Alexander zu Dohna-Schlobitten (1899-1997)
Encyclopedia
Alexander, Prince of Dohna-Schlobitten (11 December 1899 – 29 October 1997) was a German
Junker, soldier, business man and author.
, the son of Richard Emil Fürst zu Dohna-Schlobitten (1872–1918) by his marriage to Marie Mathilde Solms-Hohensolms-Lich
. He grew up in Potsdam, where his father was in the service of the Gardes du Corps, and at his family's estate of Schlobitten.
After the outbreak of World War I
Dohna was evacuated to Darmstadt
, where he lived at the Court of his relative Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse
and in 1916 he moved to Davos
, Switzerland
, where he passed his Abitur
in 1918.
On 1 June 1918 he joined the Prussian Army
regiment Garde du Corps and was deployed to the Ukraine
for a short time before the War ended in November. He returned to Schlobitten after his father's death, received a training in agriculture and forestry, and studied at the University of Bonn
. From 1924 until 1945 he administered the family estates of Schlobitten and Prökelwitz
.
After the Nazis came to power in Germany, Dohna, who was a classmate of Karl Wolff
, met Heinrich Himmler
and Hermann Göring
and planned to join the SS. However, under the influence of Kurt von Plettenberg and his uncle Heinrich Graf zu Dohna-Schlobitten, he distanced himself from going in that direction.
Dohna was drafted into the Wehrmacht
at the start of World War II
and served as a Rittmeister
throughout the German invasion of Poland and later the Soviet Union
. On 18 January 1943 he was one of the last to be evacuated from Stalingrad
, carrying personal letters and the awards of Friedrich Paulus
. Since January 1944 he served at the LXXV. Army Corps in Italy
. In March 1944 a U.S. Army commando of 15 men had landed near La Spezia
and was captured by German troops. Even though these men were duly uniformed, Dohna was ordered to sign the execution orders. Dohna refused to do so as this would violate the Geneva convention and was dismissed from the Wehrmacht for insubordination. General Anton Dostler
, who signed the execution order, was executed after the war.
Dohna returned to Schlobitten during the Soviet Army
take-over. He organized the flight of the populace
of his estates and left Schlobitten on 22 January 1945. With 330 refugees, 140 horses and 38 horse carts he arrived at Hoya
on 20 March 1945. By them bringing some Trakehner
horses, they enabled the continuation of that breed.
Dohna lived in Thedinghausen
from 1945 to 1948. He moved to Switzerland in 1948 and worked for Hoffmann-La Roche
. From 1961 to 1979 he owned a dry-cleaning company in Lörrach
, and in 1979 he moved to Basel
, where he wrote his memoirs and died in 1997 at the age of 97.
In 1926, Dohna had married Freda Antoinette, Countess von Arnim-Muskau. They had six children.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Junker, soldier, business man and author.
Life
Dohna was born in PotsdamPotsdam
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....
, the son of Richard Emil Fürst zu Dohna-Schlobitten (1872–1918) by his marriage to Marie Mathilde Solms-Hohensolms-Lich
Solms-Hohensolms-Lich
Solms-Hohensolms-Lich was a County of northern Baden-Württemberg and eastern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It was originally created as a union of Solms-Hohensolms and Solms-Lich, and it was raised to a Principality in 1792...
. He grew up in Potsdam, where his father was in the service of the Gardes du Corps, and at his family's estate of Schlobitten.
After the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
Dohna was evacuated to Darmstadt
Darmstadt
Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
, where he lived at the Court of his relative Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse
Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse
Ernest Louis Charles Albert William , was the last Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine from 1892 until 1918...
and in 1916 he moved to Davos
Davos
Davos is a municipality in the district of Prättigau/Davos in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It has a permanent population of 11,248 . Davos is located on the Landwasser River, in the Swiss Alps, between the Plessur and Albula Range...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, where he passed his Abitur
Abitur
Abitur is a designation used in Germany, Finland and Estonia for final exams that pupils take at the end of their secondary education, usually after 12 or 13 years of schooling, see also for Germany Abitur after twelve years.The Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife, often referred to as...
in 1918.
On 1 June 1918 he joined the Prussian Army
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...
regiment Garde du Corps and was deployed to the Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
for a short time before the War ended in November. He returned to Schlobitten after his father's death, received a training in agriculture and forestry, and studied at the University of Bonn
University of Bonn
The University of Bonn is a public research university located in Bonn, Germany. Founded in its present form in 1818, as the linear successor of earlier academic institutions, the University of Bonn is today one of the leading universities in Germany. The University of Bonn offers a large number...
. From 1924 until 1945 he administered the family estates of Schlobitten and Prökelwitz
Prakwice
Prakwice is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Dzierzgoń, within Sztum County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland....
.
After the Nazis came to power in Germany, Dohna, who was a classmate of Karl Wolff
Karl Wolff
Karl Friedrich Otto Wolff was a high-ranking member of the Nazi Schutzstaffel , ultimately holding the rank of SS-Obergruppenführer and General of the Waffen-SS. He became Chief of Personal Staff to the Reichsführer and SS Liaison Officer to Hitler until his replacement in 1943...
