Johannes Poeppel
| Johannes Poeppel | |
|---|---|
 Poeppel and German chancellor Helmut Schmidt in 1981 | |
| Nickname(s) | Hans |
| Born |
20 July 1921 Schivelbein, Farther Pomerania (today Świdwin, Poland) |
| Died | 29 September 2007 (aged 86) |
| Allegiance |
 Federal Republic of Germany |
| Years of service |
1939–1945 1955 – 1981 |
| Rank | Generalleutnant |
| Unit | Artillerieregiment 32 (1939–1945) |
| Commands held |
Field Artillery Battalion 31 Panzergrenadierbrigade 1 6. Panzergrenadierdivision Inspector of the Army |
| Awards | Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit |
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Johannes "Hans" Poeppel (20 July 1921 – 29 September 2007) was a general in the German Bundeswehr. He served as Inspekteur des Heeres (Inspector of the Army) 1979–81.[1]
Early life
Poeppel was born in Schivelbein, Farther Pomerania (today Świdwin, Poland) and passed his Abitur at a Napola institution in Berlin in 1939.[2]
Career
Wehrmacht
That year he passed his Abitur, Poeppel joined the Wehrmacht as an officer cadet and served in the Artillerieregiment 32 throughout the Second World War. By the end of the war, he had attained the rank of Hauptmann (captain), and managed to avoid Russian captivity.[1][3]
Post-war
In 1947–49, he studied at the Pedagogic Institute in Celle, including a semester at the University of Manchester. He started to work as a teacher in 1949 in Wriedel (Uelzen) and became an academic assistant at the Pedagogic University of Osnabrück in 1952.[3]
Bundeswehr
After the organization of the Bundeswehr in 1955, Poeppel volunteered and was reinstated at his former rank of captain. Poeppel passed his general staff training at the Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr in 1958–61 and served on the Staff of the I. Korps in Münster. He became Staff Officer to the Generalinspekteure Friedrich Foertsch and Heinrich Trettner and commanded the Feldartilleriebataillon 31 in Lüneburg. In 1967–69, he worked at the Federal Ministry of Defense in Bonn.[3]
On 1 January 1970, Poeppel became the commander of Panzergrenadierbrigade 1 in Hildesheim until 31 March 1973 and until 31 March 1978 of the 6. Panzergrenadierdivision in Neumünster. There he was promoted to Generalmajor.[3]
On 1 April 1978 Poeppel returned to Bonn and became the Deputy Inspector of the Army and a year later Inspector (Inspekteur de sHeeres). Poeppel retired on 1 October 1981.[3]
Personal life
Poeppel was married in 1947 to Edelgard, "the girl next door" to him in Pomerania, and the couple had two children. Their son, Burkhardt, also became a Bundeswehr officer; their daughter, Susanne studied for an advanced degree at the Pädagogische Hochschule in Bonn. Poeppel was an able and ardent tennis player all his life.
Bibliography
- Hans Poeppel, Wilhelm-Karl Prinz von Preußen, Karl-Günther von Hase, Die Soldaten der Wehrmacht, 6. Auflage, München 2000. ISBN 3-7766-2057-9
References
External links
- Johannes Poeppel in the German National Library catalogue
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Generalleutnant Horst Hildebrandt |
Inspector of the Army 1 April 1979–1 October 1981 |
Succeeded by Generalleutnant Meinhard Glanz |
| Preceded by Generalleutnant Rüdiger von Reichert |
Deputy Chief of Staff of the Federal Armed Forces 1 April 1978–30 March 1979 |
Succeeded by Generalleutnant Helmut Heinz |
| Preceded by Generalmajor Franz-Joseph Schulze |
Commander of 6th Panzergrenadier Division (Bundeswehr) 1 April 1973 – 31 March 1978 |
Succeeded by Generalmajor Hans-Joachim Mack |
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