Prussian Naval Academy
Encyclopedia
The Prussian Naval Academy was the naval academy of the Prussian Navy
started with the foundation of the Navigationsschulen in Danzig in 1817, although there were other similar schools in the first half of the nineteenth century at Memel, Königsberg
, Stettin and Stralsund
.
Under the leadership of King Wilhelm III
, and the Minister of Finance Hans von Bülow
, the Prussian
Cabinet ordered on 20 June 1817 the creation of a navigation school for the building and training of officers for seagoing vessels. This first Prussian school of this kind started in Danzig (today Gdansk in Poland) at the St. Jacob Church, where a tower was built as an observatory.
The maintenance of the school came from the revenues of the port of Danzig, and it was supervised by a group of merchants, ship owners and ship captains (such as Johann Diedrich Longé
) under the city senate.
The first director was a Dr. Tobiesen, who proved capable but only stayed a few years. Already in the first year there were 40 students who mainly studied navigation but also did occasional "military maneuvers" on the schooner of war Stralsund - under Captain Longé.
: Michael Bille
(Miohaei John Petroniue Bille).
Michael Bille was from a noble family which had produced and would produce Danish admirals. He served actively in the Napoleonic Wars
and then was pilot inspector in Elsinore
. He taught mathematics and astronomy at the Danish Naval School (Dansk Søværnets Officersskole).
In 1821 he began a very fruitful career as director of the Navigationsschule in Danzig. After three years he moved the school into a building that lay outside Danzig at the mouth of the Radaune River
because the St. Jacob Church was inadequate. The school was then assigned to the war schooner Stralsund commanded by Longé. The number of students increased from 40 in 1827 to 115-120 in 1831.
From 1825 the school also had the "lagoon" gunboat Danzig which was driven by sails and paddles. Bille and the two vessels were under the authority of the Ministry of War in Berlin. This can be seen as the beginning of the modern Prussian Navy
.
Bille resigned from Prussian service on 3 May 1838 because he had become a Rear Admiral
in the Danish Navy. He had performed excellently and was well remembered: "A better leader for this branch of navigation at that time would have been difficult can be found. The Danish origin was not an obstacle to him, his official duties with pleasure and zeal." In 1840 he published a book on navigation Tankar om och i navigationen.
Prussian Navy
Throughout the centuries, Prussia’s military consistently concentrated on its land power, and never sought a similar power at sea. Yet historically there were always Prussian naval forces , beginning in the days when "Prussia" meant only the Margraviate of Brandenburg.- The Navy of Electoral...
Foundation
The training of officers for the Prussian NavyPrussian Navy
Throughout the centuries, Prussia’s military consistently concentrated on its land power, and never sought a similar power at sea. Yet historically there were always Prussian naval forces , beginning in the days when "Prussia" meant only the Margraviate of Brandenburg.- The Navy of Electoral...
started with the foundation of the Navigationsschulen in Danzig in 1817, although there were other similar schools in the first half of the nineteenth century at Memel, Königsberg
Königsberg
Königsberg was the capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945 as well as the northernmost and easternmost German city with 286,666 inhabitants . Due to the multicultural society in and around the city, there are several local names for it...
, Stettin and Stralsund
Stralsund
- Main sights :* The Brick Gothic historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.* The heart of the old town is the Old Market Square , with the Gothic Town Hall . Behind the town hall stands the imposing Nikolaikirche , built in 1270-1360...
.
Under the leadership of King Wilhelm III
Frederick William III of Prussia
Frederick William III was king of Prussia from 1797 to 1840. He was in personal union the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel .-Early life:...
, and the Minister of Finance Hans von Bülow
Hans, Count von Bülow
Ludwig Friedrich Victor Hans, Count von Bülow was a Westphalian and Prussian statesman....
, the Prussian
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
Cabinet ordered on 20 June 1817 the creation of a navigation school for the building and training of officers for seagoing vessels. This first Prussian school of this kind started in Danzig (today Gdansk in Poland) at the St. Jacob Church, where a tower was built as an observatory.
The maintenance of the school came from the revenues of the port of Danzig, and it was supervised by a group of merchants, ship owners and ship captains (such as Johann Diedrich Longé
Johann Diedrich Longé
Johann Diedrich Longé was a Swedish and Prussian naval officer. He was instrumental in building the Prussian Navy....
) under the city senate.
The first director was a Dr. Tobiesen, who proved capable but only stayed a few years. Already in the first year there were 40 students who mainly studied navigation but also did occasional "military maneuvers" on the schooner of war Stralsund - under Captain Longé.
Michael Bille
To succeed Tobiesen a director was sought from one of the neighboring countries with a more developed naval tradition than Prussia. An excellent candidate was found in nearby DenmarkDenmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
: Michael Bille
Michael Bille
Disambiguation: See Steen Andersen Bille for relationships to other naval officers in the familyMichael Bille was a Danish-Norwegian, and Prussian naval officer born 8 November 1769 in Stege on the Danish Island of Møn into a naval family which had produced and would produce Danish...
(Miohaei John Petroniue Bille).
Michael Bille was from a noble family which had produced and would produce Danish admirals. He served actively in the 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...
and then was pilot inspector in Elsinore
Elsinore
Helsingør is a city and the municipal seat of Helsingør municipality on the northeast coast of the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. Helsingør has a population of 46,279 including the southern suburbs of Snekkersten and Espergærde...
. He taught mathematics and astronomy at the Danish Naval School (Dansk Søværnets Officersskole).
In 1821 he began a very fruitful career as director of the Navigationsschule in Danzig. After three years he moved the school into a building that lay outside Danzig at the mouth of the Radaune River
Radunia
The Radunia is a small river in Kashubia which issues from a lake and falls into the Motława near Gdansk .A part of its water is conveyed into the city via the 13.5 km long Kanał Raduni / Radaunekanal or New Radaune or Radunia Channel, a canal built in 14th century by Teutonic Knights,...
because the St. Jacob Church was inadequate. The school was then assigned to the war schooner Stralsund commanded by Longé. The number of students increased from 40 in 1827 to 115-120 in 1831.
From 1825 the school also had the "lagoon" gunboat Danzig which was driven by sails and paddles. Bille and the two vessels were under the authority of the Ministry of War in Berlin. This can be seen as the beginning of the modern Prussian Navy
Prussian Navy
Throughout the centuries, Prussia’s military consistently concentrated on its land power, and never sought a similar power at sea. Yet historically there were always Prussian naval forces , beginning in the days when "Prussia" meant only the Margraviate of Brandenburg.- The Navy of Electoral...
.
Bille resigned from Prussian service on 3 May 1838 because he had become a Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
in the Danish Navy. He had performed excellently and was well remembered: "A better leader for this branch of navigation at that time would have been difficult can be found. The Danish origin was not an obstacle to him, his official duties with pleasure and zeal." In 1840 he published a book on navigation Tankar om och i navigationen.