Prince Heinrich of Bavaria
Encyclopedia
Prince Heinrich of Bavaria (24 June 1884 – 8 November 1916) was a member of the Bavaria
n Royal House of Wittelsbach
and a highly decorated Army officer in the First World War.
, Bavaria
. He was the only child of Prince Arnulf of Bavaria
and his wife Princess Therese of Liechtenstein. He was brought up in Munich, where he was tutored among others by Joseph Gebhard Himmler, the father of Heinrich Himmler
. The elder Himmler was an ardent royalist who, following the birth of his second son, petitioned the prince to allow him to be named after him - Heinrich. The prince agreed and also became Heinrich Himmler's
godfather. Heinrich did not marry but had a long term liaison with the daughter of a prominent Munich business man. Their son, named Heinrich after his father, was born posthumously (May 1917). Princess Therese, Heinrich's mother, agreed to support the son - and did so - until his 21st birthday. Copies of correspondence between Heinrich and the lady concerned and of the Urkunde or agreement signed by Princess Therese to pay 300 gulden a month for her grandson's upkeep are in the Bayerisches Staatsarchiv, München..
, Heinrich joined the Bavarian army with the rank of Leutnant. Initially, he served with the Royal Bavarian Infanterie-Leib-Regiment, but later was re-assigned the 1st Royal Bavarian Heavy Cavalry “Prince Charles of Bavaria”. After the outbreak of World War I
, the regiment saw action on the Western front, where Prince Heinrich was badly wounded. Upon recovering, he returned to his old infantry regiment and in June 1915, was promoted to Major
. At the same time, he was put in charge of the III. Battalion of the newly established Deutsches Alpenkorps stationed in the Carnic Alps
. In late 1916, the battalion was transferred to Romania where it fought at Turnu Roşu Pass
. During the ensuing German offensive at Monte Sule by Hermannstadt (Sibiu) in Transylvanian Alps, on 7 November 1916, Prince Heinrich was fatally wounded by a sniper and died from these wounds a day later, on 8 November 1916.
Prince Heinrich's body was transported back to Munich, where he was buried by his father’s side at the Theatinerkirche
.
Posthumously on 6 March 1917, for his exceptional bravery, the Prince was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Military Order of Max Joseph
.
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n Royal House of Wittelsbach
Wittelsbach
The Wittelsbach family is a European royal family and a German dynasty from Bavaria.Members of the family served as Dukes, Electors and Kings of Bavaria , Counts Palatine of the Rhine , Margraves of Brandenburg , Counts of Holland, Hainaut and Zeeland , Elector-Archbishops of Cologne , Dukes of...
and a highly decorated Army officer in the First World War.
Early life
Heinrich was born in MunichMunich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
. He was the only child of Prince Arnulf of Bavaria
Prince Arnulf of Bavaria
Prince Arnulf of Bavaria was a member of the Bavarian Royal House of Wittelsbach and a General of Infantry.-Early life:Arnulf was born in Munich, Bavaria...
and his wife Princess Therese of Liechtenstein. He was brought up in Munich, where he was tutored among others by Joseph Gebhard Himmler, the father of 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...
. The elder Himmler was an ardent royalist who, following the birth of his second son, petitioned the prince to allow him to be named after him - Heinrich. The prince agreed and also became Heinrich Himmler's
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...
godfather. Heinrich did not marry but had a long term liaison with the daughter of a prominent Munich business man. Their son, named Heinrich after his father, was born posthumously (May 1917). Princess Therese, Heinrich's mother, agreed to support the son - and did so - until his 21st birthday. Copies of correspondence between Heinrich and the lady concerned and of the Urkunde or agreement signed by Princess Therese to pay 300 gulden a month for her grandson's upkeep are in the Bayerisches Staatsarchiv, München..
Military career and death
At the age of 17, following his AbiturAbitur
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...
, Heinrich joined the Bavarian army with the rank of Leutnant. Initially, he served with the Royal Bavarian Infanterie-Leib-Regiment, but later was re-assigned the 1st Royal Bavarian Heavy Cavalry “Prince Charles of Bavaria”. 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...
, the regiment saw action on the Western front, where Prince Heinrich was badly wounded. Upon recovering, he returned to his old infantry regiment and in June 1915, was promoted to Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
. At the same time, he was put in charge of the III. Battalion of the newly established Deutsches Alpenkorps stationed in the Carnic Alps
Carnic Alps
The Carnic Alps are a range of the Southern Limestone Alps in East Tyrol, Carinthia, South Tyrol and Friuli . They extend from east to west for about between the Gail River, a tributary of the Drava and the Tagliamento, forming the border between Austria and Italy.They are named after the Roman...
. In late 1916, the battalion was transferred to Romania where it fought at Turnu Roşu Pass
Turnu Rosu Pass
Turnu Roşu Pass is a mountain pass in the Romanian Carpathians, connecting Vâlcea county and Sibiu county . It is formed by the Olt River flowing southwards from Transylvania to Wallachia through the Southern Carpathians....
. During the ensuing German offensive at Monte Sule by Hermannstadt (Sibiu) in Transylvanian Alps, on 7 November 1916, Prince Heinrich was fatally wounded by a sniper and died from these wounds a day later, on 8 November 1916.
Prince Heinrich's body was transported back to Munich, where he was buried by his father’s side at the Theatinerkirche
Theatinerkirche (Munich)
The Theatine Church of St. Cajetan is a Catholic church in Munich, southern Germany. Built from 1663 to 1690, it was founded by Elector Ferdinand Maria and his wife, Henriette Adelaide of Savoy, as a gesture of thanks for the birth of the long-awaited heir to the Bavarian crown, Prince Max...
.
Posthumously on 6 March 1917, for his exceptional bravery, the Prince was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Military Order of Max Joseph
Military Order of Max Joseph
The Military Order of Max Joseph was the highest purely military order of the Kingdom of Bavaria. It was founded on 1 January 1806 by Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, the first king of Bavaria...
.
Ancestry
Sources
- Jirí Louda and Michael MacLagan, Lines of Succession: Heraldry of the Royal Families of Europe, 2nd edition (London, U.K.: Little, Brown and Company, 1999)