh process through the successful adaptation of the blast furnace wind heating known from England. Overall, the Württemberg iron production under Kerner's management experienced a considerable and sustained upswing.

family

On March 12, 1810, Kerner married the widow of the government councilor Volz. As the successor to his father, he had been a senior bailiff in Ludwigsburg. Kerner's wife Christiane née Weckherlin (1766-1846), who was nine years older than him, had three children from his first marriage and gave birth to Kerner's only daughter, Karoline (Lina) Friederike, on December 16, 1810. In 1834 Lina married Fidel von Baur-Breitenfeld, who later became Minister of War . From this marriage comes Kerner's granddaughter Tony Schumacher , who was a well-read children's book author in her day.

publication

  • Considerations about the mounted artillery, their organization, use and tactics. Ludwigsburg 1803.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Royal Württemberg Court and State Handbook 1808. p. 23.
  2. ↑ Royal Württemberg Court and State Manual 1839. P. 51.
  3. ↑ Royal Württemberg Court and State Manual 1828. P. 31.
  4. ↑ Royal Württemberg Court and State Manual 1839. p. 39.
personal data
SURNAME Kerner, Karl von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Kerner, Karl Friedrich Freiherr von; Kerner, Karl
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Württemberg major general and interior minister
DATE OF BIRTH March 7, 1775
PLACE OF BIRTH Ludwigsburg
DATE OF DEATH April 12, 1840
Place of death Stuttgart