Wilhelm Malte I, Fürst und Herr zu Putbus (1783 – 1854) was a German prince ('' Fürst'') from the old Slavic-Rügen noble family of the lords of Putbus. He acted as a Swedish governor in

Swedish Pomerania Swedish Pomerania ( sv, Svenska Pommern; german: Schwedisch-Pommern) was a dominion under the Swedish Crown from 1630 to 1815 on what is now the Baltic coast of Germany and Poland. Following the Polish War and the Thirty Years' War, Sweden held ...

and later, under Prussian rule, as the chairman of the regional council (''Kommunallandtag'') of Pomerania and Rügen. As a result of his extensive building activity, Wilhelm Malte left many traces of the first half of the 19th century on the island of

Rügen Rügen (; la, Rugia, ) is Germany's largest island. It is located off the Pomeranian coast in the Baltic Sea and belongs to the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The "gateway" to Rügen island is the Hanseatic city of Stralsund, where ...

. Under his rule, his home town of

Putbus Putbus () is a town on the southeastern coast of the island of Rügen, in the county of Vorpommern-Rügen in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, close to the Baltic Sea. The town has 4,741 inhabitants and is a significant tourist destina ...

was greatly expanded in the classical style and is still known today as "The White Town".

Life

Wilhelm Malte was born on 1 August 1783 in Putbus, when Rügen still belonged to Sweden as a result of the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of battle ...

. He was the son of the Swedish Marshal of the Court, Malte Friedrich of Putbus and his wife Sophie Wilhelmine, ''née'' Countess von der Schulenburg. After studying at the

University of Greifswald The University of Greifswald (; german: Universität Greifswald), formerly also known as “Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University of Greifswald“, is a public research university located in Greifswald, Germany, in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pom ...

and Göttingen, he entered military service in Sweden on 21 July 1800 with the Stockholm Life Hussars. After becoming a Swedish

chamberlain Chamberlain may refer to: Profession *Chamberlain (office), the officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign or other noble figure People *Chamberlain (surname) **Houston Stewart Chamberlain (1855–1927), German-British philosop ...

on 14 September 1802, Wilhelm Malte was elevated on 25 May 1807 by King

Gustav IV Adolf Gustav IV Adolf or Gustav IV Adolph (1 November 1778 – 7 February 1837) was King of Sweden from 1792 until he was deposed in a coup in 1809. He was also the last Swedish monarch to be the ruler of Finland. The occupation of Finland in 1808–09 ...

of Sweden to the rank of a prince (''Fürst''). After the end of French occupation, he was nominated in 1813 by the Swedish king, Charles XIV John Bernadotte, as Governor-general of

. This office was traditionally linked to the office of Chancellor of the University of Greifswald. As a result of the

Treaty of Kiel The Treaty of Kiel ( da, Kieltraktaten) or Peace of Kiel ( Swedish and no, Kielfreden or ') was concluded between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Kingdom of Sweden on one side and the Kingdoms of Denmark and Norway on t ...

, Rügen became Danish for a short time in 1814 and then went to Prussia in 1815, not least because of the involvement of the prince. In 1817, Wilhelm Malte's princely rank was confirmed by Frederick William III of Prussia, and so was his position as Governor-general. The office of university chancellor was approved and the honour of a hereditary Lord Marshal (''Erblandmarschall'') of the House of Putbus was bestowed on the prince. This also gave him the right to preside over the regional council (''Kommunallandtag'') for Neuvorpommern and Rügen. and an individual vote (''Virilstimme'') in the Pomeranian provincial parliament.Johannes Weise: ''Die Integration Schwedisch-Pommerns in den preußischen Staatsverband: Tranformationsprozesse innerhalb von Staat und Gesellschaft''. GRIN Verlag, 2008, , p. 205. In the same year, he acquired the lordship of

Spyker Spyker or Spijker was a Dutch carriage, automobile and aircraft manufacturer, started in 1880 by blacksmiths Jacobus and Hendrik-Jan Spijker. Originally located in Hilversum, the company relocated to Trompenburg, Amsterdam in 1898. Notable produ ...

from Count

Magnus Fredrik Brahe Magnus, meaning "Great" in Latin, was used as cognomen of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus in the first century BC. The best-known use of the name during the Roman Empire is for the fourth-century Western Roman Emperor Magnus Maximus. The name gained wi ...

