Richard von Hilgers

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Franz Richard Maria Joseph Job Freiherr von Hilgers (born June 27, 1829 in Koblenz , † July 26, 1904 in Baden-Baden ) was a Prussian infantry general and well-known numismatist .

Life

origin

Richard was a son of the Prussian captain a. D. and member of the state parliament Heinrich von Hilgers (1795–1874) and his wife Helene, née von Hontheim (1810–1866). She was a daughter of the Justice Council and Chamber President Johann Nikolaus von Hontheim and his wife Barbara, née Gattermann.

Military career

After attending grammar school in Koblenz, Hilgers joined the 29th Infantry Regiment of the Prussian Army as a musketeer on October 22, 1849, and was promoted to second lieutenant by the end of January 1851 . From May 29 to August 4, 1854 he was assigned to the 8th Pioneer Department and from October 1855 to September 1858 he completed the General War School for further training . He then was regimental adjutant from May 21, 1859 to May 15, 1860 and rose to prime lieutenant a few days later . From July 1860 Hilgers was first as adjutant of the 29th Infantry Brigade and then from June 1862 in the same capacity as the General Command of the VIII Army Corps . From there he was transferred to the 2nd Rhenish Infantry Regiment No. 28 on April 5, 1864 as captain with a patent from March 5, 1862 and at the same time commanded as adjutant of the governorate to Luxembourg . During the mobilization for the German War , Hilgers became an adjutant at the General Command of the II Army Corps on July 5, 1866 . After the campaign he was released from his command on September 17, 1866 and sent to serve with the Great General Staff . On October 30, 1866 he was aggregated to the General Staff of the Army and commanded to the General Staff of the 14th Division . Left in this position, Hilgers was assigned to the General Staff in mid-February 1867.

During the war against France , Hilgers took part in the battles at Spichern , Colombey and Gravelotte , the sieges of Metz , Diedenhofen, Montmedy and Mezieres as well as the coup d'état on Rocroy and the battles at Vois-de-Vaux, Mercy-le-Haut, Peltre, La-Grange-aux-Bois, Langres, on the Ognon, at Pim, Chatsois and Ponttarlier. Awarded both classes of the Iron Cross , he was appointed head of department in the General Staff on January 6, 1872 after the peace treaty and was promoted to lieutenant colonel in mid-January 1872 . On March 12, 1874 he was transferred as Chief of the General Staff to the XI. Army Corps and he was promoted to colonel in mid-September 1874 . In 1876 he fell seriously ill and had to spend a long vacation in Scheveningen and Switzerland . After his recovery, Hilgers took over as commander of the 4th Lower Silesian Infantry Regiment No. 51 on March 13, 1877 . In position à la suite of his regiment, he was commissioned on August 7, 1880 with the command of the 29th Infantry Brigade. On January 18, 1881, he was promoted to major general and appointed brigade commander. Subsequently, on August 30, 1882, he was transferred to Braunschweig as commander of the 40th Infantry Brigade and on October 18, 1884, he was given supreme command of the troops in the duchy , after the death of Duke Wilhelm - who had died without descendants To ensure transition in the Prussian sense.

On June 1, 1885, he was released from supreme command and entrusted with the leadership of the 15th division . On December 12, 1885, he was promoted to lieutenant general and appointed division commander. In the same year he was from June 7th to July 13th 1888 member of the commission for the revision of the drill regulations for the infantry. On September 19, 1888, he was entrusted with the leadership of the V Army Corps , was awarded the Order of the Crown, 1st Class on the occasion of the festival in January 1889 , and was appointed Commanding General on April 8, 1889 .

To restore his health, Hilgers was granted a two-month vacation with full pay to Italy from October 1, 1889 . Since there was no improvement, Hilgers was put up for disposition on January 8, 1890, and was given the character of General of the Infantry . After his farewell, Kaiser Wilhelm II honored him on September 20, 1890 with the Order of the Red Eagle First Class with Oak Leaves.

After his retirement from military service, Hilgers dealt with art history and especially the time of Roman rule in Germania. His main interest was in Limes research , for which he also participated in the excavations of forts . He was also an important numismatist in the field of Roman coins and owned an extensive collection. This is how he arranged the coin and medal collection of the Darmstadt Museum . Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig awarded him the Golden Medal of Merit for Science and Art on October 18, 1897 . He died on July 26, 1904 in Baden-Baden.

family

Hilgers married Agnes Zernentsch (1845–1909) on May 1, 1866 in Erfurt. The marriage resulted in the daughter Helene (* 1868), who married the forestry advisor Alfred Graf von Korff called Schmising -Kerstenbrock (* 1856) in 1893 .

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Ludwig Buchhold: The antique collections of the Grand Ducal Museum in Darmstadt. 1895, p. 64.
  2. ↑ Gothaisches Genealogical Pocket Book of the Count's Houses. 1922. Ninety-fifth year, Justus Perthes, Gotha 1921, p. 511.
personal data
SURNAME Hilgers, Richard von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Hilgers, Franz Richard Maria Joseph Hiob Freiherr von (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Prussian infantry general and numismatist
DATE OF BIRTH June 27, 1829
PLACE OF BIRTH Koblenz
DATE OF DEATH July 26, 1904
Place of death Baden-Baden