Werner Schrader
Encyclopedia
Werner Schrader was a German military officer involved in the 20 July plot, a coup d'état
attempting to assassinate Adolf Hitler
.
where he served throughout World War I
. Demobilized in 1920 with the rank of Oberleutnant (First Lieutenant
) he worked as teacher. From 1924 to 1927 he taught History
and German
at an army technical school in Wolfenbüttel
.
At approximately the same time, Schrader became a member of Stahlhelm
(Steel Helmet, League of Frontline Soldiers), a paramilitary organization after the First World War. There he rose to the rank of regional leader for Braunschweig
. After the Nazi takeover of power in Weimar Germany
he vehemently opposed aligning the Stahlhelm with Hitler’s storm troops
, eventually losing both his leadership position in the institution and his teaching post.
An action which clearly led to his downfall occurred in October 1931. That month Werner von Schrader attended the Harzburg Congress; in the presence of the up and coming Adolf Hitler
, he denounced the excesses of the SA or Storm Troopers. Thus after Adolf Hitler came to power in January 1933, later that year he was detained and then tortured in one of the newly built concentration camps. He managed to successfully escape the camp by May 1934.
or Captain with seniority dating from May 1 of 1934; in 1936, with re-arrest now possible, he was personally recruited into the German military intelligence service or Abwehr
by Admiral Wilhelm Canaris
as Captain. He was stationed first to Munich
, then to Vienna
, then back to Germany to the army headquarters
at Zossen
, where he was promoted to Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel
). While in Munich, he met fellow resister Rudolf von Marogna-Redwitz
; while in Vienna, he began to collect documentary evidence of Nazi crimes.
After the invasion of Poland
in September 1939, Werner von Schrader was transferred to German Army High Command Headquarters where he put together a secret archive - complete with reports and photographs - of SS atrocities in Poland (See: http://www.gdw-berlin.de/bio/ausgabe_mit-e.php?id=186). Wilhelm Canaris had successfully lobbied for an Abwehr presence at Army High Command Headquarters at Zossen. The small four-man sub-unit called the Special Duties Section was completely staffed by anti-Nazis - including Werner von Schrader. While in the Special Duties Section, in 1939–1940, Schrader prepared detailed plans and briefings for a coup; he left the small section in September 1940 for a promotion to Major and a posting in Vienna but returned to Zossen and the Special Duties Section in 1941 where he would remain for the rest of his life. During the 1939 to 1944 period, Schrader had acted as the main custodian of various resistance-related files and documents, becoming one of the archivists to the German resistance
. In 1944, he also took on the responsibility of the detailed documents put together by Hans von Dohnanyi
and Hans Oster
. He particularly took care of the personal diary of his boss Admiral Canaris
, chief of Abwehr and head of the German resistance movement against Hitler.
; these were passed on to Claus von Stauffenberg. At the same time due to his placement in the military secret service, he was in charge of investigations into finds of similar explosives. He had managed to sabotage these investigations. In early July 1944, Schrader met with Canaris and briefed him on what he knew of Claus von Stauffenberg's intended plot. After the assassination attempt on July 20 of 1944 had failed, Schrader ended his life on July 28, 1944. He left a note saying “I will not go to prison; I will not let them torture me...”.
The Zossen based copy of Canaris' diary was discovered on April 4 of 1945 by the pro-Hitler General Walther Buhle
and other important resistance documents were also discovered by the Gestapo
after Schrader's suicide. As a result, the Canaris group was executed on April 9, 1945 at Flossenburg
and Sachsenhausen
concentration camps. Schrader's wife Cornelia and his son Werner Wolf were arrested.
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
attempting to assassinate 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...
.
Early life
In 1914 Schrader graduated as teacher and enlisted voluntarily in the Imperial German ArmyGerman Army (German Empire)
The German Army was the name given the combined land forces of the German Empire, also known as the National Army , Imperial Army or Imperial German Army. The term "Deutsches Heer" is also used for the modern German Army, the land component of the German Bundeswehr...
where he served throughout 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...
