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Prince Albert of Prussia (1809-1872)
Encyclopedia
Prince Albert of Prussia (Frederick Henry Albert; ; 4 October 1809, Königsberg
– 14 October 1872, Berlin
) was a Prussia
n colonel general
. Albert was the fifth son and youngest child of King Frederick William III of Prussia
and Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
. His parents had fled to East Prussia
after the occupation of Berlin
by Napoleon
. Two of Albert's elder brothers were Frederick William IV
, King of Prussia from 1840 till 1861, and William I, King of Prussia from 1861 to 1888 and German Emperor
from 1871 until 1888.
as a lieutenant
and held the rank of a general
of cavalry in 1852. He took part in the 1866 Austro-Prussian War
as a cavalry corps
commander at the battles of Gitschin and Königgrätz
. In the Franco-Prussian War
of 1870/71 he led a cavalry division
at the battles of Wissembourg, Wörth and Sedan
. He later joined the forces of his nephew Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia
and Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
in the campaign against the Armée de la Loire
.
After the war Albert was awarded the title of a Generaloberst
. He is buried at the Charlottenburg Palace
Park Mausoleum in Berlin.
He was the 74th Grand Cross
of the Order of the Tower and Sword
.
, daughter of King William I of the Netherlands
, in The Hague
. The marriage was dissolved on 28 March 1849.
They had the following children:
In 1853, Albert married Rosalie von Rauch
, Countess of Hohenau, daughter of Gustav von Rauch
, chief of the Prussian General Staff 1812-1813 and Prussian Minister of War
1837-1841. They had the following children:
As this marital bond was considered a morganatic marriage
, the couple temporarily had to avoid the Prussian court. Albert acquired a vineyard in Loschwitz
near Dresden
, Saxony
, where he had a residence, Albrechtsberg Castle
, erected in 1854.
, then called Prinz-Albrecht-Palais
. An adjacent street off Wilhelmstraße laid out in 1891 was named Prinz-Albrecht-Straße. After the Nazi Machtergreifung
it became notorious as the seat of the Gestapo
and the Reichsführer-SS
. The Prinz-Albrecht-Palais itself from 1934 served as the headquarters of the SS Sicherheitsdienst
under Reinhard Heydrich
, from 1939 the Reichssicherheitshauptamt
. In 1944 the building was heavily damaged by air raids and finally demolished in 1955. Since 1951 the street is named Niederkirchnerstraße, the area is now part of the Topography of Terror
project.
Königsberg
Königsberg was the capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945 as well as the northernmost and easternmost German city with 286,666 inhabitants . Due to the multicultural society in and around the city, there are several local names for it...
– 14 October 1872, 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...
) was a Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n colonel general
Colonel General
Colonel General is a senior rank of General. North Korea and Russia are two countries which have used the rank extensively throughout their histories...
. Albert was the fifth son and youngest child of King Frederick William III of Prussia
Frederick William III of Prussia
Frederick William III was king of Prussia from 1797 to 1840. He was in personal union the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel .-Early life:...
and Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Duchess Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was Queen consort of Prussia as the wife of King Frederick William III...
. His parents had fled to East Prussia
Province of East Prussia
The Province of East Prussia was a province of Prussia from 1773–1829 and 1878-1945. Composed of the historical region East Prussia, the province's capital was Königsberg ....
after the occupation of 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...
by Napoleon
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
. Two of Albert's elder brothers were Frederick William IV
Frederick William IV of Prussia
|align=right|Upon his accession, he toned down the reactionary policies enacted by his father, easing press censorship and promising to enact a constitution at some point, but he refused to enact a popular legislative assembly, preferring to work with the aristocracy through "united committees" of...
, King of Prussia from 1840 till 1861, and William I, King of Prussia from 1861 to 1888 and German Emperor
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
from 1871 until 1888.
Career
In 1819 he joined the Prussian ArmyPrussian 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...
as a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
and held the rank of a general
General (Germany)
General is presently the highest rank of the German Army and Luftwaffe . It is the equivalent to the rank of Admiral in the German Navy .-Early history:...
of cavalry in 1852. He took part in the 1866 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...
as a cavalry corps
Corps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
commander at the battles of Gitschin and Königgrätz
Battle of Königgrätz
The Battle of Königgrätz , also known as the Battle of Sadowa, Sadová, or Hradec Králové, was the decisive battle of the Austro-Prussian War, in which the Kingdom of Prussia defeated the Austrian Empire...
