| Heinrich Otto Gottfried von Erdmannsdorff | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 25, 1893 |
| Died | 30 January 1946 (aged 52) |
| Place of birth | Kamenz |
| Place of death | Minsk, Belarus |
| Allegiance |
 German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany |
| Service/branch | Heer |
| Years of service |
1913–1933 1934–1945 |
| Rank | Generalmajor |
| Commands held |
Infanterie-Regiment 171 Division Nr. 465 |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
| Spouse(s) |
Margaretha née Freiin von Hausen (1894–1963) (m. 1922–1946; his death)[1] |
| Relations | Werner von Erdmannsdorff (brother) |
Heinrich Otto Gottfried von Erdmannsdorff[2] (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.[3] The officers were hanged in public (the executions were spectated from over 100.000 civilians) in the horse racing venue of Minsk, on 30 January 1946.[4] He was the younger brother of General der Infanterie Werner von Erdmannsdorff.[1]
Awards and decorations[]
- Knight Second Class of the Civil Order of Saxony with Swords
- Knight's Cross Second Class of the Albert Order with Swords
- Cross of Honour, 3rd Class with Swords (Reuss)
- War Merit Cross (Reuss)
- Iron Cross (1914)
- 2nd Class (5 October 1914)
- 1st Class (21 October 1916)
- Wound Badge (1914)
- in Black
- in Silver (2 July 1918)
- Cross of Honor (30 December 1934)
- Iron Cross (1939)
- 2nd Class (13 May 1940)
- 1st Class (24 May 1940)
- Eastern Front Medal
- 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
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Adelige Häuser A Band XXVII, Band 132 der Gesamtreihe, C. A. Starke Verlag, Limburg (Lahn) 2003, p. 318–319
- ↑ 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)
- ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 147.
- Bibliography
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) (in German). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 – Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtsteile [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]. Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
- Scherzer, Veit (2007) (in German). 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]. Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
External links[]
The original article can be found at Gottfried von Erdmannsdorff and the edit history here.