Rudolf Friedrich Hellwig (1775 - 1845)

Born 18 Jan 1775 in Braunschweig, Brunswick-Lüneburg, Holy Roman Empire

Ancestors

Died 26 Jun 1845 at age 70 in Liegnitz, Silesia, Prussia, German Empire

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Biography

Rudolf Friedrich was born in 1775. He was the son of Johann Hellwig and Dorothea Schönwald.

After Hellwig had dropped out of his education at the Katharineum at the age of 16 without graduating, he joined the Prussian Hussar Regiment H 3 under v. Köhler, which was stationed in Upper Silesia, as a Junker on May 19, 1791. through the mediation of the Brunswick Duke Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand. Withhim he took part in the campaigns of 1792-95 near the Rhine. The order Pour Le Mérite, which he earned in battle when he stormed the castle of Münchweiler near Trier with dismounted hussars, was awarded by mistake to another officer who delivered the prisoners.

He became known after the Battle of Jena and Auerstedt, when on October 17, 1806, he liberated 4000 Prussians (garrison of the Erfurt fortress) with only 25 hussars at hand, from Napoleonic captivity at Eichrodt. Although this daring exploit had only a minor military significance, it was all the more psychologically important for the defeated Prussian army. For this deed he received the Order from the hands of the Prussian Queen Luise and was promoted to the rank of Eskadron Chief. After the defeat of Prussia, Hellwig fled to Silesia and initially retired from military service due to a wound received near Glatz.

When the German Campaign began in 1813, Hellwig served as a major in the 2nd Silesian Hussar Regiment. In the spring of 1813, Hellwig received permission from Field Marshal Blücher to form a "Partisan Corps", at the head of which he entered Braunschweig on November 25, 1813, to the cheers of the population liberated from French occupation.

Military Deeds - German Campaign

• April 12, 1813, Langensalza: Prussian Major von Hellwig attacked with about 150 men 2000 French and took 5 guns, 3 wagons and 20 horses from them. In Gotha the Prussian hussars arrest a French legation secretary and capture important papers. For this Hellwig was awarded the Iron Cross II Class.
• April 23, 1813, Wanfried; Prussian Major von Hellwig raided a Westphalian hussar regiment, from which almost all ran away, leaving only 32 men and 50 horses to be taken. The leader, Lieutenant Colonel von Göcking, went over to the Prussians. For this Hellwig was awarded the Iron Cross I. Class - as the first soldier ever.
• October 17, 1813, Schloßvippach near Sömmerda: as leader of a Freikorps, Hellwig makes prisoners of 70 Polish Uhlans including three officers and takes 80 horses as booty.
• On October 17, 18 and 19, 1813, the Battle of Leipzig raged, it was a terrible slaughter. The Royal Saxon Army and the Württemberg cavalry defected to the Allies during the battle. At the end of the battle, dead and wounded were lying everywhere. On October 20, Hellwig's corps arrived in Heldrungen, Thuringia. It had not taken part in the battle itself, but performed the task of unsettling the retreat area of the French army and its allies. Hellwig moved on to Nordhausen via Weißensee, Langensalza and Sondershausen.
• On October 29, the Hellwig Corps captured Halberstadt.
• When Major von Hellwig entered Brussels on January 29, 1814, he received an enthusiastic welcome.

Sources

• Horst-Rüdiger Jarck, Günter Scheel (Hrsg.): Braunschweigisches Biographisches Lexikon. 19. und 20. Jahrhundert. Hannover 1996
• Bernhard von Poten: Hellwig, Rudolf Friedrich von. In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 13, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1881, p. 499 f.