Klaus von Bismarck

Klaus von Bismarck (6 March 1912 – 22 May 1997) was the Director General of the Westdeutscher Rundfunk (West German Broadcasting) from 1961 to 1976, and the President of the ARD from 1963 to 1964. He was also the President of the Deutscher Evangelischer Kirchentag 1977–1979 and a member of its presidium 1950–1995, as well as President of the Goethe Institute 1977–1989.

He was a highly decorated Lieutenant Colonel (Oberstleutnant der Reserve) in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. According to his memoirs published in 1992 he refused to obey Hitler's Kommisar Order to execute all captured Russian political Commissars attached to the Russian Army whilst serving as an adjutant on the Russian front in 1941. (Gitta Sereny, 'Albert Speer - his battle with truth, Macmillan 1995)

He is a relative of Otto von Bismarck, Germany's first Chancellor, and was the son of Gottfried von Bismarck (1881–1928), Lord of Jarchlin and Kniephof, family estates located in Pomerania.

Bismarck received an honorary Doctor of Theology degree (Dr. h. c. theol.) from the University of Münster.

Awards and decorations

 * Iron Cross (1939)
 * 2nd Class (9 October 1939)
 * 1st Class (18 June 1940)
 * Wound Badge
 * in Silver (1939)
 * Eastern Front Medal (15 July 1942)
 * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
 * Knight's Cross on 31 December 1941 as Oberleutnant and leader of the II./Infanterie-Regiment 4
 * 669th Oak Leaves on 26 November 1944 as Major and commander of Grenadier-Regiment 4
 * Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht on 24 November 1944
 * Grand Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (3 October 1973)
 * Grand Federal Cross of Merit with Star (1982)
 * Grand Federal Cross of Merit with Star and Sash (2 June 1989)
 * Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (1989)
 * Honorary Doctorate of Theology from the University of Münster
 * Klaus-von-Bismarck-Saal (formerly Main Hall) at WDR Radio Cologne