Prince Antoni Wilhelm Radziwiłł (; 31 March 183316 December 1904) was a member of the
Polish-Lithuanian nobility and a
General of the Artillery in the
Prussian Army. He was the nephew of Princess
Elisa Radziwiłł
Princess Elisa Radziwiłł (''Elisa Friederike Luise Martha''; ; 28 October 1803 – 27 August 1834) was a member of Polish nobility (of the House of Radziwiłł, who were elite magnates), of royal ancestry. She was the desired bride of Prince W ...
, the first love of their kinsman
King William I of Prussia, who would later become the first
German Emperor
The German Emperor (, ) was the official title of the head of state and Hereditary monarchy, hereditary ruler of the German Empire. A specifically chosen term, it was introduced with the 1 January 1871 constitution and lasted until the abdicati ...
.
Early life
Born the eldest son of Prince
Wilhelm Paweł Radziwiłł (1797–1870), a
General of the Infantry General of the infantry is a military rank of a General officer in the infantry and refers to:
* General of the Infantry (Austria)
* General of the Infantry (Bulgaria)
* General of the Infantry (Germany)
General of the Infantry (, abbr. ) is ...
in the Prussian Army, and his second wife Countess Mathilde of
Clary und Aldringen (1806–1896), Antoni was a descendant of the powerful magnate family of
Radziwiłł, who owned large estates in
Silesia
Silesia (see names #Etymology, below) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at 8, ...
and Posen, as well as Russia; his uncle was the Polish statesman Prince
Bogusław Fryderyk Radziwiłł
Prince Bogusław Fryderyk Radziwiłł (3 January 1809 – 2 January 1873) was a szlachta, Polish nobleman and Prussian military officer and politician. He lived in the Kingdom of Prussia, where he was a member of the Prussian parliament (late ...
. He was also related to the
Prussian royal family through King
Frederick William I, whose granddaughter
Princess Louise Princess Louise may refer to:
People
* Louise of Denmark (disambiguation), various princesses
* Louise of Prussia (disambiguation), various princesses
* Louise of Saxe-Meiningen (disambiguation), various princesses
* Princess Louise of Schleswig-H ...
was married to Antoni's grandfather
Antoni Henryk, Governor of
Posen.
Career
Upon his graduation from the
Französisches Gymnasium Berlin
The Französisches Gymnasium () is a francophone gymnasium in Berlin, Germany. Traditionally, it is widely regarded as an elite high school. It is also the oldest public school in Berlin. Its creation was ordered by Frederick William of Brandenbu ...
in 1852, Antoni joined the military firstly as part of the Guards Artillery Regiment, before serving an 8-month internship with the 3rd Artillery Regiment in
Magdeburg
Magdeburg (; ) is the Capital city, capital of the Germany, German States of Germany, state Saxony-Anhalt. The city is on the Elbe river.
Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archbishopric of Mag ...
. During that time he accompanied
Prince Frederick William to Moscow to witness the coronation of
Tsar Alexander II of Russia in August 1856. Between 1858 and 1861 he enrolled in the military academy, rising to the rank of
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
.
In 1866 Prince Radziwiłł participated in the
Austro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War (German: ''Preußisch-Österreichischer Krieg''), also known by many other names,Seven Weeks' War, German Civil War, Second War of Unification, Brothers War or Fraternal War, known in Germany as ("German War"), ''Deutsc ...
as part of the General Staff of
Prince August of Württemberg's Guard Corps, after which he was appointed personal
aide-de-camp to King William I. He became a close confidant of the king, often accompanying him on important events. He would play a major role in the future
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...
, as he was the one to deliver the
Ems Dispatch to
Count Benedetti, as well as announcing the ceasefire after the
Battle of Sedan
The Battle of Sedan was fought during the Franco-Prussian War from 1 to 2 September 1870. Resulting in the capture of Napoleon III, Emperor Napoleon III and over a hundred thousand troops, it effectively decided the war in favour of Prussia and ...
on 2 September 1870 and witnessing the proclamation of the German Empire at Versailles.
In 1885, William I appointed him to the rank of
Adjutant general.
Later life
From 1871 to 1888, Prince Radziwiłł was a member of the Prussian
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...
. He and his wife ran a popular
salon
Salon may refer to:
Common meanings
* Beauty salon
A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment that provides Cosmetics, cosmetic treatments for people. Other variations of this type of business include hair salons, spas, day spas, ...
in Berlin, where they entertained many Polish politicians and members of the Catholic
Center Party. This earned him the distrust of Chancellor
Otto von Bismarck
Otto, Prince of Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg (; born ''Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck''; 1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898) was a German statesman and diplomat who oversaw the unification of Germany and served as ...
during the ''
Kulturkampf
In the history of Germany, the ''Kulturkampf'' (Cultural Struggle) was the seven-year political conflict (1871–1878) between the Catholic Church in Germany led by Pope Pius IX and the Kingdom of Prussia led by chancellor Otto von Bismarck. Th ...
'', which was exacerbated by the fact that Antoni's cousin
Ferdynand Radziwiłł
Prince Ferdynand Fryderyk Radziwiłł (1834 in Berlin – 1926 in Rome) was a Polish nobleman and Polish-German politician.
