Knight’s Cross/DKiG Holders in the NVA

USAF1986 · Post by **USAF1986** » 23 Dec 2004 17:31

Although Generalmajor Kurt Haehling (or Hähling depending on the source) (7 Nov 1897-20 May 1983) did not serve in the armed organs of the German Democratic Republic, he settled there after his release from captivity in 1951. He was active in politics serving as "Vorsitzender des National-Demokratische Partei Deutschlands (NDPD) Bezirksverbands Dresden" from 1953-1960.

Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross: 2 Mar 1945, Generalmajor, Commander of the 126. Infanterie-Division.
German Cross in Gold: 19 Dec 1941, Oberstleutnant, Commander of Artillerie-Regiment 294.

Best regards,
Shawn

SOURCE: Lapp, Peter Joachim. Ulbrichts Helfer. Wehrmachtsoffiziere im Dienste der DDR. Bernard & Graefe Verlag, Bonn, Germany, 2000.

Dieter Zinke · Post by **Dieter Zinke** » 06 Jun 2005 11:16

USAF1986 wrote:Although Generalmajor Kurt Haehling (or Hähling depending on the source) (7 Nov 1897-20 May 1983) did not serve in the armed organs of the German Democratic Republic, he settled there after his release from captivity in 1951. He was active in politics serving as "Vorsitzender des National-Demokratische Partei Deutschlands (NDPD) Bezirksverbands Dresden" from 1953-1960.

Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross: 2 Mar 1945, Generalmajor, Commander of the 126. Infanterie-Division.
German Cross in Gold: 19 Dec 1941, Oberstleutnant, Commander of Artillerie-Regiment 294.

Best regards,
Shawn

SOURCE: Lapp, Peter Joachim. Ulbrichts Helfer. Wehrmachtsoffiziere im Dienste der DDR. Bernard & Graefe Verlag, Bonn, Germany, 2000.

Shawn,

Hähling entered the NSDAP 01.05.1933 (# 2.074.657)

Dieter Z

Doktor Krollspell · Post by **Doktor Krollspell** » 28 Sep 2005 06:28

Hello Gentlemen!

I have a question of which I already know (?) the answer to, but I would like to have it confirmed by more well-informed members than myself. Edward L. Hsiao wrote that...

Plenty of Wehrmacht soldier who later joined NVA were ashamed of wearing their Knight's Cross and German Cross in Gold decorations I believe. They denounced and refused to wear them anymore. They don't like being in a Nazi Regime anymore once the Soviets and the German Communists convinced them. Just a thought.

When the NVA got organized, were the soldiers and officers with a Wehrmacht background at all allowed to wear any military decorations from WWII? I have always thought of course not! But still, where there any "de-swastikafied" medals allowed of any kind, as in the West German Bundeswehr?

Regards,

Krollspell

USAF1986 · Post by **USAF1986** » 29 Sep 2005 00:06

Hello! Former Wehrmacht members of the KVP/NVA were not permitted to wear any decorations previously earned in the Imperial Army, Reichswehr or Wehrmacht. Of interest, here’s a photo of Generalleutnant Vincenz Müller and related discussion at this link:

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... ht=vincenz

Note Müller is displaying only DDR decorations: Vaterländischer Verdienstorden (class?) and Medaille für treue Dienste in der Kasernierten Volkspolizei.

Best regards,
Shawn

Doktor Krollspell · Post by **Doktor Krollspell** » 29 Sep 2005 21:47

Thanks for the answer Shawn! Also thanks for the link to an interesting thread. It would be really interesting to see all the awards of Müller at the same time...

Regards,

Krollspell

Durand · Post by **Durand** » 23 Dec 2005 14:38

Hallo,

USAF1986 wrote:

Hauptmann Paul Markgraf (1910-1993)
Last Position in the Wehrmacht: Panzerjägerabteilung 40
Soviet POW: 1943-1945
BDO/NKFD: 1943-1945 Frontbevollmächtigter
DDR military service: Oberst der KVP und NVA (until 1958)
Party: 1945 KPD/SED
Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross: 3 January 1943, Oberleutnant, Leader of Panzerjägerabteilung 40.

Is the Paul Markgraf listed above the same Paul Markgraf who was appointed the Chief of Police of Berlin in June 1945?

Best Regards,

Durand

Kurt Dönch · Post by **Kurt Dönch** » 06 Jul 2006 19:29

Hi guys,

Sorry for barging in slightly off topic, but Paulus would surely have known about his oakleaves. As shown on a recent German TV documentary, he was so conscious of his status as Generalfeldmarschall that, out of Soviet captivity he wrote to an old friend - then German military attaché to (neutral) Turkey-, requesting 6 pairs of Generalfeldmarschall shoulder boards. They didn't say if he got them, and a parallel request for some oakleaves was not mentioned. Just imagine this guy, being luxuriously held in a datcha and a main endorser of the Soviet-sponsored "anti-fascist" German PoW organisations worrying about his Nazi shoulder boards!

