Otto Hellmuth
Encyclopedia
Otto Hellmuth was a member of the Nazi
Party.
Born at Markt Einersheim
, he was Gauleiter
of the German
region of Lower Franconia
(Unterfranken) from 1928 to 1945. His home and office were in Würzburg
, the capital of the Gau Mainfranken
. By 1935, Hellmuth had his Gau renamed as Mainfranken. After World War II
, the region's original name was reinstated.
Over most of his term as Gauleiter, Hellmuth was not an impressive personality. Joseph Goebbels
saw him as "a most retiring unassuming Gauleiter in whom one had not too much confidence." However, Hellmuth defended his Gau vigorously in the spring of 1945, as Goebbels noted in his diary on April 2.
In 1947, Hellmuth was accused of complicity in the murders of Allied
aircraft pilots. He was tried at Dachau
and sentenced to death. This sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment. He was released in 1955.
Hellmuth died in Reutlingen
in 1968.
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
Party.
Born at Markt Einersheim
Markt Einersheim
Markt Einersheim is a municipality in the district of Kitzingen in Bavaria, Germany. On April 5, 1945, at the end of World War II, the town was bombed by United States Army Air Forces P-47 Thunderbolts. American troops captured the town from German forces, who retreated to the southeast, on April...
, he was 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:...
of the German
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...
region of Lower Franconia
Lower Franconia
Lower Franconia is one of the three administrative regions of Franconia in Bavaria , Germany ....
(Unterfranken) from 1928 to 1945. His home and office were in Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
, the capital of the Gau Mainfranken
Gau Mainfranken
The Gau Mainfranken , was an administrative division of Nazi Germany in Lower Franconia, Bavaria, from 1933 to 1945...
. By 1935, Hellmuth had his Gau renamed as Mainfranken. After 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...
, the region's original name was reinstated.
Over most of his term as Gauleiter, Hellmuth was not an impressive personality. Joseph Goebbels
Joseph Goebbels
Paul Joseph Goebbels was a German politician and Reich Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. As one of Adolf Hitler's closest associates and most devout followers, he was known for his zealous oratory and anti-Semitism...
saw him as "a most retiring unassuming Gauleiter in whom one had not too much confidence." However, Hellmuth defended his Gau vigorously in the spring of 1945, as Goebbels noted in his diary on April 2.
In 1947, Hellmuth was accused of complicity in the murders of 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...
aircraft pilots. He was tried at Dachau
Dachau International Military Tribunal
The Dachau Trials were held for all war criminals caught in the United States zones in occupied Germany and Austria, as well as for those individuals accused of committing war crimes against American citizens and its military personnel...
and sentenced to death. This sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment. He was released in 1955.
Hellmuth died in Reutlingen
Reutlingen
Reutlingen is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is the capital of the eponymous district of Reutlingen. As of April 2008, it has a population of 109,828....
in 1968.