. In 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 led a cavalry division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
at the battles of Wissembourg, Wörth and 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...
. He later joined the forces of his nephew Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia
Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia
Prince Friedrich Carl Nicolaus of Prussia was the son of Prince Charles of Prussia and his wife Princess Marie of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach . Prince Frederick Charles was a grandson of King Frederick William III of Prussia and a nephew of Frederick William IV and William I...
and Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Frederick Francis II was a Prussian officer and the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, reigning from 7 March 1842 until 15 April 1883.-Biography:...
in the campaign against the Armée de la Loire
Armée de la Loire
The Armée de la Loire was a French army of the Franco-Prussian War. It was formed in October 1870 by Léon Gambetta, interior minister and minister for war in the Government of National Defence, then taking refuge in Tours after the French defeat at Sedan on 2 September 1870...
.
After the war Albert was awarded the title of a Generaloberst
Colonel General
Colonel General is a senior rank of General. North Korea and Russia are two countries which have used the rank extensively throughout their histories...
. He is buried at the Charlottenburg Palace
Charlottenburg Palace
Charlottenburg Palace is the largest palace in Berlin, Germany, and the only royal residency in the city dating back to the time of the Hohenzollern family. It is located in the Charlottenburg district of the Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf burough.The palace was built at the end of the 17th century...
Park Mausoleum in Berlin.
He was the 74th Grand Cross
Grand Cross
The phrase Grand Cross is used to denote the highest grade in many orders of knighthood. Sometimes the holders of the highest grade are referred to "knights grand cross" or just "grand crosses"; in other cases the actual insignia itself is called "the grand cross".Alternatively, in some other...
of the Order of the Tower and Sword
Order of the Tower and Sword
The Military Order of the Tower and of the Sword, of Valour, Loyalty and Merit is a Portuguese order of knighthood and the pinnacle of the Portuguese honours system. It was created by King Afonso V in 1459....
.
Family
On 14 September 1830 Albert married Princess MariannePrincess Marianne of the Netherlands
Princess Marianne of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau , was a member of the House of Orange-Nassau, by birth Princess of the Kingdom of the United Netherlands and by marriage Princess of the Kingdom of Prussia.-Family:Born in Berlin, she was the youngest child and second daughter of King...
, daughter of King William I of the Netherlands
William I of the Netherlands
William I Frederick, born Willem Frederik Prins van Oranje-Nassau , was a Prince of Orange and the first King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg....
, in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
. The marriage was dissolved on 28 March 1849.
They had the following children:
- Charlotte (1831–1855), married Georg II, Duke of Saxe-MeiningenGeorg II, Duke of Saxe-MeiningenGeorg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen , was the penultimate Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, reigning from 1866 to 1914.-Family and early life:...
- Albert (1837–1906), married Princess Marie of Saxe-AltenburgPrincess Marie of Saxe-Altenburg (1854–1898)Princess Marie Friederike Leopoldine Georgine Auguste Alexandra Elisabeth Therese Josephine Helene Sophie of Saxe-Altenburg was the wife of Prince Albert of Prussia, Regent for the duchy of Brunswick.-Family:...
- Elizabeth (1840–1840)
- AlexandrinePrincess Alexandrine of Prussia (1842-1906)Princess Frederica Wilhelmina Louise Elisabeth Alexandrine of Prussia was a member of the House of Hohenzollern as the daughter of Prince Albert of Prussia and his wife Princess Marianne of the Netherlands....
(1842–1906), married William, second son of Grand Duke Paul Frederick of Mecklenburg-SchwerinPaul Friedrich, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-SchwerinPaul Friedrich ruled as Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin from 1837 to 1842.-Biography:He was born in Ludwigslust the son of Hereditary Grand Duke Friedrich Ludwig of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna of Russia. Paul Friedrich was educated at Geneva, Jena and Rostock...
In 1853, Albert married Rosalie von Rauch
Rosalie von Rauch
Rosalie von Rauch was the morganatic second wife of Prince Albert of Prussia, the youngest child of King Frederick William III....
, Countess of Hohenau, daughter of Gustav von Rauch
Gustav von Rauch
Gustav von Rauch was a Prussian general, chief of staff from 1812-1813, and Minister of War from 1837 to 1841. His daughter Rosalie, married Prince Albert of Prussia as second, morgantic, wife in 1850....