Early life
He was the son of Bogusław Fryderyk Radziwiłł and Leontyna von Clary und Aldringen. Through his pate ...
was a member of the
Polish Party
The Polish Party () was a political party in the German Empire and the Free City of Danzig. Representing the Polish population in Germany, it was the largest of the minority parties.
History
The party had its origins in the national associatio ...
.
He was promoted to
General of the Infantry General of the infantry is a military rank of a General officer in the infantry and refers to:
* General of the Infantry (Austria)
* General of the Infantry (Bulgaria)
* General of the Infantry (Germany)
General of the Infantry (, abbr. ) is ...
by Emperor Frederick III, upon the latter's accession to the throne, while retaining his position as Adjutant. Upon Frederick's death in 1888, however, he was dismissed by the next Emperor,
William II, who on 22 March 1889 granted him the "duty title" of General of the Artillery.
Personal life
On 3 October 1857, Radziwiłł married
Marie de Castellane, the daughter of French aristocrats
Henri de Castellane and
Pauline de Talleyrand-Périgord
Joséphine Pauline de Talleyrand-Périgord, Marquise de Castellane (29 December 1820 12 October 1890) was a French noblewoman.
Early life
Joséphine Pauline was born in Paris on 29 December 1820. She was the third legitimate child of the Edmo ...
, in
Sagan.
They had four children:
* Prince Jerzy Fryderyk Radziwiłł (1860–1914), who married Maria Róża
Branicki (1863–1941), daughter of
Władysław Michał Branicki, owner of a large estate in
Biała Cerkiew.
* Princess Elżbieta Matylda Radziwiłł (1861–1950), who married Count
Roman Potocki
Count Roman Potocki (16 December 1852 – 24 September 1915) was a Polish nobleman ( szlachcic) and politician.
Early life
Count Roman was born on 16 December 1852 at Łańcut in the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, in what was then a part ...
, a son of Count
Alfred Józef Potocki,
Minister-President of Austria
The minister-president of Austria was the head of government of the Austrian Empire from 1848, when the office was created in the course of the March Revolution. Previously, executive power rested with an Austrian State Council, headed by the emp ...
, and Princess
Maria Klementyna Sanguszko.
* Princess Helena Augusta Radziwiłł (1874–1958), who married
Count Józef Mikołaj Potocki, another son of Count
Alfred Józef Potocki.
* Prince Stanisław Wilhelm Radziwiłł (1880–1920), who married Princess Dolores Radziwiłł, a daughter of Prince
Dominic Maria Radziwiłł and sister of Prince
Hieronim Mikołaj Radziwiłł (who married
Archduchess Renata of Austria).
Radziwiłł died in Berlin in 1904; his funeral was held at
St. Hedwig's Cathedral, and attended by the Kaiser himself. His remains were interred at the family crypt in
Nyasvizh
Nyasvizh or Nesvizh is a town in Minsk Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative centre of Nyasvizh District. Nyasvizh is the site of Nesvizh Castle, a World Heritage Site. In 2009, its population was 14,300. As of 2025, it has a populati ...
in 1905.
His widow died at the
Kleinitz Palace in
Lower Silesia
Lower Silesia ( ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ) is a historical and geographical region mostly located in Poland with small portions in the Czech Republic and Germany. It is the western part of the region of Silesia. Its largest city is Wrocław.
The first ...
in July 1915.
Descendants
Through his eldest son, he was a grandfather of Prince Albrecht Radziwiłł (1885–1935), who married American heiress Dorothy Evelyn Deacon, daughter of
Edward Parker Deacon, in 1910.
They divorced and she married Count
Paul Pálffy ab Erdöd
Count Franz Paul Rudolf Maria Josef Pálffy ab Erdöd (12 February 1890 – 11 October 1968) was a Hungarian aristocrat, landowner, and author best known for his eight marriages.
Early life
Franz Paul Rudolf Maria Josef was born on 12 February ...
.
Through his daughter Elżbieta, he was a grandfather of Count Alfred Antoni Potocki (1886–1958) and Count
Jerzy Antoni Potocki (1889–1961), the
Polish ambassador to the United States from 1936 to 1940.
Honours
Decorations and awards
;German honours
[''Handbuch über den Königlich Preußischen Hof und Staat fur das jahr 1903'']
p. 40
/ref>
;Foreign honours
Military appointments
* '' À la suite'' of the 1st Guards Field Artillery Regiment
References
Bibliography
* Ryszard Dzieszyński, ''Sedan tysiąc osiemset siedemdziesiąt'', Bellona 2009, p. 18.
* Petra Wilhelmy-Dollinger, ''The Berlin salons''. Berlin 2000. p. 251
External links
Biography
at iPSB.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Radziwiłł, Antoni Wilhelm
1833 births
1904 deaths
20th-century Polish nobility
20th-century Polish military personnel
Radziwiłł family
German people of Polish descent
Polish people of German descent
People from Teplice
Prussian Army personnel
Generals of Artillery (Prussia)
Members of the Prussian House of Lords
Recipients of the Iron Cross (1870), 2nd class
Recipients of the Military Merit Order (Bavaria)
Commanders of the Order of Franz Joseph
Grand Officers of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
Recipients of the Order of the Crown (Italy)
Grand Crosses of the Order of Aviz
Grand Crosses of the Order of the Star of Romania
Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Russia)
Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 2nd class
Recipients of the Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd class
Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword
Französisches Gymnasium Berlin alumni