Karl Fischer von Treuenfeld
Encyclopedia
Karl Fischer von Treuenfeld (1885–1946) was a Gruppenführer
(Lieutenant General) and Generalleutnant of the Waffen SS during World War II
and the commander of the VI SS Army Corps
.
He also served with the General staff during World War I
and between the wars was an early confidant of Adolf Hitler
. He survived World War II then committed suicide in 1946.
on the North Sea
coast of Germany
. He was the son of Kapitän zur See, Felix von Treuenfeld.
He attended the local high school and after graduation in Easter
1898, he was enrolled as an Army Cadet
at the cadet institute in Plön
.
He served with the 4th Guard Field Artillery Regiment as a Fahnenjunker being commissioned as a Leutnant in August 1904. He served as an Artillery officer for two years, then transferred to the Cavalry in 1906, and served with the 1st Leib Hussars Regiment until 1910.
von Treunfield was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Albert Medal II class
in May 1912 and studied at the War Academy until 1914.
In July 1914, he was sent on a reconnaissance mission in northern Belgium
in the area of Namur
and Lüttich
and when war was declared returned to the Leib Hussars Brigade as the Adjutant
.
in 1914, he suffered severe head injuries when the vehicle he was travelling in crashed, near Hollebeke
in Flanders
. The injuries were declared connected with his war service and he was awarded the Iron Cross
II class.
He was wounded again in June 1915 by Russia
n shrapnel while serving near Gumboki on the Eastern Front (World War I)
.
After recovering from his second wound he was transferred to the General staff
in December 1915 and later served on the staff of the field army with General Erich Ludendorff
.
He was awarded the Iron Cross I class in March 1916, and after the capture of the Rumanian oil fields in December 1916, he was given the task of re starting oil production by Ludendorff.
In 1917, he wrote a book on the tactical employment of modern communications equipment and attended the Commanders and General Staff Officers course in Sedan
from 1917 to 1918.
He was posted as a staff officer to the 232nd Infantry Division in January 1918, and was involved in the last German offensive on the Western Front.
In May 1918, he was decorated with the Knight's Cross of the Albert Medal with Swords
. In July, he received the Knight's Order of Hohenzollern with Swords
and he then oversaw the organization of the border guard, to protect against Czechoslovakian incursions along the Silesia
n border.
and worked in economics
and imported goods to Germany. He was still associated with the army and was the commander of the militia
units in the Hamburg
area.
In 1922, he was introduced to Adolf Hitler
by General Erich Ludendorff and organised the militia to assist Hitler during the Munich putsch. If the putsch had succeeded the Hamburg militia was to march on Berlin
.
In 1929, Treuenfeld's business failed after his credit was frozen. He blamed the failure on the banks and quoted in his biography
In March 1937 Ludendorf and Hitler became political allies and Treuenfeld was promoted to Major
in December 1938, when he became involved in the secret rearmament programme.
In April 1939, he was asked to join the SS by Heinrich Himmler
(SS number 323 792).
At the start of World War II
Treuenfeld with the rank of Sturmbannführer
(Major), was in command of the SS Panzer Signals Battalion 2. In January 1941, he was made the Befehlshaber
of Waffen SS in the Northwest and West, until April 1941, when he was given command of the 2 SS Infantry Brigade
, which started forming in May 1941 for service in the Soviet Union
after the invasion (Operation Barbarossa
).
He remained as the commander of the 2 SS Infantry Brigade until July 1942, when he took over command of the 1 SS Infantry Brigade
, Both these brigades conducted anti-partisan operations in the rear of the advancing German army and were involved in the extermination of the Jewish population.
At the same time he held the position of Befehlshaber
of Waffen SS North East between April 1941 to December 1941 and for Bohemia
and Moravia
, from December 1941 to September 1942, and was the deputy of Reinhard Heydrich
. After the assassination of Heydrich
on 27 May 1942, the men responsible, Jan Kubiš
, Jozef Gabčík
and others, were betrayed and trapped in the crypt
of Ss. Cyril and Methodius Cathedral
in Prague
. Treuenfeld was in command of the troops that stormed the church on 18 June 1942, only to find that after holding out for hours they had committed suicide.
