Alexander Burggraf und Graf zu Dohna-Schlobitten (25 January 1661 – 25 February 1728) was a

Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...

n field marshal and diplomat. Alexander zu Dohna was born at the Palace of Coppet in

Coppet Coppet is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Nyon (district), Nyon in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Vaud in Switzerland. History Coppet is first mentioned in 1294 as ''Copetum''. In 1347 it was mentioned a ...

near

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

to Frederick, Burgrave of Dohna (1621–1688), Governor of the

Principality of Orange The Principality of Orange (French language, French: Principauté d'Orange) was, from 1163 to 1713, a feudal state in Provence, in the south of modern-day France, on the east bank of the river Rhone, north of the city of Avignon, and surrounded ...

, and Espérance née du Puy de Montbrun. He and his brother Christoper were educated by

Pierre Bayle Pierre Bayle (; 18 November 1647 – 28 December 1706) was a French philosopher, author, and lexicographer. He is best known for his '' Historical and Critical Dictionary'', whose publication began in 1697. Many of the more controversial ideas ...

.Biography

Neue Deutsche Biographie (''NDB''; Literal translation, literally ''New German Biography'') is a Biography, biographical reference work. It is the successor to the ''Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie'' (ADB, Universal German Biography). The 27 volumes published thus far co ...

Dohna joined the Prussian Army in 1679 and became an ''Amtshauptmann'' of Mohrungen and

Liebstadt Liebstadt is a town in the Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge district, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is situated southwest of Pirna, and southeast of Dresden Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the ...

East Prussia East Prussia was a Provinces of Prussia, province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1772 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 1871); following World War I it formed part of the Weimar Republic's ...

. He was promoted to an

Oberst ''Oberst'' () is a senior field officer rank in several German language, German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the Army, ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, a ...

and

Geheimer Rat was the title of the highest advising officials at the imperial, royal, or princely courts of the Holy Roman Empire, who jointly formed the ''Geheimer Rat'' reporting to the ruler. The term remained in use during subsequent monarchic reigns in Ge ...

on 31 December 1686 and served as an envoy of Friedrich III, elector of Brandenburg at the

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Royal Court. In 1689/90 he fought against

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

in the

Nine Years' War The Nine Years' War was a European great power conflict from 1688 to 1697 between Kingdom of France, France and the Grand Alliance (League of Augsburg), Grand Alliance. Although largely concentrated in Europe, fighting spread to colonial poss ...

and was wounded in a battle at

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on 10 October 1689. Dohna became a major general on 9 October 1690 and Commander of an Infantry Regiment, which was named after him. He served again as a Prussian diplomat at the Royal

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

court and became the governor of

Pillau Baltiysk ( ); ; Old Prussian: ''Pillawa''; ; ; is a seaport town and the administrative center of Baltiysky District in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the northern part of the Vistula Spit, on the shore of the Strait of Baltiysk separ ...

on 11 April 1692. In 1693 Dohna fought again against France and became responsible for the education of the Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm in 1695 until 1704. In 1704 he came in conflict with

Johann Kasimir Kolbe von Wartenberg Johann Kasimir Kolbe, ''Graf'' von Wartenberg (6 February 1643, in Wetterau – 4 July 1712, in Frankfurt am Main) was the first ever Minister-President (effectively Prime Minister) of the kingdom of Prussia, and the head of the " Cabinet of T ...

and lost much of his influence at the Prussian Royal Court, but returned after Kolbe's dismissal. Dohna became the Chairman of the Royal Commission of Chamber- and Domain Affairs (Königliches Kammer- und Domänewesen) and the head of the District administration of Königsberg in 1712. Dohna was promoted to a General of the Infantry on 25 March 1713 and Generalfeldmarschall on 5 September 1713. He accompanied Frederick William I in the

Siege of Stralsund (1711–1715) The siege of Stralsund was a battle during the Great Northern War. The Swedish Empire defended her Swedish Pomeranian port of Stralsund against a coalition of Denmark-Norway, the Electorate of Saxony and the Tsardom of Russia, which was joined ...

. Dohna married Emilie Luise née Gräfin zu Dohna-Carwinden (28 July 1661 – 2 April 1724) on 10 September 1684 and Johanna Sophie née Gräfin zu Dohna-Reichertswalde (27 August 1682 – 2 April 1735) on 26 December 1725. He had 14 children with his first wife. #Esperance (born and died 1685). #Amélie Louise (22 May 1686 – 23 September 1757), married firstly Count Otto Magnus of Dönhoff and secondly Count Frederick William of Schwerin. #Charlotte Sophie Eleonore (5 January 1688 – 1689), twin with Louise Charlotte. #Louise Charlotte (5 January 1688 – 25 May 1736), twin with Charlotte Sophie, married Count Frederick William of Wied-Neuwied. #Carl Simon (1689 – 1690). #Christiane Charlotte (1691 – 1696). #Alexander Aemilius (1692 – 1693). #Ursula Anna (17 November 1693 – 15 August 1737), married Count Ferdinand Christian of Lippe-Detmold. #Friedrich (1695 – 1705). #Carl Wilhelm (1696 – 1697). #Sophie Wilhelmine (8 July 1697 – 10 September 1754), married Frederick Louis, Bggf und Gf zu Dohna-Carwinden. #Albert Christoph (23 September 1698 – 13 May 1752), married firstly Amelie Elisabeth of Lippe-Detmold, secondly Dorothea Sophie of Solms-Braunfels and thirdly Henriette of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck. #Johanna Charlotte (9 December 1699 – 12 November 1726), married Charles Florus, Bggf und Gf zu Dohna-Schlodien. #Alexander Aemilius (7 July 1704 – killed in action, 6 October 1745), married Sophie Charlotte of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck. Dohna was the first to add the name of his family estate Schlobitten to his name. He was the principal of the construction of Schlobitten Palace.ostpreussen.net
He died in Königsberg.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dohna-Schlobitten, Alexander zu 1661 births 1728 deaths Counts of the Holy Roman Empire Field marshals of Prussia