Leopold von Kleist

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Leopold von Kleist (born March 29, 1872 in Winzig ; † January 14, 1946 at Sandfort Castle ) was a Prussian officer and close collaborator of Kaiser Wilhelm II.

origin

Leopold Emmerich von Kleist came from the Zützen branch of the 1st line (Tychow-Dubberow) of the Kleist family, first mentioned in 1263 with the knight Conrad Cleist, from the Pomeranian nobility . The Zützen branch had been a count since October 20, 1840 ( primogeniture and linked to the property of the Fideikommiss Zützen with Gersdorf, Luckau district , Niederlausitz ). As the third son of the Prussian Colonel Oskar von Kleist (1832–1889) and Elfriede von Beöczy (1840–1913), he did not meet this requirement, he was not entitled to the title of count.

Life

Kleist graduated from the cadet corps and on March 24, 1890, was transferred as a second lieutenant to the 2nd Guard Field Artillery Regiment of the Prussian Army . Here he rose to prime lieutenant and from 1896 worked as a teacher at the field artillery shooting school in Jüterbog . While being promoted to captain , Kleist was transferred to the 1st Grand Ducal Hessian Field Artillery Regiment No. 25 as battery chief on October 8, 1898 . In 1901 he returned to his main regiment in the same position until Kleist was transferred to the staff of the 4th Guards Field Artillery Regiment on April 14, 1907 . In this position, he was the January 27, 1910 at character as Major awarded. He received the patent for this rank on December 20, 1910. On March 20, 1911 he was reassigned to the 2nd Guards Field Artillery Regiment.

He was promoted to colonel and acted as adjutant to the wing of Kaiser Wilhelm II. With this court-related position, Kleist belonged to the immediate entourage of the monarch, who valued and promoted him. In 1926 he made him head of the general administration of the formerly ruling Prussian royal house and plenipotentiary, a position corresponding to the former minister of the royal house . He held this office until 1932.

In this special position of trust he was awarded the Royal House Order of Hohenzollen with Swords by Wilhelm II . In addition, he was an honorary knight of the Order of St. John . He was also a landlord on Haltauf in the Wohlau district in Silesia .

Since September 24, 1898 he was married to Luise Countess von der Schulenburg (1879-1966), the daughter of the member of the Prussian manor Werner von der Schulenburg-Burgscheidungen . The marriage resulted in the son Karl Wilhelm von Kleist and three daughters.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Bentner: The Royal Prussian Guard artillery. Volume 2, Appendix, p. 156. ES Mittler & Sohn , Berlin 1894.
  2. ^ Military weekly paper . No. 49 of April 16, 1907, p. 1128.
  3. ^ Military weekly paper. No. 38 of March 22, 1911, p. 858.
personal data
SURNAME Kleist, Leopold von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Kleist, Leopold Emmerich von (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Prussian officer and head of the general administration of the former ruling Prussian royal family
DATE OF BIRTH March 29, 1872
PLACE OF BIRTH Tiny
DATE OF DEATH January 14, 1946
Place of death Sandfort Castle