Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Albano von Jacobi
(16.10.1854 - 23.05.1919)
place of birth:  Köln  (Cologne)
Königreich Preußen:  Div-Kdr,  Generaladjutant SM,  General der Infanterie


Imperial Prussian general officer Albano von Jacobi served as an Adjutant General in Kaiser Wilhelm II's entourage. During the Great War years, Jacobi was additionally in command of the 1st Landwehr Division.

After launching his military career with 1st Foot Guards Regiment in Potsdam and attaining the rank of Leutnant, Jacobi was selected in 1877 to function as personal aide-de-camp to young Prince Wilhelm, the future German Kaiser. Leutnant von Jacobi also moved into Villa Frank with Wilhelm as the Prince began his university studies in Bonn. He remained Wilhelm's constant companion, whether at university functions or parties at the student pubs. He was also an expected guest at official state receptions in Berlin and at the court of Wilhelm's grandmother Queen Victoria of Great Britain. Sekonde-Lieutenant von Jacobi was perceived by most as a good Joe, if not somewhat slow on the uptake. After his charge was crowned Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1888, Premier-Lieutenant von Jacobi was dispatched to London, England as Prussian emissary to present Queen Victoria with the official news of the event. 

Upon his promotion to Hauptmann, Jacobi was brought to Berlin to again work as a duty adjutant in the Kaiser's court. As a major, he was sent to Rome to serve as military attaché there from 1895 to 1900. Tours as a regimental commander and a brigade commander were followed by Generalmajor von Jacobi's selection as General à la suite and an assignment to St. Petersburg as Prussian military attaché from 1905 to 1908. Von Jacobi was promoted to Generalleutnant, and when he returned to Berlin, was assigned the task of heading up the General-Ordenskommission (charged with awarding military decorations). Although he was promoted to General der Infanterie in 1912, as Germany went to War two years later, von Jacobi initially did not receive an active command since he had not commanded troops since 1905.

It was not until mid-October 1914 that General von Jacobi was chosen to head up 33rd Landwehr Brigade, fighting on the Eastern Front in support of Eighth Army. Near the end of the year, he was given command of 1st Landwehr Division and distinguished himself by his exemplary leadership during the Second Battle of Masurian Lakes in February 1915. His Landwehr troops were then transferred to the Pripyat Swamp region where they fought in the trenches to support Germany's Twelfth Army. The division was transferred in February 1916 in subordination to Army Group Linsingen and fought the Russians in difficult defensive battles that summer along the Stochid River area. Continued successes against the Russian onslaught earned General von Jacobi the Pour le Merite medal in April 1917.  As the fighting on the Eastern Front died down in early 1918, the Landwehr division was sent west to support Fourth Army dug in at Flanders. After the Armistice was signed, General von Jacobi then led his charges back to the German homeland for demobilization and retired from active military service in January 1919.  The 75-year old officer passed away within months, however, and was laid to rest in Stralsund.

	General der Infanterie	13.09.1912
	Pour le Mérite	12.04.1917