Prince Eitel Friedrich of Prussia
Encyclopedia
Prince Eitel Friedrich (Wilhelm Eitel Friedrich Christian Karl) (7 July 1883 – 8 December 1942) was the second son of Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany by his first wife, Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein
. He was born and died in Potsdam
, Germany.
On 27 February 1906 Prince Eitel married Duchess Sophia Charlotte of Oldenburg
(2 February 1879 Oldenburg
– 29 March 1964 Westerstede
) in Berlin. They were divorced 20 October 1926 and had no children.
Raised at the cadet corps of Plön
Castle, Prince Eitel was in the front line from the beginning of World War I and was wounded at Bapaume
, where he commanded the Prussian First Foot Guards. He temporarily relinquished command to Count Hans von Blumenthal
, but returned to duty before the end of the year. The following year he was transferred to the Eastern Front and during the Summer of 1915 was out in a field in Russia when he had a chance encounter with Manfred von Richthofen
who had just crashed with his superior officer, Count Holck. The two men were hiding in a nearby tree line from what they thought was the advancing Russian army and who turned out to be the grenadiers, guardsmen, and officers of Prince Eitel.
After the war he was engaged in monarchistic
circles and the Stahlhelm
paramilitary organization. In 1921 the Berlin criminal court found him guilty of fraudulent transfer of 300,000 Mark and sentenced him to a fine of 5000 Mark.
From 1907 to 1926 he was Master of the Knights (Herrenmeister) of the Order of St. John (Johanniterorden). He received the Pour le Mérite
in 1915. His body is buried at the Antique Temple
in Sanssouci Park
.
Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein
Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein was the last German Empress and Queen of Prussia. Her full German name was Auguste Victoria Friederike Luise Feodora Jenny von Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg.She was the eldest daughter of Frederick VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein and Princess...
. He was born and died 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....
, Germany.
On 27 February 1906 Prince Eitel married Duchess Sophia Charlotte of Oldenburg
Duchess Sophia Charlotte of Oldenburg
Duchess Sophia Charlotte of Oldenburg was a member of the House of Holstein-Gottorp. She was the only surviving child of Frederick Augustus II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg by his first wife Princess Elisabeth Anna of Prussia.Sophia Charlotte is best known for her unhappy and well-publicized marriage...
(2 February 1879 Oldenburg
Oldenburg
Oldenburg is an independent city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the western part of the state between the cities of Bremen and Groningen, Netherlands, at the Hunte river. It has a population of 160,279 which makes it the fourth biggest city in Lower Saxony after Hanover, Braunschweig...
– 29 March 1964 Westerstede
Westerstede
Westerstede is the capital of the Ammerland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 25 km northwest of Oldenburg.-External links:*...
) in Berlin. They were divorced 20 October 1926 and had no children.
Raised at the cadet corps of Plön
Plön
Plön is the district seat of the Plön district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, and has about 13,000 inhabitants. It lies right on the shores of Schleswig-Holstein's biggest lake, the Great Plön Lake, as well as on several smaller lakes, touching the town on virtually all sides...
Castle, Prince Eitel was in the front line from the beginning of World War I and was wounded at Bapaume
Bapaume
Bapaume is a commune and the seat of a canton in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming and light industrial town located 10 miles south of Arras at the junction of the A1 autoroute and the N17 and N30 national roads its location is...
, where he commanded the Prussian First Foot Guards. He temporarily relinquished command to Count Hans von Blumenthal
Von Blumenthal
The von Blumenthal family are German nobility from Brandenburg-Prussia. Other, unrelated, families of this name exist in Switzerland and formerly in Russia, and many unrelated families called "Blumenthal" without "von" are to be found worldwide.The family was already noble from earliest times ,...
, but returned to duty before the end of the year. The following year he was transferred to the Eastern Front and during the Summer of 1915 was out in a field in Russia when he had a chance encounter with Manfred von Richthofen
Manfred von Richthofen
Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen , also widely known as the Red Baron, was a German fighter pilot with the Imperial German Army Air Service during World War I...
who had just crashed with his superior officer, Count Holck. The two men were hiding in a nearby tree line from what they thought was the advancing Russian army and who turned out to be the grenadiers, guardsmen, and officers of Prince Eitel.
After the war he was engaged in monarchistic
Monarchism
Monarchism is the advocacy of the establishment, preservation, or restoration of a monarchy as a form of government in a nation. A monarchist is an individual who supports this form of government out of principle, independent from the person, the Monarch.In this system, the Monarch may be the...
circles and the Stahlhelm
Stahlhelm, Bund der Frontsoldaten
The Stahlhelm, Bund der Frontsoldaten also known in short form as Der Stahlhelm was one of the many paramilitary organizations that arose after the defeat of World War I in the Weimar Republic...
paramilitary organization. In 1921 the Berlin criminal court found him guilty of fraudulent transfer of 300,000 Mark and sentenced him to a fine of 5000 Mark.
From 1907 to 1926 he was Master of the Knights (Herrenmeister) of the Order of St. John (Johanniterorden). He received the Pour le Mérite
Pour le Mérite
The Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max , was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order for German soldiers until the end of World War I....
in 1915. His body is buried at the Antique Temple
Antique Temple
The Antique Temple is a small round temple in the west part of Sanssouci Park in Potsdam. Frederick the Great had the building constructed to house his collection of antique artifacts, coins and antique gems. Carl von Gontard created the building in 1768/69 near the New Palace north of the...
in Sanssouci Park
Sanssouci Park
Sanssouci Park is a large park surrounding Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam, Germany. Following the terracing of the vineyard and the completion of the palace, the surroundings were included in the structure. A baroque flower garden with lawns, flower beds, hedges and trees was created. In the hedge...
