Martin Wilhelm Remus von Woyrsch 
(04.02.1847 - 06.08.1920)
place of birth:  Pilsnitz, Niederschlesien  (Wroclaw, Poland)
Königreich Preußen:  OBH,  Generalfeldmarschall z.D.


Imperial German Field Marshal and Dr.Phil. h.c., Remus von Woyrsch entered military service in 1866 and saw action during the wars of 1866 and 1870-71. He thereafter experienced a distinguished career and left active duty in 1911. General von Woyrsch was recalled from retirement as Germany mobilized in the summer of 1914, receiving command the Landwehr Corps which deployed to the Eastern Front. His forces were attached to the Austro-Hungarian Army for a short time before becoming part of Army Detachment Woyrsch in Silesia. Awarded the Pour le Merite in 1914 for successful operations conducted in Galicia. He remained on the Eastern Front in Poland until the war's end, commanding Army Group Woyrsch (1916-17). Von Woyrsch was later promoted to the rank of Generalfeldmarschall, before once again retiring from active duty at the age of 70. 

Field Marshal von Woyrsch was a member of an aristocratic family from southern Bohemia, born the son of Karl Wilhelm von Woyrsch and the former Cäcilie von Websky. He grew up just outside of modern-day Wroclaw, Poland and enlisted in the Potsdam Guards in April 1866. Just eight weeks into his enlistment, the still teenaged Remus found himself in the middle of the Austro-Prussian War.  As a Fähnrich in his Guard Regiment, young Remus was credited with saving the life of the Prince Anton von Hohenzollern who had been seriously wounded on the battle field at Königgrätz. As Remus was tending to the Prince's wounds, both were captured by the Austrians, the Prince having told von Woyrsch to not resist and thereby avoiding any senseless bloodshed. The particular scene has been captured in bronze relief at the Siegesäule in Berlin.

During the soon to follow Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, Woyrsch himself was wounded at Saint Privat, as was his compatriot, the future Army commander Friedrich von Scholtz. For his efforts, he received the Iron Cross and was put in charge of a company within the 1. Garde-Regiment zu Fuß after the war. During this time of peace, he notably instructed the future Kaiser Prince Wilhelm in field operations. Woyrsch retired from the military after having risen to corps level commander, but was reactivated prior to mobilization. He was promoted early on in the War to Generaloberst, then to Generalfeldmarschall by the end of 1917, largely due to his leadership in fighting the Russians during the Brussilov Offensive of 1916. In addition to his Iron Cross, von Woyrsch was also awarded the Pour le Merite with oak leaves and the Schwarzer Adler-Orden (Order of the Black Eagle), Prussia's highest honor.

After the cease of hostilities in November 1918, von Woyrsch retired to Schloß Pilsnitz in his Silesian homeland, where he died on 6 August 1920 at the age of 73. He had been a member of the Preussisches Herrenhaus (Prussian House of Lords) from 1908 to 1918. Field Marshal von Woyrsch was also married to the former Thekla von Massow for 43 years. His nephew Udo von Woyrsch was an S.S. member and Nazi Police Commander during World War Two. 

	Generalfeldmarschall	31.12.1917
	Erinnerungs-Kreuz	Deutscher Krieg  1866
	Eisernes Kreuz II	Deutsch-Französischer Krieg  1870–1871
	Schwarzer Adler	02.02.1911
	Pour le Mérite	25.10.1914  (Eichenlaub:  23.07.1915)
	Militär-St-Heinrich	09.02.1916  Ritter (Kommandeur II: 09.02.1916)