Wolzogen, Wilhelm Friedrich Ernst Franz August Baron von

Architect, Diplomat

Born: 25.11.1762 in Bauerbach near Meiningen

died: 17.12.1809 in Wiesbaden

In 1775-84, Wolzogen attended the Karlsschule, a military and art academy in Stuttgart, which became a state university in 1781. There he became friends with Friedrich Schiller, who was to become his brother-in-law a few years later.

Wolzogen worked as an architect at the court of Duke Carl Eugen von Württemberg (1728-1793) and entered the service of Grand Duke Carl August von Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach (1757-1828) in 1796. In Weimar, he worked on the reconstruction of the palace, which had burnt down in 1774. In 1799, he was commissioned to prepare the marriage between Hereditary Prince Carl Friedrich of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (1783-1853) and the daughter of the Russian Tsar, Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna (1786-1859).

In 1804, Wolzogen was promoted to "Head of Foreign Affairs" of the Grand Duchy. As such, after the defeat of the Prussian state allied with Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach at the double battle of Auerstädt and Jena in October 1806, he had the difficult task of conducting negotiations with the victorious French in Paris in order to secure the continued existence of the country and the regency of Carl August. The implementation was not only problematic, but also exhausting.

He had already traveled to Wiesbaden for a cure in 1805. From 1807, Wolzogen stayed in Wiesbaden three more times for spa purposes, where he finally died. He was buried in a free-standing sarcophagus made of white Carrara marble in the civic cemetery on the Heidenmauer. It is not known when the tomb was removed.