History of the inventor: Born 21 September 1865 in Baldenburg, district of Schlochau, died 31 December 1924 in Dresden. 1874 Admission to the Kulmer Kadettenkorps, then Prussian Hauptkadettenanstalt and in April 1885 entry as lieutenant second in the infantry regiment "von borcke" (4th Pommersches) No. 21 in Thorn. 1887 Transfer to the 2nd Lower Alsatian Infantry Regiment No. 137 in September 1888, one year's leave of absence to go to Africa. After a short time working for the D e u t s c h - O s t a f r i kanische Gesellschaft as an officer in the Schutztruppe für Deutsch-Ostafrika. On 18 May 1889 he took part in a battle at Dar-es-Salam as part of the suppression of the so-called Arab uprising. 1890 He rejoins the army. 1891-1904 Education at the Prussian Academy of War; 1895 transfer to the Grand General Staff. In the same year wedding with Luise Lindner. In 1898 he was promoted to captain during his command at the Reichsmarineamt, which from 1898 to 1899 included surveying work in the Kiautschou leasehold. 1900 Return to Germany and activity in the general staff. From 1902 company commander in infantry regiment 41. In 1904 promotion to major and transfer to the general staff of the stage command of the Schutztruppe für Deutsch-Südwestafrika. There he participated in the so-called Herero and Hottentot campaigns. During the Nama Uprising, Maercker led the Schutztruppen units in the Battle of Nubib and was wounded. 1910 Farewell to the Schutztruppe and appointment as battalion commander in the infantry regiment "König Ludwig III. von Bayern" (2nd Lower Silesian) No. 47. 1912 promotion lieutenant colonel; 1913 appointment as commander of the North Sea island Borkum. 1914 Promotion to colonel. 1915 and 1916 as regiment commander participation in the position fights at the Kormyn and at the Styr, afterwards at the western front, among others Yser, in the Wyschaete arch as well as at St. Eloi. Wounded in the Battle of the Somme in 1916, then in positional battles on the Aisne. At the end of 1916 he took part in the battles on the Narajowka and Zlota Lipa; from 1917 he was deployed on the western front: Somme, Wytschaete Arc, Yser, Arras, Champagne and Flanders with renewed wounding. Awarded the Pour le Mérite Order on 1 October 1917 and the Pour le Mérite Oak Leaf Order on 3 May 1918. On 18 August 1917 promotion to Major General and appointment as Commander of the 214th Division. In December 1918 Maercker formed the Freikorps "Landesjäger" from parts of his division; deployment of the Freikorps during the suppression of the Spartakus uprising in January 1919 in Berlin, followed by deployments in Weimar, Gotha, Erfurt, Halle, Magdeburg, Braunschweig and Helmstedt. On 2 May the Freikorps was integrated into the Reichswehr as Reichswehrbrigade 16. On 28 April 1920 Maercker was released from active military service. In 1922 he founded the Deutscher Kolonialkriegerbund. Processing note: General Wehrkreis IV (Saxony)? Description of the holdings: Major General, documents, personal letters, training documents, portrait photos, colonial history: General der Schutztruppe für Deutsch-Südwestafrika. R e i c h s k o l o n i a l a m t , surveying Tsingtau, commander of the infantry in the First World War in France and Belgium, Wehrkreiskommando IV, Freikorpsführer Geb. 21. September 1865 in Baldenburg, Kreis Schlochau, died 31. December 1924 in Dresden. 1874 Admission to the Kulmer Kadettenkorps, then Prussian Hauptkadettenanstalt and in April 1885 entry as lieutenant second in the infantry regiment "von borcke" (4th Pommersches) No. 21 in Thorn. 1887 Transfer to the 2nd Lower Alsatian Infantry Regiment No. 137 in September 1888, one year's leave of absence to go to Africa. After a short time working for the D e u t s c h - O s t a f r i kanische Gesellschaft as an officer in the Schutztruppe für Deutsch-Ostafrika. On 18 May 1889 he took part in a battle at Dar-es-Salam as part of the suppression of the so-called Arab uprising. 1890 He rejoins the army. 1891-1904 Education at the Prussian Academy of War; 1895 transfer to the Grand General Staff. In the same year wedding with Luise Lindner. In 1898 he was promoted to captain during his command at the Reichsmarineamt, which from 1898 to 1899 included surveying work in the Kiautschou leasehold. 1900 Return to Germany and activity in the general staff. From 1902 company commander in infantry regiment 41. In 1904 promotion to major and transfer to the general staff of the stage command of the Schutztruppe für Deutsch-Südwestafrika. There he participated in the so-called Herero and Hottentot campaigns. During the Nama Uprising, Maercker led the Schutztruppen units in the Battle of Nubib and was wounded. 1910 Farewell to the Schutztruppe and appointment as battalion commander in the infantry regiment "König Ludwig III. von Bayern" (2nd Lower Silesian) No. 47. 1912 promotion lieutenant colonel; 1913 appointment as commander of the North Sea island Borkum. 1914 Promotion to colonel. 1915 and 1916 as regiment commander participation in the position fights at the Kormyn and at the Styr, afterwards at the western front, among others Yser, in the Wyschaete arch as well as at St. Eloi. Wounded in the Battle of the Somme in 1916, then in positional battles on the Aisne. At the end of 1916 he took part in the battles on the Narajowka and Zlota Lipa; from 1917 he was deployed on the western front: Somme, Wytschaete Arc, Yser, Arras, Champagne and Flanders with renewed wounding. Awarded the Pour le Mérite Order on 1 October 1917 and the Pour le Mérite Oak Leaf Order on 3 May 1918. On 18 August 1917 promotion to Major General and appointment as Commander of the 214th Division. In December 1918 Maercker formed the Freikorps "Landesjäger" from parts of his division; deployment of the Freikorps during the suppression of the Spartakus uprising in January 1919 in Berlin, followed by deployments in Weimar, Gotha, Erfurt, Halle, Magdeburg, Braunschweig and Helmstedt. On 2 May the Freikorps was integrated into the Reichswehr as Reichswehrbrigade 16. On 28 April 1920 Maercker was released from active military service. In 1922 he founded the Deutscher Kolonialkriegerbund. Citation style: BArch, N 786/...