.
Regimental Commissions
- Hauptman (captain) and commander of the Leibkompagnie (Life-company), 1. Garderegiment zu Fuß (1st Regiment of Foot Guards)
- à la suite, Grenadierregiment Konig Friedrich Wilhelm IV.(1. Pommersches) Nr. 2
- à la suite, 1. Gardelandwehrregiment (Guard Reserve Regiment)
- Hauptmann (captain), Austria-Hungary K.u.K. Infantry Regiment "Wilhelm I., Deutscher Kaiser und Konig von Preussen" Nr. 34
- Hauptmann (captain), Saxon Army
- à la suite, 7. Konigsinfanterieregiment (King's Infantry Regiment) Nr. 106
- First Brigade of Imperial Guards, commander, 1914-15
Chivalric Orders
- Master of Knights, Johanniterorden (German Order of St. John, resigned as Master of Knights, 1926 in favor of his brother, Prinz OskarPrince Oskar of PrussiaPrince Oskar of Prussia was the fifth son of Wilhelm II, German Emperor and Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein.-Education:...
) - Knight, Order of the Black EagleOrder of the Black EagleThe Order of the Black Eagle was the highest order of chivalry in the Kingdom of Prussia. The order was founded on 17 January 1701 by Elector Friedrich III of Brandenburg . In his Dutch exile after WWI, deposed Emperor Wilhelm II continued to award the order to his family...
- Knight Grand Cross with Crown, Order of the Red EagleOrder of the Red EagleThe Order of the Red Eagle was an order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was awarded to both military personnel and civilians, to recognize valor in combat, excellence in military leadership, long and faithful service to the kingdom, or other achievements...
- Knight, First Class, Order of the Prussian CrownOrder of the Crown (Prussia)The Order of the Crown was Prussia's lowest ranking order of chivalry. Instituted in 1861 as an award equal in rank to the Order of the Red Eagle, it could only be awarded to commissioned officers , but there was a medal associated with the order which could be earned by non-commissioned officers...
- Knight Grand Commander, Royal House Order of HohenzollernHouse Order of HohenzollernThe House Order of Hohenzollern was an order of chivalry of the House of Hohenzollern. It was both a military and a civil award...
- Honor Cross, First Class, Princely House Order of HohenzollernHouse Order of HohenzollernThe House Order of Hohenzollern was an order of chivalry of the House of Hohenzollern. It was both a military and a civil award...
- Knight, Second Class, Imperial Order of the Double DragonOrder of the Double DragonThe Imperial Order of the Double Dragon was an order awarded in the period of the Qing Dynasty.The Order was founded by the Guangxu Emperor on 7 February 1882 as an award for outstanding services to the Throne...
, China - Knight, First Class with Crown, Mecklenburg Order of the Wendish Crown
- Knight, First Class, Order of the Netherlands Lion, Netherlands
- Knight Grand Cross (with Chain), Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav, Norway
- Knight Grand Cross, Royal Hungarian Order of Saint StephenOrder of Saint Stephen of HungaryThe Royal Hungarian Order of Saint StephenThe Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary, the royal Hungarian order, founded in 1764 by the empress Maria Theresa of Austria, consisted of the grand master , 20 knights grand cross, 30 knights commanders and 50 knights...
, Empire of Austria-Hungary - Knight, First Class, Order of the Lion and the SunOrder of the Lion and the SunThe Order of the Lion and the Sun was instituted by Fat’h Ali Shah of the Qajar Dynasty in 1808 to honour foreign officials who had rendered distinguished services to Persia. In 1925, under the Pahlavi dynasty the Order continued as the Order of Homayoun with new insignia, though based on the...
, Kingdom of Persia (Iran) - Knight Grand Cross, Order of Tower & SwordOrder of the Tower and SwordThe 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....
, Portugal - Knight Grand Cross, Order of the Romanian CrownOrder of the Crown (Romania)The Order of the Crown is a chivalric order set up on 14 March 1881 by King Carol I of Romania to commemorate the establishment of the Kingdom of Romania...
, Kingdom of Romania - Knight, Order of the Rue Crown, Kingdom of Saxony
- Knight Grand Cross, Order of the Crown of Siam, Kingdom of Siam (Thailand)
- Knight, Order of GloryNichan IftikharNichan Iftikhar or Atiq Nishan-i-Iftikhar or Nişan-i İftihar , was an Ottoman and Tunisian honorary order founded in 1835 by Al-Mustafa ibn Mahmud...
, Ottoman Empire (Turkey) - Knight, First Class (with diamonds), Osminieh OrderOsminieh OrderThe Order of Osmanieh, Order of Osmanie, Order of Osmania was a military decoration of the Ottoman Empire, created in January 1862 by Sultan Abdulaziz. With the obsolescence of the Nichan Iftikhar , this became the second highest order in the Empire, ranking below the High Order of Honour...
, Ottoman Empire (Turkey) - Knight Grand Cross, Order of the Württemberg CrownOrder of the Crown (Württemberg)The Order of the Württemberg Crown was an order of chivalry in Württemberg.-History:First established in 1702 as the St.-Hubertus-Jagdorden , in 1807 it was renamed the "Ritterorden vom Goldenen Adler" by Frederick I, and on 23 September 1818 renewed and restructured by William I as the "Order of...
Military Decorations (1914-1918)
- Iron CrossIron CrossThe Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
, Second Class, ca. 1914 - Iron CrossIron CrossThe Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
, First Class, ca. 1914 - Pour le MéritePour le MériteThe Pour le Mérite, known informally as the Blue Max , was the Kingdom of Prussia's highest military order for German soldiers until the end of World War I....
, 1915