User:Reguyla\Otto Winkelmann



SS-Obergruppenführer Otto Winkelmann (* September 4th, 1894 in Bordesholm - † September 24th, 1977) was a German SS officer in the Waffen SS during World War II.

Origin and occupation (1891-1932)
Otto Winkelmann was in the former county seat Bordesholm (between Kiel and Neumünster ) the son of a city Administrative Director. [2] After termination of a law school Winkelmann took 1914-18 as a soldier in the First World War, in part and has been doing with the Iron Cross I. and II. class excellent. After the war he was a member of a volunteer corps. [3] He married in 1922; from the marriage were born two children. [4]

In November 1919 Winkelmann joined as a career officer in the police department a. [5] In December 1919 he was promoted to lieutenant in the police, in May 1923 then the captain of the police. From 1930 he was director of the municipal police of Goerlitz. [6] Winkelmann joined in November 1932 - before the " seizure of power "- in the NSDAP (. membership 1,373,131) a. [7]

Police career in the Nazi era (1933-1943)
In June 1933, Winkelmann was promoted to major in the police, in June 1938, to lieutenant colonel of police. In the SS (SS no. 308 238) Winkelmann was recorded in September 1938. [7] It was founded in 1938 from Görlitz to Berlin in the Main Office of the Order Police in the Reich Interior Ministry added, [6] which as of September 1939 led by Kurt Daluege stand, His new rank was obersturmbannführer , which corresponded to the lieutenant colonel.

In early 1940 Winkelmann was promoted to standartenführer and Colonel of Police, then appointed chief of the Local Group Command I in the main office of the Order Police in December 1940. Thus Daluege was his direct superior. In December 1941, Winkelmann reached as a major general of the police the first general rank, in August 1942 he was further promoted to lieutenant general of police. In November 1942, Winkelmann became the SS-group leader and promoted to succeed Lieutenant General Adolf von Bomhard appointed as head of the Command Office. [8] Thus, Winkelmann was as chief of staff in the main office Ordnungspolizei the second man behind Daluege. He retained this post until his transfer to Hungary in March 1944, whereby After August 1943, his boss changed: the retiring for health reasons Daluege followed General Alfred Wünnenberg (1891-1963).

Use in Hungary (1944-1945)
On 19 March 1944, Hungary occupied by German troops ( Operation Margarethe ). With leaders decree from March 19, 1944 appointed Hitler to the German ambassador in Hungary, Edmund Veesenmayer, the "agent of the Greater German Reich" (Reich representative) and Otto Winkelmann to Higher SS and Police Leader (HSSPF) of Hungary. [9]

"Civilian German authorities of any kind which are to be active in Hungary are set up only in agreement with the Reich plenipotentiary, working under his direction and carry out their activities according to his instructions from. For those with German forces carried out in Hungary tasks of the SS and police, in particular for the police duties in the area of Jewish Question, occurs to the bar of the Reich plenipotentiary Higher SS and Police Leader, who acts according to his political instructions. "

- leader Decree of 19 March 1944 [9] The official relationship between Winkelmann and Veesenmayer - insinuation of Winkelmann under Veesenmayer or equitable interaction of various aspects of the German occupation - was controversial during the joint service in Hungary; it developed a rivalry that grew into the personal animosity between the two. This rivalry is expected to continue during the legal fight after the war, both loaded each other hard and "frighten not before lying back". [10]

Winkelmann was the direct superior of oberführer Hans-Ulrich Geschke, the Hungarian security police and the security service headed and as a prelude to the deportation of Hungarian Jews 200 people with Jewish-sounding names picked out from the phone book and had him arrested. Geschke shelter again formally the Special Operations Command Eichmann that the deportation of Hungarian Jews in extermination camps operating. Although the SWAT thus shelter in direct line Winkelmann, was Adolf Eichmann 's instructions in matters of substance directly from Kaltenbrunner and Muller from the Reich Security Main Office. [11] was this constellation later during the legal processing of the Nazi deeds, in the Federal Republic the main defense strategy of Winkelmann and Veesenmayer on its own responsibility in the Holocaust denying the Hungarian Jews.

Winkelmann was instrumental in the dismissal of the head of state of Hungary Miklós Horthy involved. After the interim military government of Prime Minister Géza Lakatos had end of August 1944 stopped the deportation of Hungarian Jews kidnapped a German commando unit led by since August 1944 present in Hungary Otto Skorzeny in " Operation Panzerfaust "on October 15, 1944 Horthy eponymous son Miklós Horthy Jr. (1907-1993) to overthrow Lakatos. Then Horthy announced on radio from a ceasefire declaration for Hungary, after which he was arrested on 16 October by Skorzeny. At the initiative Winkelmanns eventually became the Arrow Cross Ferenc Szálasi the new head of state in Hungary. [12]

On December 1, 1944, Hitler declared by command Budapest to a fortress ; to the town commander he appointed obergruppenführer Winkelmann. Thus Winkelmann were under the IX. SS Mountain Corps under the command of Pfeffer-Wildenbruch and the III. Panzer Corps of the Wehrmacht. After four days - on December 5, 1944 - Winkelmann was forced to resign as city commander, he task of Pest had recommended bridgehead what Hitler refused strictly. New town commander was Pfeffer-Wildenbruch, the this post in the coming battle for Budapest was to hold. [13]

Postwar and judicial follow-up (1945-1977)
Winkelmann came on 1 May 1945 in American captivity, from which he was transferred to Hungary October 27, 1945.. From there, the Hungarian prosecution had him as a witness for the Nazi trials against Ferenc Szálasi, Emil Kovarcz , Béla Imrédy and Franz Basch requested. On April 10, 1946 presented by the Hungarian Minister of Justice when Major General William S. Key, the highest US representative in the Allied Control Commission for Hungary , the request for the extradition of Veesenmayer and Winkelmann to make this as a war criminal the process in Hungary. However, the application did not give the American authorities after, but continued in September 1948, be returned to Winkelmanns to Germany by where he was released. [6]

On his return to Germany Winkelmann took up residence in his hometown Bordesholm. [2] For the CDU Winkelmann was established in April 1955 in the council - the municipal parliament of Kiel - chosen. He was direct candidate in the constituency 26 and as a member of the Kiel block (CDU, FDP, SHB and GB / BHE ) a member of several committees of the council. Early 1958 moved Winkelmann from Kiel in the suburb Schulensee and arbitration so in February 1958. end of its term as councilor from. [14] In May 1961, he was in Germany as a witness in the Eichmann trial heard. [15] in 1961 went Winkelmann as " Police Colonel "in board. [6] With regard to deportation, and murder of Hungarian Jews, he was together with 1,800 business leaders, politicians and leading officials of the Federal Republic in 1968 by the GDR published for propaganda purposes Brown book listed. [16]

Awards

 * Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse (1914)


 * Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse (1914)


 * Deutsches Kreuz in Silber


 * Kriegsverdienstkreuz 1. Klasse mit Schwertern


 * Kriegsverdienstkreuz 2. Klasse mit Schwertern


 * Ritterkreuz des Kriegsverdienstkreuzes mit Schwertern on December 16th, 1944


 * Landesorden


 * Verwundetenabzeichen in Silber (1918)


 * Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer


 * Schlesischer Adler 1. Klasse


 * Ehrendegen des Reichsführers-SS


 * SS-Ehrenring