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Secondary sourceArtifact

Steuben Baptism Site Memorial Plaque, Magdeburg

A bronze plaque in Magdeburg marking the site where Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben was baptized, placed by a chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Marks the site in Magdeburg where Steuben was baptized, connecting his German origins to his American legacy.

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A bronze plaque mounted on a sandstone pillar between two windows, with a small wheel emblem at its upper left. Its German inscription names General Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, born 24 September 1730, and an English line credits the Daughters of the American Revolution, Dorothea von Steuben Chapter, in Germany.
Memorial plaque marking Steuben's baptism site, Magdeburg, Germany. Photographed by Harvey Kneeslapper, 2022.

About this source

What it is

This photograph shows a bronze plaque mounted on a sandstone pillar in Magdeburg, Germany, marking the site of the former reformed church where Steuben was baptized. The German inscription names General Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben and gives his birth date, 24 September 1730. An English line credits the Dorothea von Steuben Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in Germany.

Why it matters

The plaque shows how Steuben's German origins and his American military career are both remembered together, linking his birthplace to the country he later served.

Look closer

  • Why might an American organization place a memorial in Germany, Steuben's birthplace?
  • What does the plaque's wheel emblem or design suggest about who it was made for?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Friedrich von Steuben on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States

Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben · 1779

Oil portrait of an 18th-century man with powdered gray hair, wearing a dark blue coat with gold epaulettes and gold-yellow waistcoat, a red sash and star-shaped order badge, against a dark background.Painting

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Baron Frederick William von Steuben

Charles Willson Peale · 1780

Large painting of a battlefield scene with a grey, stormy sky. On the left, British redcoat troops stand in lines beside a white flag. On the right, American troops in blue and buff stand beside a striped flag. In the center, a mounted commander on a white horse, with a figure in red uniform walking in front, faces the lines.Painting

Secondary source

Surrender of Lord Cornwallis

John Trumbull · 1819

Oil portrait of an older man with white powdered hair in a dark navy coat with gold epaulettes and tan high-collared lapels and waistcoat. He wears orange-and-red decorations and a star-shaped order on his chest and holds a sword hilt. Behind him are trees and a distant river with sailboats.Painting

Primary source

Major General Friedrich Wilhelm Augustus, Baron von Steuben

Ralph Eleaser Whiteside Earl · 1786

Handwritten letter in brown ink on aged paper, dated Montpellier 12 March 1773 at top right, addressed 'Monsieur' and written in French in cursive script. It is signed at the bottom right with a closing phrase and the name 'de Steuben'.Letter

Primary source

Letter from Montpellier

Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben · 12 March 1773

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