Best regards, Kurt

Edward L. Hsiao wrote:Gentlemen,

Feldmarschall Friedrich Paulus probably heard about his Oak Leaves award (178 receipent) but didn't recieve it personally. I wonder if their awards were given to their families only to have them taken away from them once that Hitler heard that they have gone over to the enemy?

Winston Smith · Post by **Winston Smith** » 07 Jul 2006 02:52

Apparently Wilhelm Adam was a more importand figure that I believe, he was among the founders of the NDPD, member of the Volkskammer, and this is really intresting, apparently he took part in Hitler's putch attempt of 1923, not sure if he won the Blutorden since he left the NSDAP in 1926 and the article isn't clear whatever he rejoin it.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Adam_%28Nazi%29

Marcus · Post by **Marcus** » 03 Nov 2006 17:20

A post on the WW2 service of Walter Litzmann-Lehweiss was split off into a new thread.

/Marcus

Stauffenberg II · Post by **Stauffenberg II** » 19 Aug 2007 15:39

Although not a recipient of Knight´s Cross or German Cross here is a further prominent general staff officer later joining the East German NVA:

von Watzdorf (Bernhard Georg), Oberst i. G. *21.05.1899
Oberst der NVA
Chef Stab Transportwesen im Min. f. Nat. Verteidigung

Source:
Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb in: Georg Meyer (Hrsg.): Tagebuchaufzeichnungen und Lagebeurteilungen aus zwei Weltkriegen, 1976, p. 255

Edward L. Hsiao · Post by **Edward L. Hsiao** » 21 Aug 2007 05:56

Gentlemen,

I guess that's about all for the Knight's Cross and German Cross holders who held important jobs in the NVA and civilian positions and were all party members (mainly SED).

Edward

ATH · Post by **ATH** » 02 Sep 2007 23:45

Winston Smith wrote:Apparently Wilhelm Adam was a more importand figure that I believe, he was among the founders of the NDPD, member of the Volkskammer, and this is really intresting, apparently he took part in Hitler's putch attempt of 1923, not sure if he won the Blutorden since he left the NSDAP in 1926 and the article isn't clear whatever he rejoin it.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Adam_%28Nazi%29

Not the same Wilhelm Adam.

Actually there are two entries for Wilhelm Adams in Wikipedia, it's the other one that's the good one:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Ad ... itician%29

Interesting that he became a politician after the war!!

Edward L. Hsiao · Post by **Edward L. Hsiao** » 28 Oct 2011 00:13

Gentlemen,

It's been four years since we had this discussion. I wonder if you can think of anymore Knight's Cross and DKiG holders who were politicans in East Germany? The NVA soldiers who were holders of them were very few indeed.

Edward L. Hsiao

Edward L. Hsiao · Post by **Edward L. Hsiao** » 31 Oct 2011 07:53

Gentlemen,

Well I guess the rest of the Knight's Cross holders and German Cross holders that lived in East Germany had lived quietly and stayed far away from politics that had to do with Communism. I sincerely hoped that they didn't get into any trouble with the Stasi (the hated East German Secret Police). They perhaps could help troubled German veterans out with their needs. They kept there honor clean!

Sincerely,

Edward L. Hsiao

Carney · Post by **Carney** » 21 Nov 2020 23:08

USAF1986 wrote: ↑
29 Sep 2005 00:06
Hello! Former Wehrmacht members of the KVP/NVA were not permitted to wear any decorations previously earned in the Imperial Army, Reichswehr or Wehrmacht. [snipped...]
Best regards,
Shawn

This was always interesting to me, since the NVA went out of its way to continue previous German traditions and practices in other ways that the Bundeswehr similarly went out of its way to abandon.

Mark Felton on YouTube has a good video about that https://youtu.be/qmQZX4wmAIM

I guess for the East Germans, it was perfectly fine to have belts, flared riding trousers, jackboots, ceremonial swords & daggers, and goose-stepping pretty much just like the Nazis, Imperial Germans, and Prussians, but wearing an Iron Cross or any other pre-East German medal, even a de-Nazified one, was out of the question.

Whereas for the West Germans, you had to wear American GI-style helmets in combat, and that aristocratic or fascist kit and practice was forbidden, but it was just fine to go around wearing WW2 Iron Crosses and other Nazi-era medals that the recipient had won by fighting the Allies, including the Western Allies -- just as long as they were a cleaned-up version without the original swastika. What makes even less sense is that later, the FRG, when it went into combat for the first time since WW2 (in Afghanistan) and therefore needed a combat medal again, refused to revive the Iron Cross for fear of looking Nazi, even though it still had that symbol on its tanks and warplanes, and veterans were still perfectly entitled to wear their de-Nazifed Iron Crosses..

P.S. Sorry for reviving an old thread if that's frowned on - I checked the rules and FAQ to see if that was disallowed and found nothing.

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