Philipp von Hellingrath

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Philipp von Hellingrath

Philipp von Hellingrath (born February 22, 1862 in Munich ; † December 13, 1939 there ) was a Bavarian cavalry general and Minister of War from 1916 to 1918 .

Life

family

Philipp was the son of the royal Bavarian chamberlain and lieutenant general Friedrich von Hellingrath (1826-1896) and his wife Luise, born baroness von Brand zu Neidstein (1837-1920). In 1880 he passed the Abitur examination at the Munich Maximiliansgymnasium , among others with Hans Cornelius , the later philosopher. His two brothers, Maximilian (1864–1948) and Fritz also embarked on a military career. The Holderlin researcher Norbert von Hellingrath was his nephew.

On November 21, 1896, Hellingrath married Mathilde Reisner Freiin von Lichternstein (1877-1959). From the marriage, the son Karl Max and the daughter Marie (1901–1988) emerged.

Military career

After school reported from Hellingrath on August 4, 1880 as a three-year volunteer with the 1st Heavy Rider Regiment , where he met the 26 February 1881 to Portepee ensign was promoted. On November 23, 1882, he was promoted to second lieutenant in the 2nd Uhlan Regiment . On October 1, 1887, he was assigned to the War Academy for three years , which pronounced him qualification for the Higher Adjutantur. Appointed court cavalier to Duke Karl Theodor in Bavaria on January 29, 1892, he was promoted to Prime Lieutenant on April 24 ; on December 15, 1892 he was removed from court. From October 18, 1893 he was adjutant of the 4th Cavalry Brigade .

After promotion to Rittmeister (November 20, 1897), he was appointed squadron chief in the 1st Chevaulegers Regiment on September 29, 1899 . On June 8, 1902, he was transferred to the General Staff of the 3rd Division , where he was promoted to major on March 9, 1903 . In 1905 he was appointed to the central office of the General Staff , and six months later to the General Staff of the II Army Corps . On January 25, 1907, he was promoted to colonel . On December 4, 1909, he was given command of the 3rd Cavalry Brigade . On March 7, 1912, he was promoted to major general .

First World War

On August 1, 1914, he was appointed inspector of the 6th Army Stage Inspection . After being promoted to Lieutenant General on September 10, he was sent to the Great Headquarters on November 5, 1914 as a representative of the Bavarian Military Plenipotentiary . On March 6, 1915, he was appointed commander of the cavalry division . As such, he proved to be one of the most capable cavalry commanders of the First World War . In the course of the attack on Schaulen at the end of April 1915, he and his division followed the evasive Russians east of the Tilsit -Schaulen road and pursued them as far as Janischki. On April 27, 1915, he received the Knight's Cross of the Military Max Joseph Order “for his extraordinarily bold, energetic and resounding success as a leader in the battles of the Cavalry Division in the spring and summer of 1915”. At the beginning of May 1915 he led the division to the southeast and immediately attacked superior Russian cavalry forces that were thrown in from Kovno and Dünaburg. At times threatened from three sides, he fought his way with his riders to the Vilna –Schaulen railway line , blew up the tracks and returned by May 11, 1915 via the Dubysa near Kielmy . For the next two months he fought off the Russian patrol units, which were pushing west again and again, in front of his broad section. During the Battle of Lake Naroch (April 18-30 , 1916) he and his division took up position behind the Komaika between Lake Mazischki and Lake Swirki and was able to assert himself in the few battles at the outposts deployed on the east bank of the river. In July 1916, the cavalry division was deployed on the Stochod between Toboly and Sedlishche. Here von Hellingrath showed strong nerves and steadfastness, especially in August and September 1916. During that time he fended off the extremely heavy attacks by far superior Russian units of all weapons. On August 18, 1916, he was awarded the Commander's Cross of the Military Max Joseph Order, “because he was the commander of the Bavarian cavalry division in the battle of the Stochod Victory put a stop to the Russian onslaught ”. From December 11, 1916, he worked as a State Councilor in the ordinary service of the War Ministry and as an agent for the Federal Council of the German Reich. In February 1918 Wilhelm II awarded him the star for the Order of the Red Eagle, 2nd class with the crown and swords. On May 28, 1918, the last Bavarian king promoted him to general of the cavalry.

On November 25, 1918, he was put up for disposition and lived in Munich until his death.

literature

  • Konrad Krafft von Dellmensingen , Friedrichfranz Feeser : The Bavaria book of the world wars 1914-1918. Chr. Belser AG. Publishing house, Stuttgart 1930.
  • Walter Schärl: The composition of the Bavarian civil service from 1806–1918 (= Munich historical studies, Department of Bavarian History 1), Kallmünz / Opf. 1955.
  • Rudolf von Kramer, Otto Freiherr von Waldenfels: The royal Bavarian military Max-Joseph-Order. Self-published by the kb Militär-Max-Joseph-Order, Munich 1966, p. 316f.
  • Othmar Hackl : The Bavarian War Academy (1867-1914). CH Beck'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Munich 1989, ISBN 3-406-10490-8 , p. 466.
  • Siegfried Weiß : Art career aspiration. Painter, graphic artist, sculptor. Former students of the Maximiliansgymnasium in Munich from 1849 to 1918 . Allitera Verlag, Munich 2012. ISBN 978-3-86906-475-8 , pp. 237-238

Estate:

  • Part 1: Official documents and correspondence, memoirs from 1872-1924 (Bavarian Main State Archive Munich - Secret House Archive)
  • Part 2: Correspondence of Hellingsrath and his wife, 1904-1942 (archives of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising)
  • Part 3: Personal documents (awards) and correspondence; Military career documents; Memoirs, 1872-1924 (Bavarian Main State Archives, Munich)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Annual report on the K. Maximilians-Gymnasium in Munich for the school year 1879/80
  2. ↑ Othmar Hackl: The Bavarian War Academy (1867-1914). CH Beck'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Munich 1989, ISBN 3-406-10490-8 , p. 466.
  3. ^ Military weekly paper . No. 105 of March 3, 1918, p. 2573.
  4. ↑ Münchner Stadtadressbuch 1935; P. 226: Hellingrath Phil. V. General d. Kav. a. D. exc. Wolfratshauser St. 34a / 1 u. 2
personal data
SURNAME Hellingrath, Philipp von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Bavarian cavalry general and minister of war
DATE OF BIRTH February 22, 1862
PLACE OF BIRTH Munich
DATE OF DEATH December 13, 1939
Place of death Munich