Otto Livonius Explained

Otto Livonius
Birth Date:1 April 1829
Birth Place:Wolgast, Pomerania
Death Place:Berlin, Germany
Allegiance:German Empire
Serviceyears:1848-1884
Rank:Vizeadmiral
Commands:
Battles:
Relations:Wilhelm von Livonius

Otto Daniel Livonius (1 April 1829 – 9 February 1917) was a Vizeadmiral (Vice Admiral) of the German Imperial Navy, serving in the predecessor Prussian Navy and the Navy of the North German Confederation.[1]

Family and early life

Livonius was born 1 April 1829 in Wolgast in the Prussian province Pomerania. His father was Daniel Livonius a captain and postmaster in the Kingdom of Prussia. His brother Wilhelm Livonius became a general and was ennobled in 1888.

Livonius left school 1848 in Berlin in order to start sea travelling. After six months on the sailing ship Washington, he became a naval cadet in the Prussian Navy.Livonius was married with Louise Radmann.

Naval career

Livonius became a naval cadet, on 7 December 1848 in Stettin. He attended Stettin Naval School.

During the Second Schleswig War 1864 he was Kapitänleutnant and First Officer on the Prussian frigate . At the naval action off Jasmund (Isle of Rügen) on 17 March 1864, he was wounded and conferred with the Order of the Red Eagle.In 1866 Prussia became part of the North German Confederation, the navy officially became that of the confederation and Livonius joined the new institution.

In 1869 he was Commander of .

During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71 he commanded the warship . At the outbreak of the war Arminius was stationed in Kiel, but Captain Livonius managed to break through the French blockade by hugging the Swedish coast. The passage through Swedish territorial waters protected the ship from French attack. The Prussian Navy concentrated Arminius and the armored frigates,, and in the North Sea naval base Wilhelmshaven. In the course of the war, Livonius sortied from the port over forty times, but failed to result in major combat, though he occasionally traded shots with the blockading French warships.Unification of Germany in 1871 again meant a change of name, to the German Imperial Navy. From 1872 to 1875 he commanded the armored frigate . On 2 May 1874 Livonius was promoted to captain (Kapitän zur See).

In 1875/76 Livonius was commanding officer of the East Asia Squadron and commanded the warship .

From 1877 to 1881 Livonius became director of the Imperial Shipyard Danzig. On 15 February 1881 Livonius was promoted to rear admiral (Konteradmiral). As of 13 December 1881 Livonius was a director with the German Imperial Admiralty where he served until 27 December 1883, when he was promoted to Vice Admiral (Vizeadmiral). On 2 February 1884, he was transferred to the retired list.

He died on 9 February 1917, aged 87, in Berlin.

Honors

Works

Notes and References

  1. Book: Hildebrandt , Hans . Dermont Bradley . Ernest Henriot . H-O . Deutschlands Admirale 1848-1945 . II . Biblio . Osnabrück . 1989 . 3-7648-1499-3 . 385–6 . German.