Fritz-Dietlof von der Schulenburg
Encyclopedia
Fritz-Dietlof Graf von der Schulenburg-Tressow (5 September 1902-10 August 1944) was a German
government official and a member of the German Resistance
in the July 20 Plot
against Adolf Hitler
.
, as his father Friedrich Bernhard Graf von der Schulenburg was the German Empire
's military attaché
in the British
capital. His mother was Freda-Marie (née von Arnim, 1873). Von der Schulenburg and his four brothers as well as his sister Tisa von der Schulenburg grew up, as a result of the nature of their father's work, in various places, among them Berlin
, Potsdam
, Münster
, and the family's mansion, Schloss Tressow. In accordance with traditional Prussia
n noble
practices, the children were at first strictly educated privately by a governess
.
In 1920, von der Schulenburg did his Abitur
in Lübeck
, and thereafter chose not to pursue a career as a military
officer, which had been the family tradition, but rather he studied law
in Göttingen
and Marburg
. At that time, he became a member of the Corps Saxonia Göttingen (a Studentenverbindung
), during his membership in which he sustained several sword gashes — traditionally called Schmisse in German
— the result of traditional Studentenverbindung fighting. He bore the scars with a certain pride. In 1923, he did the state examination in Celle
and became for the next five years a government trainee in Potsdam
and Kyritz
. In 1924, he interrupted his training for three months and went on a steamship as a sailor
to South America
. In 1928, he completed his training and became a graduate civil servant (Assessor) in Recklinghausen
.
Von der Schulenburg saw himself as part of the national élite, which was first and foremost defined by the two pillars that upheld the state, the military and the civil service
. Citizens outside these structures were to him, at best, "civilians" or simply the mob. However, this élite saw itself as a very patriarchal system in which officials and military men had at the same time the job of acting in the people's best interests. For this reason, von der Schulenburg busied himself with such themes as agrarian debt and land reform
. His romantic vision of the farming community and of social justice
soon brought him the nickname "roter Graf" ("the Red Count") from his colleagues. Nevertheless, it was also clear that von der Schulenburg's stance was against any left-wing current.
, where he actively helped build the Nazi rank and file. Von der Schulenburg could be counted among the followers of "north German
" National Socialism characterized mainly by the brothers Gregor
and Otto Strasser
.
In March 1933, von der Schulenburg was named to the government council in Königsberg
and gained, both as a government official and as a member of the Party, increasing influence. He stood as a prototype of a new "leftwing" leader in the NSDAP with the old Prussian tradition. He also married Charlotte Kotelmann in this same month. His new jobs at this time were mainly to establish Gleichschaltung
among officials in the realm of his influence, and also to reallocate jobs to NSDAP members.
As a result, von der Schulenburg was coming ever more often into conflict with his superior, Erich Koch
. Eventually he had himself transferred to Fischhausen as a district administrator in 1934. The conflicts with Koch kept getting stronger as the years went by, so that in 1937, he was promoted by the Reich Interior Ministry and posted to Berlin as Police
Vice-President. His immediate superior became Wolf Heinrich von Helldorf, who himself was seen in the Party as genial and learned. Helldorf resisted having von der Schulenburg assigned for a long time. Contrary to expectations, however, the two very different Nazi officials got along very well together.
By 1939, von der Schulenburg was named Acting Oberpräsident of Upper and Lower Silesia
. Already by this time, the régime had come to rate him as politically untrustworthy, and so in 1940, he was barred from the Party.
's plans and despite the shock after the affair over Werner von Fritsch
's discharge (1938; see Blomberg-Fritsch Affair
) at which the Reichswehr
s old leadership had been virtually purged, von der Schulenburg volunteered for service at the front with enthusiasm. After his superior, the Gauleiter
and Oberpräsident Wagner, had been dismissed, his position as Regierungspräsident ("Government President") in Breslau had become untenable anyway.
Since he was a lieutenant in the reserves, von der Schulenburg went to the reserve battalion of Infantry Regiment 9 in Potsdam
. With this unit, he moved into the Russian Campaign
and there received the Iron Cross
, first class. However, not until his experiences at the front did he become a critic of the war
in 1941-1942. During this time, his job changed often, for example, reporting back to the Ministry of Nutrition, ordinance officer in the Crimea
, and in the end he came back to the reserve battalion in Potsdam. He saw his actual job in the organization of the resistance and the forcible removal of Hitler.
