Wilhelm Ergert (Mayor)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wilhelm Ergert (* 20th November 1819 in fork ; † 15. February 1892 in fork) was an Austrian cloth - producer and mayor of the city fork in Bohemia .

Life

Ergert was the son of Wenzel Ergert, cloth manufacturer and owner of the " kk state-authorized cotton and towel factory Franz Ergert & Son " in Gabel, founded in 1785 . After being taught by private tutors, Ergert studied at the University of Prague . During this time, he was assigned tasks in the Prague branch of his father's company. In the mid-1840s he took on a leading position in the factory in Gabel and in 1847 took over the entire company management.

The Ergert family was considered the city's patrician family with a corresponding political influence. Ergert followed in positions that his grandfather Franz Ergert and his father already held: he became an officer in the Gabler rifle corps and a member of the city council. A cousin Ergert, Anton Ergert , was also a member of the city council from the mid-1850s.

mayor

Ergert took over the mayor's business for the first time in 1850. However, he had to give up the post after a little over a year. He remained the first city councilor for the next few years, in the meantime with the function of deputy mayor. In 1858 he managed to regain the position of mayor. He remained in office until 1871, making him one of the city's mayors with the longest term in office.

Ergert was a very open-minded and modern mayor, under whose administration a new spirit found its way into Gabel and new achievements were implemented. During his tenure, the founding of the singers' club "Eintracht" (1862), the German gymnastics club (1863), of which he was the first director, and the volunteer fire brigade (1865) are worth mentioning. In 1871 the new Bügerschule building was inaugurated, the construction of which he had initiated in 1870.

In 1866 the town of Gabel was affected by the Prussian-German War . On June 25, 1866, 18,000 Prussian soldiers under General Herwarth von Bittenfeld moved into the city, where they should also move into quarters. After these troops others followed. Every house was overcrowded, food, beer, fodder and straw were requisitioned en masse . After two days there was a shortage of food. This was followed by attacks by the Prussian Soldateska. In order to avoid fistfights or theft, the members of the city's rifle corps patrolled the city as a police station under Ergerts' orders. After Ergert complained to the occupation commander, the Prussians at least looked for food in regular commandos. They discovered an Austrian hussar uniform, which caused a great deal of excitement. The martial law was imposed and an alleged Austrian hussar was sentenced to death as a spy . By using Ergerts with General Herwarth, however, his shooting could be prevented. Later, at Ergert's behest, he was allowed to escape from the city prison in the town hall.

Ergert worked tirelessly as a mediator during the entire time of the occupation and conducted negotiations with the Prussian military so skillfully that some tough conditions could be averted or mitigated. When the Prussians withdrew on June 30th, Ergert even received a letter of thanks from the last city commandant for his kind courtesy.

On October 31, Ergert traveled with the most important representatives of the city to an audience with Emperor Franz Joseph in Reichenberg . He succeeded in obtaining approval for an advance payment for the war damage and a higher amount of money for the poor in the city. The emperor expressed his greatest satisfaction to Ergert personally and later again by decree of the entire city council and the citizens. For his achievements during the time of the Prussian occupation Ergert was awarded the Golden Cross of Merit with the Crown . He also received a certificate in which Archduke Albrecht recognized him for his patriotic attitude towards the Austrian military, which was equivalent to a military award. He also received an award from the Saxon king for the reception and care of the Saxon wounded by the city after the battle of Königgrätz . The city honored him as thanks for his commitment with a large ceremony to decorate the order.

With the resignation of his office as mayor, he received the Franz Joseph Order in 1872 .

Rifle Commander

From his earliest youth Ergert was a member of the Gabler " kk privileged sniper corps ", which has been proven to exist since 1577 , and his father was in command until 1847. Since 1847 first lieutenant and second captain in 1851 , he became first captain and commander of the corps in 1863. The corps was one of the largest in Bohemia in its day with over a hundred armed riflemen. Since 1862 Ergert was also an honorary member of the Zwickau rifle corps.

During his time as commandant, Ergert was able to enforce many innovations and privileges, especially with regard to the district government. For example, in 1870 the rifle corps received a hundred modern hunter socks with a canopy bayonet . The rifle corps was thus equipped like a troop of the regular army (this is why rifle corps of this size were also referred to as "Habsburg's secret regiments"). In 1873 Ergert succeeded in obtaining the highest possible permit for the rifle corps to carry a yellow flag with an imperial double-headed eagle . His grandfather Franz Ergert had already obtained this privilege for the rifle corps, but this was withdrawn again in 1838 when all rifle corps of the empire were restructured. The new flag received the rifle corps from Emperor Franz Joseph as a gift and Archduchess Valerie acted as the flag godmother. At the big rifle ceremony , the flag consecration, in August 1873, Ergert, as commandant, was ceremoniously presented with the imperial flag with a banner with the motto "Tried and tested and loyal".

In December 1874 Ergert resigned as a rifle commander due to a serious accident, but was declared honorary captain by resolution of the members.

literature

  • Home register of the judicial districts Deutsch-Gabel and Zwickau in Böhmen, (1975) new edition 1998
  • Bernhard Urban: Deutsch Gabel in the time of Napoleon I, 1937
  • Deutsch-Gabel in a millennial past, commemorative publication published by Erich Gierach and Franz Runge, Verlag des Stadtamt Deutsch-Gabel, Deutsch-Gabel 1926
  • Festive writing for the 325th anniversary of the kk priv. Rifle corps in Deutsch-Gabel and the simultaneous opening of the new rifle house on July 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th, 1902
  • Viktor Pinkava, History of the town of Gabel and the Lämberg Castle in Bohemia, 1897
  • Chronicle of the Prussian invasion of northern Bohemia in 1866, edited from reliable sources by A. Jahnel, Reichenberg, 1867

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Anton Taubmann in Heimatbuch Deutsch Gabel, page 35
  2. ↑ cf. Heimatbuch Deutsch Gabel, page 34f
  3. ↑ Deutsch-Gabel in a millennial past, page 81f
  4. ↑ Heimatbuch Deutsch Gabel, page 99
  5. ^ H. Brabetz in Heimatbuch Deutsch Gabel, page 63
  6. ↑ Chronicle of the Prussian Invasion, page 309
  7. ↑ Fest -schrift 1902, page 24
  8. ^ Anton Taubmann in Heimatbuch Deutsch Gabel, page 60f
  9. ↑ Chronicle of the Prussian Invasion, page 301
  10. ↑ Chronicle of the Prussian Invasion, page 309
  11. ↑ Chronicle of the Prussian Invasion, page 309
  12. ↑ Chronicle of the Prussian Invasion, page 424
  13. ↑ Viktor Pinkava, page 71
  14. ↑ Fest -schrift 1902, page 24
  15. ↑ Fest -schrift 1902, page 24
  16. ↑ Fest -schrift 1902, page 25
personal data
SURNAME Ergert, Wilhelm
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian mayor and entrepreneur
DATE OF BIRTH November 20, 1819
PLACE OF BIRTH German fork
DATE OF DEATH February 15, 1892
Place of death German fork