Friedrich Klausing
Encyclopedia
Friedrich Karl Klausing (24 May 1920 - 8 August 1944) was a resistance fighter in Nazi Germany
, and one of the July 20 Plot
ters.
, Germany
. During his teens He served in the hitler youth
and Reichsarbeitsdienst
(State Labour Service)
in the autumn of 1938 and belonged to the Potsdam Infantry Regiment 9. At the Battle of Stalingrad
, he was badly wounded and in 1943, he was posted to the indoor service, that is to say, an office, at the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht
. He was drawn into the plan to assassinate
Hitler by Fritz-Dietlof von der Schulenburg
.
On 11 July 1944, on the first attempt on Hitler's life, Klausing went along with Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg as his adjutant to the Obersalzberg (i.e. the Berghof
near Berchtesgaden
) and made sure that a car and a plane were standing by, ready to whisk the plotters away to Berlin after the job had been done. The Obersalzberg plan was, however, put off, as was a second attempt on 15 July at the Wolf's Lair near Rastenburg
in East Prussia
, where Klausing made the same preparations for Stauffenberg.
On 20 July, Captain Klausing stayed behind at the Bendlerblock
in Berlin while Stauffenberg went to the Wolf's Lair to try again, and was jointly responsible for forwarding Operation Valkyrie
orders. He forwarded the orders to, among others, Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist-Schmenzin
. On the night of 20–21 July, after it had become apparent that Stauffenberg's briefcase bomb had not killed Hitler, Klausing was the only one to escape the firefight at the Bendlerblock subsequent to which Stauffenberg and several other conspirators were captured, but the next morning, he gave himself up to the Gestapo
.
Prison
in Berlin.
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, and one of 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...
ters.
Biography
Friedrich Klausing was born in MunichMunich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Germany
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...
. During his teens He served in the hitler youth
Hitler Youth
The Hitler Youth was a paramilitary organization of the Nazi Party. It existed from 1922 to 1945. The HJ was the second oldest paramilitary Nazi group, founded one year after its adult counterpart, the Sturmabteilung...
and Reichsarbeitsdienst
Reichsarbeitsdienst
The Reichsarbeitsdienst was an institution established by Nazi Germany as an agency to reduce unemployment, similar to the relief programs in other countries. During the Second World War it was an auxiliary formation which provided support for the Wehrmacht.The RAD was formed during July 1934 as...
(State Labour Service)
Military career
He joined the WehrmachtWehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
in the autumn of 1938 and belonged to the Potsdam Infantry Regiment 9. At the Battle of Stalingrad
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between 23 August 1942 and 2 February 1943...
, he was badly wounded and in 1943, he was posted to the indoor service, that is to say, an office, at the 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 :...
. He was drawn into the plan to assassinate
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
Hitler by 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:...
.
On 11 July 1944, on the first attempt on Hitler's life, Klausing went along with Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg as his adjutant to the Obersalzberg (i.e. the Berghof
Berghof (Hitler)
The Berghof was Adolf Hitler's home in the Obersalzberg of the Bavarian Alps near Berchtesgaden, Bavaria, Germany. Other than the Wolfsschanze in East Prussia, Hitler spent more time at the Berghof than anywhere else during World War II. It was also one of the most widely known of Hitler's...
near Berchtesgaden
Berchtesgaden
Berchtesgaden is a municipality in the German Bavarian Alps. It is located in the south district of Berchtesgadener Land in Bavaria, near the border with Austria, some 30 km south of Salzburg and 180 km southeast of Munich...
) and made sure that a car and a plane were standing by, ready to whisk the plotters away to Berlin after the job had been done. The Obersalzberg plan was, however, put off, as was a second attempt on 15 July at the Wolf's Lair near Rastenburg
Ketrzyn
Kętrzyn , is a town in northeastern Poland with 28,351 inhabitants . Situated in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship , Kętrzyn was previously in Olsztyn Voivodeship . It is the capital of Kętrzyn County...
in East Prussia
East 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 Klausing made the same preparations for Stauffenberg.
On 20 July, Captain Klausing stayed behind at the Bendlerblock
Bendlerblock
The Bendlerblock is a building in Berlin, located on the Stauffenbergstraße , south of the Tiergarten. The building was erected between 1911 and 1914 for the Imperial German Navy Offices. During the Weimar Republic it served as the seat of the Reichswehr command and the Ministry of Defence...
in Berlin while Stauffenberg went to the Wolf's Lair to try again, and was jointly responsible for forwarding Operation Valkyrie
Operation Valkyrie
Operation Valkyrie was an emergency continuity of government operations plan developed in Nazi Germany for the Territorial Reserve Army of Germany to execute and implement in case of a general breakdown in civil order of the nation...
orders. He forwarded the orders to, among others, Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist-Schmenzin
Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist-Schmenzin
Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist-Schmenzin is a former German Army officer and publisher. A member of the von Kleist family, his parents were active in the German resistance against Adolf Hitler and participated in the July 20 Plot...
. On the night of 20–21 July, after it had become apparent that Stauffenberg's briefcase bomb had not killed Hitler, Klausing was the only one to escape the firefight at the Bendlerblock subsequent to which Stauffenberg and several other conspirators were captured, but the next morning, he gave himself up to the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
.
Death
In a show trial before the Volksgerichtshof on 8 August 1944, he was sentenced to death. The sentence was carried out the same day at PlötzenseePlötzensee
Plötzensee is a small glacial lake in Berlin. It is situated near the Rehberge public park in the former borough of Wedding, now a part of Mitte. The name stems from Plötze, one name for the roach in German, as the lake formerly teemed with it....
Prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
in Berlin.
See also
- List of members of the July 20 plot, Widerstand.