Friedrich Wilhelm Rembert von Berg

Friedrich Wilhelm Rembert Graf von Berg (; ; – ) was a Russian nobleman, statesman, diplomat and general of Baltic German descent. Berg was a count of the Austrian Empire and Grand Duchy of Finland. He was also the fifth-to-last person promoted to the rank of general-field marshal in the history of the Russian Empire. He served as the governor-general of Finland from 1855 to 1861 and as the last viceroy of the Kingdom of Poland from 1863 to 1874.

Berg is most notable for his roles as the governor-general of Finland and viceroy of Poland. During the closing phase of the Crimean War he organised the defence of the principal cities of Finland, and he later played a crucial role in suppressing the 1863 January Uprising by Congress Poland; during the uprising, the Poles carried out numerous unsuccessful assassination attempts on him, which led martial law to be consequently declared in Poland. Berg was also credited with improving the economy and industry of Finland and Poland during his time as viceroy. As a Baltic German, Berg was not enthusiastic about the Russification policies pursued in Poland, opposed the Russian ideology of Pan-Slavism and remained sympathetic to the policies of the German Confederation. He was brought up as a Lutheran. After he finished his home education he studied in the Tartu Gymnasium in Dorpat. Originally not seeking a military career as a family tradition, Berg enrolled into the Philosophy faculty of Imperial University of Dorpat in 1810. But after Napoleon invaded Russia in 1812, Berg dropped out of university and voluntarily entered the Russian Imperial Army. He entered the army as a Fahnenjunker and was enlisted into the 6th Libau Infantry Regiment which was stationed at the north-western part of Russia to defend against Napoleon. Berg's bravery during the war of 1812 rewarded him the rank of lieutenant from Alexander I personally. He was also appointed second to the quartermaster due to his high education and being multilingual among Russian soldiers at the time.

After Napoleon was pushed out of Russia, Berg was transferred to a partisan unit under the command of Baron von Tettenborn and Pavel Kutuzov and took part in actions in Germany including the Battle of Leipzig.

Family Berg was born the eldest son of a family with three siblings, including his younger brother Gustav "Astaf" Gotthard Karl von Berg, owner of the Alt-Ottenhof Manor. His other brother Alexander was a diplomat and consul in Naples and London. Count von Berg married late in his life. In 1839, after a long relationship with the Baroness de Sassè, he married a rich Milanese aristocrat Leopoldina Cicogna-Mozzoni (1786–1874), the widow of the Italian politician Alessandro Annoni, with whom he had no children. However, after his brother Gustav's death in 1861, Friedrich adopted his orphaned nephews and brought them under his care:

Friedrich Georg Magnus Graf von Berg (1845–1938) Alexander Rembert Joachim Graf von Berg (1847–1893) Georg Erich Rembert Graf von Berg (1849–1920) Emilie Wilhelmine "Minni" Anna Marie Ulrike Pauline Gräfin von Berg (1852–1945)

Since his marriage was childless, his Austrian and Finnish comital titles were inherited by his nephews/adoptive children.

Governor-General of Finland In January 1855, Berg was appointed acting governor-general of the Grand Duchy of Finland, succeeding Alexander Menshikov, and was confirmed in the post in March the same year.

Honours and awards Coat of arms of the , which belonged to the Uradel, in the Baltic Coat of arms book by Carl Arvid von Klingspor in 1882. Coat of arms of the counts of the family of 1856, in the Baltic Coat of arms book by Carl Arvid Klingspor in 1882.

Russian

link=Order of Saint Anna Order of St. Anna, 3rd class (1813) link=Order of Saint Vladimir Order of St. Vladimir, 4th class with a bow (1813) link=Order of St. Anna Order of Saint Anna, 1st class with the Imperial Crown (1828, Imperial Crown in 1831) link=Order of Saint George (Russia) Order of St. George, 3rd class (25.6.1829) link=Order of Saint Vladimir Order of St. Vladimir, 2nd class (1829)

link=Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky Order of St. Alexander Nevsky (1838, diamonds signs in 1845) link=Order of Saint Vladimir Order of St. Vladimir, 1st class (1848) link=Golden Sword of St. George Gold Sword for Bravery with diamonds and the inscription "For a campaign to Hungary in 1849" link=Order of St. Andrew Order of St. Andrew with swords and diamond signs (7.08.1855, diamond signs in 11.8.1861)

Foreign

link=Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary Order of St. Stephen of Hungary, Nagykereszt (1849)

Publications Le feldmaréchal-comte Berg, namiestnik dans le royaume de Pologne. Notice biographique. Warsaw 1872 – Autobiography