Hans von Koester

Hans Ludwig Raimund von Koester (29 April 1844-21 February 1928) was a German naval officer who served in the Prussian Navy and later in the Imperial German Navy. He retired as a Grand Admiral.

Born Hans Ludwig Raimund Koester in 1844 in Schwerin, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, he entered the Prussian Navy as a "Kadettenanwärter" on 21 June 1859. He had an active seagoing career in the service, which became the "Kaiserliche Marine" (Imperial Navy) in 1871. His first command was the naval brig "Undine", which he took on a 15-month voyage to North, Central and South America in 1874-75.

Promoted to "Korvettenkapitän" in 1875, he was later assigned to various training ships, the latest of which was the "Kreuzerfregatte" (cruiser-frigate) "Prinz Adalbert", which he took on a world cruise from 1878 to 1880. Koester was promoted to "Kapitän" in 1881. Appointed commander of the "Segalfregatte" (sail frigate) "Niobe" in 1883, Koester next took command of the "Panzerkorvette" (armored corvette - later battleship) "Württemberg" in 1884.

He later served 2½ years as chief of staff of the "Kaiserliche Admiralität" (Imperial Admiralty), then headed by "Admiral und General der Infanterie" Leo von Caprivi, and for six months as director of the "Kaiserliche Werft" (Imperial Dockyard) at Kiel. In 1887 he was named commander of the "Panzerfregatte" (armored frigate - later armored cruiser) "König Wilhelm", long the largest ship in the fleet.

Promoted to "Kontradmiral" in 1889 and "Vizeadmiral" in 1892, Koester was appointed chief of the Baltic naval command in 1896. In this capacity he strongly encouraged development of Kiel as a naval harbor and garrison town. He was promoted to full Admiral in 1897. Named "Generalinspekteur der Marine" (Inspector General of the Navy) in 1899, he retained his post at Kiel until 1903. In the meantime, he was ennobled in 1900 as "Hans von Koester".

On 18 September 1902 he was decorated with the Order of the Black Eagle. Koester was awarded the 'Diamonds' distinction of this order on 21 June 1909.

Koester became the first active-duty German naval officer to attain the rank of "Grossadmiral" (Grand Admiral) on 28 June 1905; the previous recipients of this rank were Kaiser Wilhelm II of German and King Oscar II of Sweden (both in 1901). Named a member for life of the Prussian "Herrenhaus" (House of Lords) on 17 September 1905, Koester was retired at his own request on 31 December 1906.

Elected president of the "Deutsche Flottenverein" (German Fleet Association) in 1908, he held this position until October 1919; thereafter he was honorary president. He represented Germany at the Hudson-Fulton Celebration in New York, 25 September-11 October 1909. Made an honorary citizen of Kiel on his 70th birthday, 29 April 1914, Koester worked during the First World War as a delegate of the "Kaiserliche Marine" for health care. In 1916-17 he was an advocate of unrestricted submarine warfare.

Koester died in Kiel in 1928 at the age of 83. He was buried in the Nordfriedhof cemetery.

Notes

* German Wikipedia entry 'Hans von Koester'
* "Germany Sends Von Koester", The New York Times, 23 July 1909.
* James W. Gerard, "My Four Years in Germany", p. 108 New York: George H. Doran Company, 1917.
* Although the name "Deutsche Flottenverein" signifies 'German Fleet Association', it has often been translated as 'German Navy League'. Known from 1919 to 1931 as the "Deutsche Seeverein" (German Sea Association), it was dissolved by the Nazis in December 1934.

External links

* [http://www.kiel.de/Aemter_61_bis_92/67/Friedhoefe/Ehrengraber/Koester.htm]