Franz Beck & Benjamin Beck: German Philhellenes, heroes of the Greek Revolution of 1821
Grenadier Non-Commissioned Officer of the Grenadier Regiment of the Bavarian Royal Guard during the Napoleonic Wars
Brothers Franz Beck (? – 1822) and Benjamin Beck (? – 1822), were German soldiers and Philhellenes.
Both were born in Wurzburg, Bavaria and served in the Bavarian Army[1]. Franz Beck fought in the Napoleonic Wars, first against the Austrians, and then against the French, where he distinguished himself, receiving the rank of sergeant major[2].
With the beginning of the Greek Revolution of 1821, the Beck brothers were among the first Philhellenes to arrive in Greece as volunteers[3]. They joined the German Legion and fought at the Battle of Peta on July 4, 1822[4].
After the disbandment of the German Legion, brothers Franz and Benjamin Beck fled to Messolonghi. During their stay in Messolonghi, they supported the defence of the city. When the first siege of Messolonghi by the Turks began, in early November 1822, the two brothers fought valiantly with the Greek forces. During a fierce battle, Franz Beck fell fighting heroically[5].
His brother Benjamin Beck, who was already ill, could not bear the loss of his brother and after a few days died of melancholy.[6].
The story of brothers Franz and Benjamin Beck is of particular interest. These are two pure Philhellenes, with noble feelings and devotion to the principles and ideals that Hellenism stands for. Their genuine enthusiasm led them while they were in Greece, to a series of brave deeds and finally, almost simultaneously, to a sacrifice, which places them among the most heroic and tragic figures of the Struggle for the Independence of Greece.
SHP honours the memory of brothers Franz and Benjamin Beck, brave and noble Philhellenes, who fought on the side of the Greeks, sparing no effort and with a supreme end, the sacrifice of their own lives.
References
[1] Περιοδικό “Εβδομάς”, Αθήνα, Έτος Α’ (1884), τόμος Α’ αρ. 1. (χωρίς ημερ.) ως και αρ. 27, 2 Σεπτεμβρίου 1884, εκδ. Κορίννη, Αθήνα, 1884, σελ.8.
[2] Βλ. στο ίδιο.
[3] Konstantinou, Evangelos, “Europäischer Philhellenismus: Ursachen und Wirkungen’’, εκδ. Hieronymus”, Κολωνία, 1989.
[4] Εγκυκλοπαίδεια “Δομή”, εκδ. Δομή ΑΕ, Αθήνα, 2005, τόμος 19, σελ. 586.
[5] Βλ. στο ίδιο.
[6] St Clair, William, “That Greece Might Still Be Free. The Philhellenes in the War of Independence”, εκδ. Open Book Publishers, Λονδίνο, 2008, σελ. 386.
Bibliography – Sources
- Περιοδικό “Εβδομάς”, Αθήνα, Έτος Α’ (1884), τόμος Α’ αρ. 1. (χωρίς ημερ.) ως και αρ. 27, 2 Σεπτεμβρίου 1884, εκδ. Κορίννη, Αθήνα, 1884.
- Konstantinou, Evangelos, “Europäischer Philhellenismus: Ursachen und Wirkungen“, εκδ. Hieronymus, Κολωνία, 1989.
- Εγκυκλοπαίδεια “Δομή”, εκδ. Δομή Α.Ε., Αθήνα, 2005, τόμος 19.
- St Clair, William, “That Greece Might Still Be Free. The Philhellenes in the War of Independence”, εκδ. Open Book Publishers, Λονδίνο, 2008.
