Today, exactly 200 years ago, a young poet and fighter for the cause to liberate his homeland was killed in the line of duty, during an attack on a French military transport conducted behind the enemy lines. He served with the Luetzow Free Corps and his songs and poems, as well has his personal example and his untimely death at the hands of his enemies inspired his contemporaries to fight with the same valour and fury for the liberation of their homeland and against the oppression of Napoleon. Only hours before his death, he had recited his newest and last poem the "Swordsong" in front of his fellow Cavalry men. And befitting, he died sword in hand on top of his mount, having, in his hot-blooded youthful temper, followed the a group of fleeing transport guards into a wood and was instantly killed by a musket ball shattering his lower spine. youtube/watch?v=zXx-SwChGlk en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodor_K%C3%B6rner_(author) For my sabreur friends - if the personal effects of Körner, on display at the Körnerhaus in Leipzig until it was destroyed in a bombing raid during the Second World War, were genuine, he seems to have worn a French ANXI light cavalry sabre, most probably acquired from a prisoner or fallen French horseman.
Posted on: Mon, 26 Aug 2013 11:31:08 +0000
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