Bruno Streckenbach

Bruno Streckenbach
SS-Gruppenführer Bruno Streckenbach
Born	7 February 1902 Hamburg, German Empire
Died	28 October 1977 (aged 75) Hamburg, West Germany
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918)  Weimar Republic (to 1922)  Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Waffen-SS
Years of service	1918–45
Rank	SS-Gruppenführer and Generalleutnant of the Waffen-SS and Polizei
Service number	NSDAP #489,972 SS #14,713
Commands held	8th SS Cavalry Division Florian Geyer 19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Latvian)
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Other work	general manager ADAC

Bruno Heinrich Streckenbach (7 February 1902 – 28 October 1977) held the rank of SS-Brigadeführer (Major General), when he was the head of Amt I (Department I): Administration and Personnel of the Reichssicherheitshauptamt (Reich Main Security Office or RSHA), but eventually achieved the rank of SS-Gruppenführer (Lieutenant General) both in Allgemeine-SS and Waffen-SS. He was responsible for many thousands of murders committed by Nazi mobile killing squads known as Einsatzgruppen.

Career in Allgemeine-SS

Streckenbach served in the last year of World War I and was a member of the Freikorps between the wars. He was appointed in 1933 to run the Hamburg political police after it had been swallowed by the SS as Heinrich Himmler and Reinhard Heydrich took over one state police force after another in their plan to control the national police of Nazi Germany.

Heinrich Himmler and Bruno Streckenbach

He was transferred to Poland after the German occupation of 1939; he oversaw the arrests of the professors at Cracow University, and was one of the architects of the effective implementation of the Extraordinary Pacification Action. He was then posted to Berlin for administrative duties.

Streckenbach received a top secret order to proceed immediately to the police barracks at Pretzsch on the Elbe. He was met there by members of the SD, the Waffen-SS, the Gestapo and the Orpo police. Streckenbach trained and indoctrinated them before the invasion of the Soviet Union. Veterans of German atrocity in Poland became members of one of four newly constituted Einsatzgruppen destined for Soviet Russia.

Streckenbach detailed the mission of the Einsatzgruppen: they were to seize and destroy all political and racial enemy groups, such as Bolsheviks, gypsies, partisans and Jews. In addition, the Einsatzgruppen were to report on and evaluate material seized during the campaign and to gather information from agents among the Soviet population. Streckenbach ordered that all enemies of the Third Reich were to be deported to concentration camps and executed. Jews were especially singled out for Sonderbehandlung ("special treatment"), meaning extermination.

On 9 November 1941 he was promoted to SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Polizei.

Career in Waffen-SS

Streckenbach then requested to join a fighting unit, and in September 1942 he was transferred to the Waffen-SS as an SS-Obersturmführer (First Lieutenant) der Reserve. He trained with anti-tank units and was assigned to the 8th SS Cavalry Division Florian Geyer as SS-Hauptsturmführer (Captain) in March 1943.

By April 1943 he was in command of the division's anti-tank battalion, SS Panzerjägerabteilung. He received rapid promotions to SS-Sturmbannführer (Major), SS-Obersturmbannführer (Lieutenant Colonel) and, in August 1943, SS-Standartenführer (Colonel). Later in the autumn he replaced Hermann Fegelein as a divisional commander, and was promoted to SS-Oberführer (Brigadier General) on 30 January 1944.

On 13 April 1944 he was appointed commander of the 19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Latvian). Streckenbach held this post to the end of the war; he achieved the rank of SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS in November 1944. Streckenbach was awarded the Knight's Cross, and later the Oak Leaves.

Post-war

Streckenbach was taken prisoner by the Soviets and, in 1952, he was sentenced to serve twenty-five years in prison, but was released on 10 October 1955. During the Nuremberg trial, defendant SS-Brigadeführer Otto Ohlendorf stated that Streckenbach, in mid-June 1941, had transmitted the extermination order, at a meeting concerning the missions of the Einsatzgruppen.

