Anton von Hohberg und Buchwald explained

Anton von Hohberg und Buchwald
Birth Date:21 September 1885
Death Place:Dulzen, East Prussia, Germany (now Dulsin, Poland)
Branch:Prussian Army
Serviceyears:–1918
Rank:Rittmeister
SS–Obersturmführer
Battles:World War I
Spouse:Gertrud von Rheinbaben
Laterwork:SS Cavalry leader (East Prussa)

Anton Freiherr von Hohberg und Buchwald (21 September 1885  - 2 July 1934) was a German officer in the Prussian Army and also in the Schutzstaffel (SS). He was murdered during the Night of the Long Knives.

Life

Hohberg was born in Wismar, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and started a career as a Cavalry officer in the German Imperial Army. He served throughout World War I as a Rittmeister (captain) and was retired after 1918. After his dismissal, he went to his family's manor in Dulzen near Preussisch Eylau, East Prussia, where he started to work as a farmer. In 1909 he married Gertrud von Rheinbaben (1888–1949), daughter of Prussian Minister of Interior and Finances, but divorced in 1912 after a duel with Horst von Blumenthal, whom she then married. Around 1930 he joined the National Socialist German Workers' Party and was temporarily a member of the staff of East Prussian SS leader Erich von dem Bach–Zelewski, but came into personal conflicts with him.[1]

On 14 May 1934, Hohberg was dismissed as SS–Oberabschnittsreiterführer (regional SS Cavalry leader) with a rank of SS-Obersturmführer (first lieutenant).[2] During the Night of the Long Knives, von dem Bach gave the order to kill Hohberg. Most probably on 2 July 1934, Hohberg was shot in his manor house in Dulzen by SS-Scharführer Zummach (von dem Bach's chauffeur) and SS-Obersturmführer Carl Reinhard. Hohberg was one of the few SS-members, and probably the highest-ranking one, killed in the Röhm-Putsch.

Aftermath

Von dem Bach-Zelewski was a high-ranking SS-officer throughout World War II. On 16 January 1961, he was prosecuted for the killing and sentenced to four and 6 months imprisonment by a West German court for manslaughter.[3] He died in custody in 1972.[4]

References

Notes and References

  1. Matthias Schmettow: Gedenkbuch des deutschen Adels, 1967, p. 144
  2. Book: Meindl, Ralf. Ostpreussens Gauleiter Erich Koch: eine politische Biographie . University of Freiburg. 2007 . 212 . German. 29 October 2009 . 978-3-938400-19-7.
  3. http://www.abendblatt.de/extra/service/944949.html?url=/ha/1962/xml/19620804xml/habxml62_35248.xml Hamburger Abendblatt 4 August 1962
  4. Wojskowy Instytut Historyczny: Historia Militaris Polonica. 1974, S. 273