Frederic-Guillaume of Brunswick

Frederic-Guillaume ( Friedrich Wilhelm ) (1771 - June 16th 1815) known as the " duke noir" (Schwarze Hertog), is the son and successor of the duke Charles-Guillaume-Ferdinand of Brunswick, author of the Manifeste of Brunswick. In France, it is known also under the name of a duke of Oels. It belongs to the family of Guelfs (Welfen) which has reign Lower Saxony of today since the Middle Ages. In 1806, he was the crown prince to his family in the duchy of Brunswick-Lunebourg, part of Wolfenbüttel. His/her father was the most famous general of all Europe, but, alas, they had lost two important battles: that of Valmy and, which was worse, that of Iéna.

After the victory of Iéna, Napoleon was determined to transform this principality into simple department of his future Royaume of Westphalia. But the loss of its duchy, inherited with the Treated Tilsit in 1806, did of it one of most adverse, keenest with the Napoleonean domination on Germany. With its army " privée" , its body of partisans named " the company noire" , in German „Schwarze Schar “(because of the black color their uniforms), II took share with the war of 1809 at the sides of the Austria revolted. The body included/understood a regiment of infantry, a squadron of hussards and a battery. The duke knew well that it was necessary to belong to the winners to be able to weigh at the time of a future congress of peace!

After the defeat of the Austria to the Battle of Wagram this same year, it was thus solved to leave in England, while crossing the Bohème and the North-West of the Germany, in spite of the presence of the enemy troops. After the catch of Halberstadt, it fought the Westphalian ones, superiors of number, who tried to stop it with Oelper close to Brunswick. It overcame there the troops of the French general Reubell. Then, it embarked with its army with Elsfleth (close to the town of Oldenbourg) on American boats.

Entretetemps, on several occasions, it clandestinely visited its duchy become Westphalian, which contributed to support its persistent popularity.

Incorporated in the British army, its military body fought with much success in Spain with Wellington. It turned over to Brunswick in 1813, where it raised fresh troops. It was killed with the Bataille of the Four-Arms, close to Waterloo.

Like known as previously, there remains very popular. Today, a local beer bears its name " Schwarzer Herzog".

It left two wire of his wife Marie de Bade (1782 - (1808) which it had married in 1802:

  1. Charles (duke Charles II of Brunswick) born in 1804
  2. Guillaume (duke Guillaume VIII of Brunswick) born in 1806.

Monuments in its memory:

- The " black duke “, monument set up on November 10th, 1874, sculptor Georg Ferdinand Howaldt. From May 2007, again in front of the ducal palate rebuilt in Brunswick.

- memorial with Oelper (close to Brunswick) in memory of the aforesaid the battle

- memorial in Brunswick (Door St Pierre), where the duke bivouacked during the countryside of 1809

- memorial with Burgdorf (Low Saxony), where the duke bivouacked during this same countryside

- memorial with Syke (Lower Saxony), where the duke also bivouacked

See too

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