A difference in opinion between Treunfeld and the Gestapo
led to his replacement and transfer at the end of 1942. He then took up the post of commander of the Waffen SS in Southern Russia and the Ukraine
from February to November 1943. In November 1943, now promoted to Gruppenführer
(Lieutenant General), he took over command of the 10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg, but was relieved of command after receiving another severe wound in the defence of Tarnopol on 22 April 1944. After recovering he became the SS leader in the SS Main Office and the Befehlshaber of the Waffen SS in Italy.
His final command of the war, was the VI SS Army Corps
which he took over in June 1944.
.
Gruppenführer
Gruppenführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party, first created in 1925 as a senior rank of the SA.-SS rank:...
(Lieutenant General) and Generalleutnant of the Waffen SS during 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...
and the commander of the VI SS Army Corps
VI SS Army Corps
VI SS Army Corps or VI. SS-Freiwilligen-Armeekorps was a unit of the Waffen SS during World War II. It was formed in October 1943, to command the Latvian Waffen SS divisions. It fought in the northern sector of the Eastern Front as part of the 18th Army...
.
He also served with the General staff during 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...
and between the wars was an early confidant of 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...
. He survived World War II then committed suicide in 1946.
Early life
Karl Fischer von Treuenfeld was born on 31 March 1885, in FlensburgFlensburg
Flensburg is an independent town in the north of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Flensburg is the centre of the region of Southern Schleswig...
on the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
coast of 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...
. He was the son of Kapitän zur See, Felix von Treuenfeld.
He attended the local high school and after graduation in Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
1898, he was enrolled as an Army Cadet
Cadet
A cadet is a trainee to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. The term comes from the term "cadet" for younger sons of a noble family.- Military context :...
at the cadet institute in Plön
Plön
Plön is the district seat of the Plön district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, and has about 13,000 inhabitants. It lies right on the shores of Schleswig-Holstein's biggest lake, the Great Plön Lake, as well as on several smaller lakes, touching the town on virtually all sides...
.
He served with the 4th Guard Field Artillery Regiment as a Fahnenjunker being commissioned as a Leutnant in August 1904. He served as an Artillery officer for two years, then transferred to the Cavalry in 1906, and served with the 1st Leib Hussars Regiment until 1910.
von Treunfield was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Albert Medal II class
Albert Order
The Albert Order was created 31 December 1850 by King Frederick Augustus II of Saxony to commemorate Albert III, Duke of Saxony and was to be awarded to anyone who had served the state well, for civil virtue, science and art....
in May 1912 and studied at the War Academy until 1914.
In July 1914, he was sent on a reconnaissance mission in northern Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
in the area of Namur
Namur (province)
Namur is a province of Wallonia, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on the Walloon provinces of Hainaut, Walloon Brabant, Liège and Luxembourg in Belgium, and on France. Its capital is the city of Namur...
and Lüttich
Liège (province)
Liège is the easternmost province of Belgium and belongs to the Walloon Region. It is an area of French and German ethnicity. It borders on the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, and in Belgium the provinces of Luxembourg, Namur, Walloon Brabant , and those of Flemish Brabant and Limburg . Its...
and when war was declared returned to the Leib Hussars Brigade as the Adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
.
World War I
During World War IWorld 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...
in 1914, he suffered severe head injuries when the vehicle he was travelling in crashed, near Hollebeke
Hollebeke
Hollebeke is a Flemish village in the Belgian province of West Vlaanderen, now part of Ypres city.-History:In World War I, it was the site of allied heroism that won Khudadad Khan the first Victoria Cross ever awarded to a native Indian.In 1970 it was incorporated in Zillebeke, which in turn...
in Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
. The injuries were declared connected with his war service and he was awarded 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....
