Ferdinand von Tiesenhausen
Encyclopedia
The Count
Berend Gregor Ferdinand von Tiesenhausen (Fiodor Ivanovitch Tiensenhausen in Russian; June 1, 1782, Reval – December 2, 1805, at the Battle of Austerlitz
) was a Russian
noble and military officer from German Baltic origin.
is the son of an ancient German Baltic nobility family that settled in Livonia
during the Baltic crusades in the first half of the 12th century, before becoming one of the wealthiest and most prominent noble lineage of the region (Tiesenhausen
or Tyzenhauz). Son of Count Hans Heinrich von Tiesenhausen (1741–1815) and wife Catherine, born Princess von Stackelberg
(1753–1826), Tiesenhausen married Princess Elisabeth Golenichtchev-Koutouzov, daughter of Napoleonic wars
' Russian hero General Prince Kutuzov. Elizabeth gave birth to two daughters: Catherine (1803–1888), future Lady-in-waiting of the Imperial Court of Russia
, and Dorothea
(1804–1863), future wife of Count Charles Louis de Ficquelmont.
Tiesenhausen chose a military career. He fought under the commandment of his father-in-law and eventually became aide-de-camp
of Emperor Alexandre I of Russia. He was fatally wounded at the battle of Austerlitz
and died with a flag in his hands. Napoleon
, coming close to the dying Count, had said: « What a glorious death! ». Tolstoï's War and Peace's
character Andrei Bolkonski had been inspired by Tiesenhausen. The Count was brought to nearby Straßendorf at the Malik's family hostel, but he did not survived. He was first buried in their garden, then exhumed and moved to his family's estates in Reval. A marble obelisk
was erected in his memory in the Lutherian Cathedral Our Lady of Reval
.
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
Berend Gregor Ferdinand von Tiesenhausen (Fiodor Ivanovitch Tiensenhausen in Russian; June 1, 1782, Reval – December 2, 1805, at the Battle of Austerlitz
Battle of Austerlitz
The Battle of Austerlitz, also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of Napoleon's greatest victories, where the French Empire effectively crushed the Third Coalition...
) was a Russian
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
noble and military officer from German Baltic origin.
Biography
Count Ferdinand von TiesenhausenTiesenhausen
Tiesenhausen is the name of a Baltic German nobility family. The origins of the family are in Lower Saxony. During the Baltic crusades they settled in Livonia in the first half of the 12th century where they became one of the wealthiest and most important noble lineages between the 14th and 16th...
is the son of an ancient German Baltic nobility family that settled in Livonia
Livonia
Livonia is a historic region along the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It was once the land of the Finnic Livonians inhabiting the principal ancient Livonian County Metsepole with its center at Turaida...
during the Baltic crusades in the first half of the 12th century, before becoming one of the wealthiest and most prominent noble lineage of the region (Tiesenhausen
Tiesenhausen
Tiesenhausen is the name of a Baltic German nobility family. The origins of the family are in Lower Saxony. During the Baltic crusades they settled in Livonia in the first half of the 12th century where they became one of the wealthiest and most important noble lineages between the 14th and 16th...
or Tyzenhauz). Son of Count Hans Heinrich von Tiesenhausen (1741–1815) and wife Catherine, born Princess von Stackelberg
Stackelberg
Stackelberg can refer to:People* Berndt Otto Stackelberg, senior, Swedish Field Marshal* Berndt Otto Stackelberg, junior, Swedish Field Marshal* Christoph von Stackelberg, Estonian, second husband of Josephine Brunsvik...
(1753–1826), Tiesenhausen married Princess Elisabeth Golenichtchev-Koutouzov, daughter of Napoleonic wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
' Russian hero General Prince Kutuzov. Elizabeth gave birth to two daughters: Catherine (1803–1888), future Lady-in-waiting of the Imperial Court of Russia
Lady-in-waiting of the Imperial Court of Russia
The Ladies-in-waiting of the Imperial Russian Court are noblewomen of high aristocracy at the service of the women of the Imperial family...
, and Dorothea
Dorothea de Ficquelmont
Countess Dolly de Ficquelmont, born Countess Dorothea von Tiesenhausen was a Russian writer and salonist...
(1804–1863), future wife of Count Charles Louis de Ficquelmont.
Tiesenhausen chose a military career. He fought under the commandment of his father-in-law and eventually became aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
of Emperor Alexandre I of Russia. He was fatally wounded at the battle of Austerlitz
Battle of Austerlitz
The Battle of Austerlitz, also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of Napoleon's greatest victories, where the French Empire effectively crushed the Third Coalition...
and died with a flag in his hands. Napoleon
Napoleon I
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...
, coming close to the dying Count, had said: « What a glorious death! ». Tolstoï's War and Peace's
War and Peace
War and Peace is a novel by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy, first published in 1869. The work is epic in scale and is regarded as one of the most important works of world literature...
character Andrei Bolkonski had been inspired by Tiesenhausen. The Count was brought to nearby Straßendorf at the Malik's family hostel, but he did not survived. He was first buried in their garden, then exhumed and moved to his family's estates in Reval. A marble obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
was erected in his memory in the Lutherian Cathedral Our Lady of Reval
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
.