Werner von Alvensleben

Who was Werner von Alvensleben?

Werner von Alvensleben was a German businessman and politician.

He was the second son of Werner Graf von Alvensleben-Neugattersleben and Anna von Veltheim. His younger brother Bodo Graf von Alvensleben-Neugattersleben was later to become the president of the German Gentlemen’s Club. He joined the army after studying law, became second lieutenant in Infantry Regiment No. 24 and attended the War Academy in 1904–1905. He then resigned from military service, fell out with his father who disinherited him, and travelled to Vancouver, Canada. This is where his younger brother, Gustav Konstantin von Alvensleben, was already living, who had worked his way up from a simple workman to become a successful entrepreneur. In 1909 he married Alexandra Gräfin von Einsiedel. Three daughters, Alexandra, Armgard and Anna Caroline Harriet were born to this marriage, as well as a son named Werner. From this time on he worked as a businessman in export and financial transactions.

In World War I von Alvensleben was awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class, later he became an Orderly Officer in the Gallwitz army group, aide-de-camp to Eichhorn, the commander-in-chief of the Ukraine, and finally personal aide-de-camp of the Kaiser with Pawel Skoporadski, supreme commander of Ukraine, in Kiev. In this capacity he championed independence for Ukraine.