Friedrich Wilhelm Freiherr von Bülow
Prussian general, composer and freedom fighter (1755-1816)
Friedrich Wilhelm Freiherr von Bülow, Graf von Dennewitz (16 February 1755 – 25 February 1816) was a Prussian general of the Napoleonic Wars. Commanding various Allied forces during the War of the Sixth Coalition (1813–1814), Bülow won every – at least major – military engagement. He received the victory title Graf von Dennewitz, 'Count of Dennewitz', for saving Berlin at the eponymous village (1813). His corps also played a crucial role at Waterloo: it was Bülow's corps that fought for and eventually captured Plancenoit, which was defended, notably, by the French Imperial Guard (1815).
Biography
Early life
Bülow was born in Falkenberg, in the Altmark, and was the elder brother of Freiherr Dietrich Heinrich von Bülow. A member of the noble Bülow family, he received an excellent education, and entered the Prussian army in 1768, becoming ensign in 1772, and second lieutenant in 1775. He took part in the War of the Bavarian Succession of 1778, and subsequently devoted himself to the study of his profession and of the sciences and arts.
Throughout his life, Bülow was devoted to music, his great musical ability bringing him to the notice of King Frederick William II of Prussia, and c. 1790 he was conspicuous in the most fashionable circles of Berlin. He did not, however, neglect his military studies, and in 1792 he was made military instructor to the young Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia, becoming at the same time full captain.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Friedrich Wilhelm Freiherr von Bülow” as prussian general, composer and freedom fighter (1755-1816). Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the people & ideas register because the source frames it as prussian general, composer and freedom fighter (1755-1816). Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Chronology provides the most reliable spine for this subject; interpretation should follow only after identities and dates are secure. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 8, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q63023. VIAF identifies the subject as 45096211. The Library of Congress control number is no2008120266. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1755, 1816, 1813 and 1814.
Public reputation and documentary evidence do not always develop together; absence from a summary is not evidence of historical absence. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Read biographical claims against dates, named institutions and the cited references. Distinguish a subject’s later reputation from evidence produced during their lifetime.
- Establishing names and roles
- Building a first chronology
- Locating cited institutions
Personal papers, civil or court records, institutional files and the scholarship cited by the source.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Friedrich Wilhelm Freiherr von Bülow”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Friedrich Wilhelm Freiherr von Bülow primary sources, Friedrich Wilhelm Freiherr von Bülow archive and Friedrich research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Friedrich Wilhelm Freiherr von Bülow”?
- Which primary records establish identity, chronology and institutional ties?
- How has the subject’s reputation changed across later accounts?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Friedrich Wilhelm Freiherr von Bülow” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.