Ludwig Freiherr von Leonrod

Ludwig Freiherr von Leonrod
Ludwig Freiherr von Leonrod
Born	17 September 1906 Munich, Imperial Germany
Died	26 August 1944 (aged 37) Berlin, Germany
Allegiance	Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1926–44
Rank	Major
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Iron Cross

Ludwig Freiherr von Leonrod (17 September 1906 – 26 August 1944) was a German officer who took part in the July 20 plot.

Leonrod was born in Munich and joined the Weimar German Reichswehr on 1 April 1926 in the Cavalry Regiment 17 in Bamberg next to Claus von Stauffenberg.^[1]

In World War II Leonrod was severely wounded in late 1941 and unfit for front service.

In December 1943 Stauffenberg informed Leonrod about the plans for a coup d'état. Leonrod asked chaplain Hermann Josef Wehrle, who was later sentenced to death for his knowledge, about the theological justification of a tyrannicide.

Leonrod was supposed to become a liaison officer in military district VII (Munich). After the plot failed Leonrod was arrested by the Gestapo on 21 July 1944, sentenced to death by the Volksgerichtshof on 21 August and killed on 26 August at Plötzensee prison.^[2]

Leonrod was married to Monika née von Twickel since 1943.

References

1. Biography (German)
2. Biography at German Resistance Memorial Center

Notes

Regarding personal names: Freiherr was a title before 1919, but now is regarded as part of the surname. It is translated as Baron. Before the August 1919 abolition of nobility as a legal class, titles preceded the full name when given (Graf Helmuth James von Moltke). Since 1919, these titles, along with any nobiliary prefix (von, zu, etc.), can be used, but are regarded as a dependent part of the surname, and thus come after any given names (Helmuth James Graf von Moltke). Titles and all dependent parts of surnames are ignored in alphabetical sorting. The feminine forms are Freifrau and Freiin.

External links

• Leonrod and Wehrle at the "Volksgerichtshof" on YouTube (German)