SA-Obergruppenführer Wolf Heinrich Graf von Helldorf

[Michael Miller]

Seeking ANY information in addition to the following, as well as any photos, of Graf von Helldorf.

Thanks very much in advance.

Best wishes,
~ Mike Miller


Wolf Heinrich Graf von Helldorf
SA-Obergruppenführer
mit der Uniform des Generals der Polizei/
Polizeipräsident / M.d.R.


Born: 14. October 1896 in Merseburg.
Hanged: 15. August 1944 at Plötzensee Prison, Berlin for involvement in the conspiracy against Hitler.

NSDAP-Nr.: (Joined, 1926)
SS-Nr.: None [Not an SS Member]

Promotions:
m.d.U.d. General der Polizei:
SA-Obergruppenführer: 193_
SA-Gruppenführer: 193_
Leutnant: 22. Mar. 1915
Fahnenjunker: 2. Sep. 1914

Career:
Entered service as Fahnenjunker, assigned to Thüringische Husaren-Regiment Nr. 12: 2. Aug. 1914 - [24. Oct. 1916?]. Reassigned to infantry: 24. Oct. 1916. Kompaniefuhrer in MG-Kompanie III of the Südarmee: 20. Nov. 1916 -. Returned to Husaren-Regiment 12: 1918. Retired from Reichswehr: Dec. 1919. Served with Freikorps Lützow and Freikorps Roßbach in Upper Bavaria, participating in the Kapp-Putsch of 1920 as leader of the Offiziers-Stoßtrupp of Freikorps Roßbach; following this, lived in exile in Italy, returning to Germany in 1924. SA-Führer in Berlin-Brandenburg: 1931 - 1933. Member of the Prussian Landtag: 1932 -. Member of the Reichstag: 12. Nov. 1933 - Jul. 1944. Polizeipräsident of Potsdam: Mar. 1933 - Jul. 1935. Polizeipräsident of Berlin: Jul. 1935 - Jul. 1944. Verbindungsführer (head of liaison) of the SA to the German Police: Nov. 1938 -. Arrested for his role in the 20. Jul. 1944 conspiracy to assassinate Hitler: 24. Jul. 1944. Tried by Volksgerichtshof of Dr. Roland Freisler and sentenced to death: Aug. 1944.

Decorations & Awards:
Ritterkreuz des Kriegsverdienstkreuzes mit Schwertern: 1944
1914 Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse
1914 Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse
Kriegsverdienstkreuz I. Klasse mit Schwertern
Kriegsverdienstkreuz II. Klasse mit Schwertern
Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
Sächsischen Orden zum Weißen Falken II. Klasse mit Schwertern (WW I)
Goldenes Parteiabzeichen
Dienstauszeichnungen der NSDAP in Silber und Bronze

Notes:
* Married. One son in Waffen-SS.
* Involved in the conspiracy to topple Hitler. Arrested, 24. Jul. 1944. Brought before the Volksgerichtshof of Dr. Roland Freisler, he stated that he had opposed Hitler since the time of Stalingrad and that the Führer was the ruin of Germany.

[Glenn2438]

Mike,

son of Wolf Heinrich Karl Julius Ferdinand Graf Helldorf, Royal Prussian Hauptmann der Landwehr-Kavallerie a.D. and Dorothea Gräfin Helldorf née Holy-Poniecitz.

Married 11 Oct 1920 to Ingeborg Marschalck von Bachtenbrock.

5 children:

Wolf-Ingo born 23 Oct 21
Joachim born 6 March 28
Oda born 20 Jan 27
Hans-Benno born 3 March 29
Olaf born born 15 May 36

Rittmeister der Reserve

His younger brother, Leutnant Hans-Joachim Graf Helldorff also of the 12th Hussars was KIA at Equiancourt on 5 Sep 1918.


Address in 1942: Argentinische Allee 28, Berlin.
Glenn

[sylvieK4]

Here are two photos of Helldorf found on line. I am including the web address for each of them, in case you need to track down information about copyrights.

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/ GERhelldorf.htm :



http://www.joric.com/Conspiracy/Helldorf.htm :

[Wilfried Abenaschon]

Hello !
Are you SURE that he wasn't General der Polizei ? He had the right to wear a uniform without holding the rank ??? Strange ! Don't you miss some information here ?...
Willab

[Michael Miller]

I've had a number of Polizei specialists tell me that he was simply m.d.U.d. (mit der Uniform des) General der Polizei, and not an actual holder of the rank. Sounds odd to me, too. Perhaps it had something to do with his lack of SS membership. But I really don't know.

Further information/clarification appreciated!

Best wishes,
~ Mike

[Wilfried Abenaschon]

Hello,
If this is true, the german organisation appears to me more and more like a mess !!!
Willab

[Michael Miller]

Why? Basically m.d.U.d. Gen.d.Pol. translates to "honorary General of the Police". Von Helldorf was not a career police officer- his appointment as Police President of Berlin was, I believe, more in recognition of his services to the Party and SA during the Kampfzeit than a reflection of his abilities as a police official. This was not uncommon- numerous SA, NSKK, and SS leaders with little or no police background were granted the post of Police President.

