Erich Fellgiebel
Encyclopedia
Fritz Erich Fellgiebel was a career German
Army officer and a "July 20th" conspirator in the plot to assassinate Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler
.
, near Breslau, Silesia
. At the age of 18, he joined a signals battalion in the Prussian Army
as an officer cadet. During the First World War, he served as a captain on the General Staff. At the war's end, he was assigned to Berlin
as a General Staff officer. His service had been exemplary, and in 1928 he was promoted to major.
Fellgiebel was promoted lieutenant colonel in 1933, and became a full colonel the following year. By 1938, he was a major general. That year, he was appointed Chief of the Army's Signal Establishment and Chief of the Wehrmachts communications liaison to the Supreme Command (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht
). Fellgiebel became General der Nachrichtentruppe
(General of the Communications Troops) on 1 August 1940. Adolf Hitler did not fully trust Fellgiebel, considering him too independent-minded, but needed Fellgiebel's expertise.
He was the first to understand the use that the German military could have of an encryption
machine called Enigma
, and worked to have it adopted by the Wehrmacht.
As head of Hitler's Signal services, Fellgiebel knew every military secret, including Wernher von Braun
's rocket
ry work at Peenemünde
.
, his superior, and then Beck's successor, Colonel-General Franz Halder
, Fellgiebel contacted the anti-Nazi resistance group in the Wehrmacht.
In the 1938 conspiracy, he was supposed to cut communications throughout Germany while Field Marshall von Witzleben
would occupy Berlin.
Fellgiebel was involved in the preparations for Operation Valkyrie
and during the attempt on the Führers life (20 July 1944) Fellgiebel tried to cut Hitler's headquarters off from all telecommunication connections, which he only partly succeeded in doing. When it became clear that the attempt had failed, Fellgiebel had to override the communications black-out he had set up.
Fellgiebel's most famous act that day was his telephone report to his co-conspirators after he was informed that Hitler was still alive: "Etwas schreckliches ist passiert! Der Führer lebt!" ("Something awful has happened! The Führer lives!").
, where the attempt had taken place. He was charged before the Volksgerichtshof ("People's Court"). On 10 August 1944, he was found guilty by Roland Freisler
and sentenced to death. He was executed on 4 September 1944 at Plötzensee Prison
in Berlin.
s barracks, a signals and intelligence school ("Führungsunterstützungsschule") in Pöcking
-Maxhof is named the General-Fellgiebel-Kaserne in his honour.
.
Fellgiebel was portrayed by Eddie Izzard
in the 2008 film Valkyrie
.
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...
Army officer and a "July 20th" conspirator in the plot to assassinate Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler
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...
.
Military career
Fellgiebel was born in PöpelwitzPopowice, Lower Silesian Voivodeship
Popowice is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Jordanów Śląski, within Wrocław County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. Prior to 1945 it was in Germany. Erich Fellgiebel was born in the village. It lies approximately north-east of Jordanów Śląski and south of...
, near Breslau, Silesia
Province of Silesia
The Province of Silesia was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1815 to 1919.-Geography:The territory comprised the bulk of the former Bohemian crown land of Silesia and the County of Kladsko, which King Frederick the Great had conquered from the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy in the 18th...
. At the age of 18, he joined a signals battalion in the Prussian Army
Prussian Army
The Royal Prussian Army was the army of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was vital to the development of Brandenburg-Prussia as a European power.The Prussian Army had its roots in the meager mercenary forces of Brandenburg during the Thirty Years' War...
as an officer cadet. During the First World War, he served as a captain on the General Staff. At the war's end, he was assigned 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...
as a General Staff officer. His service had been exemplary, and in 1928 he was promoted to major.
Fellgiebel was promoted lieutenant colonel in 1933, and became a full colonel the following year. By 1938, he was a major general. That year, he was appointed Chief of the Army's Signal Establishment and Chief of the Wehrmachts communications liaison to the Supreme Command (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht
Oberkommando der Wehrmacht
The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht was part of the command structure of the armed forces of Nazi Germany during World War II.- Genesis :...
). Fellgiebel became General der Nachrichtentruppe
General der Nachrichtentruppe
General der Nachrichtentruppe was a rank of German Army General introduced by the Wehrmacht in 1940....
(General of the Communications Troops) on 1 August 1940. Adolf Hitler did not fully trust Fellgiebel, considering him too independent-minded, but needed Fellgiebel's expertise.
