Who is SS-Gruppenführer Arthur Nebe?

[Silke]

The connection of Nebe with the personal security of Göring still sounds odd to me, especially since it is not mentioned in other books which cover these issues. Instead, the Wecke unit is always mentioned together with Göring's security issues and personal tasks. Also the biography of Nebe in Kripo section of Phil Nix's book does not mention that (actually it seems to completely skip his career between 1933 and 1935, excluding his police promotion).

Thank´s for your comment, mty. I guess your sources are more reliable than Alexander Harder´s book "Kriminalzentrale Werderscher Markt" due to the fact that this author doesn´t reveal any of his sources and is rather reluctant to give exact dates.
Best regards,

Silke

[mty]

Actually I have to correct myself a bit. With all likelihood, Harder had used Hans Bernd Gisevius as his primary source. It was Gisevius, who claimed that Nebe had been called to Göring's palace already on June 29th and stayed there at least to the early evening of June 30th. Then he accompanied Göring and Gisevius to Tempelhof airport where Hitler's aircraft landed. Apparently he acted as sort of a close-protection officer for Göring during the purge.

Nevertheless, Gisevius implies that it was a special occasion and certainly not regular duty for him (Nebe). A close deputy of Wecke, senior police officer (polizeimajor, IIRC) Jacoby often accompanied him as his actual bodyguard. Besides, his palace had sentries from Wecke's police unit ("General Göring") and he is also sometimes seen accompanied by Feldjägerkorps personnel.

[von thoma]

Arthur Nebe with SS-Gruppenführer Uniform

nebe.jpg (37.66 KiB) Viewed 1912 times

Arthur Nebe was never SS-Obergruppenführer. Here with SS-Gruppenführer rank.

Photo:http://www.sys-con.com/node/1435593

[coburg22]

Hello von Thoma,

Thank you for posting, it is the first time I have seen a "Full" shot of this photo.

Best,

James

[valkyrie]

Gisevius was an apologist for Nebe, as they were friends before and during the war. He wrote a book called "Wo Ist Nebe ?" that has not been translated into English. I believe the book says that Nebe was asked to volunteer as a Einsatzgruppe commander by Ludwig Beck to mitigate the damage and to get war crimes intelligence for the resistance. This was summarized on the Joric site a few years ago and got some play then. I have never really believed it but if it is true, Nebe would have to be considered a truly tragic man, becoming a criminal to reduce the scope of Nazi criminality. Almost a Sophie's Choice scenario....but most unlikely.

There is a detailed account of the circumstances of Nebe's arrest in Karl Bartz' "The Downfall of the German Secret Service."

Colin

[mty]

An interesting shot of Nebe together with Georg Elser:

(Source: Bildarchiv Preussischer Kulturbesitz, BPK - http://bpkgate.picturemaxx.com)

Note that now he wears a piped version of the SD "raute". In the later photo (posted above), he wears one without piping.

[Helly Angel]

The silver piping is the filiation to the Gestapo

[von thoma]

Nebe

00021585.jpg (32.57 KiB) Viewed 1758 times

Another picture of Nebe with his SD "Diamond",during a visit of spanishs authorities to the RSHA dependencies.


Photo:http://www.ullsteinbild.de/search.php?

[jammie]

Gisevius was an apologist for Nebe, as they were friends before and during the war. He wrote a book called "Wo Ist Nebe ?" that has not been translated into English. I believe the book says that Nebe was asked to volunteer as a Einsatzgruppe commander by Ludwig Beck to mitigate the damage and to get war crimes intelligence for the resistance. This was summarized on the Joric site a few years ago and got some play then. I have never really believed it but if it is true, Nebe would have to be considered a truly tragic man, becoming a criminal to reduce the scope of Nazi criminality. Almost a Sophie's Choice scenario....but most unlikely.

There is a detailed account of the circumstances of Nebe's arrest in Karl Bartz' "The Downfall of the German Secret Service."

