Gottfried von Erdmannsdorff
| Heinrich Otto Gottfried von Erdmannsdorff | |
|---|---|
| Born |
25 April 1893 Kamenz |
| Died |
30 January 1946 (aged 52) Minsk, Belarus |
| Allegiance |
 German Empire (to 1918).svg.png){kind=small} Weimar Republic (to 1933).svg.png){kind=small} Nazi Germany |
| Service/branch | Heer |
| Years of service |
1913–33 1934–45 |
| Rank | Generalmajor |
| Commands held | Division Nr. 465 |
| Battles/wars |
|
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
| Relations | Werner von Erdmannsdorff (brother) |
Heinrich Otto Gottfried von Erdmannsdorff[1] (25 April 1893 – 30 January 1946) was a highly decorated Generalmajor in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Von Erdmannsdorff, who was at that time commander of the so-called "Fortress Mogilev" was captured by Soviet troops in late June 1944 during the Mogilev Offensive. He was tried by a Soviet tribunal (the "Minsk Process") for crimes committed in Belarus along with 18 other officers, 14 of whom -among them von Erdmannsdorff - were sentenced to death on 29 January 1946.[2] The officers were hanged in public (with over 100,000 civilian spectators) in the horse racing venue of Minsk, on 30 January 1946.[3] He was the younger brother of General der Infanterie Werner von Erdmannsdorff.[4]
Awards and decorations
- Iron Cross (1914)
- 2nd Class (5 October 1914)
- 1st Class (21 October 1916)
- Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 (30 December 1934)
- Iron Cross (1939)
- 2nd Class (13 May 1940)
- 1st Class (24 May 1940)
- German Cross in Gold (14 February 1942)
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 20 March 1942 as Oberst and commander of Infanterie-Regiment 171[5]
References
Citations
- ↑ Thomas, Franz & Wegmann, Günter: Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht, 1939-1945 Band 3., Biblio Verlag, 1985, p. 30. (German)
- ↑ Generalmajor Eckart von Tschammer und Osten. Article at Lexicon der Wehrmacht (German) (information concerning the trial of the 13 generals)
- ↑ Der Minsker Prozess. Article at Hannesheer.de (German)
- ↑ Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Adelige Häuser A Band XXVII, Band 132 der Gesamtreihe, C. A. Starke Verlag, Limburg (Lahn) 2003, p. 318–319
- ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 147.
Bibliography
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
- Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
- Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by none |
Commander of Division Nr. 465 29 September 1942 – 1 March 1944 |
Succeeded by Generalleutnant Kurt Hoffmann |