Heinrich Sigismund von der Heyde was a Prussian officer and commander-in-chief of Kolberg (born 1703 in the
Lower Lusatia region of
Brandenburg
Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a states of Germany, state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an ar ...
– 4 May 1765 in
Kolberg). His name is spelled variously "von der Heyden" and "von Heyden". He is best known for his tenacious defense of Kolberg during its
three sieges of the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754 ...
. He received the
Pour le Merite and he is immortalized on the
Equestrian statue of Frederick the Great.
Family
Heyde was born 1 January 1703 in
Schacksdorf, a village in the
Lower Lusatia region of
Brandenburg
Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a states of Germany, state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an ar ...
. He was the son of Heinrich Siegmund von der Heyde, heir to Schacksdorf, and Magdalene Sophie von Stutterheim from
Sellendorf.
[Anton Balthasar König,Biographisches Lexikon aller Helden und Militärpersonen: T. G-L, A. Wever, 1789]
pp 157–160
Military career
Heyde entered the Prussian military in Infantry Regiment Nr. 3 (Alt-Anhalt) in 1718. Between 1726 and 1740, he received a series of promotions. In 1740, he was a staff officer for
Leopold of Anhalt-Dessau. In 1741, he also received his first command, a grenadier company, as a
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
, with which he also fought in the
First Silesian War. In 1744 and 1745 he fought in
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...
and
Moravia
Moravia ( , also , ; cs, Morava ; german: link=yes, Mähren ; pl, Morawy ; szl, Morawa; la, Moravia) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia.
The me ...
. He was injured in the
Battle of Hohenfriedberg
The Battle of Hohenfriedberg or Hohenfriedeberg, now Dobromierz, also known as the Battle of Striegau, now Strzegom, was one of Frederick the Great's most admired victories. Frederick's Prussian army decisively defeated an Austrian army unde ...
. Based on differences between him and Leopold, in 1747, the King ordered his transfer to Regiment Nr. 2 (Röder) garrisoned in
Königsberg
Königsberg (, ) was the historic Prussian city that is now Kaliningrad, Russia. Königsberg was founded in 1255 on the site of the ancient Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teutonic Knights during the Northern Crusades, and was named ...
.
[
On 5 June 1753, he became a ]major
Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
and commander of Grenadier Battalion Nr. 4, still in Königsberg
Königsberg (, ) was the historic Prussian city that is now Kaliningrad, Russia. Königsberg was founded in 1255 on the site of the ancient Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teutonic Knights during the Northern Crusades, and was named ...
. On 13 December 1755, just prior to the outbreak of the Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754 ...
, he became commander of the Fort Friedrichsburg
300px, Friedrichsburg is situated in the western Pregel in this map of Königsberg from 1905.
300px, Fort Friedrichsburg in modern Kaliningrad
Fort Friedrichsburg or Feste Friedrichsburg was a fort in Königsberg, Germany. The only remnant of th ...
near Königsberg. In 1757, he fought against the invading Russian troops but, after the Battle of Gross-Jägersdorf
The Battle of Gross-Jägersdorf (30 August 1757) was a victory for the Russian force under Field Marshal Stepan Fyodorovich Apraksin over a smaller Prussian force commanded by Field Marshal Hans von Lehwaldt, during the Seven Years' War. This wa ...
and a new Russian advance in 1758, he withdrew to the fortress of Kolberg with his troops.[
]
Sieges of Kolberg
On 3 October 1758, now as deputy commander of the Kolberg fortress, Heyde organized the city's defense when the Russian general Johann von Palmbach
Johann, typically a male given name, is the German form of ''Iohannes'', which is the Latin form of the Greek name ''Iōánnēs'' (), itself derived from Hebrew name ''Yochanan'' () in turn from its extended form (), meaning "Yahweh is Gracious" ...
besieged
Besieged may refer to:
* the state of being under siege
* ''Besieged'' (film), a 1998 film by Bernardo Bertolucci
{{disambiguation ...
the fortress. After several thwarted attacks, Palmbach appeared to retreat in the night from 29 October; the next day, Heyde repulsed a surprise attack with two battalions, and a troop of armed citizens. For this stubborn defense, he was promoted to colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
, and Frederick the Great
Frederick II (german: Friedrich II.; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was King in Prussia from 1740 until 1772, and King of Prussia from 1772 until his death in 1786. His most significant accomplishments include his military successes in the Sil ...
awarded him the Pour le Mérite
The ' (; , ) is an order of merit (german: Verdienstorden) established in 1740 by Frederick the Great, King Frederick II of Prussia. The was awarded as both a military and civil honour and ranked, along with the Order of the Black Eagle, the Or ...
.[
On 26 August 1760, during the second siege of Kolberg, a united force of Swedish and Russian troops surrounded the fortress on water and land. On 27 August, Kolberg was bombarded from the sea by the entire Russian ]Baltic fleet
, image = Great emblem of the Baltic fleet.svg
, image_size = 150
, caption = Baltic Fleet Great ensign
, dates = 18 May 1703 – present
, country =
, allegiance = (1703–1721) (1721–1917) (1917–1922) (1922–1991)(1991–present)
...
