Max Galster

Friedrich Karl Gustav Max Galster (born November 29, 1852 in Berlin , † July 25, 1928 in Kiel ) was a German naval officer , most recently rear admiral and port captain of Kiel.

Rear Admiral Max Galster, 1905

Max Galster with wife Luise, 1920

Life

origin

He was the second of three children of the later Prussian major general à la suite of the army Karl Christian Galster (born January 22, 1818 in Herford ; † February 18, 1882 in Hameln ) and his wife Charlotte Pauline Johanne, née Schulze (born August 1 , 1882 in Hameln ) 1824 in Herford; † March 8, 1900 in Kiel). She was the daughter of the Prussian lieutenant colonel and commander of the 8th artillery regiment Ferdinand Hans Robert Schulze.

Coming from a family of officers, Galster, like his brother Karl , decided early on for a military career.

Military career

On April 26, 1868, both brothers joined the Navy of the North German Confederation as cadets .

Galster received his first military training on the ships SMS Gefion , SMS Niobe and SMS Friedrich Carl as well as at the Kiel Naval School . After his appointment as a midshipman in 1869, he served on SMS Arcona , on the artillery training ship SMS Renown and on the corvette SMS Ariadne . In July 1872 promoted to lieutenant at sea , he was posted to the Admiralty from mid-October 1873 to the end of February 1874 . Subsequently, Galster was transferred to the smooth cover corvette SMS Augusta as a watch officer , where he was promoted to lieutenant at sea on November 18, 1875 . Further commands followed as officer on watch from 1876 to 1881 on the Aviso SMS Preußischer Adler , the brig SMS Rover , the corvette SMS Hertha , the frigate SMS Friedrich Carl and the tank frigate SMS Friedrich der Große . In the meantime, from 1878 to 1881 Galster had the I. to III. Coetus graduated from the Naval Academy.

As a lieutenant captain , he was employed as first officer on SMS Grille and as navigator on the corvette SMS Carola . From 1883 to 1886 Galster was a company commander in the 1st Sailor Artillery Department. At the end of September 1886 he emigrated to Africa and was in command of the gunboat SMS Hyäne from November 10, 1886 to October 11, 1887 . He then worked as first officer on the ironclad SMS Hansa , joined the artillery training ship SMS Mars in the same function on April 6, 1888, and was promoted to corvette captain on December 18, 1888 . He received the patent for this rank on February 19, 1889. From December 2, 1890, Galster was commander of the 1st Sailor Artillery Department for two years. During this time he was entrusted with the management of the business as the commandant of Friedrichsort and as the commander of the ship's boy department.

On December 7, 1892, he emigrated to Zanzibar to take over command of the SMS Alexandrine from January 15, 1893 . Due to malaria , Galster had to give up the command on July 24, 1893 and started his journey home to Germany via Buenos Aires . After his return he was appointed commander of the 2nd division of the 1st sailor division in Kiel on October 30, 1893 and promoted to sea captain on June 24, 1894 . As such, Galster was given command of the ironclad SMS Baden on September 24, 1894 , which he had to surrender almost two months later due to illness. To 11 March 1895 he was available to the Chief of the Naval Station of the Baltic Sea and was on this date for disposition made.

From January 30, 1899 to August 28, 1905, Galster was reused as a ZD officer. During this time he acted as port captain for Kiel and was also the head of the settlement office of the Baltic Sea naval station. In the meantime, Galster had received the character of Rear Admiral on June 22, 1905 .

family

Galster was married to Marie-Luise Eckermann (1861–1943), sister of Vice Admiral Richard Eckermann , and had three children with her. She was the daughter of the Privy Council of Justice in Kiel and Dutch consul Karl Heinrich Rudolf Eckermann (1824–1904).

Galster's sons also served in the Imperial Navy . Erich Galster (1884–1929) last as frigate captain, Max Galster (1888–1963) last as captain lieutenant. The latter was involved in the defense of Tsingtau against Japanese troops during the First World War and was taken prisoner by Japan.

literature

• Dermot Bradley (eds.), Hans H. Hildebrand, Ernest Henriot: Germany's Admirals 1849-1945. The military careers of naval, engineering, medical, weapons and administrative officers with admiral rank. Volume 1: A-G. Biblio Publishing House. Osnabrück 1988. ISBN 3-7648-1499-3 . Pp. 408-409.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Kurt von Priesdorff : Soldatisches Führertum . Volume 9, Hanseatische Verlagsanstalt Hamburg, undated [Hamburg], undated [1941], DNB 986919780 , pp. 42-43, no. 2734.
2. ↑ Short biography of Max Galster. In: Tsingtau and Japan 1914-1920 - Historically Biographical Project. Retrieved March 23, 2016 .