|
| serviceyears = 1925–45 | branch = Reichswehr ''Waffen-SS'' | rank = ''SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS'' | servicenumber = NSDAP #1,200,158 SS #66,680 | commands = | unit = | battles = World War II | relations = | awards = Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords | laterwork = }} Hans Georg Otto Hermann Fegelein (30 October 1906 – 28 April 1945) was an ''SS-Gruppenführer'' (general) of the ''Waffen-SS'' in Nazi Germany. He was a member of Adolf Hitler's entourage and brother-in-law to Eva Braun through his marriage to her sister, Gretl. Fegelein joined the ''Reiter-Regiment'' 17 (Cavalry Regiment 17) in 1925 and transferred to the SS on 10 April 1933. He became a leader of an SS equestrian group, and was in charge of preparation of the courses and facilities for the equestrian events of the Berlin Olympic Games in 1936. He tried out for the Olympic equestrian team himself, but was eliminated in the qualifying rounds. In September 1939, after the successful Invasion of Poland, Fegelein commanded the SS ''Totenkopf Reiterstandarte'' (Death's-Head Horse Regiment). They were garrisoned in Warsaw until December. In May and June 1940, he participated in the Battle of Belgium and France as a member of the ''SS-Verfügungstruppe'' (later renamed the ''Waffen-SS''). For his service in these campaigns he was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class on 15 December 1940. Units under his command on the Eastern Front in 1941 were responsible for the deaths of over 17,000 civilians during the Pripyat swamps punitive operation in the Byelorussian SSR. As commander of the 8th SS Cavalry Division ''Florian Geyer'' in 1943, he was involved in operations against partisans as well as defensive operations against the Red Army, for which he was awarded the Close Combat Clasp in bronze. Fegelein was seriously wounded in September 1943, and was reassigned by Heinrich Himmler to Hitler's headquarters staff as his liaison officer and representative of the SS. Fegelein was present at the failed attempt on Hitler's life on 20 July 1944. He was on duty at Hitler's ''Führerbunker'' in Berlin in the closing months of the war, and was shot for desertion on 28 April 1945, two days before Hitler's suicide. Historians William L. Shirer and Ian Kershaw characterise him as cynical and disreputable. Albert Speer called him "one of the most disgusting people in Hitler's circle". Fegelein was an opportunist who ingratiated himself with Himmler, who granted him the best assignments and rapid promotions. == Career == Fegelein was born in Ansbach, Bavaria, to the retired ''Oberleutnant'' Hans Fegelein. As a boy working at his father's equestrian school in Munich, he became proficient in riding skills and participated in jumping events. During this period he met Christian Weber, an original member of the Nazi Party. Weber later sponsored Fegelein's entry into the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS). In 1925, after studying for two terms at Munich University, Fegelein joined the ''Reiter-Regiment'' 17 (Cavalry Regiment 17). On 20 April 1927, he joined the Bavarian State Police in Munich as an officer cadet. In 1929 he left the police service when he was caught stealing examination solutions from a teaching superior's office. The official communication at the time was that he resigned for "family reasons". Fegelein later stated that he had left the police on "his own account" to better serve the Nazi Party and SS. His father had started the ''Reitinstitut Fegelein'' (Riding Institute Fegelein) in 1926. In Munich Fegelein came into contact with National Socialism and the SS. His father had made the institute available to the SS as a meeting place, and the training facilities and horses were used by equestrian units of the ''Sturmabteilung'' (SA) and SS. Fegelein joined the Nazi Party (membership number 1,200,158) and the SA in 1930. He transferred to the SS on 10 April 1933, with membership number 66,680. He worked as an instructor at the ''Reitinstitut Fegelein'' and became the leader of the ''SS-Reitersturm'', the SS equestrian group based at the facility. By the mid-1930s he took over administration of the school from his father. He was promoted to the ''Allgemeine-SS'' rank of ''SS-Untersturmführer'' that year and to ''SS-Obersturmführer'' on 20 April 1934 and to ''SS-Hauptsturmführer'' on 9 November 1934. Beginning in November 1935, Fegelein oversaw the preparation of the courses and facilities for the equestrian events of the Berlin Olympic Games. He was promoted to the rank of ''SS-Sturmbannführer'' on 30 January 1936. He participated in the selection process for the German equestrian team, but was unable to prevail against the strong competition from the ''Kavallerieschule Hannover'' (cavalry school Hanover), who went on to win all the equestrian gold medals. Fegelein won the ''Deutsches Spring- und Dressurderby'' international tournament in 1937, as did his brother, Waldemar, in 1939. He was promoted to the rank of ''SS-Obersturmbannführer'' on 30 January. On 25 July 1937 ''Reichsführer-SS'' Himmler, by special order of the ''SS-Oberabschnitt Süd'', created the ''Haupt-Reitschule München'' (SS Main Riding School) in Munich. The school was started from his father's stud farm. Fegelein was named its commander and promoted to ''SS-Standartenführer'' the same day. Funding for the very expensive horses came in part from then ''SS-Brigadeführer'' Weber, who supported the school with more than 100,000 Reichsmarks annually. Fegelein won the "''Braunes Band von Deutschland''" (Brown Ribbon of Germany), an annual horse race which in 1938 was held on the premises of the riding school in Munich. Fegelein at the time had strong ambitions to participate in the 1940 Summer Olympics. With the help of his friend (HSSPF; Higher SS and Police Leader) Karl von Eberstein, he arranged the transfer of all the Bavarian State Police horses to the SS riding school in case of mobilization. His fear was that the horses would be handed to the Wehrmacht. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』 ■ウィキペディアで「Hermann Fegelein」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|