Hans Ernst von Kottwitz (1 September 1757 – 13 May 1843) was a German

Pietist Pietism (), also known as Pietistic Lutheranism, is a movement within Lutheranism that combines its emphasis on biblical doctrine with an emphasis on individual piety and living a holy Christianity, Christian life, including a social concern for ...

and philanthropist. He was born in Tschepplau, near Glogau,

Silesia Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is split ...

, and he died in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...

. Information on Kottwitz's life is largely derived from a handful of letters and biographies of other individuals, and events prior to 1807 (when he settled in Berlin) are at best sketchy. He was educated in Breslau, and later served as a page in the court of Frederick II. He travelled extensively through several German states, and in Silesia, is credited with establishing factories and institutions based on his personal ideals in an effort to alleviate poverty. In 1807 he moved to Berlin at a time when the working classes were ravaged by consequences of the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

. Here he developed institutions similar to those in Silesia, and also helped provide free housing for families of working men. In addition, he conducted religious services, and eventually became an acknowledged leader of

Pietism Pietism (), also known as Pietistic Lutheranism, is a movement within Lutheranism that combines its emphasis on biblical doctrine with an emphasis on individual piety and living a holy Christian life, including a social concern for the needy an ...

in Berlin. The costs of these philanthropic activities were largely financed by Kottwitz, and in 1823, economic circumstances forced him to relinquish his foundations over to the city of Berlin. In Berlin, he had many influential friends that included theologians

August Neander Johann August Wilhelm Neander (17 January 178914 July 1850) was a German theologian and church historian. Biography Neander was born at Göttingen as David Mendel. His father, Emmanuel Mendel, is said to have been a Jewish peddler, but August ...

Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg Ernst Wilhelm Theodor Herrmann Hengstenberg (20 October 1802, in Fröndenberg28 May 1869, in Berlin), was a German Lutheran churchman and neo-Lutheran theologian from an old and important Dortmund family. He was born at Fröndenberg, a Westpha ...

, Friedrich Tholuck,

Richard Rothe Richard Rothe (28 January 1799 – 20 August 1867) was a German Lutheran theologian. Biography Richard Rothe was born at Posen, then part of Prussia. He studied theology in the universities of Heidelberg and Berlin (1817–20) under Karl Daub, ...

, et al.

References

biographical information from the New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge {{DEFAULTSORT:Kottwitz, Hans Ernst von German Christian religious leaders People from Prussian Silesia 1757 births 1843 deaths German philanthropists People from Głogów Pietists