Alfred Kranzfelder
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant Commander Alfred Kranzfelder (10 February 1908 - 10 August 1944) was a German
naval officer and a member of the German resistance against Adolf Hitler's
Nazi regime.
He was born in Kempten im Allgäu
, Bavaria
and joined the Reichsmarine
in 1927. In 1933 he was promoted to lieutenant
and in 1937 as a member of the Kriegsmarine
he served on the battleship Admiral Scheer
. He was transferred to Berlin
for health reasons in February 1940, where he worked in the Operations Department of the 1st Sea War Branch of the Naval High Command as liaison officer to the Foreign Ministry.
He met fellow naval officer Berthold Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg
in 1943 and became active in the resistance against the Nazi regime. His opportunities to actively participate in the July 20 plot
were limited but he was asked to find further potential resistance members in the navy.
He was arrested shortly after Berthold von Stauffenburg on 24 July 1944 and tried by the People’s Court on 10 August 1944 with Erich Fellgiebel
, Georg Hansen
, Fritz-Dietlof von der Schulenburg
and Berthold Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg
. He was sentenced to death by Roland Freisler
and executed by hanging on 10 August 1944 at Plötzensee prison
, Berlin.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
naval officer and a member of the German resistance against Adolf Hitler's
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
Nazi regime.
He was born in Kempten im Allgäu
Kempten im Allgäu
Kempten is the largest town in Allgäu, a region in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. The population was ca 61,000 in 2006. The area was possibly settled originally by Celts, but was later overtaken by the Romans, who called the town Cambodunum...
, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
and joined the Reichsmarine
Reichsmarine
The Reichsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Weimar Republic and first two years of Nazi Germany. It was the naval branch of the Reichswehr, existing from 1918 to 1935...
in 1927. In 1933 he was promoted to lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
and in 1937 as a member of the Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
he served on the battleship Admiral Scheer
German pocket battleship Admiral Scheer
Admiral Scheer was a Deutschland-class heavy cruiser which served with the Kriegsmarine of Nazi Germany during World War II. The vessel was named after Admiral Reinhard Scheer, German commander in the Battle of Jutland. She was laid down at the Reichsmarinewerft shipyard in Wilhelmshaven in June...
. He was transferred to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
for health reasons in February 1940, where he worked in the Operations Department of the 1st Sea War Branch of the Naval High Command as liaison officer to the Foreign Ministry.
He met fellow naval officer Berthold Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg
Berthold Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg
Berthold Alfred Maria Graf Schenk von Stauffenberg was a German aristocrat, lawyer and conspirator in the 20 July plot of 1944, along with his brother, Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg, an army colonel...
in 1943 and became active in the resistance against the Nazi regime. His opportunities to actively participate in the July 20 plot
July 20 Plot
On 20 July 1944, an attempt was made to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Führer of the Third Reich, inside his Wolf's Lair field headquarters near Rastenburg, East Prussia. The plot was the culmination of the efforts of several groups in the German Resistance to overthrow the Nazi-led German government...
were limited but he was asked to find further potential resistance members in the navy.
He was arrested shortly after Berthold von Stauffenburg on 24 July 1944 and tried by the People’s Court on 10 August 1944 with Erich Fellgiebel
Erich Fellgiebel
Fritz Erich Fellgiebel was a career German Army officer and a "July 20th" conspirator in the plot to assassinate Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.-Military career:...
, Georg Hansen
Georg Hansen
Colonel Georg Alexander Hansen was a German army officer and a member of the German resistance against Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime.-Early life:...
, Fritz-Dietlof von der Schulenburg
Fritz-Dietlof von der Schulenburg
Fritz-Dietlof Graf von der Schulenburg-Tressow was a German government official and a member of the German Resistance in the July 20 Plot against Adolf Hitler.-Personal development:...
and Berthold Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg
Berthold Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg
Berthold Alfred Maria Graf Schenk von Stauffenberg was a German aristocrat, lawyer and conspirator in the 20 July plot of 1944, along with his brother, Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg, an army colonel...
. He was sentenced to death by Roland Freisler
Roland Freisler
Roland Freisler was a prominent and notorious Nazi lawyer and judge. He was State Secretary of the Reich Ministry of Justice and President of the People's Court , which was set up outside constitutional authority...
and executed by hanging on 10 August 1944 at Plötzensee prison
Plötzensee Prison
Plötzensee Prison was a Prussian institution built in Berlin between 1869 and 1879 near the lake Plötzensee, but in the neighbouring borough of Charlottenburg, on Hüttigpfad off Saatwinkler Damm. During Adolf Hitler's time in power from 1933 to 1945, more than 2,500 people were executed at...
, Berlin.