Christian Peder Kryssing
Encyclopedia
Christian Peder Kryssing (July 7, 1891 – July 7, 1976), commonly known as C.P. Kryssing, was a Danish
artillery
officer
and an ardent anti-communist
but not a member of the Danish Nazi party
, DNSAP.
Kryssing became the first commander of the Frikorps Danmark
June 29, 1941 but was discharged as commander on February 23, 1942 because of disagreements between him and more Nazi minded officers in the Frikorps Danmark
. His replacement was a more pro-Nazi Dane, Christian Frederik von Schalburg
.
Kryssing was then transferred to other German units, first 3rd SS Division Totenkopf
and later 5th SS Division Wiking. In February 1944 he became commander of SS-Kampfgruppe Küste but resigned in June the same year because of personal issues. His wife had been injured during a bomb attack, and his two sons had been killed in battle in 1942 and 1944.
Kryssing ended up being the highest ranked foreigner in Waffen-SS
as a SS-Brigadeführer.
In May 1945 Kryssing surrendered to the British forces and was handed over to the Danish Police in June 1946. On October 27, 1947 he was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment for his membership of Waffen-SS but was released in May 1948.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
and an ardent anti-communist
Anti-communism
Anti-communism is opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed in reaction to the rise of communism, especially after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia and the beginning of the Cold War in 1947.-Objections to communist theory:...
but not a member of the Danish Nazi party
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
, DNSAP.
Kryssing became the first commander of the Frikorps Danmark
Frikorps Danmark
Free Corps Denmark was a Danish volunteer free corps created by the Danish Nazi Party in cooperation with Germany, to fight the Soviet Union during the Second World War. On June 29, 1941, days after the German invasion of the Soviet Union, the DNSAP's newspaper Fædrelandet proclaimed the creation...
June 29, 1941 but was discharged as commander on February 23, 1942 because of disagreements between him and more Nazi minded officers in the Frikorps Danmark
Frikorps Danmark
Free Corps Denmark was a Danish volunteer free corps created by the Danish Nazi Party in cooperation with Germany, to fight the Soviet Union during the Second World War. On June 29, 1941, days after the German invasion of the Soviet Union, the DNSAP's newspaper Fædrelandet proclaimed the creation...
. His replacement was a more pro-Nazi Dane, Christian Frederik von Schalburg
Christian Frederik von Schalburg
Christian Frederik von Schalburg was a Danish army officer and the second commander of Free Corps Denmark.-Biography:...
.
Kryssing was then transferred to other German units, first 3rd SS Division Totenkopf
3rd SS Division Totenkopf
The SS Division Totenkopf , also known as 3. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Totenkopf and 3. SS-Panzer-Division Totenkopf, was one of the 38 divisions fielded by the Waffen-SS during World War II. Prior to achieving division status, the formation was known as Kampfgruppe Eicke...
and later 5th SS Division Wiking. In February 1944 he became commander of SS-Kampfgruppe Küste but resigned in June the same year because of personal issues. His wife had been injured during a bomb attack, and his two sons had been killed in battle in 1942 and 1944.
Kryssing ended up being the highest ranked foreigner in Waffen-SS
Waffen-SS
The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
as a SS-Brigadeführer.
In May 1945 Kryssing surrendered to the British forces and was handed over to the Danish Police in June 1946. On October 27, 1947 he was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment for his membership of Waffen-SS but was released in May 1948.
External links
- Webpage about C.P. Kryssing (in Danish)
- Webpage about Frikorps Danmark (in English)