The House of Kleist is the name of an old and distinguished Prussian noble family, originating in Pomerania, whose members obtained many important military and administrative positions within the Kingdom of Prussia and later in the

German Empire The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...

. Members of the family served as officers in Prussian and German conflicts including the War of Spanish Succession, War of the Austrian Succession, Seven Years' War, Napoleonic Wars, World War I and World War II. The poet and author Heinrich von Kleist is the most famous member of the family.

Notable members

*Georg Kleist (around 1435–1508); ''Vogt'' of Rügenwalde and Chancellor to Bogislaw X, Duke of Pomerania *

Henning Alexander von Kleist Henning Alexander von Kleist (1676/77–1749) was an 18th-century Prussian field marshal. He fought in the War of Spanish Succession, the Great Northern War, and in the Wars of Austrian Succession. In particular, his actions at the Battle of M ...

(1677–1749); Prussian field marshal during the War of Spanish Succession, War of Austrian Succession and Great Northern War. * Ewald Jürgen von Kleist (c. 1700–1748); co-inventor of the Leyden jar *

(1707–1784); Prussian lieutenant general * Ewald Christian von Kleist (1715–1759); German poet and soldier. (Depicted on the Equestrian statue of Frederick the Great) *

Friedrich Wilhelm Gottfried Arnd von Kleist Friedrich may refer to: Names *Friedrich (surname), people with the surname ''Friedrich'' *Friedrich (given name), people with the given name ''Friedrich'' Other *Friedrich (board game), a board game about Frederick the Great and the Seven Years' ...

(1724-1767); Prussian major general during the Seven Years' War and leader of ''Freikorps Kleist''; nicknamed the "Green Kleist". Commanded an independent corps that participated in the "Glorius Raid of 1762". (Depicted on the Equestrian statue of Frederick the Great) *

Franz Kasimir von Kleist Franz Kasimir von Kleist (25 January 1736 – 30 March 1808) was an infantry general of the Kingdom of Prussia. In 1806 as Governor of Magdeburg he capitulated to Napoleon's troops, for which he was posthumously condemned to death. Life and career ...

(1736–1808); Prussian general of the infantry, military governor of Magdeburg *

Barbara Sophia von Kleist Barbara may refer to: People * Barbara (given name) * Barbara (painter) (1915–2002), pseudonym of Olga Biglieri, Italian futurist painter * Barbara (singer) (1930–1997), French singer * Barbara Popović (born 2000), also known mononymously as ...

; mother of

Adam Stanisław Grabowski Adam Stanisław Grabowski ( la, Adamus Stanislaus Grabowski; 3 September 1698, Wielki Buczek, near Debrzno – 15 December 1766, Lidzbark Warmiński), of the ''Zbiświcz'' coat-of-arms, was Bishop of Chełmno 1736–39, Bishop of Kujawy 1739–41 ...

(1741–1766) Prince-Bishop of Ermland/ Bishopric of Warmia *

Marie von Kleist Marie von Kleist (1761–1831) was a German courtier. She served as lady-in-waiting to Queen Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz Duchess Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Luise Auguste Wilhelmine Amalie; 10 March 1776 – 19 July 1810) was Quee ...

(1761–1831); lady-in-waiting to Queen

Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz Duchess Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Luise Auguste Wilhelmine Amalie; 10 March 1776 – 19 July 1810) was Queen of Prussia as the wife of King Frederick William III. The couple's happy, though short-lived, marriage produced nine child ...

and her close confidant * Friedrich Emil Ferdinand Heinrich Graf Kleist von Nollendorf (April 9, 1762 – February 17, 1823); Prussian field marshal during the Napoleonic Wars * Franz Alexander von Kleist (1769–1797); Soldier and poet * Heinrich von Kleist (October 18, 1777 – November 21, 1811); German poet, dramatist, novelist and short story writer. The Kleist Prize, a prestigious prize for German literature, is named after him * Karl Wilhelm Heinrich von Kleist (1836–1917); Prussian General of the Cavalry *

Hans Hugo von Kleist-Retzow Hans may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Hans (name), a masculine given name * Hans Raj Hans, Indian singer and politician ** Navraj Hans, Indian singer, actor, entrepreneur, cricket player and performer, son of Hans Raj Hans ** Yuvraj Hans, Punjabi ...

(1814–1892); Prussian '' Oberpräsident'' and conservative politician *

Ruth von Kleist-Retzow Ruth von Kleist-Retzow (by birth, the Countess of Zedlitz-Trützschler: 4 February 1867 – 2 October 1945) was born into the German nobility and married into a Prussian army family. She was horrified by the rise of National Socialism, becoming ...

(1867–1945); Countess of Zedlitz-Trützschler by birth. * Alfred von Kleist (1857–1921); German lieutenant general in World War I * Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist (1881–1954); German field marshal of the '' Wehrmacht'' during World War II * Ewald von Kleist-Schmenzin (1890–1945); conspirator in the

20 July plot On 20 July 1944, Claus von Stauffenberg and other conspirators attempted to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Führer of Nazi Germany, inside his Wolf's Lair field headquarters near Rastenburg, East Prussia, now Kętrzyn, in present-day Poland. The ...

to assassinate Adolf Hitler *Karl Wilhelm von Kleist (1914–1994); German brigadier general of the '' Bundeswehr'' *

Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist-Schmenzin Ewald-Heinrich Hermann Konrad Oskar Ulrich Wolf Alfred von Kleist-Schmenzin (10 July 1922 – 8 March 2013) was a German publisher and convenor of the Munich Conference on Security Policy until 1998. A member of the von Kleist family and an off ...

(1922–2013); Son of Ewald von Kleist-Schmenzin; another conspirator in the 20 July bomb plot and founder of the Munich Security Conference * Erica von Kleist (1982–); jazz musician

External links

Homepage of the family von Kleist
German noble families Prussian nobility {{Germany-noble-stub