II class.
He was wounded again in June 1915 by Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n shrapnel while serving near Gumboki on the Eastern Front (World War I)
Eastern Front (World War I)
The Eastern Front was a theatre of war during World War I in Central and, primarily, Eastern Europe. The term is in contrast to the Western Front. Despite the geographical separation, the events in the two theatres strongly influenced each other...
.
After recovering from his second wound he was transferred to the General staff
General Staff
A military staff, often referred to as General Staff, Army Staff, Navy Staff or Air Staff within the individual services, is a group of officers and enlisted personnel that provides a bi-directional flow of information between a commanding officer and subordinate military units...
in December 1915 and later served on the staff of the field army with General Erich Ludendorff
Erich Ludendorff
Erich Friedrich Wilhelm Ludendorff was a German general, victor of Liège and of the Battle of Tannenberg...
.
He was awarded the Iron Cross I class in March 1916, and after the capture of the Rumanian oil fields in December 1916, he was given the task of re starting oil production by Ludendorff.
In 1917, he wrote a book on the tactical employment of modern communications equipment and attended the Commanders and General Staff Officers course in Sedan
Sedan, France
Sedan is a commune in France, a sub-prefecture of the Ardennes department in northern France.-Geography:The historic centre is built on a peninsula formed by an arc of the Meuse River. It is around from the Belgian border.-History:...
from 1917 to 1918.
He was posted as a staff officer to the 232nd Infantry Division in January 1918, and was involved in the last German offensive on the Western Front.
In May 1918, he was decorated with the Knight's Cross of the Albert Medal with Swords
Albert Order
The Albert Order was created 31 December 1850 by King Frederick Augustus II of Saxony to commemorate Albert III, Duke of Saxony and was to be awarded to anyone who had served the state well, for civil virtue, science and art....
. In July, he received the Knight's Order of Hohenzollern with Swords
House Order of Hohenzollern
The House Order of Hohenzollern was an order of chivalry of the House of Hohenzollern. It was both a military and a civil award...
and he then oversaw the organization of the border guard, to protect against Czechoslovakian incursions along the 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...
n border.
Between wars
After the end of the war he was demobilized 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...
and worked in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and imported goods to Germany. He was still associated with the army and was the commander of the militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
units in the Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
area.
In 1922, he was introduced to 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...
by General Erich Ludendorff and organised the militia to assist Hitler during the Munich putsch. If the putsch had succeeded the Hamburg militia was to march on 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...
.
In 1929, Treuenfeld's business failed after his credit was frozen. He blamed the failure on the banks and quoted in his biography
"As a result, the hate of the Jews and free masons that caused the economic disaster... caused my business to collapse."
In March 1937 Ludendorf and Hitler became political allies and Treuenfeld was promoted to Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in December 1938, when he became involved in the secret rearmament programme.
In April 1939, he was asked to join the SS by Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler was Reichsführer of the SS, a military commander, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. As Chief of the German Police and the Minister of the Interior from 1943, Himmler oversaw all internal and external police and security forces, including the Gestapo...
(SS number 323 792).
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...
Treuenfeld with the rank of Sturmbannführer
Sturmbannführer
Sturmbannführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party equivalent to major, used both in the Sturmabteilung and the Schutzstaffel...
(Major), was in command of the SS Panzer Signals Battalion 2. In January 1941, he was made the Befehlshaber
SS and Police Leader
SS and Police Leader was a title for senior Nazi officials that commanded large units of the SS, of Gestapo and of the regular German police during and prior to World War II.Three levels of subordination were established for bearers of this title:...
of Waffen SS in the Northwest and West, until April 1941, when he was given command of the 2 SS Infantry Brigade
2 SS Infantry Brigade
The 2 SS Infantry Brigade was formed on the 15 May 1941, under the command of Karl Fischer von Treuenfeld with the 4th and 5th SS Infantry Regiments and began its operational service in September in the rear area of Army Group North, under which command it would spend its entire existence...
