Sigurd von Ilsemann

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sigurd Wilhelm Adolf Arnold Christoph Frank of Ilsemann (* 19th February 1884 in Lueneburg , † 6. June 1952 in Doorn ) was a Prussian officer and long-time aide of Wilhelm II. Until his death in 1941. At the request of the family Hohenzollern was he afterwards administrator of House Doorn .

Life

He was the son of the later Prussian Lieutenant General Karl von Ilsemann (1856–1930) and his wife Thekla Freiin von Hammerstein-Equord (1858–1920).

Ilsemann started a military career in the Prussian Army and served a. a. in the Life Guard Infantry Regiment (1st Grand Ducal Hessian) No. 115 . In 1918 he became a wing adjutant of Kaiser Wilhelm II and, after his abdication, was part of his retinue in exile in the Netherlands. Ilsemann therefore retired from active service as a captain .

Exile in the Netherlands

On November 10th, Wilhelm II fled to the Netherlands. Initially he was accepted by Count Bentinck at Amerongen Castle . Instead of six days, the emperor was to stay at Amerongen for a year and a half, which was not easy for the Bentinck family. The Count's only daughter, Elizabeth, had taken over the household after the death of her mother. In May 1920 she and Ilsemann got engaged and married in October of the same year. Three sons were born between 1921 and 1929.

At the end of 1919, Wilhelm bought the castle in neighboring Doorn from the Baroness Heemstra de Beaufort and had it prepared for himself and his family until 1920. Despite his marriage, Ilsemann spent more time in Doorn than with his family in Amerongen. The ex-emperor could not be alone and insisted on always being accompanied by an adjutant. He gave him detailed monologues on everything that preoccupied him. Ilsemann shared this task with others, but was obliged to dine with the ex-emperor every other evening in addition to his daily work. After dinner all the men accompanied Wilhelm into the smoking room, where the ex-Kaiser spoke for a long time. An important part of Ilsemann's activities was the daily presentation of the newspaper news. Ilsemann considered it his duty not to withhold unpleasant news from the ex-Kaiser. In addition, Ilsemann had to help the ex-emperor with his daily work in the garden. Ilsemann was one of the few members of the staff who remained employed without interruption until Wilhelm's death in 1941.

After the death of the ex-emperor in 1941, Ilsemann stayed in the Netherlands and was later asked by the Crown Prince to take over the management of the Doorn family. On June 6, 1952 Ilsemann committed suicide in the gatehouse of Haus Doorn.

Ilsemann kept a diary for years. Parts of it were published after his death.

Fonts

  • Harald von Koenigswald (ed.): Sigurd von Ilsemann: The Kaiser in Holland. Notes from the last wing adjutant, Kaiser Wilhelm II.
    • Volume 1: Amerongen and Doorn. 1918-1923. Biederstein, Munich 1967; 2nd revised edition Biederstein, Munich 1968.
    • Volume 2: Monarchy and National Socialism. 1924-1941. Biederstein, Munich 1968.
  • Harald von Koenigswald (ed.): Sigurd von Ilsemann: The Kaiser in Holland. Records from 1918-1941. A selection. dtv, Munich 1971 ( an abridged version of the original edition by Biederstein-Verlag ).

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ German everyday life - with the old in exile - Culture - Süddeutsche.de. In: sueddeutsche.de. Retrieved December 1, 2014 .
  2. ^ Kurt von Priesdorff : Soldatisches Führertum . Volume 10, Hanseatische Verlagsanstalt Hamburg, undated [Hamburg], undated [1942], DNB 986919810 [1942], pp. 273f., No. 3213.
  3. ↑ German Officer Association (Ed.): Honor ranking list of the former German Army. ES Mittler & Sohn , Berlin 1926, p. 296.
personal data
SURNAME Ilsemann, Sigurd von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Ilsemann, Sigurd Wilhelm Adolf Arnold Christoph Frank von (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Prussian officer
DATE OF BIRTH February 19, 1884
PLACE OF BIRTH Luneburg
DATE OF DEATH June 6, 1952
Place of death Doorn