Colin

I don't know if Beck actually told Nebe to volunteer as EG commander, it might have been the work of Oster.
The point is though that Nebe took the command in Heeresgruppe Mitte - where Henning von Tresckow was the Ia. Tresckow had already resisted the 'Kommissar-Befehl', was already involved in the resistance, and worked together with Nebe to mitigate the work of the Einsatzgruppen.
Because of their 'weak' results, SS leaders sent SS troupes which were not under the command of Nebe, and they of course went on with the killings.
This can be found in Benno Scheurig's biography 'Henning von Tresckow - ein Preusse gegen Hitler, Propylaen/Ullstein 2004, pp 125-126.

I can't make up my mind about Nebe either, but it is a fact that not all those involved in the 1944 plot were of thoroughly admirable character.

[Klose]

Read on a website that there are reports of Nebe being sighted after the war in Turin (1956) and Ireland (1960).

Was there any doubt about Nebe's death which I have not heard of yet?

[Andrey]

I think it is interesting document to this thread.

Andrey.

Text in german:

17. Jahrgang - Berlin, den 22. August 1944 - Nr. 4962

Nur für deutsche Behörden bestimmt!

Die Sonderbeilagen sind nach ihrer Auswertung sorgfältig
zu sammeln und unter Verschluß zu halten.

Wie bereits durch Blitz-Fs. Nr.10345 vom 30.7.44 und Ausschreiben in der Tagespresse bekannt,
wird seit dem 24.7.44 der am 13.11.1894 in Berlin geborene Arthur Nebe vermißt.
Ergänzend wird bekanntgegeben, daß es sich um den SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant
der Polizei Nebe handelt, der vermutlich einen totalen Nervenzusammenbruch erlitten hat.
Unter Berücksichtigung der Tatsache, daß Nebe Chef des Reichkriminalpolizeiamtes ist,
bedeutet sein Umherirren eine besondere Gefahr. Die Fahndung ist daher mit größter Energie
fortzusetzen und N. im Betretungsfalle festzunehmen.

Nebe wurde in Zivil zuletzt am 28.7.44 in Berlin gesehen.
Als angeblich Bombengeschädigter hatte er für zwei Nächte bei einem Bekannten Unterkunft gefunden.
Noch am 5. oder 6.8.44 hat er sich wahrscheinlich in Berlin-Wannsee aufgehalten.

B e s c h r e i b u n g: Größe 1,77 m, schlank, schmales Gesicht, stark vorspringende Nase,
graue Augen, bartlos, grau-meliertes welliges haar, Scheitel links.

B e k l e i d u n g: Abgetragener, dunkler Anzug, vermutlich weißes Hemd, mit dunklem Binder,
hochgeschlossener Pullover, schwarze Halbschuhe, abgetragener dunkler Schnitthut.
Es ist nicht ausgeschlossen, wenn auch nicht wahrscheinlich, daß N. Uniform trägt.

Da Flucht ins Ausland in Betracht gezogen werden muß, haben die bereits durch Blitz-Fs. Nr.75134
vom 1.08.44 unterrichteteten Grenzstellen, besonders im Hinblick auf die Schweiz und Schweden,
sorgfältigste Grenzkontrolle auszuüben. Nebe führt Schußwaffe, PKK, Kal. 7,65, Sonderausführung
und Ampulle mit Blausäure bei sich. Achtung bei Festnahme - Selbstmord ist nicht ausgeschlossen.
Unbekannte Tote sind daher genauestens zu überprüfen. Mitteilungen sind unverzüglich
an das Reichssicherheitshauptamtes, Amt IV --- Geheime Staatspolizei --- zu richten.

Der Chef der Sicherheitspolizei und des SD
gez. Kaltenbrunner
SS-Obergruppenführer

[Dieter Zinke]

We have used the pic in the third volume of "Die Generale der Waffen-SS und der Polizei"

Andreas Schulz & Dieter Zinke

[the kaiser's flute player]

Are there any reference materials available with information on Arthur Nebe's childhood, personal talents and interests, friendships and the like? Many thanks.

[david326]

Anyone know what this document is?

[freddiefro]

Anyone know what this document is?

It is the award document for the Ehrenzeichens für Deutsche Volkspflege, II.Stufe (see here: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ehrenzeich ... olkspflege).

Fred