Hans Gollnick
Encyclopedia
Hans Gollnick was a German
general
.
Gollnick was born at Gut Gursen
in the Province of Pomerania as the son of Paul Gollnick, lord of the manor of Gursen, and Elisabeth Peglow descendant from the ducal house of Pomerania.
Gollnick entered military service on 22 March 1912, and served in World War I
as a Leutnant. At the beginning of World War II
, Gollnick was commander of Infanterie-Regiment 76 in the Skirmish of Krojanty. During the war, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
in 1942, and promoted to General on 1 October 1943. In January 1945 he escaped to Denmark
, and was a British
POW from January 1946 for a month until 5 February.
Gollnick died in Schönau am Königssee.
Hans Gollnick was recommended for the Swords to the Knight's Cross for his defensive efforts in East Prussia
in April 1945. However, the request was not processed before the war ended.
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...
general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
.
Gollnick was born at Gut Gursen
Górzna
Górzna is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Złotów, within Złotów County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It lies approximately west of Złotów and north of the regional capital Poznań....
in the Province of Pomerania as the son of Paul Gollnick, lord of the manor of Gursen, and Elisabeth Peglow descendant from the ducal house of Pomerania.
Gollnick entered military service on 22 March 1912, and served in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
as a Leutnant. At the beginning of World War II
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...
, Gollnick was commander of Infanterie-Regiment 76 in the Skirmish of Krojanty. During the war, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
in 1942, and promoted to General on 1 October 1943. In January 1945 he escaped to Denmark
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...
, and was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
POW from January 1946 for a month until 5 February.
Gollnick died in Schönau am Königssee.
Awards
- Iron CrossIron CrossThe 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....
(1914) II. und I. Class - Wound BadgeWound BadgeWound Badge was a German military award for wounded or frost-bitten soldiers of Imperial German Army in World War I, the Reichswehr between the wars, and the Wehrmacht, SS and the auxiliary service organizations during the Second World War. After March 1943, due to the increasing number of Allied...
(1918) in Schwarz - Ehrenkreuz für FrontkämpferCross of HonorThe Cross of Honor, also known as the Honor Cross or, popularly, the Hindenburg Cross, was a commemorative medal inaugurated on July 13, 1934 by Reichspräsident Paul von Hindenburg for those soldiers of Imperial Germany who fought in World War I...
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. bis I. Klasse
- Spange zum Eisernen KreuzIron CrossThe 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....
II. und I. Klasse - Knight's Cross of the Iron CrossKnight's Cross of the Iron CrossThe Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
with Oak Leaves- Knight's Cross on 27 November 1942 as Generalmajor and commander of the 36. Infanterie-Division (mot.)
- 282nd Oak Leaves on 24 August 1943 as Generalleutnant and commander of the 36. Panzergrenadier-Division
- Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42Eastern Front MedalThe Eastern Front Medal, , more commonly known as the Ostmedaille was instituted on May 26, 1942 to mark service on the German Eastern Front during the period November 15, 1941 to April 15, 1942...
- Mentioned in the WehrmachtberichtWehrmachtberichtThe Wehrmachtbericht was a daily radio report on the Großdeutscher Rundfunk of Nazi Germany, published by the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht regarding the military situation on all fronts of World War II....
on 26 February 1945
Hans Gollnick was recommended for the Swords to the Knight's Cross for his defensive efforts 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...
in April 1945. However, the request was not processed before the war ended.