Ludwig Boecklin von Boecklinsau

The photo shows a young man, Ludwig von Boecklin. The little cross under his name suggests that he died in 1898.

The term “von” in front of the surname in Germany often suggests that the person might have been of noble patrilineality. And that was true for Ludwig! Ludwig von Boecklin was from an old Alsatian noble family. This is their coat of arms:

Source: Der Ortenauer

According to Wikipedia and Der Ortenauer, the family name was first mentioned in the records as early as 1200. In the 13th century, and especially during the 14th century, members of the family were able to acquire significant real estate. In 1442, the Rust estate in Ortenau in Baden came into the family ownership and became the family's ancestral home for a long time. At the same time, they received knighthoods several times because they were increasingly active in state administration. In 1513 the family was given the name Boeckhle von Boeckhkelsau and other lordly privileges by means of an imperial diploma. The surname then changed with time to what it is today: Boecklin von Boecklinsau. In 1773, Louis XVI acknowledged the baronial class (Freiherrenstand) in France. For almost 400 years, the Castle of Rust was the family's home. Today, the castle has been integrated into an amusement park of Europa-Park and it houses a restaurant in style of the Middle Ages.

Source: Alemannische Seiten

Here’s the family’s coat of arms (as found on Wikipedia):

But now back to the young man in our photo. He was Ludwig Emil Adolf Georg Rudolf Boecklin von Böcklinsau, born on September 25, 1875 in Karlsruhe in Baden, Germany.

Ludwig’s father Adolf August Ludwig Karl Ruprecht Baron (Freiherr) Boecklin von Boecklinsau was a Prussian lieutenant general. He had an impressive military career. In recognition of his many years of service, Adolf Boecklin von Boecklinsau was awarded the Commander's Cross, First Class, of the Order of Berthold the First on June 8, 1903, the Grand Cross of the Order of the Zähringer Lion on September 22, 1906, and the Grand Cross of the Order of Frederick on November 5, 1907. He actually has a Wikipeadia page dedicated to him. The Wikipedia page also says that Ludwig’s grandfather Emil Karl Ernst Eduard Boecklin von Boecklinsau had been a Baden chamberlain and district forester.

Ludwig had an older sister Auguste von Wahlen-Jürgass (1873-1935) née von Boecklinsau. Their younger sister Amalie died as a toddler in 1880.

I don’t know what Ludwig’s path was going to be. Was he going to follow the footsteps of his father on a military path, or was he interested in something completely different. He looks comfortable and in a good mood in the photograph, as if he did not have a care in the world.

But there it is, the record confirming his death date. Ludwig was only 23 years old when he passed away on November 21, 1898 in Baden. I don’t know the cause of his early death. What a tragedy!

No record suggests that he was married or had any children at the time of his death. But I'm still hoping to find someone who would appreciate this photo, perhaps his sister's descendants or a museum or a family archive of the Boecklin von Boecklinsaus.