. After the attempt on Hitler's life at the Wolfsschanze
in East Prussia on 20 July 1944, this group was also known as the Grafenkreis or Grafengruppe (Circle or Group of Counts).
The crises that became apparent to the learned government official with provisioning, military leadership, and ultimately interaction with civilian populations in conquered lands gave von der Schulenburg reason for doubt. His basic attitude towards National Socialism changed radically at this time. Already by 1942, he was regularly taking part in the Kreisau Circle
's meetings. Another important incentive of the resistance was the Allied
demand for unconditional surrender, and the endeavour that would follow from this to avoid a total military defeat, thereby arriving at a so-called "draw-peace".
In a 1943 plan for Europe
, co-authored by von der Schulenburg, it says:
As a nobleman, official and officer, von der Schulenburg had contacts in all directions, which he used over time to recruit plotters. Owing to his manifold ties, especially with the civilian resistance circle about Carl Friedrich Goerdeler
and the social-democratic group (Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold) about Julius Leber
, he stood out as an important intermediary.
By 1943, von der Schulenburg had fallen under suspicion of working against the régime and spent a night under arrest. However, owing to his special status and his connections, he was released.
. He was to lead the Interior Ministry as State Secretary after Hitler was overthrown. On 20 July 1944, von der Schulenburg found himself in the headquarters of the revolt, Bendlerstraße in Berlin. There he was arrested on the same day, after the attempt on Hitler's life went awry. On 10 August 1944 came the proceedings and sentencing at the Volksgerichtshof. In this show trial, with Roland Freisler
presiding, von der Schulenburg explained his act thus:
During the trail von Schulenburg conducted himself with utmost courage never losing any nerve, summing up in a moment where the Chief Judge Roland Freisler
who was bent on abusing the defendants verbally and giving insulting names every time while addressing Schulenburg as "Scoundrel Schulenburg" lost it, and called him by his hereditary name "Count Schulenburg", whereby Schulenburg interrupted him by saying "Scoundrel Schulenburg Please!" A furious Roland Freisler
instantly gave him the death sentence.
von der Schulenburg was hanged
at Plötzensee Prison
in Berlin on the same day that he was sentenced.
; another, Adelheid, married Grey Ruthven, 2nd Earl of Gowrie.
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...
government official and a member of the German Resistance
German Resistance
The German resistance was the opposition by individuals and groups in Germany to Adolf Hitler or the National Socialist regime between 1933 and 1945. Some of these engaged in active plans to remove Adolf Hitler from power and overthrow his regime...
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...
against 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...
.
Personal development
Von der Schulenburg was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, as his father Friedrich Bernhard Graf von der Schulenburg was the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
's military attaché
Military attaché
A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission . This post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer who retains the commission while serving in an embassy...
in the British
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
capital. His mother was Freda-Marie (née von Arnim, 1873). Von der Schulenburg and his four brothers as well as his sister Tisa von der Schulenburg grew up, as a result of the nature of their father's work, in various places, among them 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...
, Potsdam
Potsdam
Potsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre....
, Münster
Münster
Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
, and the family's mansion, Schloss Tressow. In accordance with traditional Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n noble
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
practices, the children were at first strictly educated privately by a governess
Governess
A governess is a girl or woman employed to teach and train children in a private household. In contrast to a nanny or a babysitter, she concentrates on teaching children, not on meeting their physical needs...
.
In 1920, von der Schulenburg did his Abitur
Abitur
Abitur is a designation used in Germany, Finland and Estonia for final exams that pupils take at the end of their secondary education, usually after 12 or 13 years of schooling, see also for Germany Abitur after twelve years.The Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife, often referred to as...
in Lübeck
Lübeck
The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
, and thereafter chose not to pursue a career as a military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
officer, which had been the family tradition, but rather he studied law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
in Göttingen
Göttingen
Göttingen is a university town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686.-General information:...
and Marburg
Marburg
Marburg is a city in the state of Hesse, Germany, on the River Lahn. It is the main town of the Marburg-Biedenkopf district and its population, as of March 2010, was 79,911.- Founding and early history :...