: twenty-one ships of the line, three frigates and three bomb vessels.[Franz A. J. Szabo, ''The Seven Years War in Europe, 1756–1763.'' NJ, Pearson Education, 2008 , p. 371] On 29 August, they were joined by six ships of line and three frigates of their 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 ...
allies. Heyde deployed his 700 troops to construct siege works on 6 September; cavalry units covered the construction. He defended Kolberg with his limited number of troops until 18 September, when General Paul von Werner
Johann Paul von Werner (11 December 1707 in Raab – 25 January 1785 at Gut Bilschin in the district of Toszek) was chief of the Prussian Hussar Regiment No. 6 (Brown Hussars); he also received the Prussian Order Pour le Mérite. Initially in A ...
arrived with 3,800 men after a 13-day, forced march from Silesia. Werner deployed his troops and attacked immediately with such force that the Russians believed they were facing an army of about 20,000; the Russians retreated. Two coins commemorate this act: one with the image of Werner, one with the image of Heyde. The King sent a gold and twenty silver coins with a personal thank you to Heyde. After the second siege of Kolberg, Frederick reevaluated his previously lukewarm opinion of Heyde: ''I am not infallible; in this man I have been greatly wrong.''[ Financially, Heyde's heroism did not pay off; he received as a commander a salary of 600 taler against of which, shortly before his death, 800 were still owed. Heyde and Werner were promoted to the rank of ]lieutenant general
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
.[
]
Final siege and captivity
Kolberg's strategic value remained high for the Russians, and a third siege under the Russian commander Pyotr Alexandrovich Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky
Count Pyotr Alexandrovich Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky (russian: Пётр Алекса́ндрович Румя́нцев-Задунайский; – ) was one of the foremost Russian generals of the 18th century. He governed Little Russia in the name ...
began on 3 September 1761. Friedrich Eugen, Duke of Württemberg marched from the Swedish front in Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg (; nds, label=Low German, Mękel(n)borg ) is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The largest cities of the region are Rostock, Schwerin ...
and secured the surrounding countryside, but he, like the troops stranded inside the fortress, struggled with supply problems. On 18 September, Rumyantsev stormed Württemberg's defenses outside the town, suffering 3,000 casualties and gaining little. Rumyantsev altered his strategy: instead of wasting troops in storming entrenched defenses, he would cut off Kolberg's supplies.[Szabo, p. 369]
Prussian relief troops—several thousand of them commanded by General Dubislav von Platen—managed to break through to Kolberg later in the month, but a comprehensive break out through Russian lines on 17 October failed. Kolberg, although secured by some 20,000 troops, was consuming supplies at a fast rate. The Russian navy had also reappeared and resumed bombardment of the fortress. Platen extricated himself and his troops to safety, but the garrison itself remained trapped inside the city, with depleting supplies, and the Duke's troops remained in their defensive positions. In November, Württemberg abandoned Kolberg, broke through the Russian lines to reunite with Platen; their joint forces assaulted Rumyantsev unsuccessfully from the rear. After this last effort, Platen departed as ordered by Friedrich; Württemberg tried several more times to force his way back into the fortress. On 12 December, the Russian forces halted his attempt at Spie, southwest of Kolberg, inflicting 1,000 casualties on the Duke's force. Württemberg's remaining 8,000 troops retreated to Stettin
Szczecin (, , german: Stettin ; sv, Stettin ; Latin language, Latin: ''Sedinum'' or ''Stetinum'') is the capital city, capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the Po ...
, leaving Kolberg to its fate.[
Five days later, on 17 December 1761, the starving city capitulated. The city residents, and Heyde, his troops and their families, received medical treatment and food. Heyde and his troops marched to captivity in Russia.
After the death of Czarina ]Elizabeth of Russia
Elizabeth Petrovna (russian: Елизаве́та (Елисаве́та) Петро́вна) (), also known as Yelisaveta or Elizaveta, reigned as Empress of Russia from 1741 until her death in 1762. She remains one of the most popular Russian ...
on 5 January 1762, the Prussophile Peter III Peter III may refer to:
Politics
* Peter III of Bulgaria (ruled in 1072)
* Peter III of Aragon (1239–1285)
* Peter III of Arborea (died 1347)
* Peter III Aaron (died 1467)
* Pedro III of Kongo (ruler in 1669)
* Peter III of Russia (1728–1762)
* ...
came to power and ended the Russia's participation in the war. The prisoners-of-war turned around and marched back to Prussia.[
]
Final years
After his brief imprisonment, Heyde was reinstated in Prussian service in Königsberg, in the fortress of Friedricksburg, but in April 1763, Heyde returned to Kolberg where he remained as commander until his death in 1765. He was buried in the Marienkirche (Saint Mary's Church) of Kolberg.[ In May 1851, his name was inscribed on the Equestrian statue of Frederick the Great.][Denkmal König Friedrichs des Grossen: enthüllt am 31. Mai 1851, Berlin: Decker, 1851 OCLC 249315081 (German).]
Rank
Sources
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heyde, Heinrich Sigismund von der
1765 deaths
1703 births
People from Spree-Neiße
Prussian generals
German military personnel of the War of the Austrian Succession
Prussian military personnel of the Seven Years' War
Military personnel from Brandenburg