De head of Major Ferdinand von Schill

by Geert van Uythoven

The same day that Major Ferdinand von Schill was killed in Stralsund, his head was separated from his body and placed in ‘alcohol vini’ by the First Officer of Health of the Dutch troops, H.A. Genoux. This person forwarded it, as an anatomical curiosity, to the famous professor S.J. Brugmans, Director-General of military health in the Dutch army. Brugmans was a brilliant man, who did much to enhance treatment of wounded soldiers, researching and fighting against 'gangrene' infections and 'hospital disease'. He gave lessons at the University of Leiden, to military surgeons and students. For this purpose he had an extensive collection of (mainly) bone preparations etc. Which today for the largest part is still on exhibition in the Anatomical Museum of the Leiden University. For his services, Brugmans received many international awards and decorations. Brugmans added the head of Von Schill to his collection. According to the ‘Conversations Lexicon’ this happened despite the fact that King Jerome of Westphalia had placed a price of 10,000 francs on Von Schill’s head.

Professor Brugmans several times had made known that he would hand over the head immediately if this was desired by some honourable person, in order to enable to give the head a proper burial in Germany. After the death of Brugmans, this wish was put forward by count Puckler, colonel of the Hussars of the Prussian Guard, who had served under Von Schill as a lieutenant, wishing to erect a monument at Wesel for his brothers in arms shot dead here (11 of von Schill’s officers taken prisoner had been fusilladed here ); as well as by C. Fr. von Vechelde in Brunswick, who wanted to erect a monument at St. Leonhard (were 14 of Von Schill’s men had been fusilladed). Prince Frederick of the Netherlands willingly co-operated to return ‘the remains of such an honourable officer’ to Germany to be able to ‘give it a worthy resting place in the soil of his fatherland’. The head was finally brought back to Brunswick by professor C.L. Blume, a former student of Brugmans. On 24 September 1837, the head was placed beneath the monument at St. Leonhard.

Prince Frederick regarded this whole matter as something personal; there was no government involved.

© Geert van Uythoven