Best wishes,
~ Mike Miller

[Georges M. Croisier]

Hello Mike !

Your statement is correct !

H was SA-Obergruppenführer entitled to wear the Police uniform of a Generalleutnant der Polizei.

[cptstennes]

Helldorf was reportedly corrupt and liked luxury. My memory is that this is referred to in Irving's biography of Goebbels but I may be mistaken. I believe that Helldorf received contributions from Jews who were trying to escape the dragnet in Berlin. In that respect he was a more or less ordinary Nazi gangster. Regards, F.

[Wilfried Abenaschon]

Hello Mike !

Your statement is correct !

H was SA-Obergruppenführer entitled to wear the Police uniform of a Generalleutnant der Polizei.

... In that respect he was a more or less ordinary Nazi gangster. Regards, F.

Hum ! What is a Nazi gangster ? I find this a bit overstated ! A gangster is an individual who's against the establishment ! Don't you agree ?

Willab

[cptstennes]

In the thirties and forties the Nazis were called gangsters. This was usual in movies of the time and I think that it is correct. That is, the Nazis, as the Communists, were a criminal conspiracy. The Nazis used force, illegally, and were a gang, as the Cosa Nostra. They beat people up and shot them. They also killed each other. Vide the Night of the Long Knives. Plus, they were corrupt. This, the Nazi, and the Communist movements, cannot be regarded as normal political movements. They had party armies and strong arm men. Thus gangsters. Regards, F.

[Wilfried Abenaschon]

Hello Mike !

Your statement is correct !

H was SA-Obergruppenführer entitled to wear the Police uniform of a Generalleutnant der Polizei.

Apparently it was a uniform of General der Polizei as seen on on of the pictures.

In the thirties and forties the Nazis were called gangsters. This was usual in movies of the time and I think that it is correct. That is, the Nazis, as the Communists, were a criminal conspiracy. The Nazis used force, illegally, and were a gang, as the Cosa Nostra. They beat people up and shot them. They also killed each other. Vide the Night of the Long Knives. Plus, they were corrupt. This, the Nazi, and the Communist movements, cannot be regarded as normal political movements. They had party armies and strong arm men. Thus gangsters. Regards, F.

:roll: It's seems a vision of Holliwood !
A criminal conspiracy ? I thought that the elimination of Jews for example was announced publicaly !
Using force illegally ? It's the sens of this ideology to define that laws come after the strengh of guns (no doubt about it).
A gang ? It was a kolossal gang !!!
Normal political movements ??? It smells politicaly correct !!! Where are you from ???

[cptstennes]

No, the Holocaust was not announced. In fact, it was kept quiet. Because it was evil done with the knowledge that it was evil, or at least, that world opinion would not accept such.
That said, the Nazis acted as criminals from the beginning. They killed party opponents via assasination and street fights. They beat up opponents before and after the Machtergreifung to silence them. They engaged in the Femegericht. That is killing family members of opponents.
A very good example of Nazi gansterism is the Night of the Long Knives.
Normal, or regular, or ordinary, political parties do not have party armies and use street thugs to help win elections.
That is not political corrrectness, it is just common sense.
The fact is that the Europe was rife with such movements in the twenties and thirties. The Italian fascists beat up dissidents and fed them castor oil. They were not so vicious as the Germans.
The German Communists had the Red Front as their street fighters. A friend of mine from some decades ago was in Spain when the party armies were killing each other in the streets.
Even the Social Democrats in Germany had a party army, the Reichsbanner, which, I would submit, was truly a self-defense organization.
To make the point stronger, normal political parties do not have uniformed private armies. Nor do they employ thugs to beat up the opposition. Gangsters use intimidation to achieve their nefarious goals. Gangsters, here at least, have a quasi military structure with capos and soldiers. So, the analogy is good. Regards, F.

[R.M. Schultz]

I am curious about  SA-Obergruppenführer Wolf Heinrich Graf von Helldorf and I hope some of you experts can clear up my quandries.

1] The esteemed count was a veteran of the notorious Freikorps Roßbach. Was he involved in the heroic relief of Reiga in 1919?

2] Seeing as the esteemed count was both a bi-sexual (he was married after all …) and a veteran of the notorious Freikorps Roßbach, one can only wonder if Helldorf were intimate with any of those happy sodomites (and fellow Freikorps Roßbach veterans) Gerhard Roßbach,Edmund Heines, or Ernst Röhm? Roßbach was known to have corrupted the other two, what about Helldorf?

3] Was Helldorf a left-winger like Röhm and the rest of the SA?

4] Seeing as Helldorf was an SA sodomite (and perhaps left-winger) why wasn't he purged in '34?

[Mark Costa]

One of most interesting things about Helldorf --and this was discussed in another earlier thread -- is that with his Police uniform he wore BLACK SS collar tabs instead of Police Green ones. Why has never been established. Check the historical threads on Helldorf to see photos.


Mark Costa