Stephan Werner von Dewitz

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Stephan Werner von Dewitz (born March 20, 1726 in Cölpin , † January 26, 1800 in Schwerin ) was President of the Privy Council of Mecklenburg-Strelitz , later of Mecklenburg-Schwerin .

family

Alliance coat of arms of Stephan Werner von Dewitz and Bernhardine von Bülow at the manor house Cölpin (1786)

Stephan Werner von Dewitz (No. 417 of the gender census ) came from the so-called "Jobst Line" of the old Pomeranian-Mecklenburg nobility family von Dewitz . He was born the son of Otto Balthasar von Dewitz, who was in Danish service and from whom he inherited the Cölpin estate in southeast Mecklenburg in 1749, and Dorothea Elisabeth, née. by Raven . He had three brothers and seven sisters. His first marriage was to Marie Helene Tugendreich, b. von Bardeleben (1746–1767), who died just like him shortly after the birth of a son. In his second marriage he married Bernhardine, geb. von Bülow (1747-1804; adH Cammin ). The marriage remained childless.

“Herr von Dewitz is [1766] long in stature, slender and blue-eyed and handsome in face. He has an engaging propriety and is affable and talkative at the same time. He is sometimes without being reckless, daring to undertake great undertakings, but not careless, an innkeeper without being accused of being too frugal, and a true admirer of religion without bigotry and prejudice. "

Life

Mecklenburg-Strelitz

After he was brought up at home, his parents sent him to the Knight Academy in Brandenburg Cathedral in 1742 , and then to the University of Jena . After completing his training, he took up a position as a chamberlain with the apanaged prince, Duke Carl (Ludwig Friedrich) , who was then living in Mirow , and thus became the focus of the Enlightenment in the Strelitz part of the country. When he died in 1752, he initially remained the advice of his widow. After shortly afterwards the ruling Duke Adolf Friedrich III. died, followed as regent in the Mecklenburg-Strelitz region by his nephew, Duke Adolf Friedrich IV , who was only fifteen years old . Due to unclear house laws and the political tug of war in the run-up to the Land Constitutional Constitutional Comparison (LGGEV) , the change of government was accompanied by considerable turbulence. The aim of the various acting parties was to gain guardianship over the new regent and thereby strengthen their own negotiating positions. Adolf Friedrich III. had transferred the guardianship to his widow. The opposing party under Christian Ludwig II , the ruling duke in the Mecklenburg-Schwerin part of the state , which also filed claims for guardianship, then successfully marched into Mecklenburg-Strelitz and took over the government there. The young heir to the throne, accompanied by Dewitz, had already been brought to safety in Greifswald while abroad in Prussia. In 1753, Emperor Franz I declared the duke to be of legal age, which ended the conflict. Dewitz was sent to Schwerin with the diploma confirming this to inform Christian Ludwig. After the return of Duke Adolf Friedrich IV. From Greifswald, Dewitz was appointed ducal Mecklenburg-Strelitz real court and judicial councilor with a seat and vote in the ducal judicial office. In this role he accompanied the Duke from 1755 on trips to France, Switzerland, Italy and Holland. Since he was able to gain the Duke's trust, he was promoted to the secret legation councilor, sent to the courts in Berlin , Hanover , Schwerin and to the Prussian and Swedish armies during the Seven Years' War .

After further assignments in the service of the ducal family, he was appointed castle captain in 1760 and a secret council in 1761 . When in 1762 Princess Sophie Charlotte with King George III. was married from England in London , she was accompanied by Dewitz. On this occasion the Russian ambassador, Count Keyserlingk, became aware of him. This caused Dewitz to become the Grand Princely Privy Councilor to the government in Kiel and the Grand Prince Real Envoy in Regensburg. During his stay in England, he obtained a doctorate in law at Oxford together with Prince Ernst . In 1767 he held the office of Oberhofmarschalles until he was promoted to privy council president of Mecklenburg-Strelitz in 1769. He held this office until 1784.

Mecklenburg-Schwerin

In 1783 the President of the Privy Council, Carl Friedrich Graf von Bassewitz, died in Schwerin . Dewitz was then asked to take over the orphaned position there. After this was granted to him by Duke Adolf Friedrich IV on February 10, 1784, he accepted. He kept the office in Schwerin after the death of Duke Friedrich in 1785 until his death in 1800 under Duke Friedrich Franz I.

Merits and honors

He owned a large library and promoted the Mecklenburg early work of Samuel Buchholtz .

The manor house in Cölpin was built on his behalf between 1778 and 1785.

During his time in office in Mecklenburg-Schwerin, the cities of Parchim , Lübz and Plau were evacuated by Prussian garrison troops after the four offices of Eldena , Marnitz , Plau and Wredenhagen had been redeemed. In 1788 the second constitutional estate settlement with the city of Rostock was carried out. The main goal of his government was to promote industry and trade, especially wool and paper production, in the country, which was to be achieved through various customs restrictions (wool, rags).

He was a Knight of the Stanislaus and White Eagle Orders .

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Maltzan: Some good Mecklenburg men, 1882, p. 40
  2. ^ Thomas Nugent : Travels through Germany and especially through Mecklenburg. [Neudr. d. Ed. 1781/82.] Thomas Helms Verlag, Schwerin 1998. p. 184.
  3. ↑ Maltzan: Some good Mecklenburg men, 1882, p. 43
  4. ↑ Maltzan: Some good Mecklenburg men, 1882, p. 48
  5. ^ Sabine Bock : Stately houses on the estates and domains in Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Architecture and history. Volume 1. (= contributions to the history of architecture and monument preservation, 7.1–3). Thomas Helms Verlag, Schwerin 2008, ISBN 978-3-935749-05-3 , pp. 153-164.
  6. ↑ Maltzan: Some good Mecklenburg men, 1882, pp. 46, 50
personal data
SURNAME Dewitz, Stephan Werner von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Mecklenburg-Strelitzer and Mecklenburg-Schwerin Privy Council President
DATE OF BIRTH March 20, 1726
PLACE OF BIRTH Cölpin
DATE OF DEATH January 26, 1800
Place of death Schwerin