Circa 1900. Dark blue tunic in the pattern for generals, red piped, with 12 gilt buttons. Red standing collar and cuff slashes with gold embroidery in the special pattern for general adjutants of finest execution. Complete with large epaulettes for a Prussian Field Marshal with crossed silver marshal's batons and the two applied ciphers “W” for Kaiser Wilhelm I and Kaiser Wilhelm II, with the gold parade aiguillette for generals with gilt “whistles”. On the chest on both sides numerous loops for the large medal bar as well as various orders and decorations. Lined inside with fine red lining. In the inner pocket of the tunic name label: “Excellenz v. Loë Gen. Oberst”. Includes the regulation long trousers of black cloth, with wide red general's stripes on the sides.
The uniform was worn by Generalfeldmarschall v. Loë for many years, with typical wear and age, in good untouched original condition.
Walter von Loë was the only Prussian Field Marshal who had previously served under both Kaisers, or Kings, as General Adjutant.
Walter von Loë
Friedrich Karl Walther Degenhard Freiherr von Loë (* September 9, 1828 at Schloss Allner in Hennef (Sieg); † July 6, 1908 in Bonn) was a Prussian Generalfeldmarschall and General Adjutant to the King of Prussia and German Kaiser.
Life
Walther descended from the ancient, Catholic, Imperial baronial, Westphalian noble family von Loë.
In his youth Loë attended the Ritterakademie in Bedburg, which had been founded with his father's help. In 1845 Loë served his time as a one-year volunteer with the 5th Uhlans in Düsseldorf and was able to transfer to the reserves. After completing his Abitur in Bedburg, he studied law at Bonn University in 1846/48. In March 1848 he entered as Sekondeleutnant in the 2nd Dragoon Regiment of the Schleswig-Holstein Army, where he participated in engagements at Schleswig, Düppel and Hadersleben during the Schleswig-Holstein Uprising. On September 12, 1848 he left Holstein service.
In mid-January 1849 Loë was appointed to the 3rd Hussar Regiment of the Prussian Army and participated in 1849 first in the suppression of the Dresden May Uprising and then in the campaign in Baden to suppress the insurgents in the engagements at Ladenburg, Ubstadt, Steinmauern and Kuppenheim. Here he met the Prince of Prussia, the later Kaiser Wilhelm I, to whom he remained attached throughout his life.
For one year in 1850 he was assigned to the Prussian legation in Paris. Here he was able to experience Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte's coup d'état at close range. After his return from France, Loë became adjutant of the Military Riding School Schwedt in 1853 and on February 22, 1855 adjutant of the 2nd Division. He was relieved of this command on September 18, 1855 and subsequently attended the Allgemeine Kriegsschule in Berlin until September 30, 1857. In the meantime he was promoted to Premierleutnant on September 5, 1857. As such, Loë was then assigned on January 9, 1858 as adjutant to the Governor-Generalship of the Rhine Province and Westphalia. With the transfer of the Prince Regent's duty station to Berlin, he was aggregated to the 7th Hussar Regiment as Rittmeister and appointed personal adjutant to Wilhelm.
On October 18, 1858 Loë became Major and on January 7, 1861 Flügeladjutant to King Wilhelm I. In 1862 he accompanied Prince Albrecht, Wilhelm's brother, to the campaign in the Caucasus. After his return in 1863 he was delegated as military attaché to Paris, from where he went to Algeria in 1864 to participate in the fighting against the Kabyles. Further steps in his military career were promotion to Oberstleutnant and transfer to the Great Headquarters on June 8, 1866. In this function Loë participated in the same year during the war against Austria in the Battle of Königgrätz.
On March 5, 1867 Loë became commander of the König's Hussar Regiment (1st Rhenish) No. 7 in Bonn and as such was promoted to Oberst on March 22, 1868. He led this regiment in 1870/71 during the war against France in the battles at Gravelotte, Amiens, at the Hallue, at Bapaume and Saint-Quentin as well as the siege of Metz. Decorated with both classes of the Iron Cross, Loë was appointed commander of the 21st Cavalry Brigade after the peace treaty on May 23, 1871.
On March 31, 1872 he came in the same capacity to the 3rd Guard Cavalry Brigade. After promotion on March 22, 1873 to Generalmajor and appointment as General à la suite to His Majesty on August 19, 1876, he became commander of the 5th Division on May 13, 1879 and then Generalleutnant in June 1879. On September 18, 1880 he assumed the function of General Adjutant while remaining in his position as division commander. On January 12, 1884 he was first entrusted with command of the VIII Army Corps and appointed Commanding General on April 22, 1884. On April 18, 1886 his promotion to General der Kavallerie followed. After being entrusted with a diplomatic mission to Pope Leo XIII in February 1893, he was appointed on September 8 to Generaloberst der Kavallerie with the rank of Generalfeldmarschall and on January 10, 1895 to Commander-in-Chief in the Marches and Governor of Berlin.
Loë retired at his own request on April 28, 1897, as he was seriously ill. However, he remained in his position as General Adjutant. In 1900 Loë was again sent on a diplomatic mission. With his appointment for life to the Prussian House of Lords, the King expressed his special confidence in the Baron.
Loë was appointed Generalfeldmarschall on January 1, 1905. In April 1907 Loë celebrated his 60-year military jubilee in Bonn. Many prominent personalities conveyed their congratulations, including the Kaiser, Prince and Princess Schaumburg-Lippe, the Commanding Generals von Deines and Plötz, the regimental commanders of the VIII Army Corps, the Lord Mayor and many former senior officers.
He died on July 6, 1908 at about 11 p.m. in Bonn, from the effects of pulmonary catarrh.
Loë was, apart from members of ruling princely houses, the only Catholic who during the German Empire attained the rank of Generalfeldmarschall and the position of royal General Adjutant in the Prussian Army. This, as well as his extensive kinship with the House of Hatzfeldt-Trachenberg, brought him since the seventies, especially during the Kulturkampf, into opposition to the politics of Reich Chancellor Prince Bismarck, who for this reason among others took a sharply rejecting position in the affair of his son Herbert's marriage to Loë's sister-in-law, Princess Carolath-Beuthen, in 1881.
Despite his Catholic faith, Loë was nevertheless a decided advocate of dueling among officers, which particularly emphasized his loyalty to the orthodox conventions of Protestant Prussian officers—especially at a time when Prussian officers of Catholic faith repeatedly got into conflicts of authority when they refused to duel over matters of honor.
Family
Loë married on May 24, 1859 Franziska, widowed von Nimptsch, née Countess von Hatzfeldt zu Trachenberg (1833–1922). From this marriage came three children, Helene and the twins Margarethe and Hubert. In addition, Franziska brought three children from her first marriage to Paul Eugen von Nimptsch (* March 23, 1823 in Franzdorf; † January 10, 1858 in Jäschkowitz), Hermann, Guido and Maria Magdalene. His sister-in-law was Elisabeth Princess zu Carolath-Beuthen, his step-sister-in-law Marie von Schleinitz. His brother was the Reichstag deputy Otto von Loë.
Honors
In 1897 Loë became honorary citizen of Bonn. On July 8, 1908 Loë was awarded the degree of Doctor honoris causa by the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität. For his services he also received numerous orders and decorations. These include among others:
Russian Order of Saint Anna 2nd Class on December 21, 1862
Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor
Grand Cross of the Red Eagle Order on March 17, 1888
Order of Merit of the Prussian Crown
Black Eagle Order on September 20, 1890
Cross and Star of the Grand Commanders of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords on the Ring and the Jubilee Number 50 on April 7, 1897
House Order of Fidelity on April 14, 1897.