Otto Rimpler
Otto Rimpler (born April 30, 1801 in Königsberg , † May 4, 1882 in Naumburg (Saale) ) was major in the Prussian Guard Artillery Brigade until 1844 . During the German Revolution in 1848 he was the commander of Berlin's vigilante group from June to November . From 1850 Rimpler worked in the postal service.
The vigilante group in Berlin 1848
The German Revolution of 1848/49 experienced its first climax in Berlin with the barricade fighting of 18/19. March. The bloody confrontation, which left several hundred dead, caused the citizens to stand up for their own vigilante groups to maintain law and order while the military were to leave the city. On March 19, 1848, a crowd of people gathered in the courtyards of the Royal Palace "between 12 noon and 1 am" and brought the request to Minister Heinrich Alexander von Arnim to be armed. At around 2 p.m., Julius Rudolph Ottomar Freiherr von Minutoli , Holbein, Glaue, Haak, Dr. Woeniger, Deravanne and Krug signed the wall notice for the provisional provision for the organization of the vigilante: “His Majesty the King deigned to approve the civil arming at the request of the residents of Berlin. ... §3. The state bears the cost of arming. ... §5. The more detailed legal provisions of this organization will take place as soon as possible in the next few days. ”The king was forced to give in to these demands. The military had to leave Berlin (even if only for a short time), the king had to pay homage to the dead in the fighting and the vigilante group with a strength of initially around 15,000 and later 30,000 men was brought into being. For the most part only citizens of Berlin were admitted, so that the lower classes were excluded from service in the vigilante group. Initially, Karl Nobiling was in command, then Friedrich von Aschoff and, from the beginning of June, Johann Ludwig Urban Blesson .
Election to the commander of the vigilante group
As a result of the Berlin armory storm, Rimpler became the head of the vigilante group. The ministry Ludolf Camphausen and the police chief of Minutoli resigned - also under pressure from the royal court in Potsdam. Commander Blesson was blamed for the embarrassing behavior of the troops and he resigned on June 15. In his place, the vigilantes voted Rimpler with almost 75% of the votes against the former police president Julius von Minutoli from the “right” and Friedrich Wilhelm Held from the “left” side as the “interim commander”. In fact, he held the post until the dissolution of the militia on November 11, 1848.
“Before the Singakadamy I learned at noon that Major Blesson had announced his resignation and that I had been elected interim leader. I was inclined to refuse, but since the necessity in the current circumstances required a quick restoration of the command post, I decided to accept the election. "
Rimpler called on his comrades to be prudent and expressly warned them to only use the weapon in extreme emergencies.
Major Rimpler tried to maintain peace and order in Berlin and wanted to prevent tumult. He also focused on providing targeted information to the population. In an announcement dated June 21, he pointed out the imminent passage of infantry regiments. He expressly emphasized that the troops were not destined for Berlin, but were only on the way from Posen to Magdeburg.
Counter-revolution
On September 11th, 1848, the “ Kamarilla ” implemented the combat program to initiate the counter-revolution. For this purpose, a new ministry was appointed under the leadership of the cavalry general Friedrich Wilhelm Graf von Brandenburg . The protesting Prussian National Assembly was adjourned and allegedly relocated to Brandenburg for its own safety. The vigilante group was defined as a security risk by officially denying "the principle of civil arming".
When a vigilante deputation, led by Rimpler, wanted to congratulate Friedrich Wilhelm IV on October 15, 1848, he replied: “I know that a heroic and brave people is also a loyal one. But do not forget that you have the weapons from me and I demand it as a duty that you stand up for the preservation of order, the law and freedom. "
The news from Vienna at the end of October 1848 about the bloody suppression of the revolution by imperial troops (see: Revolution of 1848/1849 in the Austrian Empire ) worried the people of Berlin. Democrats introduced a motion to the Prussian National Assembly calling on the Prussian government to provide direct military support to Vienna. The request was rejected. On October 31, 1848, a request was passed to the central government in Frankfurt am Main to “take appropriate measures.” This decision sparked great outrage in the Gendarmenmarkt. One demonstrator was killed and several vigilantes were injured in the course of the tumult. In a dramatic appeal, Commandeur Rimpler called on the people of Berlin on November 2, 1848 to respect the resolutions of the National Assembly and to keep calm. After a warning from the Interior Ministry to the vigilante group, it was clear that any further violent clash would inevitably lead to the deployment of the military.
