Ludwig Reinhard Emil Kurt von Holleben
(24.01.1862 - 14.04.1941)
place of birth:  Königsee, Fürstentum Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
Königreich Sachsen:  Bde-Kdr,  Generalmajor z.D.


Saxon Generalmajor Kurt von Holleben commanded at the brigade level during the Great War 1914-18. He entered military service in 1880 and spent 23 years working as a junior officer with 1. Leib-Grenadier-Regiment Nr. 100 in Dresden. Given that he was later unable to secure a regimental command, von Holleben retired from active duty 1911. He was immediately selected, however, to continue service as a brevetted Oberst z.D. working on staff with the Landwehr (Saxon Territorial Reserves) office in Leipzig. He then took command of the Landwehr district office in Zwickau, a function he remained in as Germany went to War in August 1914.

Within a few days of national mobilization, Oberst z.D. von Holleben was placed in charge of the newly-formed Reserve-Regiment Nr. 243. Put together in late August 1914, von Holleben and his infantry troops deployed to the Western Front in mid October. Although severely wounded during fighting in Flanders, he quickly recovered while persevering in command of his regiment. For his valor and leadership, he was decorated with the Ritterkreuz (Knight's Cross) of Saxony's highest military order - the Militär-St. Heinrichs-Orden. Von Holleben was thereafter used a brigade-level commander and was promoted to Generalmajor during the final year of the War. Following the Armistice in November 1918, he briefly commanded a Saxon Landwehr infantry division before retiring from military service following a 40-year career.