Wilhelm von Krauseneck

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General of the infantry Johann Wilhelm von Krauseneck

Johann Wilhelm von Krauseneck (born October 13, 1774 in Bayreuth , † November 2, 1850 in Berlin ) was a Prussian general of the infantry and 1829/48 chief of the general staff as well as a military cartographer and geodesist .

Life

origin

He was the son of the royal Prussian court procurator at the war and domain chamber , Johann Wolfgang Christian Krauseneck (1738–1799) and his wife, Amalie Sophie Johanna, née Tungerau, who was respected in Bayreuth . She was the daughter of an archivist . His father died when he was five years old. Johann Wilhelm and his four siblings grew up as half-orphans in difficult economic circumstances.

education

His mother wanted him to study, but Johann Wilhelm showed interest in the soldier's profession from a young age. After he had finished high school, Krauseneck entered Ansbach's service as a cadet in the artillery in early March 1791 . He did his job in the fortress Plassenburg and stood out for his good mathematical and drawing skills. He was employed by the artillery commander Major Johann Friedrich Karl Hoffmann († October 10, 1793) and the cartographer Johann Christoph Stierlein (1759–1827) for the first topographical work and was able to learn practical-military basics of staff work early on. With the connection of Ansbach-Bayreuth under the last Margrave Karl Alexander to the Kingdom of Prussia , he was able to acquire further cartographic knowledge.

Military career

In 1794 during the First Coalition War, for example, he accompanied Colonels von Grawert and von Massenbach during field surveys for General Friedrich Ludwig zu Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen . This appointed him Prime Lieutenant in his 2nd East Prussian Fusilier Brigade. In 1803 he was promoted to staff captain. During the 1806/07 campaign he took part in the battle of Preussisch Eylau and the battles at Schippenbeil , Leineburg and Wackern . Krauseneck received the order Pour le Mérite on February 21, 1807 for his achievements in the Battle of Heilsberg .

In 1808 he became a major and was transferred to the 3rd East Prussian Infantry Regiment . In 1809 he became commander of the Potsdam Fusilier Battalion of the Guards Regiment on foot . In 1812, on the recommendation of General Ludwig Yorck von Wartenburg, he succeeded Wilhelm René de l'Homme de Courbière as commander of the fortress Graudenz in West Prussia. In June 1813 he was transferred to the General Staff of the Blüchers Army Corps . During the Wars of Liberation , Krauseneck took part in various battles until 1815. He was wounded in the Battle of Großgörschen and received the Iron Cross II. Class and the Order of St. Stanislaus II. Class. Awarded the Iron Cross First Class for the Battle of Fère-Champenoise , he was still in command of the Mainz Fortress in 1814 and left the General Staff at the end of the year. On April 11, 1815, he was promoted to major general. At the end of June 1815 Krauseneck took over the leadership of the troops to enclose fortresses and received the oak leaves for the Pour le Mérite on October 2, 1815.

After holding positions in the troop command, in 1829 he became Chief of the Great General Staff of the Prussian Army. There he promoted astronomical research, cartography and the telegraph . With General von Lilienstern he campaigned for the founding of the Berlin Institute of Lithography . Many Prussian maps appeared there later. He was also a member of the Prussian State Council . On January 18, 1840 Krauseneck was raised to hereditary nobility with the award of the Order of the Black Eagle . At the end of March 1842 he received the diamonds for this high order and was also appointed chief of the 4th Infantry Regiment in Danzig on September 12th . On May 1, 1848, he was replaced as Chief of the Prussian General Staff by Karl von Reyher . Thereupon he was granted his retirement on May 9, 1848 .

After two years of retirement, Krauseneck died in Berlin and was buried on November 5, 1850 in the old garrison cemetery there (the grave complex no longer exists). His wife and youngest daughter also rest there.

family

Johann Wilhelm married Charlotte Karoline Jakobine von Heyden-Nerfken (1792–1878) on March 23, 1808 at Gut Nerfken . The following children were born from the marriage:

Medals and decorations

In addition to the medals and decorations already mentioned , Krauseneck held the following awards:

literature

Web links


personal data
SURNAME Krauseneck, Wilhelm von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Krauseneck, Johann Wilhelm von (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Prussian field marshal and geodesist
DATE OF BIRTH October 13, 1774
PLACE OF BIRTH Bayreuth
DATE OF DEATH November 2, 1850
Place of death Berlin