August Wilhelm Prince of Prussia Date of Birth: 29.01.1887 Country: Germany

Biography of Prince August Wilhelm

Prince August Wilhelm, the fourth son of Kaiser Wilhelm II and his first wife, Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, was born in Potsdam, in the City Palace. During his childhood, August spent time in the New Palace in Potsdam and later studied in Plön. He went on to study at the universities of Bonn, Berlin, and Strasbourg, where he earned a doctorate in political science in 1907.

On October 22, 1908, Prince August married his cousin, Princess Alexandra Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. They initially planned to settle in Schönhausen Palace in Berlin but ended up living in Villa Liegnitz, which was given to them by his father. They had a son, Prince Alexander Ferdinand of Prussia, who was born on December 26, 1912.

During World War I, August Wilhelm served as a district administrator in Ruppin. His childhood friend, Hans Georg von Mackensen, became his personal adjutant. Rumors of their close relationship led to the eventual dissolution of August's marriage to Princess Alexandra, although they officially divorced later on.

After the war, August and Alexandra separated completely, and their son was placed in the care of his father. August lived a reclusive life and devoted much of his free time to drawing, under the tutelage of Professor Arthur Kampf. Selling his artwork provided him with additional income.

In 1930, August became associated with the National Socialist German Workers' Party, much to the displeasure of his parents. In November 1931, he became a Standartenführer in the Sturmabteilung. His friendship with the Nazis and his blind admiration for Adolf Hitler made him a subject of ridicule in the left-wing press and even among the Nazis themselves.

Party leaders used him as a representative of the Prussian and German royal dynasties to gain additional votes. In 1933, August obtained a position in the German Reichstag. However, after the establishment of the dictatorship, he became insignificant to the Nazis. His hopes of being granted the throne of the Kaiser, for himself or his son, were never realized.

In February 1945, August fled from the approaching Soviet troops. He was arrested by American soldiers on May 8 and spent two and a half years in labor camps. Upon his release, he was immediately accused again, but the second arrest was unsuccessful. August's health deteriorated significantly, and he passed away on March 25, 1949, in a hospital in Stuttgart.