Wilhelm Kitto

Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Kitto (born May 14, 1842 in Cantdorf , Spremberg district , † September 12, 1903 in Berlin ) was a Prussian soldier ( pioneer ).

During the German-Danish War he served in the 4th Company of the Pioneer Battalion No. 3 von Rauch (1st Brandenburgisches) and fought together with the pioneer Carl Klinke in the storm on the Düppeler Schanzen . Lt. According to some documents and his own account, it was he who threw the sack of powder with which a breach in the palisade wall of Schanze II was blown and Carl Klinke was so badly injured in the explosion that he later died.

Origin and career

Wilhelm Kitto was born in Cantdorf near Spremberg, not far from Bohsdorf-Vorwerk , the birthplace of Carl Klinke. He was the only child of the teacher Matthes Kitto, who had moved from the Sorbian village of Groß Partwitz and could speak Sorbian . Kitto did not follow in his father's footsteps, but learned the blacksmith trade in Spremberg. There he also worked as a journeyman.

Since he had lost his father at the age of 14, he had to feed his mother, who had bought a house with a garden, "whereupon she lived honestly, although she had to pay off debts". When the journeyman blacksmith Kitto had to reckon with his call-up, “his good mother was very worried and sorrowful about the possibility that her son would be dug up, because he was her only support and she was often sickly and with stomach cramps , even lying later because her son was ordered, she was seriously ill for 18 weeks ”.

A petition signed by nine Cantdorf residents is rejected because the signatures of the local mayor and guardian were probably missing. Kitto was drafted, first came to Torgau to the pioneers, where Klinke also served at the time, and - like Klinke - later to the 4th Company of the 3rd Brandenburg Pioneer Battalion. This was located in Spandau near Berlin. When the war broke out and the mobilization, which the recently dismissed Klinke had to follow, the entire battalion was relocated to Holstein .

Kitto's depiction of the storm on Schanze II

Wilhelm Kitto reported the events during the storming of Schanze II on April 18, 1864 to the former pastor Mörbe from Spremberg himself: "I was with the pioneer Klinke from Horno near Spremberg , he belonged to the 4th company of the 3rd Brandenburg Pioneer Battalion, we each had a crowbar to the palisades to break. Lieutenant Diener said: 'Whoever wants to come along voluntarily, with the powder sack to blow up the stockade, step out!' I stepped out and said: 'Lieutenant, I'm going with you!' I took the powder sack, which contained about 30 to 35 pounds of powder, and followed Lieutenant Diener, Sergeant Lademann, and Sergeant Klucko. Arrived about 18 to 19 paces from the stockade of Schanze II, I put the powder sack on the ground. Now it was up to God to win or die for the king and fatherland. Since the fuse was no good, the powder sack was burned by Sergeant Lademann with his burning cigar, I quickly grabbed the sack, stormed the palisades of Schanze II and threw the sack into it, which immediately exploded; As I stood still, nothing more happened to me than the ignition of the powder that burned my mount ... "

He goes on: “Although by voluntarily seizing the powder sack and throwing it into the pallisades, I did nothing but my duty, but I was given the most gracious royal honor for it, for his royal. Highness the Prince Friedrich Carl, our heroic leader, tied the ribbon of the military badge of honor with my own hand, with great praise for my daring and my sacrifice for many comrades who would have fallen through other instruments during the storm without the opening of the pallisades First class , and the silver cross was presented to me by the adjutant in a red capsule. At home, I was welcomed with honor by my district administrator, Mr. von Poncet, and the Cantdorf community. "

Kitto's life after the German-Danish War

He received 300 marks from the king for the military honor. Later Kitto received a very high award, the Austrian Medal for Bravery . In addition, a Hamburg merchant had given Prince Friedrich Karl a large sum of money with the request that it be handed over to the “bravest soldier of the entire army corps”. The prince gave it to Wilhelm Kitto without further thought. He was asked by the prince if he had a special wish, he would do his best for it. Our hero simply said: “I want to go home!” The disappointment on the faces of the officers standing around is said to have been great; many had expected that he would continue to serve and become an officer. Who of the officers knew about the poor conditions at home and about the sick mother who was waiting for her only son!

Kitto was 61 years old and lived in Berlin for the last few years. He was buried in the Georgenkirchhof in front of the Landsberger Tor. The then commander of the Pioneer Battalion No. 3 von Rauch, Major Rüdiger, published the following obituary on September 20, 1903 in the military weekly paper :

“On the 12th of the month, the former Brandenburg pioneer Wilhelm Kitto zu Berlin, holder of the military honor first class and the Austrian medal of bravery, died. In association with the pioneer Klinke, who is so well-known in our fatherland, the deceased detonated the powder charges which opened the enemy palisade barriers on the memorable chaff storm day, April 18, 1864. Klinke died a hero's death here; the now deceased was given the honor of being honored as the bravest soldier in the army corps by the then supreme general, formerly His Royal Highness Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia. The name of the deceased will live on in the history of the battalion. "

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1. ↑ Werner Bader : Pioneer handle - action and legend . Westkreuz-Verlag, Bad Münstereifel 1992, ISBN 3-922131-12-3 .