. At that time, he became a member of the Corps Saxonia Göttingen (a Studentenverbindung
Studentenverbindung
A Studentenverbindung is a student corporation in a German-speaking country somewhat comparable to fraternities in the US or Canada, but mostly older and going back to other kinds of...
), during his membership in which he sustained several sword gashes — traditionally called Schmisse in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
— the result of traditional Studentenverbindung fighting. He bore the scars with a certain pride. In 1923, he did the state examination in Celle
Celle
Celle is a town and capital of the district of Celle, in Lower Saxony, Germany. The town is situated on the banks of the River Aller, a tributary of the Weser and has a population of about 71,000...
and became for the next five years a government trainee in Potsdam
Potsdam
Potsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre....
and Kyritz
Kyritz
Kyritz is a town in the Ostprignitz-Ruppin district, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated 28 km west of Neuruppin and 28 km southeast of Pritzwalk.There are 9,900 inhabitants .-Overview:...
. In 1924, he interrupted his training for three months and went on a steamship as a sailor
Sailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
to South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. In 1928, he completed his training and became a graduate civil servant (Assessor) in Recklinghausen
Recklinghausen
Recklinghausen is the northernmost city in the Ruhr-Area and the capital of the Recklinghausen district. It borders the rural Münsterland and is characterized by large fields and farms in the north and industry in the south...
.
Von der Schulenburg saw himself as part of the national élite, which was first and foremost defined by the two pillars that upheld the state, the military and the civil service
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
. Citizens outside these structures were to him, at best, "civilians" or simply the mob. However, this élite saw itself as a very patriarchal system in which officials and military men had at the same time the job of acting in the people's best interests. For this reason, von der Schulenburg busied himself with such themes as agrarian debt and land reform
Land reform
[Image:Jakarta farmers protest23.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Farmers protesting for Land Reform in Indonesia]Land reform involves the changing of laws, regulations or customs regarding land ownership. Land reform may consist of a government-initiated or government-backed property redistribution,...
. His romantic vision of the farming community and of social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
soon brought him the nickname "roter Graf" ("the Red Count") from his colleagues. Nevertheless, it was also clear that von der Schulenburg's stance was against any left-wing current.
Joining the Nazi Party
von der Schulenburg's first contacts with the Nazi Party (NSDAP) came in 1930, and he became a member by 1932, at about the same time as the rest of the family joined. In the same year, he was posted to 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 he actively helped build the Nazi rank and file. Von der Schulenburg could be counted among the followers of "north German
Northern Germany
- Geography :The key terrain features of North Germany are the marshes along the coastline of the North Sea and Baltic Sea, and the geest and heaths inland. Also prominent are the low hills of the Baltic Uplands, the ground moraines, end moraines, sandur, glacial valleys, bogs, and Luch...
" National Socialism characterized mainly by the brothers Gregor
Gregor Strasser
Gregor Strasser was a politician of the National Socialist German Workers Party...
and Otto Strasser
Otto Strasser
Otto Johann Maximilian Strasser was a German politician and 'left-wing' member of the National Socialist German Workers Party. Strasser was part of the ‘left-wing’ faction of the party, along with his brother Gregor Strasser, and broke from the party due to disputes with the ‘Hitlerite’ faction...
.
In March 1933, von der Schulenburg was named to the government council in Königsberg
Königsberg
Königsberg was the capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945 as well as the northernmost and easternmost German city with 286,666 inhabitants . Due to the multicultural society in and around the city, there are several local names for it...
and gained, both as a government official and as a member of the Party, increasing influence. He stood as a prototype of a new "leftwing" leader in the NSDAP with the old Prussian tradition. He also married Charlotte Kotelmann in this same month. His new jobs at this time were mainly to establish Gleichschaltung
Gleichschaltung
Gleichschaltung , meaning "coordination", "making the same", "bringing into line", is a Nazi term for the process by which the Nazi regime successively established a system of totalitarian control and tight coordination over all aspects of society. The historian Richard J...
among officials in the realm of his influence, and also to reallocate jobs to NSDAP members.
