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Martin Wilhelm Remus von Woyrsch
(04.02.1847 - 06.08.1920)
place of birth: Pilsnitz, Niederschlesien (Wroclaw,
Poland)
Königreich
Preußen: Generalfeldmarschall
Imperial German
Field Marshal and Dr.Phil. h.c., Remus von Woyrsch entered military
service in 1866 and saw action during the wars of 1866 and
1870-71. He thereafter experienced a distinguished career and left
active duty in 1911. General von Woyrsch was recalled from retirement as
Germany mobilized in the summer of 1914, receiving command the Landwehr Corps
which deployed to the Eastern Front. His
forces were attached to the Austro-Hungarian Army for a short time before
becoming part of Army Detachment Woyrsch in Silesia. Awarded the
Pour
le Merite in 1914 for successful operations conducted in Galicia. He remained on the
Eastern Front in Poland until the war's end, commanding Army Group Woyrsch
(1916-17). Von Woyrsch was later promoted to the rank of Generalfeldmarschall, before
once again retiring from active duty at the age of 70.
Field Marshal von Woyrsch was a member of an aristocratic
family from southern Bohemia, born the son of Karl
Wilhelm von Woyrsch and the former Cäcilie von Websky. He grew up just outside of modern-day
Wroclaw, Poland and enlisted in the
Potsdam Guards in April 1866. Just eight weeks into his enlistment, the
still teenaged Remus found himself in the middle of the Austro-Prussian
War. As a Fähnrich in his Guard Regiment, young Remus was
credited with saving the life of the Prince Anton von Hohenzollern who
had been seriously wounded on the battle field at Königgrätz. As Remus
was tending to the Prince's wounds, both were captured by the Austrians,
the Prince having told von Woyrsch to not resist and thereby avoiding any
senseless bloodshed. The particular scene has been captured in bronze
relief at the Siegesäule in Berlin.
During
the soon to follow Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, Woyrsch
himself was wounded at Saint Privat, as was his compatriot, the future
Army commander Friedrich von Scholtz. For his efforts, he received the
Iron Cross and was put in charge of a company within the 1st Guards
Regiment after the war. During this time of peace, he notably instructed the future
Kaiser Prince Wilhelm in field operations. Woyrsch retired from the
military after having risen to corps level commander, but was
reactivated prior to mobilization. He was promoted to field marshal by
the end of 1917, largely due to his leadership in fighting the Russians
during the Brussilov Offensive of 1916. In addition to his Iron
Cross, von Woyrsch was also awarded the Pour le Merite with
oakleaves and the Order of the Black Eagle.
After
the cease of hostilities in November 1918, von Woyrsch retired to Schloß Pilsnitz
in his Silesian homeland, where he died on 6 August 1920 at the age of 73.
He had been a member of the Preussisches Herrenhaus (Prussian House of
Lords) from 1908 to 1918. Field Marshal von Woyrsch was also married to the former Thekla von Massow for 43 years. His
nephew Udo von Woyrsch was an S.S. member and Nazi Police Commander
during World War Two.
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Generalfeldmarschall
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31.12.1917 |
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Eisernes
Kreuz II .............. |
Deutsch-Französischer
Krieg 1870–1871 |
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Pour
le Mérite .................... |
25.10.1914
(Eichenlaub: 23.07.1915) |
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