Franz Breithaupt

Franz Breithaupt  (8 December 1880 – 29 April 1945) was a German SS-Obergruppenfuhrer und General der Waffen-SS who had fought in World War I, and been awarded both classes of the Iron Cross. From August 1942 until April 1945, he was chief of the Hauptamt SS-Gericht (SS-Main Legal Department).

Biography
Breithaupt was born in Berlin on 8 December 1880. He served in the German Army in World War I and stayed in the army after the war ended. He left the army in 1921 with the rank of major. He served in a Freikorps in Berlin. Breithaupt then worked as a salesman and later was a business manager of the Deutschen Turnerschaft from 1923 until 1931. He joined the Nazi Party (# 602,663) on 1 August 1931 and then joined the Sturmabteilung (SA). A year later he joined the Schutzstaffel (# 39,719) as a SS-Sturmbannführer (major) on 1 December 1932. He was assigned to the staff of Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler. On 31 July 1933, he was promoted to SS-Obersturmbannführer (lt. colonel) and then to SS-Standartenführer (colonel) on 9 November of the same year. He was promoted to SS-Oberführer (senior colonel) on 9 November 1934. Breithaupt served on Himmler's staff until 1 April 1936. Later on 9 November 1938 he was promoted to the rank of SS-Brigadeführer (Generalmajor). Breithaupt served as the Nazi Party deputy to the Reichstag between 1933–1945.

He was assigned to the SS-Hauptamt in Berlin from 1 April 1936 to 1 January 1941. He served as the official Polizeipräsident (police president) of Breslau from 4 April 1941 to 15 August 1942. Breithaupt was promoted to SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS on 15 August 1942. Breithaupt was then chief of the Hauptamt SS-Gericht (SS-Main Legal Department) from 18 August 1942 until his murder on 29 April 1945. It was responsible for formulating the laws and codes for the SS and various other groups of the police, conducting its own investigations and trials, as well as administering the SS and Police Courts and penal systems. Breithaupt had been promoted to SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS on 20 April 1944.

Death
Breithaupt was murdered by gunshot by his aide SS-Untersturmführer (2nd lieutenant) Karl Lang in Bach on 29 April 1945.

Awards and decorations

 * Iron Cross (1914), 2nd (22 November 1914) and 1st class (31 May 1916)
 * The Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918
 * Military Merit Order, 4th class with Swords (Bavaria, 22 February 1915)
 * Friedrich Cross (Anhalt, 25 November 1915)
 * Cross for Merit in War (Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen, 4 March 1916)
 * Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with swords (9 June 1917)
 * Military Merit Cross, 2nd class (Mecklenburg-Schwerin, 1 September 1917)
 * Wound Badge of 1918 in black and silver (10 August 1918)
 * SS Honour Ring ("Totenkopf Ring")
 * Sword of honour of the Reichsführer-SS (9 November 1935)
 * NSDAP Long Service Award in Bronze
 * Commander's Cross with swords of the Ducal Saxe-Ernestine House Order (1 December 1935)
 * SS-Julleuchter (16 December 1935)
 * Olympic Games Decoration, 1st class (16 August 1936)
 * Anschluss Medal (25 December 1938)
 * Grand Officer Cross of the Imperial Order of Manchurian (17 January 1941)
 * War Merit Cross, 2nd class (1 May 1942), 1st class with Swords (30 January 1943)
 * Commander of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary (30 July 1942)
 * Badge of Honor for Caring for the German Volk, 2nd class (30 January 1943)