The West German government eventually brought Streckenbach to trial in 1973 but the case was dismissed due to defendant's ill health.^[1] He died on 28 October 1977 in Hamburg.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (10 October 1940)^[2]
  • 1st Class (15 July 1943)^[2]
• Infantry Assault Badge
• Close Combat Clasp in Bronze
• German Cross in Gold on 15 December 1943 as SS-Standartenführer in the SS-Kavallerie-Division^[3]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 27 August 1944 as SS-Brigadeführer and Generalmajor of the Waffen-SS and commander of the 19. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS^{[4][Note 1]}
  • 701st Oak Leaves on 16 January 1945 as SS-Gruppenführer and Generalleutnant of the Waffen-SS and commander of the 19. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS^{[6][Note 2]}
• Mentioned three times in the Wehrmachtbericht on 9 August 1944, 30 September 1944 and 27 December 1944
• Golden Party Badge of the NSDAP (30 January 1939)
• War Merit Cross with Swords, 1st and 2nd class
• Sword of honour of the Reichsführer-SS
• SS Honour Ring (Totenkopfring)

Wehrmachtbericht references

Date	Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording	Direct English translation
9 August 1944 (addendum)	Im Nordabschnitt der Ostfront haben sich die norddeutsche 83. Infanteriedivision unter Oberst Götz mit unterstellten Teilen der ostpreußischen 61. Infanteriedivision und die 19. lettische SS-Division unter Führung von SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS Streckenbach in Angriff und Abwehr besonders bewährt.[7]	In the northern sector of the Eastern Front, the north German 83rd Infantry Division under Colonel Götz with subordinate units of the East Prussian 61st Infantry Division and the 19th Latvian SS Division under the command of SS-Brigadeführer and Major General of the Waffen SS Streckenbach have particularly proven themselves in attack and defense.
30 September 1944 (addendum)	In der Abwehrschlacht in Lettland hat sich die 19. Waffengenadierdivision der SS (lettische Nr. 2) unter Führung von SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS Streckenbach bei der Verteidigung ihres Heimatbodens hervorragend geschlagen.[8]	In the defensive battle in Latvia the 19th Waffengenadier Division of the SS (Latvian No. 2) under the leadership of SS-Brigadeführer and Major General of the Waffen SS Streckenbach fought magnificently in defense of their home soil.
27 December 1944 (addendum)	Bei den schweren Abwehrkämpfen in Kurland haben sich die 205. Infanteriedivision unter Führung des Generalleutnants von Mellenthin und die 19. Freiwilligendivision unter SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Streckenbach hervorragend geschlagen.[9]	In the heavy defensive battles in Courland, the 205th Infantry Division under the leadership of Lieutenant-General von Mellenthin and the 19 voluntary Division under SS-Gruppenführer and Lieutenant General of the Waffen-SS Streckenbach fought magnificently.

See also

• Einsatzgruppen

Notes

1. According to Scherzer as SS-Brigadeführer and Generalmajor of the Waffen-SS, the Reserves, and commander of the 19. Waffen-Grenadier Division der Waffen-SS (lett. Nr. 2).^[5]
2. According to Scherzer as SS-Gruppenführer and Generalleutnant of the Waffen-SS and the Reserves.^[5]

References

Citations

1. Blood 2006, p. 324.
2. Thomas 1998, p. 360.
3. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 464.
4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 414.
5. Scherzer 2007, p. 730.
6. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 95.
7. Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Volume 3, p. 196.
8. Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Volume 3, p. 269.
9. Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Volume 3, p. 381.

Bibliography

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• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Krätschmer, Ernst-Günther (1999) [1955]. Die Ritterkreuzträger der Waffen-SS [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Waffen-SS]. Coburg, Germany: Nation Europa Verlag. ISBN 978-3-920677-43-9.
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Silgailis, Arthur (1986). Latvian Legion. San Jose, Calif. : R.J. Bender Pub. ISBN 0-912138-35-1.
• Thomas, Franz (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9.
• Trang, Charles (2000). Division "Florian Geyer". Bayeux: Heimdal. ISBN 2-84048-141-3.
• Von Seemen, Gerhard (1976). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 : die Ritterkreuzträger sämtlicher Wehrmachtteile, Brillanten-, Schwerter- und Eichenlaubträger in der Reihenfolge der Verleihung : Anhang mit Verleihungsbestimmungen und weiteren Angaben [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 : The Knight's Cross Bearers of All the Armed Services, Diamonds, Swords and Oak Leaves Bearers in the Order of Presentation: Appendix with Further Information and Presentation Requirements] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7909-0051-4.
• Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. Mai 1945 [The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 3, 1 January 1944 to 9 May 1945] (in German). München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2.