Alexander August Wilhelm von Pape
Encyclopedia
Alexander August Wilhelm von Pape (February 2, 1813 – May 7, 1895) was a Royal Prussian
infantry
Colonel-General with the special rank of Generalfeldmarschall
.
Pape was born in Berlin
. He started his military career in 1830 as Junker
of the 2nd Guards Infantry Brigade and he was eventually promoted to major. In 1856 he was appointed to the cadets school in Potsdam
, and in 1860 he became battalion commander.
In the Austro-Prussian War
of 1866, Pape was a Colonel commanding the 2nd Guards Infantry Brigade, which he had led since 1863. On December 31, 1866, he was promoted to Colonel-General. On the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War
of 1870/71, he was given the 1st Guards Infantry Division which took St.-Privat-la-Montagne
on August 18, then successfully fought in the Battle of Sedan
, leading to the siege of Paris
and the final victory.
On March 22 1872 he was awarded the prized Oakleaves to the Prussian Pour le Merite Order for his military services most especially for action at the battles at St. Privat on August 18, 1870 and at Sedan on September 1, 1870. His initial Pour le Merite Order award was on September 17, 1866.[1]
In 1880 Pape was promoted to infantry general of the V. Armeekorps, in 1881 of the III. Armeekorps, and finally in 1884 he was appointed to the lead of the Guards Corps. In September 1888, Pape was relieved of this position and promoted to the special rank of Generalfeldmarschall
. He held the position of Governor of Berlin and was placed in charge of the military within the Province of Brandenburg
. By 1885 he was a member of the Landesverteidigungskommission.
Pape retired in January 1895. He died shortly thereafter on May 7 in his hometown of Berlin. Pape was highly respected to that by Emperor William
, who called him the "The role model of a traditional Prussian military leader".
The street "General-Pape-Straße" in Tempelhof
was named in honor of Pape by a decree of the emperor. A train station of the Berlin S-Bahn
was named "Station Papestraße" until May 27, 2006, when it was renamed Berlin Südkreuz
to match with similar names like Ostkreuz
and Westkreuz.
Prussian Army
The Royal Prussian Army was the army of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was vital to the development of Brandenburg-Prussia as a European power.The Prussian Army had its roots in the meager mercenary forces of Brandenburg during the Thirty Years' War...
infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
Colonel-General with the special rank of Generalfeldmarschall
Generalfeldmarschall
Field Marshal or Generalfeldmarschall in German, was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire; in the Austrian Empire, the rank Feldmarschall was used...
.
Pape was born in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. He started his military career in 1830 as Junker
Junker
A Junker was a member of the landed nobility of Prussia and eastern Germany. These families were mostly part of the German Uradel and carried on the colonization and Christianization of the northeastern European territories during the medieval Ostsiedlung. The abbreviation of Junker is Jkr...
of the 2nd Guards Infantry Brigade and he was eventually promoted to major. In 1856 he was appointed to the cadets school in Potsdam
Potsdam
Potsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre....
, and in 1860 he became battalion commander.
In the Austro-Prussian War
Austro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War was a war fought in 1866 between the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the...
of 1866, Pape was a Colonel commanding the 2nd Guards Infantry Brigade, which he had led since 1863. On December 31, 1866, he was promoted to Colonel-General. On the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
of 1870/71, he was given the 1st Guards Infantry Division which took St.-Privat-la-Montagne
Battle of Gravelotte
The Battle of Gravelotte was a battle of the Franco-Prussian War named after Gravelotte, a village in Lorraine between Metz and the former French–German frontier.-Terrain and armies:...
on August 18, then successfully fought in the Battle of Sedan
Battle of Sedan
The Battle of Sedan was fought during the Franco-Prussian War on 1 September 1870. It resulted in the capture of Emperor Napoleon III and large numbers of his troops and for all intents and purposes decided the war in favour of Prussia and its allies, though fighting continued under a new French...
, leading to the siege of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and the final victory.
On March 22 1872 he was awarded the prized Oakleaves to the Prussian Pour le Merite Order for his military services most especially for action at the battles at St. Privat on August 18, 1870 and at Sedan on September 1, 1870. His initial Pour le Merite Order award was on September 17, 1866.[1]
In 1880 Pape was promoted to infantry general of the V. Armeekorps, in 1881 of the III. Armeekorps, and finally in 1884 he was appointed to the lead of the Guards Corps. In September 1888, Pape was relieved of this position and promoted to the special rank of Generalfeldmarschall
Generalfeldmarschall
Field Marshal or Generalfeldmarschall in German, was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire; in the Austrian Empire, the rank Feldmarschall was used...
. He held the position of Governor of Berlin and was placed in charge of the military within the Province of Brandenburg
Province of Brandenburg
The Province of Brandenburg was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1815 to 1946.-History:The first people who are known to have inhabited Brandenburg were the Suevi. They were succeeded by the Slavonians, whom Henry II conquered and converted to Christianity in...
. By 1885 he was a member of the Landesverteidigungskommission.
Pape retired in January 1895. He died shortly thereafter on May 7 in his hometown of Berlin. Pape was highly respected to that by Emperor William
William II, German Emperor
Wilhelm II was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia, ruling the German Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia from 15 June 1888 to 9 November 1918. He was a grandson of the British Queen Victoria and related to many monarchs and princes of Europe...
, who called him the "The role model of a traditional Prussian military leader".
The street "General-Pape-Straße" in Tempelhof
Tempelhof
Tempelhof is a locality of Berlin within the borough of Tempelhof-Schöneberg. It is the location of the former Tempelhof Airport, one of the earliest commercial airports in the world. It is now deserted and shows as a blank spot on maps of Berlin. Attempts are being made to save the still-existing...
was named in honor of Pape by a decree of the emperor. A train station of the Berlin S-Bahn
Berlin S-Bahn
The Berlin S-Bahn is a rapid transit system in and around Berlin, the capital city of Germany. It consists of 15 lines and is integrated with the mostly underground U-Bahn to form the backbone of Berlin's rapid transport system...
was named "Station Papestraße" until May 27, 2006, when it was renamed Berlin Südkreuz
Berlin Südkreuz
Berlin Südkreuz is a railway station in the German capital Berlin. The station was originally opened in 1898 and is an interchange station...
to match with similar names like Ostkreuz
Ostkreuz
Berlin Ostkreuz is a station on the Berlin S-Bahn suburban railway, and one of the busiest in Germany. The station is in the former East Berlin district of Friedrichshain, now part of the borough of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg....
and Westkreuz.
External links
- http://www.pourlemerite.org