. He held the title of a governor-general as well as the corresponding salary, because an appointment as the President (''Regierungspräsident'') of the government district of Stralsund would have been tantamount to a curb of his powers. King

Frederick William III Frederick William III (german: Friedrich Wilhelm III.; 3 August 1770 – 7 June 1840) was King of Prussia from 16 November 1797 until his death in 1840. He was concurrently Elector of Brandenburg in the Holy Roman Empire until 6 August 1806, wh ...

entrusted him with diplomatic missions, such as the coronation of the British

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...

. Under his rule, there was a building boom that has left an indelible mark on the island of Rügen, and he also presided over economic and cultural development. In 1832, Putbus Palace, originally a castle complex from the 14th century, extended in the Renaissance and Baroque periods, was redesigned in a

neoclassical style Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing sty ...

according to plans of the Berlin architect Johann Gottfried Steinmeyer. (After a fire, it was again redesigned in 1872, and demolished by communist East Germany in 1962.) 1827-1836 Wilhelm had the new

Granitz Hunting Lodge Granitz Hunting Lodge (german: Jagdschloss Granitz) is located on the German island of Rügen in the vicinity of the seaside resort of Binz. With over 200,000 visitors per year it is the most popular castle or '' schloss'' in Mecklenburg-Vorpom ...

built on the site of an older hunting lodge, based on plans by

Karl Friedrich Schinkel Karl Friedrich Schinkel (13 March 1781 – 9 October 1841) was a Prussian architect, city planner and painter who also designed furniture and stage sets. Schinkel was one of the most prominent architects of Germany and designed both neoclassic ...

. He was also involved in sugar mills and chalk factories, had shipbuilding established in Seedorf and founded the first seaside resort on Rügen at Lauterbach. He had 655 acres of land settled with indivisible peasant holdings, held under hereditary leases. In addition, in 1836, he founded the ''Pedagogium Putbus'', a school for boys from the middle classes and aristocracy. This laid the foundation of a tradition of education in Putbus that continues to the present day. The prince died on 26 September 1854 at Putbus of a bladder disease after a long illness. He was laid to rest in the family vault of Putbus in the church at Vilmnitz.

Progeny

With the death of Wilhelm Malte I, the

House of Putbus The House of Putbus, Pedebuz or Podebusk was a German noble family of high nobility Traditional rank amongst European royalty, peers, and nobility is rooted in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Although they vary over time and among ge ...

died out because of the untimely death of his only son, Malte (born 16 September 1807, died 28 April 1837). The title of prince and primogeniture went to his grandson, Wilhelm Carl Gustav Malte, Count of Wylich and Lottum (born 16 April 1833, died 18 April 1907), son of his eldest daughter, Clotilde (born 23 April 1809, died 19 October 1894), who took the title '' Wilhelm Malte II', Prince of Putbus'', bestowed by the Prussian king. He left two daughters and was succeeded by the elder one, Asta, Countess of Wylich und Lottum, Princess of Putbus. Upon her death in 1934, she left her estate, including one sixth of the island of Rugen, to her sister Viktoria Wanda's son, Malte von Veltheim (1889-1945), who took on the name „von Putbus“ (with consent of the German minister of the Interior). He later turned against the Nazi regime and died on 10 February 1945, allegedly killed with a poisonous injection, at

Sachsenhausen concentration camp Sachsenhausen () or Sachsenhausen-Oranienburg was a German Nazi concentration camp in Oranienburg, Germany, used from 1936 until April 1945, shortly before the defeat of Nazi Germany in May later that year. It mainly held political prisoner ...

. His only son, Franz von Putbus (b. 28 May 1927, d. 5 April 2004), styled himself as ''Prince and Lord of Putbus'' (recognized by the judicial committee of the umbrella organization of Germany's nobility associations, and such entered into the

Almanach de Gotha The ''Almanach de Gotha'' (german: Gothaischer Hofkalender) is a directory of Europe's royalty and higher nobility, also including the major governmental, military and diplomatic corps, as well as statistical data by country. First publish ...

). He tried in vain to recover his father's expropriated fortunes, but his claim was turned down by the Federal Administrative Court in 1998. He however bought back minor parts of it, including a house on the Circle in front of Putbus Palace (which had been demolished by the East German Government in 1962). He was succeeded by his only son, Malte, ''prince of Putbus'' (born 1964).