, chief of the Prussian General Staff 1812-1813 and Prussian Minister of War
Prussian Minister of War
The Prussian War Ministry was gradually established between 1808 and 1809 as part of a series of reforms initiated by the Military Reorganization Commission created after the disastrous Treaty of Paris. The War Ministry was to help bring the army under constitutional control, and, along with the...
1837-1841. They had the following children:
- William, Count of Hohenau (1854–1930)
- Bernhard, Count of Hohenau (1857–1914)
As this marital bond was considered a morganatic marriage
Morganatic marriage
In the context of European royalty, a morganatic marriage is a marriage between people of unequal social rank, which prevents the passage of the husband's titles and privileges to the wife and any children born of the marriage...
, the couple temporarily had to avoid the Prussian court. Albert acquired a vineyard in Loschwitz
Loschwitz
Loschwitz is a borough of Dresden, Germany, incorporated in 1921. It consists of ten quarters :Loschwitz is a villa quarter located at the slopes north of the Elbe river...
near Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
, Saxony
Kingdom of Saxony
The Kingdom of Saxony , lasting between 1806 and 1918, was an independent member of a number of historical confederacies in Napoleonic through post-Napoleonic Germany. From 1871 it was part of the German Empire. It became a Free state in the era of Weimar Republic in 1918 after the end of World War...
, where he had a residence, Albrechtsberg Castle
Schloss Albrechtsberg (Dresden)
Albrechtsberg Castle is a Neoclassical castle above the Elbe river in the Loschwitz district of Dresden. It was erected in 1854 according to plans designed by the Prussian court and landscaping architect Adolf Lohse at the behest of Prince Albert, younger brother of the Prussian king Frederick...
, erected in 1854.
Aftermath
In 1830 Albert had acquired a city palace in Berlin on WilhelmstraßeWilhelmstraße
The Wilhelmstrasse is a street in the center of Berlin, the capital of Germany. Between the mid 19th century and 1945, it was the administrative centre, first of the Kingdom of Prussia and then of the unified German state, housing in particular the Reich Chancellery and the Foreign Office...
, then called Prinz-Albrecht-Palais
Prinz-Albrecht-Palais
The Prinz-Albrecht-Palais was a large stately mansion or a smaller palace in Berlin Friedrichstadt. It was located on Wilhelmstraße 102, opposite the western end of Kochstraße.-History:...
. An adjacent street off Wilhelmstraße laid out in 1891 was named Prinz-Albrecht-Straße. After the Nazi Machtergreifung
Machtergreifung
Machtergreifung is a German word meaning "seizure of power". It is normally used specifically to refer to the Nazi takeover of power in the democratic Weimar Republic on 30 January 1933, the day Hitler was sworn in as Chancellor of Germany, turning it into the Nazi German dictatorship.-Term:The...
it became notorious as the seat of the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
and the Reichsführer-SS
Reichsführer-SS
was a special SS rank that existed between the years of 1925 and 1945. Reichsführer-SS was a title from 1925 to 1933 and, after 1934, the highest rank of the German Schutzstaffel .-Definition:...
. The Prinz-Albrecht-Palais itself from 1934 served as the headquarters of the SS Sicherheitsdienst
Sicherheitsdienst
Sicherheitsdienst , full title Sicherheitsdienst des Reichsführers-SS, or SD, was the intelligence agency of the SS and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany. The organization was the first Nazi Party intelligence organization to be established and was often considered a "sister organization" with the...
under Reinhard Heydrich
Reinhard Heydrich
Reinhard Tristan Eugen Heydrich , also known as The Hangman, was a high-ranking German Nazi official.He was SS-Obergruppenführer and General der Polizei, chief of the Reich Main Security Office and Stellvertretender Reichsprotektor of Bohemia and Moravia...
, from 1939 the Reichssicherheitshauptamt
RSHA
The RSHA, or Reichssicherheitshauptamt was an organization subordinate to Heinrich Himmler in his dual capacities as Chef der Deutschen Polizei and Reichsführer-SS...
. In 1944 the building was heavily damaged by air raids and finally demolished in 1955. Since 1951 the street is named Niederkirchnerstraße, the area is now part of the Topography of Terror
Topography of Terror
The Topography of Terror is an outdoor museum in Berlin, the capital of Germany. It is located in Niederkirchnerstrasse, formerly Prinz-Albrecht-Strasse, on the site of buildings which during the Nazi regime from 1933 to 1945 were the headquarters of the Gestapo and the SS, the principal...
project.