, which started forming in May 1941 for service in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
after the invasion (Operation Barbarossa
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...
).
He remained as the commander of the 2 SS Infantry Brigade until July 1942, when he took over command of the 1 SS Infantry Brigade
1 SS Infantry Brigade
The 1 SS Infantry Brigade was a unit of the German Waffen SS formed from former concentration camp guards for service in the Soviet Union behind the main front line during the Second World War. They conducted anti-partisan operations in the rear of the advancing German army and were involved in...
, Both these brigades conducted anti-partisan operations in the rear of the advancing German army and were involved in the extermination of the Jewish population.
At the same time he held the position of Befehlshaber
SS and Police Leader
SS and Police Leader was a title for senior Nazi officials that commanded large units of the SS, of Gestapo and of the regular German police during and prior to World War II.Three levels of subordination were established for bearers of this title:...
of Waffen SS North East between April 1941 to December 1941 and for Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
and Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
, from December 1941 to September 1942, and was the deputy of Reinhard Heydrich
Reinhard Heydrich
Reinhard Tristan Eugen Heydrich , also known as The Hangman, was a high-ranking German Nazi official.He was SS-Obergruppenführer and General der Polizei, chief of the Reich Main Security Office and Stellvertretender Reichsprotektor of Bohemia and Moravia...
. After the assassination of Heydrich
Operation Anthropoid
Operation Anthropoid was the code name for the targeted killing of top German SS leader Reinhard Heydrich. He was the chief of the Reich Main Security Office , the acting Protector of Bohemia and Moravia, and a chief planner of the Final Solution, the Nazi German programme for the genocide of the...
on 27 May 1942, the men responsible, Jan Kubiš
Jan Kubiš
Jan Kubiš was a Czech soldier, one of a team of Czechoslovak British-trained soldiers sent to assassinate acting Reichsprotektor of Bohemia and Moravia, SS-Obergruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich, in 1942 as part of Operation Anthropoid.- Biography :Jan Kubiš was born in 1913 in Dolní Vilémovice,...
, Jozef Gabčík
Jozef Gabcík
Jozef Gabčík was a Slovak soldier of Czechoslovak army involved in Operation Anthropoid, the assassination of acting Reichsprotektor of Bohemia and Moravia, SS-Obergruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich....
and others, were betrayed and trapped in the crypt
Crypt
In architecture, a crypt is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics....
of Ss. Cyril and Methodius Cathedral
Ss. Cyril and Methodius Cathedral
The Ss. Cyril and Methodius Cathedral in Nové Město, Prague, Czech Republic, is the principal church in the Metropolitan Council of the Czech Republic...
in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. Treuenfeld was in command of the troops that stormed the church on 18 June 1942, only to find that after holding out for hours they had committed suicide.
A difference in opinion between Treunfeld and 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...
led to his replacement and transfer at the end of 1942. He then took up the post of commander of the Waffen SS in Southern Russia and the Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
from February to November 1943. In November 1943, now promoted to Gruppenführer
Gruppenführer
Gruppenführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party, first created in 1925 as a senior rank of the SA.-SS rank:...
(Lieutenant General), he took over command of the 10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg, but was relieved of command after receiving another severe wound in the defence of Tarnopol on 22 April 1944. After recovering he became the SS leader in the SS Main Office and the Befehlshaber of the Waffen SS in Italy.
His final command of the war, was the VI SS Army Corps
VI SS Army Corps
VI SS Army Corps or VI. SS-Freiwilligen-Armeekorps was a unit of the Waffen SS during World War II. It was formed in October 1943, to command the Latvian Waffen SS divisions. It fought in the northern sector of the Eastern Front as part of the 18th Army...
which he took over in June 1944.
Post war
Treuenfeld survived the war then committed suicide 7 June 1946, in the village of LahnLahn
The Lahn River is a -long, right tributary of the Rhine River in Germany. Its course passes through the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia , Hesse , and Rhineland-Palatinate ....
.