Wehrmacht/Waffen SS in the DDR

[Ingsoc]

Here is a list of some Wehrmach/Waffen SS members who also have some kind of position of power is the DDR after the war.

RK holders who serve in the NVA:

1. NVA Generalmajor (a.D.)/Wehrmacht Oberst Wilhelm Adam. Knight’s Cross: 17 December 1942, Oberst, Adjutant of the 6th Army, he also participate in the 1923 beer hall putch, after the war he also serve as the finance minister of Saxsony, and was one of the founder of the National-Democratic Party, he also was a member of the Volkskammer.

2. NVA Generalmajor/Wehrmacht Generalmajor Dr. rer. pol. Otto Korfes. Knight’s Cross: 22 January 1943, Generalmajor, Commander of the 295th Infantry Division.

3. NVA Generalleutnant/Wehrmacht Generalleutnant Vincenz Müller. Knight’s Cross: 7 April 1944, Generalleutnant, Deputy Leader of the XXVII Army Corps.

4. NVA Oberst/Luftwaffe Oberstleutnant Walter Litzmann-Lehweiss. Knight’s Cross: 29 October 1943, commander of KG3 bomber squadron. his position in the NVA was Stellvertreter des Chefs der Verwaltung Luftsteitkräfte: 1 March 1956-30 April 1957.

5. NVA Oberst/Wehrmacht Major Willy Riedel. Knight’s Cross: 08.10.1942, Oakleaves: 25.01.1943, Kommandeur III./GrenRgt 524. he commanded the 6. Mot.-Schützen-Division from 30 October 1956-31 December 1957 in the NVA.

6. NVA Oberst/Wehrmacht Oberleutnant Paul Markgraf. Knight’s Cross: 03.01.1943, Führer PzJägAbt 40.

DKiG holder who serve in the NVA:

1. NVA Generalmajor/Wehrmacht Generalleutnant Rudolf Bamler. German Cross in Gold: 12 March 1942, Oberst i.G., Chief of the General Staff of the XXXXVII Army Corps (mot.).

2. NVA Generalmajor/Wehrmacht Major Bernhard Bechler. German Cross in Gold: 28 January 1943, Major, Commander of the I./Grenadier Regiment 29 (mot.) of the 3rd Infantry Division (mot.).

3. NVA Generalmajor/Wehrmacht Generalleutnant Arno von Lenski. German Cross in Gold: 21 January 1943, Generalmajor, Commander of the 24th Panzer Division.

4. NVA Generalmajor/Wehrmacht Generalmajor Hans Wulz. German Cross in Gold: 25 January 1943, Generalmajor, Artillery Commander (Arko) 144.

5. NVA Oberst/Wehrmacht Hauptmann Karl Nacke. German Cross in Gold: 27 October 1942, Commander of the I. Battalion of Infantry Regiment 50. in the NVA he commanded the 8. Mot.-Schützen-Division from 30 June 1956-31 January 1959.

6. NVA Oberst/ Wehrmacht rank unknown Job von Witzleben. German Cross in Gold: unknown date . he also was a SED member and related to GFM Erwin von Witzleben.

DKiS holders who serve in the NVA:

1. NVA Oberst/Wehrmacht Obesrt Günther Aßmann. German Cross in Silver: 22 July 1944, Oberst i.G., Oberquartiermeister bei der Deutschen Heeresmission Rumänien.

RK holders who became politician in the DDR:

1. Wehrmacht Oberstleutnant Luitpold Steidle. Knight’s Cross: 22 Jan 1943, Commander of Grenadier-Regiment 767. his political career in the DDR: Circa 1946: Vizepräsident der Deutschen Verwaltung für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, 1948: Stellvertretender Vorsitzender der “Deutschen Wirtschaftskommission”
1949-1958: Minister für Arbeit und Gesundheitswesen (from 1950 title changed to Minister für Gesundheitswesen), 1949-1971: Representative of the Volkskammer, 1960-1969: Oberbürgermeister of Weimar.

2. Wehrmacht Generalmajor Kurt Haehling. Knight’s Cross: 2 Mar 1945, Commander of the 126. Infanterie-Division. serve as "Vorsitzender des National-Demokratische Partei Deutschlands (NDPD) Bezirksverbands Dresden" from 1953-1960.

Other Wehrmacht/Waffen SS who serve in the NVA:

1. NVA Oberst/Waffen SS Untersturmführer Reinhold Tappert. in the NVA he commanded the 9. Panzerdivision from 15 Sep 1956-15 Oct 1959, probably the only Waffen SS veteran who serve in the NVA.

2. NVA Oberst/Luftwaffe Oberleutnant Eberhard Charisius.

3. NVA Armeegeneral/Wehrmacht Unteroffizier, Willi Stoph. was also a member of the SED Politburo and PM of the DDR.

The number of Wehrmacht veterans in the NVA:

1951: 3,516 total including 431 officers
1953: 4,824 total including 519 officers
1956: 4,837 total including 500 officers
1957: 5,371 total including 464 officers
1958: 4,703 total including 400 officers
1959: 4,095 total including 258 officers
1960: 3,883 total including 129 officers
1962: 4,475 total including 84 officers
1965: 3,502 total including 67 officers
1967: 3,322 total including 66 officers
1969: 3,187 total including 61 officers
1971: 3,085 total including 59 officers

[Jim O]

It's interesting how their numbers increased through the mid-1950's, presumably after they had been adequately "de-Nazified" and/or released from Soviet POW camps.

[Ingsoc]

"Ulbricht's helpers": the role of Hitler's army generals in former East Germany

[Jim O]

Very interesting read. Thank you.