Udo von Bodelschwingh

Udo von Bodelschwingh (born December 14, 1840 in Hamm , † March 25, 1921 in (Berlin-) Charlottenburg ) was heir to the manor house Heyde near Unna , an officer , most recently in the rank of colonel , later royal Prussian master of ceremonies and chamberlain .

origin

Udo Friedrich Karl Gustav von Bodelschwingh came from the old Westphalian noble family von Bodelschwingh and was the eighth of the eleven children of the Prussian Finance Minister Carl von Bodelschwingh (1800–1873) and the youngest of the four sons. His father's older brother was the Prussian Minister of State Ernst von Bodelschwingh (1794-1854). His older brother Ernst (1830–1881) was later district administrator for the Hamm district . Through his older sister Ida (1835-1894) he was brother-in-law of the later famous " Father Bodelschwingh " (1831-1910), who the v. Bodelschwinghschen Anstalten Bethel established. Since he was the only male survivor of the four brothers, he inherited the Heyde house in what is now Unna- Uelzen, including the nearby Binkhoff estate in ( Bönen -) Altenbögge .

resume

In Hamm, where the family had another residence, he attended as his three older brothers, the school and placed there in 1860 with his brother Gustav, the matriculation examination from. In between, during his father's first term as Prussian finance minister, he attended a Berlin high school.

On September 24, 1874, at the age of 33, he married Baroness Ottolina d'Ablaing van Giessenburg, born there on February 8, 1850, in The Hague . They had three children, all girls. The first to be born on July 13, 1875 in Berlin was Leopoldine, who later became Heyde's heir († January 26, 1937). The second daughter Elisabeth, born in Berlin on November 2, 1876, died there at the age of three. The third child was Agnes, who was also born in Berlin on December 28, 1877, remained unmarried and died on November 27, 1929.

His wife Ottolina was only 34 years old; she died on March 3, 1884 in Groß-Lichterfelde (today Berlin-Lichterfelde ).

Udo died on March 25, 1921 in (Berlin-) Charlottenburg at the age of 80. He was buried in the Heyde cemetery, where his wife Ottolina was resting. When the cemetery was closed in January 1938, the couple's bones were transferred to the Velmede cemetery in today's Bergkamen , where they are still to this day. On Udo's grave slab it says: HERE REST IN GOD UDO FRHR. V. BODELSCHWINGH KGL. COLONEL A. D. MASTER OF CEREMONIES AND MASTER OF CHAMBERS.

He rarely lived on his heir Heyde estate, usually only a few weeks a year; its center was the capital Berlin.

Military career

On April 19, 1860 at age 19, he joined as a cadet in the Prussian Garde - Fusilier - Regiment one. On September 19, 1860 promoted to Portepeefähnrich , on March 9, 1861 to secondary lieutenant . On July 23, 1861, he received the officer's license . For three years, from 1862 to 1865, he was Battalion - adjutant ; also for three years, from 1863 to 1866, also an investigative officer. With the rank of lieutenant he took part in 1866 like his three brothers in the " German War " and in the decisive battle of Königgrätz . As an award, he received the Order of the Crown, IV class. On March 22, 1868, he was promoted to Premier Lieutenant. From October 1, 1868 until the mobilization for the Franco-German War in 1870/71, he was posted to the War Academy . He also took part in this war. As awards he received the Iron Cross II. Class and the Order of the Red Eagle III. Class. On January 1, 1873, he was appointed captain and company commander. Then on April 15, 1882 - after 22 years of service in the Guard Fusilier Regiment - he was transferred to the main cadet institute in Groß-Lichterfelde. On July 22, 1884, he was promoted to major and battalion commander at the Hauptkadettenanstalt . On May 14, 1890, at the age of 49 and with the rank of lieutenant colonel , he was granted his leave, combined with a pension and the right to wear the guard's fusilier uniform.

On October 28, 1895 he was appointed Royal Prussian Chamberlain, on January 18, 1901, Colonel, and finally, on January 27, 1910, Royal Prussian Master of Ceremonies. In addition to the medals acquired in the two campaigns, he was the bearer of the Order of the Crown, 2nd Class on the Ring, and the Order of St. John .

Dealing with the Imperial Family

Since Udo von Bodelschwingh ended his active career as a lieutenant colonel at the age of 49, but was later appointed chamberlain, colonel and finally master of ceremonies at intervals, it can be assumed that he continued to work for the state. At least one can assume that he was closer to the person who awarded these titles, namely Wilhelm II , at that time the Prussian King and Emperor of the German Empire. “Chamberlain” and “Master of Ceremonies” were so-called court titles that were awarded as distinctions to high-ranking people who frequented the court without having to exercise a specific office. All circumstances indicate that Udo was in close personal contact with members of the imperial family for many years. However, there are no documents in this respect at the Secret State Archives in Berlin.

literature

• Josef Cornelissen: Heyde House near Unna - A Westphalian aristocratic residence in its eventful fate . Publication series of the city of Unna, Volume 35, 1998, ISBN 3-927082-37-6 , pp. 162, 176–177, 209–215 (352 pages, A4 format; in the envelope pocket a by Friedrich Wilhelm von Bodelschwingh-Velmede 1981 pedigree of those from Bodelschwingh on Velmede and Heyde).
• Magnus von Eberhard (editor): List of officers of the Guard Fusilier Regiment from 1826 to 1918 . Berlin 1922. No. 238.
• Franz vd Mülbe: The Guard Fusilier Regiment . 2nd Edition. Berlin 1901, p. 505.