As a result, von der Schulenburg was coming ever more often into conflict with his superior, Erich Koch
Erich Koch
Erich Koch was a Gauleiter of the Nazi Party in East Prussia from 1928 until 1945. Between 1941 and 1945 he was the Chief of Civil Administration of Bezirk Bialystok. During this period, he was also the Reichskommissar in Reichskommissariat Ukraine from 1941 until 1943...
. Eventually he had himself transferred to Fischhausen as a district administrator in 1934. The conflicts with Koch kept getting stronger as the years went by, so that in 1937, he was promoted by the Reich Interior Ministry and posted to Berlin as Police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
Vice-President. His immediate superior became Wolf Heinrich von Helldorf, who himself was seen in the Party as genial and learned. Helldorf resisted having von der Schulenburg assigned for a long time. Contrary to expectations, however, the two very different Nazi officials got along very well together.
By 1939, von der Schulenburg was named Acting Oberpräsident of Upper and Lower Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
. Already by this time, the régime had come to rate him as politically untrustworthy, and so in 1940, he was barred from the Party.
Wartime experiences
Despite the officials' reservations about Adolf HitlerAdolf 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...
's plans and despite the shock after the affair over Werner von Fritsch
Werner von Fritsch
Werner Thomas Ludwig Freiherr von Fritsch was a prominent Wehrmacht officer, member of the German High Command, and the second German general to be killed during World War II.-Early life:...
's discharge (1938; see Blomberg-Fritsch Affair
Blomberg-Fritsch Affair
The Blomberg–Fritsch Affair were two related scandals in early 1938 that resulted in the subjugation of the German Armed Forces to dictator Adolf Hitler...
) at which the Reichswehr
Reichswehr
The Reichswehr formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935, when it was renamed the Wehrmacht ....
s old leadership had been virtually purged, von der Schulenburg volunteered for service at the front with enthusiasm. After his superior, the Gauleiter
Gauleiter
A Gauleiter was the party leader of a regional branch of the NSDAP or the head of a Gau or of a Reichsgau.-Creation and Early Usage:...
and Oberpräsident Wagner, had been dismissed, his position as Regierungspräsident ("Government President") in Breslau had become untenable anyway.
Since he was a lieutenant in the reserves, von der Schulenburg went to the reserve battalion of Infantry Regiment 9 in Potsdam
Potsdam
Potsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre....
. With this unit, he moved into the Russian Campaign
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
and there received the Iron Cross
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
, first class. However, not until his experiences at the front did he become a critic of the war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1941-1942. During this time, his job changed often, for example, reporting back to the Ministry of Nutrition, ordinance officer in the Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
, and in the end he came back to the reserve battalion in Potsdam. He saw his actual job in the organization of the resistance and the forcible removal of Hitler.
Resistance movement
Quite early on, von der Schulenburg observed with growing worry and disgust the lawlessness that went along with the régime and made contacts with like minded opposition forces from a great variety of camps. He was member of a circle of higher officials who recruited mainly Prussian noblemen. One of the greatest friends to the circle at that time was Peter Graf Yorck von WartenburgPeter Yorck von Wartenburg
Peter Graf Yorck von Wartenburg was a German jurist and a member of the German Resistance against Nazism.-Biography:...
. After the attempt on Hitler's life at the Wolfsschanze
Wolfsschanze
Wolf's Lair is the standard English name for Wolfsschanze, Adolf Hitler's first World War II Eastern Front military headquarters, one of several Führerhauptquartier or FHQs located in various parts of Europe...
in East Prussia on 20 July 1944, this group was also known as the Grafenkreis or Grafengruppe (Circle or Group of Counts).
The crises that became apparent to the learned government official with provisioning, military leadership, and ultimately interaction with civilian populations in conquered lands gave von der Schulenburg reason for doubt. His basic attitude towards National Socialism changed radically at this time. Already by 1942, he was regularly taking part in the Kreisau Circle
Kreisau Circle
The Kreisau Circle was the name the Nazi Gestapo gave to a group of German dissidents centered on the Kreisau estate of Helmuth James Graf von Moltke. The Kreisauer Kreis is celebrated as one of the instances of German opposition to the Nazi regime...
