Prince Ludwig Ferdinand of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg

Prinz Ludwig Ferdinand Paul Franz Stanislaus Ulrich Otto Ludolf zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg [Notes 1] (4 April 1910 – 22 November 1943) was a highly decorated Oberst in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Ludwig-Ferdinand Prinz von Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg was killed on 22 November 1943 near Zhytomyr, Ukraine. He was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross on 20 January 1944 and was also promoted to Oberst.

Prince Ludwig Ferdinand of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg
Born(1910-04-04)4 April 1910
Berleburg Castle, Germany
Died22 November 1943(1943-11-22) (aged 33)
Zhytomyr, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Allegiance Weimar Republic (to 1933)
 Nazi Germany
Service/branchArmy
Years of service1930–43
RankOberst (Posthumously)
Commands heldKavallerie-Regiment Süd
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Early life

Ludwig was the son of Richard, 4th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Princess Madeleine of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg. He had two older brothers, Gustav Albrecht who was also killed in 1944, and Christian Heinrich who died in 1983. Gustav's son Richard was married to Princess Benedikte of Denmark, sister of Queen Margrethe II and of former Queen Anne-Marie of Greece.

Personal life

Ludwig Ferdinand married in 1935 Princess Friederike Juliane of Salm-Horstmar, daughter of Otto II, Prince of Salm-Horstmar (1867-1941) and Countess Rosa of Solms-Baruth (1884-1945). They had five children:

  • Marita, Princess zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (1936-2000), married Count Ulrich Wolf Adolf Grote (b.1940); had issue
  • Otto-Ludwig, Prince zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (b.1938), married Baroness Anette von Cramm (b.1944); had issue
  • Johann-Stanislaus, Prince zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (b.1939), married Almut Leonhards (b.1943); had issue
  • Ludwig-Ferdinand, Prince zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (b.1942), married Countess Yvonne Wachtmeister af Johannishus (b.1951); had issue
  • Ulrike-Christine, Princess zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (1944-2021), married Hano von Wulffen (b.1940); had issue

His descendants include Ludwig-Ferdinand's children Princess Anna of Bavaria and Prince August Fredrik zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg.

Awards and decorations

Notes
  1. Regarding personal names: Prinz was a title before 1919, but now is regarded as part of the surname. It is translated as Prince. Before the August 1919 abolition of nobility as a legal class, titles preceded the full name when given (Graf Helmuth James von Moltke). Since 1919, these titles, along with any nobiliary prefix (von, zu, etc.), can be used, but are regarded as a dependent part of the surname, and thus come after any given names (Helmuth James Graf von Moltke). Titles and all dependent parts of surnames are ignored in alphabetical sorting. The feminine form is Prinzessin.

References

Citations
  1. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 302.

Bibliography
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
  • Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941–1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941–1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
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