Auguste Charlotte Countess von Kielmannsegge, née vonàSchönberg, néàvonàLynar, (bornàMay 18,à1777àinàHermsdorfànearàDresden; â ààApril 26,à1863àinàPlauenànear Dresden) was a Saxon noblewoman andàNapoleon'sàsecret agent.
The only daughter of the Saxon house marshal Peter August von Schönberg (* November 7, 1732 â September 24, 1791) and his wife Charlotte Dorothea Countessàvon Hoymà(* January 5, 1743 â November 6, 1789) grew up atàHermsdorf Castleànear Dresden, the family mostly spent the winter months in Dresden.àLegend has it that her biological father was the Italian Marchese d'Agdolo, adjutant general of PrinceàFranz Xaver of Saxony, who was imprisoned atàKönigstein fortressàfrom 1776àbecause of his involvement in a conspiracy against ElectoràFriedrich August I of Saxony.
Auguste Charlotte married Count Rochus August von Lynar (born April 17, 1773) on May 13, 1796, owner of theàLübbenau registry.àThe marriage was considered unhappy and ended with the early death of her husband on August 1, 1800. This gave rise to the rumor that she should have poisoned him, which she never denied herself.àAccording to this, she is said to have poisoned her husband with fresh cherry cake out of love for Napoleon and was then condemned fromàafaràto always wear a chain and a rope around her neck.àIn reality, the black collar was a gift from Napoleon.
After the death of her first husband, she returned to Dresden.àThrough inheritance, she also came into the possession of theàOberlausitzàmanorsàSchmochtitz,àNeusalza,àSprembergàandàDürrhennersdorf, which helped her to a financially secure life.àHere she married on October 10, 1802,àCount Ferdinand Hans Ludolph von Kielmannsegge (born February 14, 1777, â August 19, 1856), who served as theàHanoverian envoy in Saxony was active.àDue to the paternal inheritance of the above-mentioned properties in Upper Lusatia, Auguste Charlotte von Kielmannsegge was the landlady and judge as well as church patroness of the small Saxon town of Neusalza and the neighboring village of Spremberg, todayàNeusalza-Spremberg.àThe couple moved to Hanover a little later.àPersonal and political differences (the Count was a staunch opponent of Napoleon) led to the separation as early as 1809, and nine years later to the divorce.àAfter the separation, Auguste Charlotte von Kielmansegge lived in Dresden again.
Her enthusiasm for Napoleon began in 1797, when the Countessàtraveled to Italyàwith the painteràJosef Grassi.àLater she specifically sought contact and visited the emperor inàSaint-Cloud.àAt times she also lived in Paris.àShe was also in contact with the French Police MinisteràJoseph Fouchéàand is said to have worked as an agent for the French secret police herself. Due to her social contacts with theàTalleyrandàhouse, Auguste von Kielmannsegge proved to be the most important informant for Napoleon.àOver time, the spying became conspicuous there and warnings were given about "this great hulking woman from Kielmannsegge", who often instigated intrigues in order to obtain information about Napoleon's opponents.
After the fall of Napoleon, she campaigned for his return from exile and, according to later statements by a chambermaid, is said to have visited him on Elba as well.ÃÂ From Saxon government files it emerges that Countess Kielmannsegge was under the surveillance of the authorities for a long time and was considered a politically dangerous person.ÃÂ A private trip to contact the Napoleon family wasÃÂ preventedÃÂ in 1818 at the instigation of theÃÂ Saxon ambassadorÃÂ in Vienna,ÃÂ Count Friedrich Albrecht von der Schulenburg.ÃÂ In 1822 she converted to the Catholic faith.
It is part of the realm of legend that the countess is said to have had an illegitimate son with Napoleon.ÃÂ The "Dresdner Findling", a later wage clerk by the name of Ernst Graf, had given himself the name Napoleon Bonaparte and tried to prove his alleged ancestry through a brochure and memos.ÃÂ Desperate because his alleged mother did not recognize him, he drowned himself in theÃÂ ElbeÃÂ in 1864/65.
In 1829, Auguste Charlotte von Kielmannsegge acquired the estate ofàOberpöringàandàNiederpöringàand on April 20, 1830, together with her daughter Natalie, she was accepted into the count class of the Bavarian aristocratic registers.àNatalie von Kielmansegge became lady of honor of the Order ofàTheresaàin 1832.
From 1833 Auguste Charlotte von Kielmannsegge lived in Dresden again.àIn 1840 she moved into the so-called Wasserschlösschen in theàReisewitz Gardenàon theàWeiÃÂeritzàin theàPlauen Grund.àHere she dealt with literature, natural history and collecting art objects as well as fortune telling using a "mirror of the earth".àIn addition, she redesigned her home into a private memorial for Napoleon with numerous paintings and relics.àIn 1848 she again played a mysterious political role and made contact withàRobert Blum'sàwidowà.àShe received financial support from her and also visited her in her Dresden house.
She spent the last years of her life, withdrawn and shrouded in mystery in the little water castle.ÃÂ When she died, she left three legitimate children and a son Heinrich, who was judged to be her but not recognized by her.ÃÂ She was buried in theÃÂ Old Catholic Cemetery, Dresden, the grave has been preserved to this day.
Children from first marriage withÃÂ Rochus August Graf zuÃÂ Lynar:
Children from second marriage withÃÂ Ferdinand Hans Ludolph vonÃÂ Kielmannsegge:
chronologically.ÃÂ Newest first.