, met Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler was Reichsführer of the SS, a military commander, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. As Chief of the German Police and the Minister of the Interior from 1943, Himmler oversaw all internal and external police and security forces, including the Gestapo...
and Hermann Göring
Hermann Göring
Hermann Wilhelm Göring, was a German politician, military leader, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. He was a veteran of World War I as an ace fighter pilot, and a recipient of the coveted Pour le Mérite, also known as "The Blue Max"...
and planned to join the SS. However, under the influence of Kurt von Plettenberg and his uncle Heinrich Graf zu Dohna-Schlobitten, he distanced himself from going in that direction.
Dohna was drafted into the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
at the start of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and served as a Rittmeister
Rittmeister
Rotamaster was the military rank of a commissioned cavalry officer in charge of a squadron , the equivalent of O3 or Captain, in the German-speaking armies, Austro-Hungarian, Polish-Lithuanian, Russian and some other states.The exact name of this rank maintains a variety of spellings in different...
throughout the German invasion of Poland and later the Soviet Union
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
. On 18 January 1943 he was one of the last to be evacuated from Stalingrad
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between 23 August 1942 and 2 February 1943...
, carrying personal letters and the awards of Friedrich Paulus
Friedrich Paulus
Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst Paulus was an officer in the German military from 1910 to 1945. He attained the rank of Generalfeldmarschall during World War II, and is best known for having commanded the Sixth Army's assault on Stalingrad during Operation Blue in 1942...
. Since January 1944 he served at the LXXV. Army Corps in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. In March 1944 a U.S. Army commando of 15 men had landed near La Spezia
La Spezia
La Spezia , at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the Liguria region of northern Italy, is the capital city of the province of La Spezia. Located between Genoa and Pisa on the Ligurian Sea, it is one of the main Italian military and commercial harbours and hosts one of Italy's biggest military...
and was captured by German troops. Even though these men were duly uniformed, Dohna was ordered to sign the execution orders. Dohna refused to do so as this would violate the Geneva convention and was dismissed from the Wehrmacht for insubordination. General Anton Dostler
Anton Dostler
Anton Dostler was a General of the Infantry in the regular German army during World War II. In the first allied war trial after the war, Dostler was tried and found guilty of war crimes and sentenced to death by firing squad.-Military career:Anton Dostler joined the German Army in 1910 and served...
, who signed the execution order, was executed after the war.
Dohna returned to Schlobitten during the Soviet Army
Soviet Army
The Soviet Army is the name given to the main part of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union between 1946 and 1992. Previously, it had been known as the Red Army. Informally, Армия referred to all the MOD armed forces, except, in some cases, the Soviet Navy.This article covers the Soviet Ground...
take-over. He organized the flight of the populace
Evacuation of East Prussia
The evacuation of East Prussia refers to the evacuation of the German civilian population and military personnel in East Prussia and the Klaipėda region between 20 January, and March 1945, as part of the evacuation of German civilians towards the end of World War II...
of his estates and left Schlobitten on 22 January 1945. With 330 refugees, 140 horses and 38 horse carts he arrived at Hoya
Hoya, Germany
Hoya is a town in the District of Nienburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the left and right bank of the Weser, approx. 20 km north of Nienburg, and 15 km southwest of Verden....
on 20 March 1945. By them bringing some Trakehner
Trakehner
Trakehner is a light warmblood breed of horse, originally developed at the East Prussian state stud farm in the town of Trakehnen from which the breed takes its name...
horses, they enabled the continuation of that breed.
Dohna lived in Thedinghausen
Thedinghausen
Thedinghausen is a municipality in the district of Verden, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the Weser, approx. 15 km west of Verden, and 20 km southeast of Bremen....
from 1945 to 1948. He moved to Switzerland in 1948 and worked for Hoffmann-La Roche
Hoffmann-La Roche
F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. is a Swiss global health-care company that operates worldwide under two divisions: Pharmaceuticals and Diagnostics. Its holding company, Roche Holding AG, has shares listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange....
. From 1961 to 1979 he owned a dry-cleaning company in Lörrach
Lörrach
Lörrach is a city in southwest Germany, in the valley of the Wiese, close to the French and the Swiss border. It is the capital of the district of Lörrach in Baden-Württemberg. The biggest industry is the chocolate factory Milka...
, and in 1979 he moved to Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
, where he wrote his memoirs and died in 1997 at the age of 97.
In 1926, Dohna had married Freda Antoinette, Countess von Arnim-Muskau. They had six children.
Publications
- Das Dohnasche Schloß Schlobitten in Ostpreußen ['The Dohna Castle of Schlobitten in East Prussia'], with Carl Grommelt, Christine von Mertens, Lothar Count zu Dohna and Christian Krollmann (Stuttgart, 1965)
- Erinnerungen eines alten Ostpreußen ['Recollections of an old East Prussian'] (Berlin, 1989)