Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia (Tassilo Wilhelm Humbert Leopold Friedrich Karl; 6 April 1893 – 6 April 1917) was a German

prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. ...

and competitive horse rider who competed in the

1912 Summer Olympics The 1912 Summer Olympics ( sv, Olympiska sommarspelen 1912), officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad ( sv, Den V olympiadens spel) and commonly known as Stockholm 1912, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, b ...

Biography

Prince Friedrich Karl was born in Schloss Klein-Glienicke,

Potsdam Potsdam () is the capital and, with around 183,000 inhabitants, largest city of the German state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream of ...

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...

. He was the son of Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia (1865–1931) and

Princess Louise Sophie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg , house = Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg , father =Frederick VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein , mother = Adelheid of Hohenlohe-Langenburg , birth_date = , birth_place = Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein , death_date ...

(1866–1952) and a grandson of

Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

. He was a member of the 1912 German Olympic equestrian team, which won a bronze medal in the team jumping event. His horse during the Olympic competition was "Gibson Boy". He fought in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

as an aviator between 1914 and 1917. He commanded ''Fliegerabteilung (Artillerie) 258'', an

artillery spotting An artillery observer, artillery spotter or forward observer (FO) is responsible for directing artillery and mortar fire onto a target. It may be a '' forward air controller'' (FAC) for close air support (CAS) and spotter for naval gunfire su ...

unit, but flew patrols in a single-seat fighter with '' Jasta Boelcke'' whenever possible. During one such patrol on March 21, 1917, he was forced to land because of a bullet in his engine and with a slight wound to his foot. He landed his Albatros aircraft in

no-man's land No man's land is waste or unowned land or an uninhabited or desolate area that may be under dispute between parties who leave it unoccupied out of fear or uncertainty. The term was originally used to define a contested territory or a dump ...

, but while running towards his own lines he was shot in the back and severely wounded by Australian troops. He was taken into captivity, where he died from his injuries on 6 April 1917 (his 24th birthday) at

Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray () is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region in northern France. History Evidence of ancient habitation has been found on and around the site of modern-day Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray including ...

Regimental Commissions

* 1. Garderegiment zu Fuß (1st Regiment of Foot Guards), Leutnant ''à la suite'' from 1903; Leutnant by 1908.Schench, G. ''Handbuch über den Königlich Preuβischen Hof und Staat fur das Jahr 1908''. Berlin, Prussia, 1907. * Fliegerabteilung (Artillerie) 258 (artillery aerial observer squadron), squadron commander, 1917.

Chivalric Orders

* Knight,

Order of the Black Eagle The Order of the Black Eagle (german: Hoher Orden vom Schwarzen Adler) was the highest order of chivalry in the Kingdom of Prussia. The order was founded on 17 January 1701 by Elector Friedrich III of Brandenburg (who became Friedrich I, King i ...

, 1903 * Knight Grand Cross (with Crown),

Order of the Red Eagle The Order of the Red Eagle (german: Roter Adlerorden) was an order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was awarded to both military personnel and civilians, to recognize valor in combat, excellence in military leadership, long and faithful se ...

, 1903 * Knight, First Class, Prussian Crown Order, 1903 * Knight Grand Commander, Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, ca 1903

Military Decorations (1914-1917)

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 ...

, Second Class *

, First Class * Flugzeugführerabzeichen (Pilot's qualification badge), ca. 1917

Ancestry

References

External links

See for photograph of Prince Karl and airplane
{{DEFAULTSORT:Friedrich Karl of Prussia (1893-1917), Prince 1893 births 1917 deaths Prussian princes German male equestrians German show jumping riders Equestrians at the 1912 Summer Olympics Olympic equestrians of Germany Olympic bronze medalists for Germany German military personnel killed in World War I House of Hohenzollern Military personnel from Potsdam Olympic medalists in equestrian Royal Olympic medalists Prussian Army personnel Luftstreitkräfte personnel Shot-down aviators Medalists at the 1912 Summer Olympics German prisoners of war in World War I Deaths by firearm in France