Gottfried von Erdmannsdorff

Heinrich Otto Gottfried von Erdmannsdorff (25 April 1893 – 30 January 1946) was a highly decorated Generalmajor in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Von Erdmannsdorff, who was at that time commander of the so-called "Fortress Mogilev" was captured by Soviet troops in late June 1944 during the Mogilev Offensive. He was tried by a Soviet tribunal (the "Minsk Process") for crimes committed in Belarus along with 18 other officers, 14 of whom -among them von Erdmannsdorff - were sentenced to death on 29 January 1946. The officers were hanged in public (the executions were spectated from over 100.000 civilians) in the horse racing venue of Minsk, on 30 January 1946. He was the younger brother of General der Infanterie Werner von Erdmannsdorff.

Awards and decorations

 * Knight Second Class of the Civil Order of Saxony with Swords
 * Knight's Cross Second Class of the Albert Order with Swords
 * Cross of Honour, 3rd Class with Swords (Reuss)
 * War Merit Cross (Reuss)
 * Iron Cross (1914)
 * 2nd Class (5 October 1914)
 * 1st Class (21 October 1916)
 * Wound Badge (1914)
 * in Black
 * in Silver (2 July 1918)
 * Cross of Honor (30 December 1934)
 * Iron Cross (1939)
 * 2nd Class (13 May 1940)
 * 1st Class (24 May 1940)
 * Eastern Front Medal
 * German Cross in Gold (14 February 1942)
 * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 20 March 1942 as Oberst and commander of Infanterie-Regiment 171