Brown on Resolution · Character

Von Lutz

A German sea captain whose confident command of the stranded Ziethen is quietly undermined by one escaped English sailor with a rifle and a plan.

supporting

Also known as Captain von Lutz, Captain Lutz, Lutz

First appearance: iv

As a supporting figure in Brown on Resolution, Von Lutz is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Captain von Lutz commands the Ziethen, which is detached by von Spee to operate in Australasian waters and ultimately sinks the Charybdis.

In the storyThe Hunt for von SpeeOpen this moment free

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Von Lutz commands the warship that shells the Charybdis and takes Albert Brown prisoner, and he presides over the Ziethen's repairs in the Resolution lagoon with an almost complacent efficiency. His flaw is a certain professional arrogance: he dismisses Brown's escape as harmless, jails the sickbay steward and sentry for discipline's sake, and assumes twelve hours will see his ship seaworthy again. That miscalculation puts him at the center of the novel's long middle standoff, where a single marksman on the cliffs can stall an entire raiding cruiser.

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See Von Lutz in iv

Character Web

4 connections

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Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Supporting and minor figures
Protagonist
Ships in the conflict
Family and romantic ties

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because it presents the emotional and psychological peak of Brown's isolat…

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In the story

Von Lutz appears across 9 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Hunt for von Spee
Captain von Lutz commands the Ziethen, which is detached by von Spee to operate in Australasian waters and ultimately sinks the Charybdis.
XI
Captain of Ziethen; questions Brown about Charybdis's movements and intentions; decides to let Brown help in the sickbay.
XIII
Captain von Lutz, the angry commander of the Ziethen, orders a landing party to arrest Brown after the sniper attack begins.
XIV
Captain of the Ziethen, furious at the loss of the landing party and the humiliation inflicted by a single man. He orders a landing of two hundred men to capture or kill Brown, understanding the need to restore morale and discipline among his crew.
XVI
Captain von Lutz, enraged by Brown's resistance and the landing party's failure, orders a determined hunt for Brown, prioritizing vengeance over the raiding schedule.
XVIII
Captain of the Ziethen, who directs the landing party from the ship and grows increasingly frustrated with the delay.
XIX
Captain of the Ziethen; receives news of British battle cruisers in the Pacific and orders a hasty withdrawal, fretting over the delay caused by Brown's actions.
XX
Captain of the Ziethen, who had previously considered the Galapagos Archipelago as a repair haven.
Chapter XXI
Captain of Ziethen; accepts the inevitability of destruction but fights to the end.

Chapter companion notes

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See Von Lutz in iv

See Von Lutz in The Hunt for von Spee