Ernst Albert Karl Wilhelm Ludwig von Bodelschwingh auf Velmede (26 November 179418 May 1854) was a

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an ...

n politician. Von Bodelschwingh-Velmede was born in Velmede, near Hamm in the

County of Mark The County of Mark (german: Grafschaft Mark, links=no, french: Comté de La Marck, links=no colloquially known as ) was a county and state of the Holy Roman Empire in the Lower Rhenish–Westphalian Circle. It lay on both sides of the Ruhr Rive ...

as the son of Franz Christoph Gisbert Friedrich Wilhelm von Bodelschwingh, Herr auf Velmede (1754–1827) and his wife Friederike Charlotte Sophie Wilhelmine Henriette von Bodelschwingh, née Freiin von Plettenberg. He studied

Law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...

and

Cameralism Cameralism ( German: ''Kameralismus'') was a German science of public administration in the 18th and early 19th centuries that aimed at strong management of a centralized economy for the benefit mainly of the state. The discipline in its most n ...

at the

University of Berlin Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (german: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a German public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin. It was established by Frederick William III on the initiative ...

and the

University of Göttingen The University of Göttingen, officially the Georg August University of Göttingen, (german: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, known informally as Georgia Augusta) is a public research university in the city of Göttingen, Germany. Founded ...

. He participated in the '' Freiheitskriege'' ("liberty wars"), and at

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...

earned the

Iron Cross The Iron Cross (german: link=no, Eisernes Kreuz, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia es ...

first class; he was heavily wounded at

Freiburg Freiburg im Breisgau (; abbreviated as Freiburg i. Br. or Freiburg i. B.; Low Alemannic: ''Friburg im Brisgau''), commonly referred to as Freiburg, is an independent city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With a population of about 230,000 (as o ...

on 21 October 1813. He subsequently completed his studies at the University of Berlin, and in 1817 entered government service. From 1822 he was an administrator (''Landrat'') of Kreis Tecklenburg in

Westphalia Westphalia (; german: Westfalen ; nds, Westfalen ) is a region of northwestern Germany and one of the three historic parts of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It has an area of and 7.9 million inhabitants. The territory of the regio ...

, from 1831 president of the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Trier, and from November 1834 ''Oberpräsident'' of the Rhine Province, in which he served during a turbulent time. In 1842, von Bodelschwingh-Velmede became Finance Minister of Prussia, and Interior Minister in 1845. In 1847, he attempted to lead the United Diet (''Vereinigter Landtag''), but failed. He did not sympathize with the

Revolutions of 1848 The Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Springtime of the Peoples or the Springtime of Nations, were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe starting in 1848. It remains the most widespread revolutionary wave in Europea ...

, and on 19 March resigned to enter the Prussian '' Abgeordnetenhaus'' (lower house), first in January 1849 and again after a new electoral law was imposed in 1849. He was later elected to the

Erfurt Erfurt () is the capital and largest city in the Central German state of Thuringia. It is located in the wide valley of the Gera river (progression: ), in the southern part of the Thuringian Basin, north of the Thuringian Forest. It sits i ...

city council as well. In the Prussian legislature he supported the '' Unionpolitik'' of the government. In the legislative session from 1850 to 1851 he was leader of the ''

Zentrumspartei The Centre Party (german: Zentrum), officially the German Centre Party (german: link=no, Deutsche Zentrumspartei) and also known in English as the Catholic Centre Party, is a Catholic political party in History of Germany, Germany, influential i ...

''. In 1852 he was appointed president of the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Arnsberg. He died in 1854 while on an official trip to Medebach. His brother,

Karl von Bodelschwingh-Velmede Ludwig Carl Christian Gisbert Friedrich von Bodelschwingh auf Velmede (10 December 1800 – 12 May 1873) was a Prussian politician. Von Bodelschwingh-Velmede was born in Velmede, near Hamm in the County of Mark as the son of Franz Christoph G ...

, was also active in Prussian politics and Finance Minister of Prussia.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bodelschwingh-Velmede, Ernst von 1794 births 1854 deaths People from the County of Mark Prussian politicians University of Göttingen alumni Humboldt University of Berlin alumni Prussian Army personnel of the Napoleonic Wars Recipients of the Iron Cross (1813) Recipients of the Iron Cross, 1st class Interior ministers of Prussia Finance ministers of Prussia