The Minister of the Interior, Franz August Eichmann, threatened the Berlin vigilante group "to requisition the armed military power immediately". The vigilante command "finds it a violation of the vigilante group and the city authorities with regard to the requisition of the military officer given and recognized assurances by the ministers, and has accordingly lodged custody with the minister of the interior."
Army units had moved up around Berlin, and their entry into the capital was only a matter of orders.
After the commander of the vigilante Major a. D. Rimpler declared that he could not defend the city against the royal troops with the forces available to him, called on the National Assembly for passive resistance. On November 10, 1848, the army with a strength of 13,000 soldiers and 60 guns under the leadership of Wrangels was therefore able to enter through the Brandenburg Gate unhindered. The people of Berlin expressed their displeasure very vigorously. But the city remained calm.
Rimpler's dispute arose with Friedrich von Wrangel , who had been commissioned by the king to defeat the revolutionaries. An understanding was reached that prevented bloodshed. The dialogue has been handed down: Major Rimpler, as commander of the Berlin vigilante group, declared that he had orders to defend the National Assembly and would only give way to violence. General Wrangel replied: "Then you should leave now, Herr Major, de Jewalt is here."
The vigilante surrendered into the hands of Wrangels, who then dissolved the assembly of representatives in the theater and had the state of siege declared. The vigilante group disbanded due to the presence of the army, Rimpler resigned as commander of the vigilante group.
Lists were burned to avoid a disarmament to which vigilante members refused to voluntarily submit. That same night the vigilante officers met in Jägerstrasse. The next steps were discussed under the chairmanship of Actuarius Thiele. From the left, Waldeck, Berends, d'Ester and Bauer were present. Though violent disputes were fought, there was widespread agreement on the point that weapons should not be surrendered.
Pursuant to the decree of the Royal Ministry of State imposed “The Commander in Chief of the Marche troops. General der Kavallerie "von Wrangel on November 12, 1848 the state of siege for" the city of Berlin and its two-mile perimeter ".
Naumburg
In the address book of the city of Naumburg from 1875 Otto Rimpler was named Major a. D. and post director as well as knight of the Red Eagle Order .
literature
- The Berlin vigilante group in 1848 from its organization on March 19th to its dissolution on November 11th. From the papers left behind by the commander of the Berlin vigilante group O. Rimpler, Major of the Artillery a. D. Edited by H. Schaffert. Brandenburg a. H. 1883, 97 p. (Rud.Koch's Hofbuchhandlung (G. Trübe))
Web links
- General von Wrangel and Major Rimpler on the Gendarmenmarkt after the occupation of Berlin on November 9, 1848
- Answer from Friedrich Wilhelm IV. To the vigilante deputation
- taz from November 1, 2002
- Central and State Library Berlin - Stories from the Berlin March Revolution in 1848
Individual evidence
- ^ Poster announcement of Rimpler in office as commander of the militia
- ↑ http://www.zeitreisen.de/1848/kap2/thema3a_dok8_image.htm
- ^ Answer by Friedrich Wilhelm IV. To the vigilante's deputation "Neue Rheinische Zeitung" No. 121 of October 20, 1848
- ^ Poster declaration to the vigilante group and the entire population of Berlin
- ↑ http://www.zeitreisen.de/1848/kap2/thema5_dok2_image.htm
- ^ 1 November 1877 Field Marshal General (1856) Count Wrangel died in Berlin
- ^ Proclamation of the state of siege for Berlin and the surrounding area
- ^ Address book for the city of Naumburg from 1875
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Rimpler, Otto |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Prussian officer, commander of the Berlin vigilante group |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 30, 1801 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Koenigsberg |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 4, 1882 |
| Place of death | Naumburg (Saale) |