He was the first to understand the use that the German military could have of an encryption
Encryption
In cryptography, encryption is the process of transforming information using an algorithm to make it unreadable to anyone except those possessing special knowledge, usually referred to as a key. The result of the process is encrypted information...
machine called Enigma
Enigma machine
An Enigma machine is any of a family of related electro-mechanical rotor cipher machines used for the encryption and decryption of secret messages. Enigma was invented by German engineer Arthur Scherbius at the end of World War I...
, and worked to have it adopted by the Wehrmacht.
As head of Hitler's Signal services, Fellgiebel knew every military secret, including Wernher von Braun
Wernher von Braun
Wernher Magnus Maximilian, Freiherr von Braun was a German rocket scientist, aerospace engineer, space architect, and one of the leading figures in the development of rocket technology in Nazi Germany during World War II and in the United States after that.A former member of the Nazi party,...
's rocket
Rocket
A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
ry work at Peenemünde
Peenemünde
The Peenemünde Army Research Center was founded in 1937 as one of five military proving grounds under the Army Weapons Office ....
.
Resistance activities
Through his acquaintance with Colonel General Ludwig BeckLudwig Beck
Generaloberst Ludwig August Theodor Beck was a German general and Chief of the German General Staff during the early years of the Nazi regime in Germany before World War II....
, his superior, and then Beck's successor, Colonel-General Franz Halder
Franz Halder
Franz Halder was a German General and the head of the Army General Staff from 1938 until September, 1942, when he was dismissed after frequent disagreements with Adolf Hitler.-Early life:...
, Fellgiebel contacted the anti-Nazi resistance group in the Wehrmacht.
In the 1938 conspiracy, he was supposed to cut communications throughout Germany while Field Marshall von Witzleben
Erwin von Witzleben
Job-Wilhelm Georg Erdmann Erwin von Witzleben was a German army officer and in the Second World War an Army commander and a conspirator in the July 20 Plot.-Early years:...
would occupy Berlin.
Fellgiebel was involved in the preparations for Operation Valkyrie
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...
and during the attempt on the Führers life (20 July 1944) Fellgiebel tried to cut Hitler's headquarters off from all telecommunication connections, which he only partly succeeded in doing. When it became clear that the attempt had failed, Fellgiebel had to override the communications black-out he had set up.
Fellgiebel's most famous act that day was his telephone report to his co-conspirators after he was informed that Hitler was still alive: "Etwas schreckliches ist passiert! Der Führer lebt!" ("Something awful has happened! The Führer lives!").
Trial and death
Fellgiebel was arrested immediately at the Wolf's Lair in East PrussiaEast Prussia
East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...
, where the attempt had taken place. He was charged before the Volksgerichtshof ("People's Court"). On 10 August 1944, he was found guilty 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 sentenced to death. He was executed on 4 September 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...
in Berlin.
Memorials
The BundeswehrBundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
s barracks, a signals and intelligence school ("Führungsunterstützungsschule") in Pöcking
Pöcking
Pöcking is a municipality in the district of Starnberg in Bavaria in Germany. Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria, consort of Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria-Hungary, grew up here in the Possenhofen Castle as daughter of Duke Max in Bavaria and Princess Ludovika of Bavaria. Otto von Habsburg, Crown...
-Maxhof is named the General-Fellgiebel-Kaserne in his honour.
Fictional portrayal
Fellgiebel was portrayed by Harald Krassnitzer in the 2004 German TV movie StauffenbergStauffenberg (Film)
Stauffenberg is a German-Austrian TV movie released in 2004 by Das Erste , about Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg and the 20 July 1944 plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler....
.
Fellgiebel was portrayed by Eddie Izzard
Eddie Izzard
Edward John "Eddie" Izzard is a British stand-up comedian and actor. His comedy style takes the form of rambling, whimsical monologue and self-referential pantomime...
in the 2008 film Valkyrie
Valkyrie (film)
Valkyrie is a 2008 American historical thriller film set in Nazi Germany during World War II. The film depicts the 20 July plot in 1944 by German army officers to assassinate Adolf Hitler and to use the Operation Valkyrie national emergency plan to take control of the country...
.
Literature
- Macksey, Kenneth: Without Enigma: the Ultra & Fellgiebel riddles. – Shepperton: Allan, 2000. – ISBN 0-7110-2766-8
- Wildhagen, Karl Heinz (Hrsg.): Erich Fellgiebel, Meister operativer Nachrichtenverbindungen. – Wenningsen: Selbstverl., 1970
- Anthony Cave Brown, Bodyguard of Lies, Harper & Row, 1975
Sources
- Account of the Operation (in German)
- Linked German article
- Brief article about Fellgiebel