's meetings. Another important incentive of the resistance was the Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
demand for unconditional surrender, and the endeavour that would follow from this to avoid a total military defeat, thereby arriving at a so-called "draw-peace".
In a 1943 plan for Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, co-authored by von der Schulenburg, it says:
- "The special thing about the European problem consists of there being, in a comparatively small area, a multiplicity of peoples who are to live together in a combination of unity and independenceIndependenceIndependence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory....
. Their unity must be so tight that war will never again be waged between them in future, and Europe's outside interests can be protected jointly...The solution of the European states can only be effected on a federative basis with the European states incorporating themselves into a community of sovereign states by their own free decision."
As a nobleman, official and officer, von der Schulenburg had contacts in all directions, which he used over time to recruit plotters. Owing to his manifold ties, especially with the civilian resistance circle about Carl Friedrich Goerdeler
Carl Friedrich Goerdeler
Carl Friedrich Goerdeler was a monarchist conservative German politician, executive, economist, civil servant and opponent of the Nazi regime...
and the social-democratic group (Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold) about Julius Leber
Julius Leber
Julius Leber was a German politician of the SPD and a member of the German Resistance against the Nazi régime.-Early life:...
, he stood out as an important intermediary.
By 1943, von der Schulenburg had fallen under suspicion of working against the régime and spent a night under arrest. However, owing to his special status and his connections, he was released.
Attempted coup and sentence
von der Schulenburg belonged to the inner circle of the plotters and was thereby actively involved in the planning of Operation ValkyrieOperation 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...
. He was to lead the Interior Ministry as State Secretary after Hitler was overthrown. On 20 July 1944, von der Schulenburg found himself in the headquarters of the revolt, Bendlerstraße in Berlin. There he was arrested on the same day, after the attempt on Hitler's life went awry. On 10 August 1944 came the proceedings and sentencing at the Volksgerichtshof. In this show trial, with 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...
presiding, von der Schulenburg explained his act thus:
- "We took upon ourselves this deed to protect Germany from a nameless misery. It is clear to me that I shall be hanged for it, but I do not rue my deed and hope that another, in a luckier moment, will undertake it."
During the trail von Schulenburg conducted himself with utmost courage never losing any nerve, summing up in a moment where the Chief Judge 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...
who was bent on abusing the defendants verbally and giving insulting names every time while addressing Schulenburg as "Scoundrel Schulenburg" lost it, and called him by his hereditary name "Count Schulenburg", whereby Schulenburg interrupted him by saying "Scoundrel Schulenburg Please!" A furious 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...
instantly gave him the death sentence.
von der Schulenburg was hanged
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
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 on the same day that he was sentenced.
Literature
- Ulrich Heinemann, Ein konservativer Rebell; Berlin (Siedler) 1990 (ISBN 3-88680-373-2)
- Albert Krebs, Fritz-Dietlof Graf von der Schulenburg. Zwischen Staatsraison und Hochverrat; Hamburg (Leibniz Vlg.) 1964
- Hans-Joachim Ramm, ... stets einem Höheren verantwortlich. Christliche Grundüberzeugungen im innermilitärischen Widerstand gegen Hitler; Neuhausen u. Stuttgart (Hänssler) 1996 (ISBN 3-7751-2635-X)
See also
- List of members of the July 20 plot
- German ResistanceGerman ResistanceThe German resistance was the opposition by individuals and groups in Germany to Adolf Hitler or the National Socialist regime between 1933 and 1945. Some of these engaged in active plans to remove Adolf Hitler from power and overthrow his regime...
- Friedrich Werner von der SchulenburgFriedrich Werner von der SchulenburgFriedrich-Werner Graf von der Schulenburg was a German diplomat who served as the last German ambassador to the Soviet Union before Operation Barbarossa. He began his diplomatic career before World War I, serving as consul and ambassador in several countries...
Family
His daughter Charlotte married Nick Bielenberg, a son of Christabel BielenbergChristabel Bielenberg
Christabel Bielenberg was a British writer who was married to a German lawyer, Peter Bielenberg. She described her experiences living in Germany during the Second World War in two books: The Past is Myself and The Road Ahead...
; another, Adelheid, married Grey Ruthven, 2nd Earl of Gowrie.
External links
Related movies
- The Restless Conscience (USA 1991)