Siegfried Count Lehndorff

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Siegfried Graf von Lehndorff (second from right) as a member of a panel of judges in Baden-Baden in 1902 . His father Georg is on the far right.

Siegfried Karl Heinrich Graf von Lehndorff (born April 11, 1869 in Graditz ; † April 6, 1956 in Bad Godesberg ) was the state stable master in the Prussian main studs Neustadt (Dosse) , Graditz and Trakehnen and was one of the most successful amateur riders in the history of German horse racing .

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Lehndorff was the fourth child of Georg von Lehndorff and his wife Klara (née Countess von Kalnein ; born March 24, 1836 in Königsberg (Prussia) ; † January 31, 1911 in Potsdam ) in Graditz, where his father was chief stableman. He has three older sisters: Pauline (* December 2, 1855 - January 26, 1930), Nancy Magdalena Julia (July 25, 1858 in Koenigsberg (Prussia); † July 20, 1937 in Berlin ), Emmy Anna Amelie (* 31 March 1861 in Haselhorst; † April 15, 1944 in Veltheimsburg ∞ Franz von Veltheim (* October 21, 1856 in Quedlinburg ; † October 19, 1927 in Halle (Saale) )) and a younger brother (Meinhard; * February 20, 1871 ; † October 21, 1933).

He started riding at the age of six and accompanied his father to various horse races in his childhood . After graduating from the Royal High School in Leipzig in 1889 , he joined the 1st Guard Uhlan Regiment in Potsdam in 1890 and became an officer in 1891. This year he rode his first race in Insterburg , a hurdle race, which he won. In 1895 he won the largest German obstacle race at the time, the Berlin International Steeple Chase on today's Karlshorst trotting track . In 1897 he was third on Crackshot at the toughest European obstacle race at the time, the Pardubitzer Steeple-Chase . With 166 victories in 541 competitions, he was among the top group of German men's riders at the end of the 19th century .

From April 1, 1896 to March 31, 1906, Siegfried von Lehndorff was in charge of the Friedrich Wilhelm Stud in Neustadt (Dosse) , which in 1905 became the main stud and he became the state stable master. In 1906 he took over the management of the Graditz main stud from his father. As a result of his efforts, the Irish-bred thoroughbred stallion Dark Ronald was acquired in 1913 , who promoted German horse breeding like no other. In 1922, Graditz thoroughbred breeding was separated from half-blooded breeding and relocated to the newly founded Altefeld main stud . Lehndorff then had the choice of staying in Graditz or taking over the management of Altefeld or Trakehnen. He decided on Trakehnen and worked there from 1922 to 1931. After differences with the Oberlandstallmeister and the responsible minister, Ernst Ehlert was appointed as his successor and Lehndorff was transferred to the Braunsberg Stud . He stayed there until his retirement on September 30, 1934.

His wife, Countess Maria Lehndorff, was imprisoned by the National Socialists in 1944 for her steadfast demeanor. In January 1945 she and her eldest son Heinfried were shot by Red Army soldiers while they were fleeing from Gut Januschau near Stuhm , along with 16 other members of their trek. Two other sons, Meinhard and Elhard, died in World War II . The son Georg died of a cerebral haemorrhage in 1943. The second oldest son, Hans Graf von Lehndorff , the author of the "East Prussian Diary", was a surgeon, writer and commander of the Prussian Cooperative of the Order of St. John ; he died in Bad Godesberg in 1987 .

Despite his introverted personality - Siegfried Graf von Lehndorff was considered very withdrawn and cool, which was attributed to his hearing impairment - he was highly regarded as a stud manager because of his hippological expertise and his office management.

family

He was married to Maria Countess von Lehndorff, née von Oldenburg (born July 9, 1886 on Gut Januschau (Januszewo) in the Rosenberg district in West Prussia ; † January 25, 1945 in Kuntken near Altmark in West Prussia ), a daughter of the major German agrarian , lobbyist and influential Reichstag member Elard von Oldenburg-Januschau and his wife Agnes nee Countess von Kanitz . Together the couple had five sons and one daughter:

See also

Works

  • A life with horses - Documenta Hippologica - , reprint of the 1956 edition, Georg Olms Verlag , Hildesheim. (Memories of the Landstallmeister)

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. König Albert-Gymnasium (Royal High School until 1900) in Leipzig: Student album 1880-1904 / 05 , Friedrich Gröber, Leipzig 1905
  2. Pedigree of Siegfried Graf Lehndorff.