Friedrich Gollwitzer

Friedrich Gollwitzer
206th Infantry Division's commander, Alfons Hitter (second from right) and Gollwitzer surrender to Soviet forces.
Born	27 April 1889
Died	25 March 1977(1977-03-25) (aged 87)
Allegiance	German Empire Weimar Republic Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Rank	General der Infanterie
Commands held	193. Infanterie-Division 88. Infanterie-Division LIII. Armeekorps
Battles/wars	World War II Vitebsk–Orsha Offensive (surrendered)
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Friedrich Gollwitzer (27 April 1889 – 25 March 1977) was a highly decorated General der Infanterie in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded the LIII. corps. 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. Friedrich Gollwitzer was captured by Soviet troops in June 1944 during the Vitebsk–Orsha Offensive, and was not released until October 1955.

Allegations of war crimes

In 1964 the public prosecutor's office in Amberg (West Germany) started an inquiry against Gollwitzer over his alleged involvement in war crimes. In 1968 Central Office of the State Justice Administrations for the Investigation of National Socialist Crimes in Ludwigsburg received a letter from Ferdinand D. – a Wehrmacht veteran – who accused Gollwitzer of committing several atrocities during the Invasion of Poland in 1939. In his letter the veteran stated that: “activities of 41st Infantry Regiment under the command of Colonel Gollwitzer (...) were nothing less than genocide. Despite the fact that in Poland there were no partisans at that time almost no village from Kalisz to Warsaw had survived because Gollwitzer sparked an obsession with the partisans in his soldiers' minds”. In particular, Gollwitzer was accused of ordering the execution of 18 Poles in a village Torzeniec which was blamed for the death of three German soldiers (in fact the soldiers were victims of friendly fire). However, the prosecutor's office in Amberg decided to drop the investigation against Gollwitzer.^[1]

Awards

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 8 February 1943 as Generalleutnant and commander of 88. Infanterie-Division ^[2]

References

Citations

↑ Jochen Böhler: Zbrodnie Wehrmachtu w Polsce ("Wehrmacht war crimes in Poland"), wydawnictwo Znak, Kraków 2009, p. 123-125
↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 166.

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.

Military offices
Preceded by None	Commander of 193. Infanterie-Division 29 November 1939 – 2 February 1940	Succeeded by Generalleutnant Werner Sanne
Preceded by Generalmajor Georg Lang	Commander of 88. Infanterie-Division 2 February 1940 – 10 March 1943	Succeeded by Generalleutnant Heinrich Roth
Preceded by General der Infanterie Heinrich Clößner	Commander of LIII. Armeekorps 22 June 1943 – 26 June 1944	Succeeded by General der Kavallerie Edwin Graf von Rothkirch und Trach

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recipients of the 88th Infantry Division

Staff	Friedrich Gollwitzer Georg Graf von Rittberg (Oak Leaves)

Units	Josef Bregenzer (Oak Leaves) Christian Sonntag (Oak Leaves) Hermann Böbel

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