Christian Andreas Käsebier
Encyclopedia
Christian Andreas Käsebier (born 1710, died after 1757) was a legendary German thief and robber during the 18th century who became an intelligence
operative for King Frederick II of Prussia
following a life imprisonment sentence.
, the son of Johann von Christophe Käsebier and Margaretha Kuhn. Christian and his siblings were raised in the French Reformed
religion. He came from a long line of successful tailors, in which his father educated him to continue in the family profession. His brother would become the personal tailor for Count Casimir
, however, Christian rebelled and entered a life of crime.
by the King.
was engaged in the Seven Years' War
and was conducting the Siege of Prague
. He was in need of intelligence operatives who could penetrate behind enemy lines. The King personally recruited Käsebier with the promise of a pardon in return for his intelligence services. Käsebier successfully smuggled himself into the besieged city three times, but on the fourth mission became hesitant over the fear of being known now. The King threatened to send him back to prison, so Käsebier agreed to the fourth mission. He vanished soon thereafter, never to be heard from again, although it is claimed he was executed by the Austrians.
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
operative for King Frederick II of Prussia
Frederick II of Prussia
Frederick II was a King in Prussia and a King of Prussia from the Hohenzollern dynasty. In his role as a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, he was also Elector of Brandenburg. He was in personal union the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel...
following a life imprisonment sentence.
Early life
Käsebier was born in 1710 in Halle, Saxony-AnhaltHalle, Saxony-Anhalt
Halle is the largest city in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is also called Halle an der Saale in order to distinguish it from the town of Halle in North Rhine-Westphalia...
, the son of Johann von Christophe Käsebier and Margaretha Kuhn. Christian and his siblings were raised in the French Reformed
Reformed Church of France
The Reformed Church of France is a denomination in France with Calvinist origins. It is the original and largest Protestant denomination in France....
religion. He came from a long line of successful tailors, in which his father educated him to continue in the family profession. His brother would become the personal tailor for Count Casimir
Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg
Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg was a county , most of which is located in the present district of Siegen-Wittgenstein, Germany . Its seat was the town and palace in Berleburg...
, however, Christian rebelled and entered a life of crime.
Crime boss
It is said that Christian Andreas became an infamous crime boss, staging numerous robberies and heists. He was caught on many occasions, but never executed, eventually being released every time. He was not a violent criminal, rather he used his charm and intelligence to accomplish most of his work. He was considered cunning and extremely deceptive.Life imprisonment
Käsebier was staying in Brandenburg an der Havel under an assumed named when he was finally arrested in 1748 and sentenced to life in prison at StettinSzczecin
Szczecin , is the capital city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. It is the country's seventh-largest city and the largest seaport in Poland on the Baltic Sea. As of June 2009 the population was 406,427....
by the King.
Recruitment as intelligence operative
In 1757, King Frederick II of PrussiaFrederick II of Prussia
Frederick II was a King in Prussia and a King of Prussia from the Hohenzollern dynasty. In his role as a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, he was also Elector of Brandenburg. He was in personal union the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel...
was engaged in the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
and was conducting the Siege of Prague
Siege of Prague
The Siege of Prague was an unsuccessful attempt by a Prussian army led by Frederick the Great to capture the Austrian city of Prague during the Seven Years' War. It took place in May 1757 immediately after the Battle of Prague. Despite having won that battle, Frederick had lost 14,300 dead, and his...
. He was in need of intelligence operatives who could penetrate behind enemy lines. The King personally recruited Käsebier with the promise of a pardon in return for his intelligence services. Käsebier successfully smuggled himself into the besieged city three times, but on the fourth mission became hesitant over the fear of being known now. The King threatened to send him back to prison, so Käsebier agreed to the fourth mission. He vanished soon thereafter, never to be heard from again, although it is claimed he was executed by the Austrians.
Popular culture
- It is claimed that Friedrich SchillerFriedrich SchillerJohann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller was a German poet, philosopher, historian, and playwright. During the last seventeen years of his life , Schiller struck up a productive, if complicated, friendship with already famous and influential Johann Wolfgang von Goethe...
's play The Robbers, from 1781, is loosely based on Christian Andreas and his father, Johann. - In 1972, the events surrounding the siege at Prague were adapted for the film Die gestohlene Schlacht, with Manfred KrugManfred KrugManfred Krug is a German actor and singer.-Life and work:After moving to East Germany at the age of 13, Manfred Krug worked at a steel plant before beginning his acting career on the stage and, ultimately, in film...
cast in the lead role as Christian Andreas. - Käsebier is compared numerous times to the romanticized criminals of Europe, including having been cited in 2001 along with Diego Corrientes MateosDiego Corrientes MateosDiego Corrientes Mateos was a Spanish bandit famous for his generosity to the poor.He was born in Utrera, Seville on August 20, 1757 and died by hanging in the same city in 1781....
, Robin HoodRobin HoodRobin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
, Dick TurpinDick TurpinRichard "Dick" Turpin was an English highwayman whose exploits were romanticised following his execution in York for horse theft. Turpin may have followed his father's profession as a butcher early in life, but by the early 1730s he had joined a gang of deer thieves, and later became a poacher,...
, and Louis MandrinLouis MandrinLouis Mandrin was a French brigand from Dauphiné.- Biography :Born at Saint-Étienne-de-Saint-Geoirs, he became head of the family at 17, on his father's death...
as one of Europe's most fabled criminals. - In Benjamin Carter Hett's 2008 book Crossing Hitler, Christian Andreas Käsebier was cited as having stayed in the notorious Spandau PrisonSpandau PrisonSpandau Prison was a prison situated in the borough of Spandau in western Berlin, constructed in 1876 and demolished in 1987 after the death of its last prisoner, Rudolf Hess, to prevent it from becoming a neo-Nazi shrine. The prison was near, though not part of, the Renaissance-era Spandau Citadel...
at one point and considered legendary.