. Demobilized in 1920 with the rank of Oberleutnant (First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
) he worked as teacher. From 1924 to 1927 he taught History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and 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....
at an army technical school in Wolfenbüttel
Wolfenbüttel
Wolfenbüttel is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, located on the Oker river about 13 kilometres south of Brunswick. It is the seat of the District of Wolfenbüttel and of the bishop of the Protestant Lutheran State Church of Brunswick...
.
At approximately the same time, Schrader became a member of Stahlhelm
Stahlhelm, Bund der Frontsoldaten
The Stahlhelm, Bund der Frontsoldaten also known in short form as Der Stahlhelm was one of the many paramilitary organizations that arose after the defeat of World War I in the Weimar Republic...
(Steel Helmet, League of Frontline Soldiers), a paramilitary organization after the First World War. There he rose to the rank of regional leader for Braunschweig
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
. After the Nazi takeover of power in Weimar Germany
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
he vehemently opposed aligning the Stahlhelm with Hitler’s storm troops
Sturmabteilung
The Sturmabteilung functioned as a paramilitary organization of the National Socialist German Workers' Party . It played a key role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s...
, eventually losing both his leadership position in the institution and his teaching post.
An action which clearly led to his downfall occurred in October 1931. That month Werner von Schrader attended the Harzburg Congress; in the presence of the up and coming 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 denounced the excesses of the SA or Storm Troopers. Thus after Adolf Hitler came to power in January 1933, later that year he was detained and then tortured in one of the newly built concentration camps. He managed to successfully escape the camp by May 1934.
Nazi Germany and the Second World War
After his escape, he rejoined the army as a HauptmannHauptmann
Hauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian and Swiss armies. While "haupt" in contemporary German means "main", it also has the dated meaning of "head", i.e...
or Captain with seniority dating from May 1 of 1934; in 1936, with re-arrest now possible, he was personally recruited into the German military intelligence service or Abwehr
Abwehr
The Abwehr was a German military intelligence organisation from 1921 to 1944. The term Abwehr was used as a concession to Allied demands that Germany's post-World War I intelligence activities be for "defensive" purposes only...
by Admiral Wilhelm Canaris
Wilhelm Canaris
Wilhelm Franz Canaris was a German admiral, head of the Abwehr, the German military intelligence service, from 1935 to 1944 and member of the German Resistance.- Early life and World War I :...
as Captain. He was stationed first to Munich
Munich
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...
, then to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, then back to Germany to the army headquarters
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 :...
at Zossen
Zossen
Zossen is a German town in the district of Teltow-Fläming in Brandenburg, south of Berlin, and next to the B96 highway. Zossen consists of several smaller municipalities, which were grouped together in 2003 to form the city.-Geography:...
, where he was promoted to Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
). While in Munich, he met fellow resister Rudolf von Marogna-Redwitz
Rudolf von Marogna-Redwitz
Rudolf Graf von Marogna-Redwitz was a Colonel of the Wehrmacht, member of the German Resistance in Nazi Germany and the July 20 Plot against Adolf Hitler at the Wolf's Lair in East Prussia.-Early life:...
; while in Vienna, he began to collect documentary evidence of Nazi crimes.
After the invasion of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
in September 1939, Werner von Schrader was transferred to German Army High Command Headquarters where he put together a secret archive - complete with reports and photographs - of SS atrocities in Poland (See: http://www.gdw-berlin.de/bio/ausgabe_mit-e.php?id=186). Wilhelm Canaris had successfully lobbied for an Abwehr presence at Army High Command Headquarters at Zossen. The small four-man sub-unit called the Special Duties Section was completely staffed by anti-Nazis - including Werner von Schrader. While in the Special Duties Section, in 1939–1940, Schrader prepared detailed plans and briefings for a coup; he left the small section in September 1940 for a promotion to Major and a posting in Vienna but returned to Zossen and the Special Duties Section in 1941 where he would remain for the rest of his life. During the 1939 to 1944 period, Schrader had acted as the main custodian of various resistance-related files and documents, becoming one of the archivists to 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 1944, he also took on the responsibility of the detailed documents put together by Hans von Dohnanyi
Hans von Dohnanyi
Hans von Dohnanyi was a German jurist, rescuer of Jews, and German resistance fighter against the Nazi régime.-Early life:...
