Friedrich Wilhelm Rembert von Berg

Friedrich Wilhelm Rembert Graf von Berg (Friedrich Wilhelm Rembert von Berg, Фёдор Фёдорович Берг, tr. Fëdor Fëdorovič Berg; 15 May 1794 – 6 January 1874) was an Imperial Russian nobleman, statesman, diplomat and general of Baltic German descent. Berg was a count of the Austrian Empire and Grand Duchy of Finland and the 5th last man to be promoted General-Field Marshal in the history of the Russian Empire. He served as the Governor-General of Finland from 1854 to 1861 and the last Viceroy of the Kingdom of Poland from 1863 to 1874.

Berg was most notable for his role as the viceroy of Finland and Poland. He led Russian military efforts during the Åland War, a minor theater of the Crimean War, and also played a crucial role in suppressing the 1863 January Uprising by Congress Poland; during the uprising, the Poles carried out numerous unsuccessful assassination attempts on him, which led martial law to be consequently declared in Poland. Berg also held responsible for improving the economy and industry of Finland and Poland during his time as viceroy. As a German, Berg was never keen of the Russification policies introduced in Poland, being opposed to the Pan-Slavism ideology of the Russians and keen towards the foreign policies of Germany. Outside of his military career, Berg was also a topographer and geodesist, being one of the founding members of the Russian Geographical Society. He died in St. Petersburg in 1874 and was buried in his family estate in Korten, Livonia (in now Pilskalns, Latvia).

Origin


Friedrich Wilhelm Rembert von Berg was born on 15 May 1794 (26 May according to the Julian calendar in use in Russia at the time), in the family estate in the small village of Sagnitz, in the Kreis Dorpat of the Governorate of Livonia. His father Friedrich Georg von Berg (1763–1811) was a state councillor and his mother Gertruda Wilhelmine von Ermes (1774–1844) was a young noblewoman, the younger Friedrich was the first cousin once removed of generals Gregor (1765–1838) and Burchard Magnus von Berg (1764–1838), both of whom served in the Russian Imperial Army during the course of the Napoleonic Wars. Genealogists still debate where the Livonian noble Berg family originated in, many speculated they originated in Westphalia. The first known ancestor of the family to appear in Livonia was Otto von Berg. His son, who was also named Otto, was a vassal of the Livonian Knighthood.

Friedrich belonged to the Sagnitz branch of the Luist line of the family. The Luist line was formed by Captain Gustav von Berg (1656–1715), and the further divided Sagnitz branch was formed by Friedrich's grandfather Major Gotthard Ernst von Berg (1714–1766).

Early life
Berg along with his siblings spent their childhood in the Sagnitz castle and were home educated by the young Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve. He was brought up as a Lutheran. After he finished his home education he studied in the Tartu Gymnasium in Dorpat. Originally not seeking a military career as a family tradition, Berg enrolled into the Philosophy faculty of Imperial University of Dorpat in 1810. But after Napoleon invaded of Russia in 1812, Berg dropped out from university and voluntarily entered the Russian Imperial Army. He entered the army as a Fahnenjunker and was enlisted into the 6th Libau Infantry Regiment which was stationed at the north-western part of Russia to defend against Napoleon. Berg's bravery during the war of 1812 rewarded him the rank of lieutenant from Alexander I personally. He was also appointed second to the quartermaster due to his high education and being multilingual among Russian soldiers at the time.

After Napoleon was pushed out of Russia, Berg was transferred to a partisan unit under the commands of Baron von Tettenborn and Pavel Kutuzov and took part in actions in Germany including the Battle of Leipzig.

Family
Berg was born the eldest son of a family with three siblings, including his younger brother Gustav "Astaf" Gotthard Karl von Berg, owner of the Alt-Ottenhof Manor. His other brother Alexander was a diplomat and consul in Naples and London. Count von Berg married late in his life. In 1839, after a long relationship with the Baroness de Sassè, he married a rich Milanese aristocrat Leopoldina Cicogna-Mozzoni (1786–1874), the widow of the Italian politician Alessandro Annoni, with whom he had no children. However, after his brother Gustav's death in 1861, Friedrich adopted his orphaned nephews and brought them under his care:


 * Friedrich Georg Magnus Graf von Berg (1845–1938)
 * Alexander Rembert Joachim Graf von Berg (1847–1893)
 * Georg Erich Rembert Graf von Berg (1849–1920)
 * Emilie Wilhelmine "Minni" Anna Marie Ulrike Pauline Gräfin von Berg (1852–1945)

Since his marriage was childless, his Austrian and Finnish comital titles were inherited by his nephews/adoptive children.

Russian

 * Order_of_Saint_Anna_ribbon_bar.svg Order of St. Anna, 3rd class (1813)
 * Order_of_Saint_Vladimir,_ribbon_bar.svg Order of St. Vladimir, 4th class with a bow (1813)
 * Order_of_Saint_Anna_ribbon_bar.svg Order of Saint Anna, 1st class with the Imperial Crown (1828, Imperial Crown in 1831)
 * RUS Order of Saint George 3rd class ribbon 2000.svg Order of St. George, 3rd class (25.6.181829)
 * Order_of_Saint_Vladimir,_ribbon_bar.svg Order of St. Vladimir, 2nd class (1829)
 * POL Virtuti Militari Komandorski BAR.svg Order of Virtuti Militari, Commander's Cross for military distinction (1831)
 * RUS_Order_White_Eagle_BAR.png Order of the White Eagle (1833)
 * RUS_Order_of_St._Alexander_Nevsky_BAR.png Order of St. Alexander Nevsky (1838, diamonds signs in 1845)
 * Order_of_Saint_Vladimir,_ribbon_bar.svg Order of St. Vladimir, 1st class (1848)
 * RUS Order of Saint George 4th class ribbon 2000.svg Gold Sword for Bravery with diamonds and the inscription "For a campaign to Hungary in 1849"
 * St.AndrewOrder.png Order of St. Andrew with swords and diamond signs (7.08.1855, diamond signs in 11.8.1861)

Foreign

 * Kingdom of Prussia:
 * D-PRU Pour le Merite 1 BAR.svg Pour le Mérite with the Golden Crown (1813, Golden Crown in 1864)
 * PRU Roter Adlerorden BAR.svg Order of the Red Eagle, 1st class (1835)
 * Order of the Black Eagle - Ribbon bar.svg Order of the Black Eagle with diamond marks (1845, diamond marks in 1865)
 * Kingdom of the Netherlands:
 * NLD Order of the Dutch Lion - Grand Cross BAR.png Order of the Netherlands Lion, Great Cross (1849)
 * Kingdom of Hungary:
 * Ord.S.Stef.Ungh. - GC.png Order of St. Stephen of Hungary, Nagykereszt (1849)
 * Kingdom of Sweden:
 * Seraphimerorden ribbon.svg Order of the Seraphim with diamond marks (1859, diamonds marks on 17.8.1860)
 * Kingdom of Greece:
 * GRE Order Redeemer 1Class.png Order of the Redeemer, Great Cross (1868)

Publications

 * Le feldmaréchal-comte Berg, namiestnik dans le royaume de Pologne. Notice biographique. Warsaw 1872 – Autobiography

General sources