Images

File:Wilhelm Malte I P1170459 7 8 Kopie.jpg, Portrait of Wilhelm Malte I, Granitz Hunting Lodge File:Granitz Schloss Wilhelm Malte I.@20161230.jpg, A young Wilhelm Malte in the uniform of a cornet in the Swedish Light Life Dragoon Regiment, oil painting in

. File:Schloßpark Putbus Fürst Wilhelm Malte 01.jpg, Monument to Wilhelm Malte I, erected in 1859 by

Friedrich Drake Friedrich Drake (June 23, 1805, Pyrmont – April 6, 1882, Berlin) was a German sculptor, best known for his huge memorial statues. Biography He was the son of a mechanic and served an apprenticeship as a turner in Minden, afterwards being em ...

File:Granitz Schloss Wilhelm Malte I.@Litho C.Wildt.jpg, Lithography of Wilhelm Malte I wearing the sash of the Order of the Red Eagle and the Star in Diamonds File:Wilhelm Malte I..jpg, Bust of Wilhelm Malte I, Granitz Hunting Lodge

Titles, styles and honours

Titles

His full title was: ''

His Serene Highness His/Her Serene Highness (abbreviation: HSH, second person address: Your Serene Highness) is a style used today by the reigning families of Liechtenstein, Monaco and Thailand. Over the past 400 years, it has also used as a style for senior members ...

Wilhelm Malte I, Prince of Putbus and of Rügen; Hereditary Lord Marshal, Count of Putbus,

Lord Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...

of Spycker, Streu, Silvitz, Dartz, Siggermow, Güstelitz, Ketelshagen, Crimwitz and Venzwitz etc. etc..'' ( German: )

Honours and Awards

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 ...

: ** Knight of the Order of the Black Eagle, with Collar. ** Knight of the Order of the Red Eagle 1st Class, in Diamonds. ** Knight of Honor of the Order of Saint John, (Bailiwick of Brandenburg). * Sweden: ** Knight of the Order of the Sword. **

Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

. *

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

: ** Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog, in Diamonds.

Arms

File:Putbus-St-Wappen.PNG, Coat of arms of the

ancient Ancient history is a time period from the beginning of writing and recorded human history to as far as late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the Sumerian cuneiform script. Ancient history cov ...

Putbus family. File:Wappen Fuerst Putbus.jpg, Coat of arms of Wilhelm Malte I as Prince of Rügen. File:Coat of Arms of Wilhelm Malte Putbus (Order of the Dannebrog).png, Coat of Arms of Wilhelm Malte I as a Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog.

Buildings

Putbus Castle, Isle of Rugen, Germany.jpg, Putbus Palace (around 1900; demolished in 1962) Putbus (2011-05-21) 7.JPG, Putbus ''Circus'', residence of officials and administration, with the empty former location of the palace, bottom left Jagdschloss Granitz (2011-05-21) 14.JPG,

Schloß Spycker.jpg, Spycker Castle, Rügen (acquired in 1817)

Literature

Kurt von Priesdorff Kurt is a male given name of Germanic or Turkish origin. ''Kurt'' or ''Curt'' originated as short forms of the Germanic Conrad, depending on geographical usage, with meanings including counselor or advisor. In Turkish, Kurt means "Wolf" and i ...

: ''Soldatisches Führertum'', Vol. 4, Hanseatische Verlagsanstalt Hamburg 1936-1945, pp. 141–142 * Andre Farin: ''Wilhelm Malte zu Putbus und seine Fürstenresidenz auf der Insel Rügen. Eine Biographie über eine norddeutsche Gründerpersönlichkeit des 19. Jahrhunderts''. 4th edition, Farin, Putbus 2007, . * Johannes Friedrich Weise: ''Zwischen Strandleben und Ackerbau. Die Herrschaft Putbus im 19. Jahrhundert''. Ingo Koch Verlag, Rostock 2003, . * - mentioned in family article *

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Swedish military officers Generals of Infantry (Prussia) Governors-General of Sweden History of Pomerania Prussian politicians German legislators (1815–1945) People from Swedish Pomerania Grand Crosses of the Order of the Dannebrog Order of the Polar Star German princes 1783 births 1854 deaths Swedish military commanders of the Napoleonic Wars German people of Swedish descent