and Hans Oster
Hans Oster
Hans Oster was a German Army general, deputy head of the Abwehr under Wilhelm Canaris, and an opponent of Adolf Hitler and Nazism. He was a leading figure of the German resistance from 1938 to 1943.-Early career:...
. He particularly took care of the personal diary of his boss Admiral Canaris
Wilhelm Canaris
Wilhelm Franz Canaris was a German admiral, head of the Abwehr, the German military intelligence service, from 1935 to 1944 and member of the German Resistance.- Early life and World War I :...
, chief of Abwehr and head of the German resistance movement against Hitler.
20 July Bomb Plot
Werner Schrader was involved in the procurement and handling of explosives for the 20 July conspiracy. In June 1944, Oberst Wessel von Freytag-Loringhoven became Chief of Abwehr II. By the end of June 1944, Werner von Schrader had provided him with explosives and with fusesFuse (explosives)
In an explosive, pyrotechnic device or military munition, a fuse is the part of the device that initiates function. In common usage, the word fuse is used indiscriminately...
; these were passed on to Claus von Stauffenberg. At the same time due to his placement in the military secret service, he was in charge of investigations into finds of similar explosives. He had managed to sabotage these investigations. In early July 1944, Schrader met with Canaris and briefed him on what he knew of Claus von Stauffenberg's intended plot. After the assassination attempt on July 20 of 1944 had failed, Schrader ended his life on July 28, 1944. He left a note saying “I will not go to prison; I will not let them torture me...”.
The Zossen based copy of Canaris' diary was discovered on April 4 of 1945 by the pro-Hitler General Walther Buhle
Walther Buhle
General Walther Buhle was an infantry General in the German army who was the Chief of the Army Staff of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht from 1942 and chief of armaments for the army in 1945....
and other important resistance documents were also discovered by 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...
after Schrader's suicide. As a result, the Canaris group was executed on April 9, 1945 at Flossenburg
Flossenbürg concentration camp
Konzentrationslager Flossenbürg was a Nazi concentration camp built in May 1938 by the Schutzstaffel Economic-Administrative Main Office at Flossenbürg, in the Oberpfalz region of Bavaria, Germany, near the border with Czechoslovakia. Until its liberation in April 1945, more than 96,000 prisoners...
and Sachsenhausen
Sachsenhausen concentration camp
Sachsenhausen or Sachsenhausen-Oranienburg was a Nazi concentration camp in Oranienburg, Germany, used primarily for political prisoners from 1936 to the end of the Third Reich in May, 1945. After World War II, when Oranienburg was in the Soviet Occupation Zone, the structure was used as an NKVD...
concentration camps. Schrader's wife Cornelia and his son Werner Wolf were arrested.
Further literature
- Ernst-August Roloff: "Aufstand des Gewissens" oder Rebellion der Enttäuschten? Motive des national-konservativen Widerstandes gegen den Nationalsozialismus am Beispiel des Wolfenbütteler Oberlehrers Werner Schrader, in: Wissenschaftliche Zeitschrift des Braunschweigischen Landesmuseums, Vol 4 (1997) pp 121–152
- Hans-Adolf Jacobsen (Ed.): "Spiegelbild einer Verschwörung". Die Opposition gegen Hitler und der Staatsstreich vom 20. Juli 1944 in der SD-Berichterstattung. Geheime Dokumente aus dem ehemaligen Reichssicherheitshauptamt. 2 vols. StuttgartStuttgartStuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
1984 - Peter Hoffmann: Widerstand, Staatsstreich, Attentat. Der Kampf der Opposition gegen Hitler. Munich 1969, 1985 (Piper TB)