Wilhelm von Saldern

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Wilhelm von Saldern (* August 7, 1702 ; †  July 26, 1758 at Königgrätz ) was the royal Prussian major general, chief of infantry regiment No. 54 and knight of the Pour le Mérite and heir to Graz and calculator.

Life

He was brought up by private tutors and was sent to the cadet institute in Magdeburg in 1716, and the following year he moved to Berlin. In 1720 he joined Regiment No. 1 as a flag junior and became an ensign that same year. In 1722 he became second lieutenant and in 1726 premier lieutenant. During this period he traveled through Germany and Alsace-Lorraine to recruit soldiers. In 1738 he became staff captain and in 1739 received his own company. Under the new King Friedrich II , he was transferred to the new Fusilier Regiment No. 28 . He was also the messenger who brought the news of the death of the old king to Ansbach . After he returned to Berlin, he was given a grenadier battalion.

During the first Silesian War , the battalion took Glogau in December 1740. It moved on to Upper Silesia and fought on April 10, 1741 in the Battle of Mollwitz . Then it was at the siege of the fortress Brieg . Saldern was even one of the hostages during the negotiations to hand over the fortress. In the subsequent battle at Rothschloß he was able to distinguish himself and in the subsequent battle at Chotusitz (Czaslau) he was stationed in the Silesian mountains. In 1744 he was first with the troops for the siege of Prague and in December 1744 he fought with the corps of Leopold von Anhalt-Dessau in Upper Silesia. On March 18, 1745 he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. During the Battle of Hohenfriedberg Saldern was with his regiment in Breslau. During the Battle of Thrush he was with the Corps under Nassau to protect Upper Silesia against the Austrians. During the siege of Cosel he was back in the trenches until the fortress was conquered. In 1747 he was promoted to colonel and in 1755 he was made commander in Regiment No. 28 and on July 11, 1756 Major General. In addition, he received a salary of 1,500 thalers and the order Pour le Mérite .

During the Seven Years' War he got his own brigade from regiments No. 42 and No. 40 under Schwerin . After the surrender of the Saxon army at Pirna , he received the former Saxon Regiment Utterodt, which now became the Prussian Regiment No. 54 . This then marched to Magdeburg , he himself stayed in Friedland, which he defended against the Austrians with the Prussian troops. He then led his brigade to the battle of Prague , where he was seriously injured and had to go to the military hospital in Margaret Monastery. The bullet from his right shoulder was successfully removed. He came to Saxony to relax and the king made him commandant of Wittenberg . At the beginning of 1758 he recovered and returned to the king's army. He became commander in chief of the cavalry and infantry in Upper Silesia with the headquarters in Opava . The city was defended by 2,500 men when the Austrian Lieutenant Field Marshal de Ville attacked with an army of almost 15,000 men on February 18th. The next day, Saldern withdrew inconspicuously without losses, so that the next attack was in vain. But his old wound broke open again. He underwent two operations that brought no help, so he went back to the king's army and was with the vanguard on the advance to Bohemia. He was stationed at Königgrätz. The post was attacked on the night of July 25th to 26th, 1758. He fell in this attack and was buried in the cemetery of the Capuchin monastery.

family

His parents were Aschwin von Saldern (* August 7, 1656; † 1714) and Anna Dorothea von Ingersleben (* June 16, 1672; † April 27, 1759) from the Schrepkau family and daughter of Heinrich Rudolf von Ingersleben . Major General Heinrich von Saldern was his brother. He was married to Sophie Charlotte von Saldern (1720–1759). She was the daughter of the chamber judge and heir to Wilsnack Friedrich August von Saldern and Charlotte Elisabeth von Saldern . With his wife he had three daughters and one son:

  • Dorothea Charlotte Emilie (born November 18, 1742; † 1813)
∞ Hans Christoph von Königsmarck (1701–1779)
∞ Albrecht Ludwig von Quitzow (1740–1803)
  • Johanna Louise (April 6, 1748 - March 2, 1750)
  • Rudolf Christoph Gustav (* August 23, 1753; † January 12, 1753)
  • Sophie Friederike (* 7 August 1754; † 1776) ∞ Achatz Christoph von Bismarck (1737–1796)

literature

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personal data
SURNAME Saldern, Wilhelm von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Royal Prussian Major General, Chief of the Old Prussian Infantry Regiment S 54
DATE OF BIRTH August 7, 1702
DATE OF DEATH July 26, 1758
Place of death Königgrätz