On this date, January 4, 1962, Dr.
Hans Lammers, the head of the Reich Chancellery passed away in Düsseldorf, Germany.
I will post information about him from Wikipedia and other links.
Hans Lammers in SS uniform, circa 1938–1940. |
Chief
of the Reich Chancellery
|
|
In
office
30 January 1933 – 24 April 1945 |
|
President
|
Adolf Hitler
Führer |
Chancellor
|
Adolf Hitler
|
Preceded by
|
Erwin Planck
|
Succeeded by
|
none
|
In
office
1 December 1937 – 24 April 1945 |
|
In
office
January 1943 – 24 April 1945 |
|
Personal
details
|
|
Born
|
27 May 1879
Lublinitz, German Empire |
Died
|
4 January 1962 (aged 82)
Düsseldorf, West Germany |
Political party
|
Nazi (DNVP until 1932)
|
Profession
|
Judge
|
Military
service
|
|
Allegiance
|
German
Empire
Nazi
Germany
|
Service/branch
|
Imperial German Army
|
Battles/wars
|
World War I
World War II |
Hans Lammers in 1937 |
Dr. jur. Hans Heinrich Lammers (27 May 1879 – 4 January 1962)
was a German jurist and prominent Nazi politician. From 1933 until 1945 he
served as head of the Reich Chancellery under Adolf Hitler.
Reception when Quisling leader. Links
Reichskommissar Terboven, Fri mid Minister Lammers, right Bormann, group
leaders and group leaders Schaub Bormann. 02/13/1942.
|
Biography
Born
in Lublinitz (Lubliniec) in Upper Silesia, the son of a veterinarian,
Lammers completed law school at the universities of Breslau
(Wrocław) and Heidelberg,
obtained his doctorate in 1904, and was appointed judge at the Amtsgericht of Beuthen
(Bytom) in 1912. As a volunteer and officer of the German Army
he received the Iron Cross, First
and Second Class during World War I, then
resumed his career as a lawyer and joined the national conservative German
National People's Party (DNVP), reaching the position of an
undersecretary at the Reich
Ministry of the Interior by 1922.
Hans
Lammers in 1933
|
In
1932, Lammers joined the Nazi Party and
achieved rapid promotion, appointed head of the police department, and in the
course of the Nazi Machtergreifung
in 1933 a State Secretary
and Chief of the Reich Chancellery.
At the recommendation of Reich Minister Wilhelm Frick, he became the centre of communications and chief legal adviser
for all government departments. From 1937, he was a member of Hitler's cabinet as a Reich Minister
without portfolio, and from 30 November 1939 a member of the Council
of Ministers for the Defence of the Reich. In this position he was able to
review all pertinent documents regarding national security and domestic policy
even before they were forwarded to Hitler personally. Historian Martin Kitchen
explains that due to the centralization of power accorded the Reich Chancellory
and with Lammers catching things before they made it to Hitler, Lammers became
"one of the most important men in Nazi Germany." From the vantage
point of most government officers, Lammers seemed to speak on behalf of Hitler,
the ultimate authority within the Reich. Lammers was also one of the first
officials to sign government correspondence with "Heil Hitler," which
became a requisite greeting for civil servants and proliferated so much so that
failure to use this greeting could bring one under Gestapo
suspicion since it indicated an "overt sign of dissidence". Sometime
in 1940, Lammers was also promoted to honorary SS General.
From
January 1943, Lammers served as President of the cabinet when Hitler was absent
from their meetings. Along with Martin Bormann,
he increasingly controlled access to Hitler. In February 1943, following the Battle of Stalingrad,
Bormann with Lammers attempted to create a three-men junta representing the
Nazi Party (Bormann), the state (Lammers), and the army which would have been
led by Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, chief
of the OKW (armed forces high command). This
Committee of Three would have exercised dictatorial powers over the home front.
Joseph Goebbels, Albert Speer, Hermann Göring and Heinrich Himmler all saw this proposal as a power
grab by Bormann and Lammers and a threat to their positions, and combined to
block it. However, this scheme eventually collapsed due to the frequent
infighting and mistrust the party, military, and the various ministries had
amongst one another. Lammers eventually lost power and influence due to the
increasing irrelevancies of his post due to the war and as a consequence of
Martin Bormann's growing influence with Hitler.
Hitler
and Lammers
|
In
April 1945, Lammers was arrested by Hitler's forces during the final days of
the Third Reich, in connection with the upheaval surrounding Hermann Göring. On
23 April, as the Soviets tightened the encirclement of Berlin, Göring consulted
Karl Koller and Lammers. All agreed that Göring was not only Hitler's
designated successor, but was to act as his deputy if Hitler ever became
incapacitated. Acting on the matter, Göring sent a telegram from Berchtesgaden
in Bavaria, arguing that since Hitler was cut off in Berlin, he, Göring, should
assume leadership of Germany. Göring set a time limit, after which he would consider
Hitler incapacitated. Hitler responded angrily, ordering SS troops to arrest
Göring and to shoot Lammers. Lammers was rescued when he was captured by
American forces, but in the meanwhile his wife, Elfriede (née Tepel), committed
suicide near Obersalzberg (the site of Hitler's mountain retreat) in early May
1945, as did his younger daughter, Ilse Hoffmann (née Lammers), two days later.
Lammers in 1947 facing trial for crimes
against humanity
|
Lammers in 1947 facing trial for crimes
against humanity
|
Post-war
After
the war in April 1946 Lammers was a witness at the Nuremberg tribunal.
In April 1949 he was tried under Subsequent
Nuremberg Trials in the Ministries Trial and sentenced to 20 years
in prison. The sentence was later reduced to 10 years by U.S. High Commissioner
John J. McCloy, and he was finally pardoned
and released in 1952. He died on 4 January 1962 in Düsseldorf, and was buried
in Berchtesgaden in the same plot as his wife and daughter.
Hans
Lammers on trial
|
Awards
and decorations
- Iron Cross of 1914, 1st and 2nd class
- Golden Party Badge of the NSDAP (31 January 1937)
- Civil Service Faithful Service Medal (6 July 1939)
- Sword of honour of the Reichsführer-SS
- SS Honour Ring
OTHER LINKS:
No comments:
Post a Comment